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As some of you know, I recently took one of those Edelweiss tours... and since there has been some discussion of them in the past on this forum, I thought I'd give a review.
This is a REALLY LONG review, and is mainly written for anyone thinking of taking one of these tours, and it addresses many of the questions that I had prior to taking it. Hopefully, if you're thinking of making one of these tours, it will also answer questions you may have.
Background:
I've been attending the seasonal rallies that Backroads magazine puts on for a couple of years now... and this year's summer rally was a trip overseas to do the High Alpine Tour with Edelweiss.
http://www.edelweissbike.com/en/allTours/true/cont/eur/high-alpine-tour.html
Although I'm not a real big fan of being in tour groups... since I've always wanted to ride the Alps, and I've never been to Europe before... I figured this would be the perfect time to go. I'd be riding with friends I knew, plus Edelweiss would take care of all of the logistical details like booking hotels, knowing the good roads, etc.
Planning for the trip began almost a year in advance. The tour was 7-days, and the price covered the rental bike, hotel each night, breakfast & dinner for each touring day (there was 1 rest day), and a few picnic lunches along the way.
In re prices... there is a tier structure based on what bike you choose to ride, and whether you are riding 2-up... a single rider sharing a room... or a single rider wanting your own room.
A word about the rental bike options: Most of the bikes are those of the BMW brand, with a couple of Ducatis & a Suzuki V-Strom thrown in. Although they have other options for their other tours... these are the bikes Edelweiss has determined are the best for the tight, twisting roads in the Alps.
Speaking of the roads... there is also a 1-day "Alps riding course" that they recommend for those who have never ridden there before, at an additional cost.
So basically, the price covers everything logistically except for your plane ticket there & back.
My choices:
I opted to rent one of the larger bikes to haul my fat ass around... a bike that I'm familiar with, since I have one in the garage: A BMW R1200GS.
Although I've taken the various MSF courses, and both the basic & advanced Lee Park Total Control courses... I opted to take the Alps Riding course too. I figured if nothing else, it would give me another riding day on the bike.
And finally... since I've been told I snore loudly, and because I work rotating shifts my body clock has no set schedule (which means I may wake up at 3AM and decide I wanna watch TV)... I opted for a single room to myself for the tour.
As such, the price for my tour was $4,380... + an additional $360 for the riding class.
Booking the trip involved a $500 non-refundable deposit against the total due.
Next, I had to buy a plane ticket. Our base hotel was just outside of Munich, Germany... so I began looking for cheap flights from JFK. Knowing most of us riders who would be going on this tour were from the northeast (Backroads is a regional magazine), I looked into getting a group rate. But as some of us were be flying from JFK, some from EWR, and nearly all of us would be flying over on different days to spend time in Germany before the tour began... this wasn't feasible.
Remembering I would have to take ALL of my riding gear with me on the flight (helmet, jacket, rain gear, etc.), I wanted a single, direct flight so there was no chance of my luggage getting lost along the way. After all, if my riding gear wasn't there when the tour began, I would be screwed and the trip would be wasted.
I also knew the flight would be a LONG one: 7 hours there, and 8 ½ hours back. So included in my search were upgrade options to either first or business class, with their wider seats.
I eventually settled on a Lufthansa flight... JFK to Munich. A regular coach ticket was around $1400... business class was $2300... and first class was a whopping $15,000!! Figuring a $900 difference between coach & business class wasn't all that much of a difference, and since the business class seats were almost 4 inches wider AND would almost lay flat (165 degrees)... I opted for a business class ticket.
So I added that to my $4,740 tour & class price... and now the cost was up to a little over $7,000. Yeah... not cheap, I know... but how many times am I ever going to do this, right?
Yes... I could've done it cheaper. I could've got a smaller bike... shared a room... and bought a coach ticket. I could also have skipped the class. If I'd done that, I could've saved almost 2-grand. But this was my one big vacation this year, and I wanted to enjoy it my way.
