Europe is a wonderful continent to discover and the most unforgettable experience by bicycle, combing cultures with a great variety of landscapes and unique places. And here is my first trip where we passed through England, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Croatia, and Italy.

This is my first trip, my first cycle touring adventure without any pre-planned destination but simply getting to know the world on two wheels. I believe the most ecological means is to travel at a sustainable pace, to discover places and cultures with total freedom, reaching unknown places and above all being in contact with nature such that the bicycle combined with daily aerobic movement are truly married together!

When we left for my first bicycle trip, we didn't know exactly the direction nor even how many kilometers we could travel. It was a journey without plans and living the adventure in the moment. It is incredible the feeling of not knowing exactly the route and the kilometers that I would have travelled, long life freedom!

Here I tell you about my real first ride in the Alps.  It was  the Susten Pass at (571 m), where the road (was almost 46 kilometers long) had gradually started to climb and climbed very up to an altitude of 2,264 m.

What can I say about Passo del Susten:  The ride along this pass road offers a splendid and beautiful panoramic road which was also a little scary between one hairpin bend and another because there were curves that they didn't have barriers or boundary walls, just small concrete pillars on the sides of the road, a way to make people understand "don't cross the limit or you will fall off the bends"! Despite these initial fears it was spectacular scenery and everywhere you looked, untouched nature, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls and a very mixed finish of different types of tunnel construction and finally it was beautiful to ride in spots where you cycled through the clouds above and below and it was amazing to breathe the cleanest mountain air while cycling at high altitudes. I went hiking in the mountains walking at high altitudes but it was my first time on two wheels and it was a different and new experience!

My conclusion of this ride that has given me many unique and indelible emotions where I have known the hardships and joys of reaching the top and making me understand that I love the physical effort of the climbs and the feeling of freedom on the descents. After this wonderful cycling travel experience and from this trip, I knew it would. not last trip!

Trip info:

Departure place: London, England

Arrival place: Milan, Italy

Total days of touring: August, 14 - October, 03

Countries crossed:England, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Croatia, and Italy

The main mountain pass:

Susten Pass is a high mountain pass (elevation 2224m), located on the border between Uri and bern cantons of Switzerland.  

Overpass is a high mountain pass (elevation 2046m), located on the border of the cantons of Graubunden and Uri in Switzerland.

Brenner Pass is a mountain pass (elevation 1370 m) is a pass though the Alps and the austrian-Italian border.

Duration: 45 days

Rest days: 0 days -  Only Ferry Days

Total distance: 4,684.1 KM