Hi everyone !

[Bender]

Hi Bender,


Welcome!


In May my friends and I are doing a European tour, and passing through Northern Italy...

Hi Andy, and thank you for welcome.


What can I reply ? How can you ask the innkeeper if his wine is good ?
The places You mentioned before are all beautiful locus. The Como Lake has mentioned in the well known Alessandro Manzoni's (*) "Promessi Sposi" historical novel:


"Quel ramo del lago di Como, che volge a mezzogiorno, tra due catene non interrotte di monti, tutto a seni e a golfi, a seconda dello sporgere e del rientrare di quelli, vien quasi a un tratto, tra un promontorio a destra e un'ampia costiera dall'altra parte; e il ponte, che ivi congiunge le due rive par che renda ancor più sensibile all'occhio questa trasformazione e segni il punto in cui il lago cessa, e l'Adda ricomincia per ripigliar poi nome di lago dove le rive, allontanandosi di nuovo, lascian l'acqua distendersi e rallentarsi in nuovi golfi e in nuovi seni..."


All around it you can find a lot of cheap Bed and Breakfast inns, take a look at this for reservation:
http://www.bed-and-breakfast-in-italy.co...e_como.cfm
For a great Dolomities ride I suggest you to keep the Marmolada mountain range (not sure the term is right...) in the center of your interests;  there are unique views in that place and also lots of curves if you like to drive your bike in that way. So, IMHO, I'd go over there:
http://goo.gl/maps/2AKBi

For the accommodation the same as I said  before.
But, let me say that if you want to see the beauty of Italy you have to go a little further south, for example, coming from the south of France, you could go along the coast in Liguria, thru famous "Cinque Terre" and then back along the Apennines on the highway quickly via Parma, Modena, Verona, Trento and so on to the Dolomities. Everyone of the cities mentioned has a particularity: beauties, breathtaking views, Castles, history and everything you would like to find in Italy. However, I can understand that the path is already decided, especially if the major destinations are in the middle of the continent.




Let me know if you are going to come to Italy and precisely when, I'll be very happy if we can meet together with some FazerItalia's member.

Have a nice ride whatever you decide to do.  



p.s. here some images of an our Dolomiti Tour:
DolomitiTour2006


(*) Alessandro Manzoni is a sort of italian William Shakespeare...