Advance Info:
About 2 months before the tour, you will receive a final invoice for the remaining balance due. You can do this in 3 ways:
1) Send them a check to their offices in Austria
2) Direct wire transfer to their bank (they provide the info in the invoice)
3) Provide them a credit card number
While the credit card option seems the easiest... they tell you in advance that they add a 3% fee to process a credit card. I have no idea what that's all about, and I found it pretty annoying. But, it is what it is.
You'll also receive a pre-tour package containing an overview of most of the info you'll need... a guide to the routes you'll be riding... and a map of the area. You'll want to bring this map with you to mark up, as they use an identical map at each morning's briefing to show you the day's route options.
Basically, all you needed for this tour is a passport. You don't need any new immunizations... nor do you need an International Driver's License (but it doesn't hurt to have it).
The Tour:
So the big day actually arrives. Time to fly.
When I bought my ticket, I opted for a Thursday flight. This would put in in Germany a couple of days early to relax, get over the jet-lag, and see some of the area before the class on Sunday.
An advantage of my business class seat afforded me the opportunity to bring 2 large bags for check-in, and 2 carry-on pieces. No worrying about bag fees or overweight fees. Actually I was able to pack everything i needed into a large OGIO roller bag that I had. It has a helmet compartment & lots of room for all of my other gear. For my carry-ons, I brought my laptop computer & the tank-bag from my GS bike that I would use on the rental bike.
Another advantage to buying the business class ticket was a VERY smooth check-in at the airport. I by-passed the long line at the check-in counter, and went right to the first available counter agent. She tagged my bag with a "Priority" sticker, and sent me towards their Senator's Lounge... where I enjoyed various drinks & finger-food for the hour before the flight. (The "Priority" sticker also ensured my bag was one of the first off the plane. NICE!)
Boarding the flight itself was equally painless, as I by-passed the lines, walked directly to the gate, had my boarding pass checked, and found my seat. If things go this smooth on the way back, that extra $900 for the business class ticket is DEFINITELY worth it!!
Arrival in Germany:
The flight was a 'red-eye' that got us into Germany around 9AM. First thing I needed to do was exchange a few Dollars to Euros for the taxi to my hotel in Erding... about 15 miles from the airport. That done, I now proceeded to the customs line. This would have been swift & painless except for the guy 2 places ahead who, evidently the agents weren't quite sure was kosher. And instead of handing him off to a supervisor they held us up scrutinizing his passport for a good 15 minutes.
Finally through customs with my Passport stamped... I found a taxi, showed him the name & address of my hotel on my iPhone, and off we went. Check-in at the host hotel was painless, and I was in my room.
A word about European hotel rooms: If you've never been over there before, be ready for a different experience. The rooms are generally small, are usually NOT air-conditioned, and the beds are like the beds you slept on as a kid. A "single" bed means exactly that. A single bed like an 8-year old would sleep on. A "double" is simply 2 singles pushed together. Unless you're going to be in one of the large American chain hotels like a Marriott or Hilton, there are no queen or king size beds there.
Ok, so back to my hotel room. Since our hotels were all arranged in advance by Edelweiss, I knew going in that I wasn't going to have any choice in the matter. As such, I read the reviews of the hotel on TripAdvisor.com before leaving. Since there were a couple of recent "so-so" reviews of this hotel, I wasn't expecting much. However I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. My room was pretty decent size... clean... well equipped with a large flat-screen TV & mini-fridge... and the bathroom was well lit & spacious. So all in all, I was pretty happy with my 'home' for the next 3 days.
Other friends began arriving Friday afternoon... and by 8PM, we had a good group ready for dinner. We had a nice meal in the hotel's restaurant, and then ventured into town for late-nite desert at one of the many outdoor cafes: ice cream!!
We had agreed during dinner to all meet Saturday morning for a train ride into Munich to tour the large BMW museum, and then have lunch. Our hotel was conveniently located just down the block form the train station (the S-Bahn)... and at 9AM we strolled over.
