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Weather conditions in the German/Austrian Alps

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Königssee

As you have probably heard on the news, heavy snowfall in the last few weeks has brought chaos to parts of Germany leaving roads blocked, trains halted, and schools shut. There were major problems in the German/Austrian Alps and to some extent in the Erzgebirge, a mountain region north of Bavaria. There were disaster alerts in several communities, including the Berchtesgaden region, as well as the second highest avalanche warning level for the whole of the Bavarian alps. Such large amounts of snowfall at altitudes above 800m however only occurs once every 30 to 100 years.

This is of course exactly the area we visit on our Amazing Alpine Roads tour which takes us from Lindau on Lake Constance to Salzburg in Austria passing Alpine meadows, sparkling lakes and breath-taking mountain landscapes. This year the tour takes place from 8th – 22ndJune by which time the snow will have melted and been replaced by spring sunshine and summery temperatures. However, there will probably still be snow on the highest mountain peaks and we always recommend a trip on the cogwheel train and Gletscherbahn cable car to the top of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. From here there are phenomenal views over the mountains, and it is an unforgettable experience.

During the tour we drive along several panoramic routes, with hairpin bends and up to 13% inclines, which have been used as backdrops for many films including “The Sound of Music” in 1965 and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” in 1989. Of course, these roads are all suitable for motorhomes! There are however more challenging routes with steeper inclines which are not so suitable for large and heavy vehicles, but where last year one customer achieved his ambition of a 24% incline in his camper van. We have recently added a new page to our website called ”Tour Impressions & Videos” with slide shows of past tours. Click here to see impressions of our 2018 Alpine Roads tour.

The other important topic to discuss here is of course Brexit! At the moment nobody knows what is going to happen, but we are trying to keep abreast of any implications a no-deal scenario might have for our customers. We have already written to everybody already booked on a tour and travelling with their dogs about possible changes to the pet passport scheme and would like to suggest to anybody still considering travelling with their pets to the EU after 29thMarch to read the information contained in the following link. On the British Government website, www.gov.uk/government/brexit, there is also information concerning passport rules, driving permits, etc. and there is the possibility to sign up for updates.