Motorcycle Touring Tips
Rider-to-rider advice for planning a bike trip: getting across to Europe, picking the season, how far to ride each day, and finding places to stay that look after you and the bike.
Planning
Planning a Motorcycle Tour of Germany: Regions, Roads and Rules
Where to ride in Germany, how to string the regions into a tour, the road rules that catch visiting riders out, and why Germany has more biker hotels than almost anywhere.
Read the guide →Best Time to Ride the Alps by Motorcycle: When the Passes Open
When the high Alpine passes usually open and close, which months suit which riders, and how to check pass status before you ride the Stelvio, Grossglockner, Swiss and French passes.
Read the guide →Planning a Group or Club Motorcycle Ride That Runs Smoothly
How to plan a group or club motorcycle tour: group size, the marker system, briefings, fuel stops, routes that suit everyone and booking stays with room for every bike.
Read the guide →How Far to Ride per Day on a Motorcycle Tour
How many kilometres and hours to plan per day on a motorcycle tour, by road type: motorway, open roads and mountain passes, plus rest days and the first and last days.
Read the guide →Getting there
Your First Motorcycle Tour of Europe from the UK
Ferry or Eurotunnel, riding on the right, the paperwork and kit France asks for, and three first-day routes from the Channel ports for your first European bike tour.
Read the guide →Motorcycle Ferry Routes to Europe from the UK and Ireland
Every main ferry and tunnel route from the UK and Ireland to France, the Netherlands and Spain, and which one suits which riding region.
Read the guide →Where to stay
What Makes a Hotel Biker-Friendly: A Rider’s Checklist
The checklist that separates a genuinely biker-friendly hotel from one that just tolerates bikes: parking, drying, tools, food, routes and the questions to ask before you book.
Read the guide →Secure Motorcycle Parking on Tour: How to Find It and What to Do Without It
How to find secure overnight motorcycle parking on a tour, what to ask the hotel, which locks and covers are worth carrying, and how to keep the bike safe in towns and on ferries.
Read the guide →Kit
Riding
Riding the Nürburgring on a Motorcycle: Touristenfahrten Explained
How Nürburgring tourist driving (Touristenfahrten) works, what is currently open to motorcycles on the Nordschleife and Grand Prix circuit, and how to plan a bike trip to the Eifel around it.
Read the guide →Riding in the Rain on Tour, and Getting Your Gear Dry by Morning
How to ride well in the wet on a motorcycle tour, keep yourself warm and dry, and get soaked boots, gloves and jackets dry overnight in a hotel room.
Read the guide →Motorcycle Touring with a Pillion: Making It Good for Both of You
How to tour two-up on a motorcycle: setting up the bike, packing for two, riding smoothly, communication, daily distances and choosing stays your passenger will enjoy.
Read the guide →Ready to plan the route?
Pick a road from the route guides, then find biker-friendly places to stay along it.