From Florence, Italy to Bern, Switzerland via the French Alps I wanted to start a tour in Florence, after spending several days visiting Tuscany. I have a friend from high school who lives in Bern, so the endpoints were established early.

The question became how to get there. The direct route is over the St. Bernard Pass. But, this was a bit early for it to be open as there is a tunnel and keeping the pass open is no longer important. There were other reasons to skip this pass. First, it wouldn't have taken as long as I had to tour. Second, and most important, was that I couldn't find a route that allowed me an indoor place to stay for the night during the crossing. I don't carry camping gear, so this was a showstopper.

There aren't all that many highways that climb the Alps from Italy to France. I found 3: from Turin, Pinerolo, and Cuneo. After some communication with locals, I chose the Pinerolo option that would take me over the Sistriere and Montgenevre passes to France.

To get to Bern, I planned an ambitious route through France that involved crossing no less than 6 alpine passes. I was able to create a route requiring no more than 50 miles or 4000 feet of climbing each day. You can see the touring plan I created for more details. I also marked the route I rode using the Track My Tour app.

The ride was one of the best I've done! The passes were amazing, both from a visual perspective but also as a physical challenge. I met wonderful people, ate some fabulous food, saw truly amazing vistas, and created indelible memories. Return to Home Page

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