We all meet up in Dover and after a pleasant 1½ hour ferry crossing to Dunkerque, set off for Switzerland, arriving at our hotel in the alps late the following afternoon after an overnight stop near Nancy in Eastern France.

For the next 5 nights our home will be a lovely family owned 4 star hotel in the Bündner Oberland region, at the start of the Oberalp pass. It is ideally situated for some really great rideouts over some of Switzerland’s very best passes (see the box further down the page).

After parking our bikes in the garage and taking our luggage up to our rooms, we meet up in the restaurant where we enjoy a well earned meal. After dinner and over coffee or a beer, we have a chat about all we will be doing over the next few days after which it’s off to bed for a good nights sleep.

Next morning, after breakfast we decided where to go for the day. We have put together 12 big rides for you to choose from of between 100 and 200 miles, with most of them crossing at least 2 major passes. The scenery in this part of Switzerland is awesome to say the least, so all of these ride outs will be all day jobs due to the number of stops we will be taking to enjoy the view. And if you feel like staying longer in any one place, then do it - we will be waiting for you somewhere before the next turn off. You will all have a route card so it is entirely up to you whether you stay with the group or go off by yourselves. All we ask is that you let your tour leader know before you disappear!

Late in the afternoon we arrive back at the hotel, tired but happy, our heads buzzing with everything we’ve seen and I for one will be ready for a cold beer. Time to chill out a bit before dinner. Stretch your legs with a walk round the village or just sit at the bar and have a drink or two. Now is the ideal time to talk over all we’ve seen that day and to make plans for the next. Remember, it’s your holiday, so you choose what you want to do. I’m just there to make sure you have a great time.

If you want a day off from playing ‘follow my leader’ then see me the evening before and I will give you plenty of tips for places to head for. There really is a lot to see round here, from Chur (pronounced Koor), the county town with its beautiful pedestrianised Old Town and which also happens to be Switzerland’s oldest continuously inhabited city, to some really great dead end roads that take you deep into the mountains where the air is so pure and fresh it nearly hurts to breath.

After a couple of days up here in the mountains you will all probably be feeling the effects of the altitude, so on Wednesday we have a day off and you can do whatever you want. Go for a ride by yourself to get a feel of the place solo or how about a swim at a lovely open air pool outside a tiny mountain village . Imagine floating in the pool looking out over the valley far below at all the mountains round you. Heaven!
The Swiss Grand Canyon is within easy reach as is the Via Mala Schlucht (gorge) and the Rofla Schlucht. The Rofla has got an interesting tale behind it which is all about the family that still owns the hotel there. I’ll tell you all about it when we go there.
Fancy something a little more exciting? How about white water rafting through the Swiss Grand Canyon?
You will also have option of travelling on one of Europe’s most spectacular train journeys -  The Bernina Express.
This great train with its special Panorama wagons sets off from Chur on its 4 hour journey over both the Albula and Bernina passes on its way to Tirano, just across the Italian border. Here it stops for just under 2 hours while you go and have lunch after which it’s back on board for the 4 hour return journey. Believe me when I say that if you do one special train journey in your life, this should be it! Sensory overload guaranteed!

Feeling refreshed (?) after our day off we roll out the bikes and carry on doing what we are here for.
Still lots of places to see including the Duty Free Zone at Samnaun, Juf - Europe’s highest year round inhabited village, the Via Mala Gorge, the Rofla Schlucht and maybe the Chur - Arosa road - 362 bends in 30 km! Too much to see in the time left I’m afraid but you could always come back next year to see some more!

Sadly, the holiday is now drawing to an end. A last meal, a few drinks and a bit of a laugh about everything that has happened over the last few days and it’s off to bed for a good nights sleep to prepare us for the long ride home.

After breakfast we load up our bikes and head off out of the mountains.
There are a few different routes that we can take to our last overnight stop and we will choose one that suits the group best.
We get to our last hotel near Nancy in France late in the afternoon and the following morning head off for Dunkerque to catch the afternoon ferry back to Dover and the end of yet another great ‘jamtours’ holiday.