Your First Motorcycle Tour of Europe from the UK

Ferry or tunnel?

There are two ways across the short Channel: a ferry from Dover, or LeShuttle through the tunnel from Folkestone to Calais. Both put you on the French motorway network within minutes of landing.

• LeShuttle (Eurotunnel) is the quickest crossing, around 35 minutes under the sea. You ride on, stay with the bike in the carriage, and ride off in Coquelles next to Calais. It suits riders who want to be in France fast, and it runs whatever the sea is doing.
• Dover ferries to Calais take about 90 minutes, and to Dunkirk about two hours. You get a break, a meal and a chance to dry off, and the crew straps the bike down on the car deck (or watches you do it). Bikes usually board first or last, so you rarely queue long.
• Longer crossings to Normandy, Brittany, the Netherlands or Spain cost more but save hundreds of kilometres of motorway. If your riding is in western France, Spain or northern Germany, they can make more sense. See our full guide to motorcycle ferry routes to Europe.

For a first trip, the short crossing is the easy choice: cheap, frequent and forgiving if you are running late. Book a flexible ticket if the price difference is small.

The paperwork

Requirements change, so check the UK government’s “Driving abroad” and foreign travel advice pages for each country on your route before you go. As a starting list, carry:

• Your passport, with enough validity left for the Schengen rules. The EU’s Entry/Exit System registers fingerprints and a photo at the border on your first crossing, which can add time at Dover and Folkestone.
• Your full UK driving licence covering the bike you ride.
• The bike’s V5C registration document (the original, kept on you rather than in the bike).
• Your insurance certificate, and a check that your policy covers riding abroad for the length of the trip.
• Breakdown cover that works in Europe. Recovering a bike from the Alps without it is expensive.
• A “UK” identifier on the number plate or a separate sticker. The old GB sticker is no longer valid.

Kit the countries ask for

France is the first country most riders cross, and it has rules you need to know. Riders and passengers must wear certified motorcycle gloves, and a hi-vis vest should be on the bike so you can wear it if you break down. Radar-detector apps are banned, and sat-navs must have speed-camera alerts switched off. Your headlight should not dazzle oncoming traffic on the right: some bike lights need adjusting or a deflector, many modern ones do not, so check your handbook. Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Alpine countries each have their own details. The RAC and AA publish country-by-country lists, and the official government sites are the final word.

Riding on the right

On a bike it is easier than in a car because your road position is already central to how you ride. A few habits help in the first days:

• Junctions and roundabouts are where it goes wrong. Say “look left first” out loud if it helps. Roundabouts go anticlockwise.
• Leaving a fuel station, car park or café is the classic moment to drift onto the left. Pause before you pull out.
• Overtaking is on the left. Your mirrors and shoulder checks change sides.
• Priority to the right (priorité à droite) still applies at some French junctions without signs or road markings, mostly in towns and villages. Watch for traffic joining from the right.
• Filtering rules differ by country. France allows it in set conditions on fast multi-lane roads; Germany does not allow it at all. When in doubt, sit in the lane.

Three first-day routes from the Channel ports

The mistake on day one is riding straight down the motorway to the Alps. Get off the ferry, cover a sensible distance and finish somewhere with good roads for the next morning. Our guide to how far to ride per day explains why the first day should be short.

• The Belgian Ardennes. About 330 km (205 miles) from Calais via Lille and Namur, mostly motorway, ends in proper riding country. La Roche-en-Ardenne, Bouillon and Vianden are classic overnight stops. Follow our Ardennes loop the next day and browse biker-friendly places to stay in the Ardennes.
• The Eifel. Ride on past the Ardennes and you reach the German Eifel, about 450 km (280 miles) from Calais. It is a long first day but a good one. The Eifel loop and the Mosel Valley are on the doorstep. See stays in the Eifel.
• Champagne and on to the Vosges. Reims is about 280 km (175 miles) from Calais, a relaxed first day with an easy second day to the Vosges and the Route des Crêtes. See stays in the Vosges and Alsace.

Fuel, tolls and money

French motorways are tolled, and bikes usually pay a lower class than cars. Booths take cards; a tank bag pocket for the card saves fumbling with gloves. Fuel stations on main roads take cards at the pump, but some rural ones are unmanned and occasionally refuse UK cards, so fill up before the tank gets low. Germany’s motorways are free for bikes; Austria and Switzerland need a vignette (check ASFINAG and the Swiss federal road authority for current rules).

Plan the nights, leave the days loose

On a first trip, book the first night and the night before the return crossing. Between those, it helps to have a rough plan with options. Book biker-friendly stays with secure parking (our checklist has what to ask), and you will rarely end a day worrying about the bike. Country pages such as France list the regions with stays.