i suspect july is better for austria, from what i hear on here the alps take that long too loose the snow & why go when you cant see the best bits?

I've ridden alone and with a mate before in Europe and I'd agree with the points put across by STG06.

Going by yourself can either be lonely or a conversation piece with other people. If you have no other company, you'll get talking to other bikers on campsites, having a while looking over maps and discussing where you've been, getting pointers on where to go, etc, etc. I met 2 couples from the Shetlands on returning to the ferry port in Holland this year who then invited me up to the Simmer Dim rally in Shetland for 2009. The 5 of us then got talking to a German rider in his late 70's, on his way for a tour of Scotland on his FJR. Fascinating bloke who used to work as a crytographer in Berlin before the wall came down. Also owns a Suzuki TL1000 and can do a sub-9 min lap of the Nordschleife. Didn't get speaking to anyone much when travelling with my mate.

Austria is great. Did the Grossglocker road in May (travelling alone) and there was some snow but the road was clear. The roads coming down from Lake Constance to Reutte in Austria and on to Innsbruck are great. I partly wish I'd explored Austria more and headed into Hungary instead of Italy.

Plus, you'll definitely have the more interesting holiday stories compared to your mates who went to Majorca... again.

If you're riding between populous areas then why not go alone, you'll always run into someone and help is always another biker away. If you're planning on getting out into the back of beyond (offroad or a remote route) it might be nice to have someone watch your back and share some campfire banter.

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http://bigben.to/ London to....? The big bike annual rally.
http://www.mongolbikers.com 125cc London -> Mongolia.

just go for it, if you find out its not for you your only a couple of days ride from home.
I was very apprehensive before my first solo trip but once you get rolling any fears fade away. I found myself talking to more people than i would have if i were with others.

have a good trip.

Cheers Dave

Hi,
I went from UK to Sweden in 2007 with a group of 10 and hated almost every minute of it ! loved the rally in Sweden but hated the stop/start, hurry up, we have to make here by ... etc.

So in 2008 for a Finnish trip I decided that I would go alone. My partner wasnt very happy but I managed to calm her down and told her I would txt or phone her often.
No probs getting to Finland at my pace and my time keeping, no probs with routes or where to stop and eat.
I did team up with another couple after the rally because I was going thur Estonia, Latvia and Lithunia ( I had heard bad things about these countries which later turned out to be untrue).
Anyway, after spending 3 days of biting my lip and counting to 10 in my head I was glad to get away (dont get me wrong, I like their company and there great fun but again it was the riding part). So when they said they were staying for a 2 days in Lithunia and was happily on my way thru Poland.

2009 I plan to go round the whole of the UK coast using minor roads and taking 3 weeks to do it in ON MY OWN !

Im quite happy setting up my tent, getting something on the cooker and having a good read whilst drinking a few s.
Take along a small MP3 player with a little speaker if you like your music.

Happy travels
Geordie

I generally travel alone.....its my preference now as i find travelling with other people for more than a week a pain in the backside...thats not everyone but most people winge and moan etc.Going alone allows you to meet other bikers,which you inevitably will,believe me,and tag along with them for a few days then when you decide to you just say "thanks and goodluck"....before long you will have met more bikers.Being alone makes you so much more approachable.

You could always take a Hamlet along because as you know...you are never alone with a Haml.......

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Dean

Do it. You will meet people along the way and have a lot more adventures than if you travel with someone else.

I live in Canada, but have spent the last 6 summers riding around Europe - alone. I've done about 150,000 km, and hit just about every country in West, Central, and Eastern Europe.

From a personal safety point of view, I don't have any concerns. I have only been seriously sick once - that was from food poisoning in Barcelona. I checked into a hotel, told them I was feeling very sick, and asked them to periodically check on me. They did - in fact, they looked after me very well. After 3 days, I was feeling better and I got back on the road again.

I have never encountered any problems 'feeling lonely' - my experience is that I am constantly meeting people on the road, in restaurants, etc. If I do want to meet others, I'll stay at a hostel or a gite. If I don't want to meet others, I'll stay at a Hilton.

I have had a couple of mishaps with the motorcycle - it fell into a rather deep ditch once, and I lowsided it on a German highway once. In each case, there was no shortage of total strangers who came to help me. To tell you the truth, those two accidents have done a lot to change the way I look at the world.

I'm in my mid 50s, so, I make sure I have appropriate health insurance when I travel. But, I would probably also do that if I was traveling with someone else.

The motorcycle was new (2001 Honda ST 1100) when I started this touring. I have been very careful about the maintenance, always returning to the same shop in Switzerland to get scheduled maintenance done. I change tires before they hit the wear bars - that I can get done anywhere. So I have not had many concerns about the reliability of the motorcycle. But I am thinking that maybe it's time to get a new one.

In short - if you think you would like to travel on your own, by all means do so. If you are not sure, perhaps try a short trip of a month or so in France or the Benelux region - if you do start to feel blue, it's not a long trip to get back home.