(Continued below)
This is a REALLY LONG review, and is mainly written for anyone thinking of taking one of these tours, and it addresses many of the questions that I had prior to taking it. Hopefully, if you're thinking of making one of these tours, it will also answer questions you may have.
Background:
I've been attending the seasonal rallies that Backroads magazine puts on for a couple of years now... and this year's summer rally was a trip overseas to do the High Alpine Tour with Edelweiss.
http://www.edelweissbike.com/en/allTours/true/cont/eur/high-alpine-tour.html
Although I'm not a real big fan of being in tour groups... since I've always wanted to ride the Alps, and I've never been to Europe before... I figured this would be the perfect time to go. I'd be riding with friends I knew, plus Edelweiss would take care of all of the logistical details like booking hotels, knowing the good roads, etc.
Planning for the trip began almost a year in advance. The tour was 7-days, and the price covered the rental bike, hotel each night, breakfast & dinner for each touring day (there was 1 rest day), and a few picnic lunches along the way.
In re prices... there is a tier structure based on what bike you choose to ride, and whether you are riding 2-up... a single rider sharing a room... or a single rider wanting your own room.
A word about the rental bike options: Most of the bikes are those of the BMW brand, with a couple of Ducatis & a Suzuki V-Strom thrown in. Although they have other options for their other tours... these are the bikes Edelweiss has determined are the best for the tight, twisting roads in the Alps.
Speaking of the roads... there is also a 1-day "Alps riding course" that they recommend for those who have never ridden there before, at an additional cost.
So basically, the price covers everything logistically except for your plane ticket there & back.
My choices:
I opted to rent one of the larger bikes to haul my fat ass around... a bike that I'm familiar with, since I have one in the garage: A BMW R1200GS.
Although I've taken the various MSF courses, and both the basic & advanced Lee Park Total Control courses... I opted to take the Alps Riding course too. I figured if nothing else, it would give me another riding day on the bike.
And finally... since I've been told I snore loudly, and because I work rotating shifts my body clock has no set schedule (which means I may wake up at 3AM and decide I wanna watch TV)... I opted for a single room to myself for the tour.
As such, the price for my tour was $4,380... + an additional $360 for the riding class.
Booking the trip involved a $500 non-refundable deposit against the total due.
Next, I had to buy a plane ticket. Our base hotel was just outside of Munich, Germany... so I began looking for cheap flights from JFK. Knowing most of us riders who would be going on this tour were from the northeast (Backroads is a regional magazine), I looked into getting a group rate. But as some of us were be flying from JFK, some from EWR, and nearly all of us would be flying over on different days to spend time in Germany before the tour began... this wasn't feasible.
Remembering I would have to take ALL of my riding gear with me on the flight (helmet, jacket, rain gear, etc.), I wanted a single, direct flight so there was no chance of my luggage getting lost along the way. After all, if my riding gear wasn't there when the tour began, I would be screwed and the trip would be wasted.
I also knew the flight would be a LONG one: 7 hours there, and 8 ½ hours back. So included in my search were upgrade options to either first or business class, with their wider seats.
I eventually settled on a Lufthansa flight... JFK to Munich. A regular coach ticket was around $1400... business class was $2300... and first class was a whopping $15,000!! Figuring a $900 difference between coach & business class wasn't all that much of a difference, and since the business class seats were almost 4 inches wider AND would almost lay flat (165 degrees)... I opted for a business class ticket.
So I added that to my $4,740 tour & class price... and now the cost was up to a little over $7,000. Yeah... not cheap, I know... but how many times am I ever going to do this, right?
Yes... I could've done it cheaper. I could've got a smaller bike... shared a room... and bought a coach ticket. I could also have skipped the class. If I'd done that, I could've saved almost 2-grand. But this was my one big vacation this year, and I wanted to enjoy it my way.
