Alps Tours by Moto-Charlie

WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE IN JUNE AND SEPTEMBER?

June weather for the last few years has been great. Daytime valley temperatures have been in the low to mid 70's frequently getting into the low 80's(F). Reading daylight lasts until 8:30-9:00PM, perhaps one to two days of rain out of 10.

It's great weather for kicking back at the top of a pass sans motorcycle jacket, soaking up the rays, and enjoying a cappuccino and apple strudel (my favorite snack). You can frequently go outside after dinner and sit at the cafŽ table in your shirtsleeve while people watching and having an after dinner drink.

September sees shorter days. Reading daylight ends between 6:00-6:30PM. The temperatures at 8:00AM will be high 40's, low 50's getting up to the mid 60's low 70's during the day. It might rain two or three days out of ten (although in 2003 we had 12 days of perfect June-like weather).

Sometimes there is snow at night at the higher elevations, more so on the Swiss or Austrian trip than the Italian tour, which leaves the mountains dusted with white when you wake up in the morning. Occasionally, a rainy day in the valley will be wet snow at the top of a pass. However, the snow is usually just a nuisance and does not accumulate on the road.

The trade-off for going in September (shorter days and cooler temperatures compared to June) is that the tourists and vacationers are all gone. The foliage is changing, the shops and museums are open and you've got it all pretty much to yourself and the Euro bikers who are still out in force on the week ends.

I tend to run the Italian tour in September. The Italian Alps seem to be slightly warmer and dryer in September than the Swiss and French Alps. As I've said elsewhere in this website keeping our tour group to 10 people or less has several advantages including flexibility.

In September 2001 we awoke one morning in Le Prese Switzerland with the intention of doing a loop over the Bernina Pass. However, while it was dry where we were the mountaintops around us, which had been bare the day before, were covered with snow. The Bernina Pass had received more than a foot of snow overnight and was still clearing out from under it. Our small group was able to change routes and hotels seamlessly for that day and got back on track the following morning.

I've been riding in the Alps for more than 25 years and I have only changed my itinerary two or three times due to weather.

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