Just a post-script: You mentioned that you are riding a 400cc scooter. That's the perfect motorcycle for riding on the 'departmental' (tertiary) roads of France. Given a choice, I always ride on the departmentals, never on the autoroutes or the primary highways. The smaller roads are far more interesting, they take you through all the little villages, you just pull off to one side of the main street whenever you want a coffee or a mineral water, and you will have no shortage of conversation or hospitality from the locals.

Plus, in the smaller towns and villages, it costs less to eat, and it costs less to sleep. It's also always easy to find a secure place to store the motorcycle overnight or while you might be off touring on foot somewhere, or visiting a local attraction.

Once again folks thanks for all your wonderful encouragement.....i find that real touching.
Now all i have to do is persuade the wife I'm not some old git who should be driving in car rather than the bike,and who wont kill himself driving it.......woman do worry so!
but i am so looking forward to it.....if i wasn't so busy in life im sure i would like to be off before Christmas....but somehow i don't think I'm yet equipped for the cold lol
I am settling in to the bike, and so looking forward to further long distance work with it.........and by the spring it wil have all the accessories and bits i feel i need for long distance touring.....the more i travel the more of the bits i discover i need.Its amazing in days of old you grabbed a map, your clothes and the bike and went...now it becomes an expedition!So much do we get attached to new fangled things. ....like mobiles,radios, ipods etc....and of course the right togs........far call from newspaper stuffed down the front of the belstaff jacket for winter riding
Thanks folks

I nearly always ride alone.

I've been riding alone if france for the past 16 years & have done parts of Italy & switzerland as well. no bother. go for it.

If you want to reassure Wifey, tehn I'm sure a little research on some bike/travel type forums will turn up some members scattered about most of europe (bl**dy english, get everywhere...like a rash) & I expect that you'd find people prepared to help out in the event of a problem.

eg, if you get a problem in france, give me a shout, I can translate, & depending where you are my even be able to find someone nearby who can help physically if need be. Wifey's are often reassured by knowing you've a "contact" in case of trouble (just don't tell 'em how big the country is...lol)

in France there is a great comaderie amonst motorcyclists. To give an example.
Last summer on my way back from Nice, as I went through the small town of Die in a torrential thunderstorm. My bike suddenly died as I got to the town square. There was a burning smell of burnt wire coming from under the tank. By the time I had parked and pulled the bike up on its centre stand a waiter from the local bar came out to ask what was wrong. I had no power at all. This being late Sunday afternoon with every thing shut he then phoned a known good motorcycle mechanic at home and arranged for me and my bike to be collected monday morning, and sent me to a nice small hotel in the town. He made numerous phone calls and helped me during those two days I was stuck there. Sadly he was convinced that my bike had to be a Triumph because I was aBrit and my bike had electrical problems, it went against the grain for him when I explained it was my first electrical problem on a bike since 1961 and this bike was not British like all the rest but a BMW.

Oldsome, I don't know if you recall, but I keep on bumping in to you here and on Burgmanusa (and Hooli on GSX14.org).

I've just come back to Australia after 4.5 months on my Burgman riding alone from Vietnam to Italy (via China/Russia etc.) - 6th major international bike ride in 33 years.

I wouldn't have it any other way - being by yourself is definitely the way to go:
Safer (yep, the wife was pleasantly surprised at how few problems I had)
Less trouble
Go where you want, where you want
Stay where you want, when you want
Cheaper...
Eat what you want, when you want like I did, and lose 12kg

... and I'm not much younger than you either!

Garry from Oz.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Likewise, drop me a PM and i'll happily be a wife reassuring contact for France too and I'll dig out the address for the British Bikers in France forum, which should give you loads all over France.

I'm with oldbmw though on the friendliness thing, I was just riding back from town today, only 10 miles or so, I pulled up at traffic lights just as the hugest rain/hailstorm broke over the top of me, wtih drumming off my helmet like ten insane prog rock drummers on speed. Glancing to my right I happened to peek into the front window of the house and caught the eye of the old lady in there. I gave a "what can you do in this foul weather type shrug, and the next thing I know she's at the window saying "come in out of that ridiculous weather". So I pulled the bike onto the pavement, and ran in through her now open front door. She didn't seem to mind me dripping on her tiles, nor the slightly squelchy sound coming out of my boots and sat me down at her table, gave me a delicious hot choclate and we nattered till the rain had passed over.

Lovely ride.

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Hey Farqhuar
I'm pleased there are other Burgman tourers out there.
I'm wondering is there anything special i should take other than the usual survival gear.
I do intend to get a full service before i go...but i wasn't sure if i need say a spare belt, or any other bits likely to fail/fall off etc from the bike,.
for example did you go with your bike in original spec, or ad leg shields or larger screen.
thanks to the rest of your posts folks.I'm more determined than ever to go solo come the spring.....but a lot more winter riding to do yet.