Advance Info:
About 2 months before the tour, you will receive a final invoice for the remaining balance due. You can do this in 3 ways:
1) Send them a check to their offices in Austria
2) Direct wire transfer to their bank (they provide the info in the invoice)
3) Provide them a credit card number
While the credit card option seems the easiest... they tell you in advance that they add a 3% fee to process a credit card. I have no idea what that's all about, and I found it pretty annoying. But, it is what it is.
You'll also receive a pre-tour package containing an overview of most of the info you'll need... a guide to the routes you'll be riding... and a map of the area. You'll want to bring this map with you to mark up, as they use an identical map at each morning's briefing to show you the day's route options.
Basically, all you needed for this tour is a passport. You don't need any new immunizations... nor do you need an International Driver's License (but it doesn't hurt to have it).
The Tour:
So the big day actually arrives. Time to fly.
When I bought my ticket, I opted for a Thursday flight. This would put in in Germany a couple of days early to relax, get over the jet-lag, and see some of the area before the class on Sunday.
An advantage of my business class seat afforded me the opportunity to bring 2 large bags for check-in, and 2 carry-on pieces. No worrying about bag fees or overweight fees. Actually I was able to pack everything i needed into a large OGIO roller bag that I had. It has a helmet compartment & lots of room for all of my other gear. For my carry-ons, I brought my laptop computer & the tank-bag from my GS bike that I would use on the rental bike.
Another advantage to buying the business class ticket was a VERY smooth check-in at the airport. I by-passed the long line at the check-in counter, and went right to the first available counter agent. She tagged my bag with a "Priority" sticker, and sent me towards their Senator's Lounge... where I enjoyed various drinks & finger-food for the hour before the flight. (The "Priority" sticker also ensured my bag was one of the first off the plane. NICE!)
Boarding the flight itself was equally painless, as I by-passed the lines, walked directly to the gate, had my boarding pass checked, and found my seat. If things go this smooth on the way back, that extra $900 for the business class ticket is DEFINITELY worth it!!
Arrival in Germany:
The flight was a 'red-eye' that got us into Germany around 9AM. First thing I needed to do was exchange a few Dollars to Euros for the taxi to my hotel in Erding... about 15 miles from the airport. That done, I now proceeded to the customs line. This would have been swift & painless except for the guy 2 places ahead who, evidently the agents weren't quite sure was kosher. And instead of handing him off to a supervisor they held us up scrutinizing his passport for a good 15 minutes.
Finally through customs with my Passport stamped... I found a taxi, showed him the name & address of my hotel on my iPhone, and off we went. Check-in at the host hotel was painless, and I was in my room.
A word about European hotel rooms: If you've never been over there before, be ready for a different experience. The rooms are generally small, are usually NOT air-conditioned, and the beds are like the beds you slept on as a kid. A "single" bed means exactly that. A single bed like an 8-year old would sleep on. A "double" is simply 2 singles pushed together. Unless you're going to be in one of the large American chain hotels like a Marriott or Hilton, there are no queen or king size beds there.
Ok, so back to my hotel room. Since our hotels were all arranged in advance by Edelweiss, I knew going in that I wasn't going to have any choice in the matter. As such, I read the reviews of the hotel on TripAdvisor.com before leaving. Since there were a couple of recent "so-so" reviews of this hotel, I wasn't expecting much. However I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. My room was pretty decent size... clean... well equipped with a large flat-screen TV & mini-fridge... and the bathroom was well lit & spacious. So all in all, I was pretty happy with my 'home' for the next 3 days.
Other friends began arriving Friday afternoon... and by 8PM, we had a good group ready for dinner. We had a nice meal in the hotel's restaurant, and then ventured into town for late-nite desert at one of the many outdoor cafes: ice cream!!
We had agreed during dinner to all meet Saturday morning for a train ride into Munich to tour the large BMW museum, and then have lunch. Our hotel was conveniently located just down the block form the train station (the S-Bahn)... and at 9AM we strolled over.
(Continued below)