Italy Motorcycle Tour: Sicily and Sardinia

Your Italy motorcycle tour begins at Naples airport, where bike and luggage are handed over at the service point. After collection the first kilometres lead directly to Pompeii, close to the famous excavation site, where the first hotel with its own restaurant awaits.

A short self-guided southern Italy motorcycle tour today leads to the Amalfi Coast and Vesuvius for a warm-up ride. After lunch a visit to the Pompeii excavations is worthwhile, before the evening ends in a small Neapolitan restaurant.

Via the Amalfi Coast and Salerno this stage leads towards Matera, where the Sassi cave houses in the rock create an extraordinary sight. Overnight is in the middle of the winding cave quarter in a rustic setting.

This Alberobello Trulli motorcycle tour leads to the characteristic round-houses of the region, before the ghost town of Craco – largely destroyed by earthquakes and first documented in 1060 – is reached.

Today's stage heads to the west coast, to the town of Tropea built on a rock in the 13th century for protection from attack, with views over the Tyrrhenian Sea.

A small ferry takes you from San Giovanni to Messina – the start of this Sicily and Sardinia motorcycle tour on two islands. The route continues via Taormina up to the volcano for the Mount Etna Sicily motorcycle tour, before an old winery near Noto offers overnight accommodation.

From Noto the Agrigento Valley of the Temples motorcycle tour leads to the ancient temple complex. In the evening Sicilian food is served with views of the illuminated temples – with time to spare a brief beach stop beckons first.

This on-road southern Italy motorcycle tour continues to Trapani, past the well-known Corleone with its Mafia museum and a coffee stop at the salt pans of Marausa. Overnight is in an old villa in Custonaci.

On your own motorcycle the route heads over Monte Erice with a stop at the Castello Venere, continues to the San Vito lo Capo sandy beach, before the evening ends with a stroll through Palermo.

In the morning the Sicily to Sardinia motorcycle ferry departs from Palermo harbour, arriving in Cagliari late in the evening. A late dinner in one of the old-town restaurants rounds off the crossing.

Via numerous curves this stage follows the central east coast to Arbatax, past secluded bays, cork-oak forests and the typical Sardinian interior with its wide panoramas.

Over the Silana Pass this self-guided southern Italy motorcycle tour continues through the Sardinian interior, over numerous bends to San Teodoro in the northeast of the island, where the penultimate night is spent.

At the service point directly at Olbia airport this Italy motorcycle tour ends with the return of the bikes and luggage, before the flight home departs and the last curves are replayed in the mind.