Santana's 2010 European Tandem Tour

A downhill tour through the Alps
King Ludwig's Castles

A few years back, Santana’s European Distributor proposed a tandem tour through his beloved backyard—the Bavarian and Tyrolean Alps. After we complained that a week in the Alps would be too tough, Wolfgang Haas spent two summers mapping out an astonishingly easy, mostly downhill tour that starts at Germany’s highest ski resort, and ends a week later in Salzburg, Austria.

Wolfgang’s carefully planned route traverses a series of long valleys. To connect these valleys he found low-traffic roads over gentler, out-of-the-way summits. As a result, you won’t need to be a strong tandem team to enjoy a week of rides amidst the planet’s most spectacular peaks. After surveying his route we jokingly asked Wolfgang if he could have made it any easier. He reluctantly admitted the prevailing breeze is a tailwind! As a result of Wolfgang’s perseverance, Santana’s tandems-only exploration of the Tyrolean and Bavarian Alps will be less demanding than the average tour through Tuscany or Provence.

How easy is it? For this late summer event (you’ve got a year to get ready) the average required cycling distance is 38 miles. The longest cycling route between hotels is 48 miles. The toughest sustained climb is 1,000 feet. Need a challange? On most days Wolfgang (pictured above on the left) will lead an energetic group ride. Can’t finish a ride? Our phone-equipped “treasure van” can circle back to retrieve you.

What will you see? In addition to cycling through pristine vistas with jagged peaks, this ride cruises through charming Alpine villages and crosses the German-Austrian border five times to find such wondrous sights as a remote monastery, wood-carver’s studio, thermal spa, rococo chapel, violin-making workshop, Mozart’s birthplace, glacier-fed lakes, summer bobsleds, deep caverns, Hitler’s infamous Eagle’s Nest, antique tramways, and a pair of Winter Olympic resorts. Famous overnight stops include Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Salzburg. Additionally, our Alpine adventure includes guided explorations of all three of King Ludwig’s fabulous fairy-tale castles.

Tour meets and concludes: Munich’s MUC International Airport

Credits: Our Alpine tandem tour was mapped out by Wolfgang Haas; an expert cyclist who knows the territory. Santana’s Jan and Bill McCready approved the routes, scouted extra sights, booked entertainment, and will plan the pre- and post-tour options. Menus and accommodations were evaluated and selected by celebrated chef and hotel-owner Robert Baur. All four of these friendly co-hosts will attend this tour.

Included: Our 8-day tour combines seven nights in hand-picked hotels with six full days of fabulous cycling (day 4 offers a choice of a loop ride or layover). Gourmet meals include a wide array of fresh regional specialties, often with a local beer or wine. Two open dinners and three open lunches. Admissions and guides for all three of King Ludwig’s castles. Evenings with live entertainment. Boat rides, scenic chair lift, guided salt-mine tour, aerial tram, historic Eagle’s Nest, summer bobsled ride, group airport shuttles and much more. Support includes detailed route info, luggage transport, expert mechanical assistance and available SOS van.

Limited to 38 couples, this VIP offering won’t appear in Santana’s mailings. The per-person price for this 8-day / 7-night Alpine adventure is an incredibly low $3895. To sign up or learn more, please pick up the phone and call Jan McCready toll free at (800) 334-6136 ext. 16. Can you call to obtain route sheets or a detailed itinerary? Because plenty of tour operators would love to copy Wolfgang’s routes and itinerary, we won't divulge more in writing.

Tour meets and concludes: Munich’s MUC International Airport

Basic dates: August 26 – September 2, 2010

The following pre- and post-tour options will be offered:

Option 1: Guided 2-day Pretour in Munich, Germany

Option 2: Unguided extra day in Salzburg (with MUC airport shuttle)

Option 3: Oberammergau’s once-a-decade Passion Play

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click on any of the thumbnails below to see photos from Santana's past tours.