Amazing scenery, stunning roads, fabulous food and as close as you can get to guaranteed good weather. Corsica and Sardinia offer two similar - yet also quite different - amazing riding experiences. Mountains, beaches, forests, historic towns... Everything you could want from a riding holiday is here.

 

This is a 14-day trip, planned to run from a Saturday to the following Sunday, which allows time for rest days - maybe one in Corsica and one in Sardinia, maybe a three-night stop with two days off the bike in one location. It's totally flexible, but all the overnight stops are planned for locations where there's something appealing – whether that's a historic citadel to explore or miles of golden sand for the sun-worshipper (or the option of more miles of mountain roads for the more hardcore rider).

 

The trip is structured around an early morning Calais crossing and three moderate days to get to the Mediterranean coast. The seven riding days on the two islands are shorter, to allow for more picture-taking, later starts and general no-pressure mooching around. Returning to the mainland, four days slice through the Alps, Burgundy and the Champagne-Ardennes to get to Calais for an early afternoon crossing, to allow plenty of time to get home on the final day. 

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What’s included on the route? Each day’s route includes recommended places to stop for coffee in the morning and afternoon, with a suggested lunch stop and planned fuel stops (never more than 130 miles apart). Tourist attractions along the way are highlighted, so you can pick which to visit.

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How long is each day’s ride? It's a riding holiday, so these are day-long rides - but they are designed with a pillion in mind. On the longer, mainland days it's best to check-out and hit the road by 9am, to get to the next hotel at 5:30-6pm. That's with stops for coffee and lunch. The days on the islands have an hour's less riding but it's possible they'll take just as long because the scenery encourages more stops for pics. 
Saddle-time rating: six out of 10.

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What are the highlights? Almost too many to list. On the mainland, the "transit" routes include the Ardeche and Verdon gorges, several alpine passes (including Col de la Machine in the Vercors) and miles of quiet, swooping roads. On Corscia and Sardinia the route is packed full of mountain passes as well as stunning coastal roads. On the islands, you'll get off the bike thinking you've just had the best day of the trip, only for the next day to make you think that day's ride is the best...   

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Why fourteen days? This tour is designed to fit in with having two weeks off work, leaving Calais on a Saturday morning and returning on a Sunday afternoon two weeks later. That's 16 days away in total – but the route covers only 14, so there's time for two rest days to break it up. The aim is for this to be flexible and relaxed, allowing you to pick your rest days to tailor the tour to what you want from a riding holiday.  ​

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How is it supplied? Just download the GPX files and install them in your sat nav. Garmin or BMW Navigator users should download the complete file, which comes with additional waypoints for the various attractions that aren't directly on the route; TomTom users (or riders using a GPX compatible phone app like Scenic, Calimoto or MyRouteApp Navigator) should download the individual files. I also supply a tour pack of day-by-day route notes and marked-up maps (not sold separately). Garmin/BMW users can order it at the same time as downloading the routes; TomTom users should use the "Contact" section to arrange it.