Planning a Motorcycle Tour of Germany: Regions, Roads and Rules

Why Germany works so well

Germany has a huge home riding scene, and it shows. Many rural hotels and guesthouses call themselves a Motorradhotel and offer garages, drying rooms, route sheets and hosts who ride. The motorways are free for bikes, fuel is easy to find, and the hill regions in the west and centre are close enough together to link into a one or two-week tour. Roads are well surfaced, signs are clear and drivers are, on the whole, disciplined.

The riding regions

Germany’s best riding is in its Mittelgebirge, the wooded uplands that run across the middle and south of the country, plus the Alpine fringe in Bavaria.

• The Eifel. Volcanic hills on the Belgian border, home of the Nürburgring. Fast, open roads and deep valleys like the Ahr. The closest German riding region to the Channel ports. See our Eifel loop and stays in the Eifel.
• The Mosel Valley. A river road of tight meanders, vineyards and wine villages, with the Eifel to the north and the Hunsrück to the south. Relaxed riding, great evenings. See stays on the Mosel.
• The Sauerland. Forested hills and lakes east of the Ruhr, with a dense network of quiet, twisting roads. See stays in the Sauerland.
• The Harz. The northernmost hill range, with steep, wooded climbs and the well-known bikers’ meeting point at Torfhaus on the B4. See stays in the Harz.
• The Black Forest. The classic. The B500 high road, the Kinzig and Murg valleys, and hundreds of kilometres of bends in the south-west. See our B500 guide and Black Forest stays.
• Further south and east, the Swabian Alb, the Bavarian Forest and the Bavarian Alps are all worth a trip. The Bavarian Alps make a natural link into Austria and the high passes.

Linking them into a tour

Two shapes work well for riders coming from the UK:

• The western loop (a week to ten days). Cross to Calais or Dunkirk, ride to the Eifel (a long first day, or stop in the Belgian Ardennes), drop down to the Mosel, then head south to the Black Forest for three or four nights. Come home through the Vosges, Alsace and northern France. Most of the riding days are short, and the long transfer legs can be done on motorways.
• The northern loop (a week). Take a North Sea ferry to Rotterdam or Hook of Holland, ride to the Sauerland (about 300 km / 185 miles), then on to the Harz. Return via the Weserbergland or the Teutoburg Forest. Ideal for riders from the north of England and Scotland; see our ferry routes guide.

In either case, base yourself for two or three nights in the best regions and ride day loops without luggage. It is more relaxing than moving every day, and German biker hotels tend to be set up for exactly that.

Rules that catch visitors out

Germany’s road rules are mostly what you would expect, but a few matter on a bike. Check the official German and UK government guidance before you go, as rules change.

• The Autobahn. Many stretches have no fixed speed limit, but there is an advisory 130 km/h (81 mph), and much of the network has posted limits, especially near cities and roadworks. Overtake only on the left, and check your mirrors far behind: fast cars close very quickly.
• No filtering. Riding between lanes of queuing traffic is not allowed in Germany.
• The emergency corridor (Rettungsgasse). When traffic slows to a jam on a road with two or more lanes in your direction, vehicles in the far-left lane move left and everyone else moves right, leaving a gap for emergency services. Bikes must do the same and must not use the gap to get through.
• Weekend restrictions. Some popular hill roads have weekend or holiday bans for motorcycles, or lower speed limits for bikes, to cut noise and accidents. Look for signs with a motorcycle symbol, often with days or times underneath.
• Noise. Loud exhausts draw attention from police and residents, particularly in the Black Forest and around popular passes. A standard exhaust makes for an easier trip.
• Low-emission zones. City environmental zones apply to cars and vans; check the current rules if you plan to ride into a city.

When to go

May to September is the main season. May and June bring long days and green forests; July and August are warmest but busiest, with school holidays and weekend crowds at the famous spots. September and early October are excellent, with quieter roads and autumn colour in the beech forests of the Eifel and Sauerland. Public holidays and sunny weekends bring out huge numbers of local riders; plan quieter roads for those days.

Day-to-day practicalities

• Sunday: most shops are closed, but fuel stations and restaurants are open.
• Payment: cards are widely accepted, but cash is still common in rural guesthouses and cafés. Carry some euros.
• Breakfast: German breakfasts are big, and biker hotels often start them early. Ask the evening before.
• Booking: in peak summer and on holiday weekends, book biker hotels in the popular regions ahead.

The Nürburgring

Many riders plan a German tour around the Ring. Rules for bikes on the Nordschleife have changed, so read our guide to riding the Nürburgring on a motorcycle before you build a trip around a lap.

Where to stay

Start from the Germany page, which lists every region with biker-friendly stays, and use our biker-friendly hotel checklist when you contact a host.