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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

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Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 27 Jan 2008
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Alps in November
Hi,

does anyone have experience of riding through the alps later in the year. I'm heading down to the south of italy and, in the warmer months, I'd ride down through the alps and straight down from there but is this possible in the winter or will I freeze. I believe the roads themselves are kept well clear of snow.

I've found sites which give temperatures for cities but I've never ridden that area before so don't know where they are, if you see what I mean.

Any advice welcome, ta.
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Old 27 Jan 2008
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You never know what the weather will be like in November, but at least the motorways will be snow-free. Like The Brennero going from Innsbruck/Austria to Verona or the tunnel at Chamonix/France to Courmayeur.

What I don't like is that so much salt is spread on the roads to keep them ice-free, meaning danger of rust for the bike. But on the other hand if the Alps are snow clad, it's sure a sight :-)
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Old 28 Jan 2008
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We travelled into Switzerland in mid-September and got caught in a snow storm.....we were in a 4x4 but the bikers behind us got clobbared and looked like snowmen when we all arrived at the first hotel down the valley......I merely mention this to say that whilst the roads may be kept clear, you might still be caught in shite weather which causes you problems through the passes........
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Old 14 Feb 2008
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Madman - some of the worst weather in Western Europe is in November! Windy, cold wet and that seeping damp cold that saps energy and strength. But saying that wrap up warm , heated grips and regular stops you should be okay.

Expect Northern Italy to be very wet in this period as well.

Also expect the higher passes to be closed and expect snow showers/storms. The main passes are generally closed from late October to late June.

The Peages and Autoroutes should be snow free but a lot of the accomadation will be closed up, as this is the gap between summer season and the winter sports season. Use the F1's as the will be usually available, cheap and warm after a day in the cold.

Although with the current weather fluctuations it might be still late summer by then !

Have you considered putting the bike on the train ? Quicker , slightly more expensive but you ill enjoy the Italian part of the ride without feeling like you have been in a 4 day fight
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Old 14 Feb 2008
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OK, thanks for all the advice. Like I said, I had no idea but I have now. We'll definitely get the train back up but we'll have a look closer to the time to see if it is indeed still summer-ish and the roads are clear.

I'd love to do it, especially for the scenery and experience but since the wife will be with me, I think I'll opt for comfort & warmth. If I do it, I'll post on here. Thanks again.
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Old 15 Feb 2008
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It's going to be the luck of the draw what sort of weather you get at that time of year. I was in the Grenoble area at the end of Nov last year and it was around 8 -10C in the valleys and around 0C on the passes.
The year before in early Nov it was 27C in the valley at our local supermarket (500m) and 20C at 2000m! The ski season opens in the first week of Dec so they expect a fair bit of snow around then.
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