Blue Rim Tours Ceases Operation—Long Time Guide to Continue Tours Through New Company
Uwe Krauss, a long-term RoadRUNNER contributor, is opening a new chapter and launching his own guided motorcycle tour company. He has plenty of tour guiding experience from working with RoadRUNNER’s offshoot Blue Rim Tours (BRT), and he’s more or less inheriting the operation as BRT is no longer offering tours.
What plans does Uwe have for his new enterprise? Read below in this short interview with Uwe Krauss.
Uwe, what made you become a tour guide in the first place?
Almost exactly 20 years ago, I had nearly finished my six-year trip around the world. I had published some articles about it in RoadRUNNER when Christa (the publisher of the magazine) asked if I could help co-guide BRT’s flagship Five-Country Tour. I had a lot of fun showing guests the great roads in the Alps and seeing their excitement. After finishing my world tour, it would have been very hard for me to go back to my office job as an engineer. So, I was more than happy when Christa asked me to develop new tours for BRT. I’ve been guiding them since then.
What was the first tour you created?
The Top of Europe Tour was the first one I developed myself when Christa asked me to put together the most exciting motorcycle trip that could be done within two weeks. After 15 years, I’m still guiding this tour along thrilling motorcycle roads in the Alps, connecting the green hills of Bavaria in Germany with the lavender fields of southern France. Some riders have done this tour several times because they think it can’t get any better. Of course, this epic tour will still be the program.
What can people expect from touring with you?
In my experience, motorcyclists are a special kind of people, in the most positive way. They are both individualistic and social people at the same time, they like to explore, they enjoy excitement. Due to my long-time role researching regions for travel articles in RoadRUNNER and German publications, I know about the best roads and the hidden places you never would find on a bus tour. A day on my tours could include riding 150 miles, stopping in a small Italian town square to have a cappuccino with the locals, repeating the same for lunch, and filling the rest of the day with jaw-dropping views. And there will be many days like this.
Hotels are important too. I like to stay in places that breathe history, like castles with walls three feet thick—where it feels like an honor that you are allowed to lodge there for a night. The same applies to upscale family-owned places where people take pride in their heritage. Only places like that let you really indulge yourself and get the feel for a country.
What will change compared to Blue Rim Tours?
The new company will no longer be associated with RoadRUNNER. I will plan, manage, and lead all the tours myself. That means I can ensure the highest quality standard with 20 years of experience. Perhaps more importantly, though, it lets me see everybody’s happy faces. I plan to change the tour catalog each year to give the many repeat guests a chance to experience something new.