Secure Motorcycle Parking on Tour: How to Find It and What to Do Without It

Start with the booking, not the lock

The best security you can buy on tour is a stay with a locked garage. A locked door is the best deterrent there is, and a garage also keeps the seat dry, the dew off the electrics and the kit you leave on the bike out of view. Make secure parking the first filter when you choose where to sleep, not something you hope for on arrival.

That means asking. Booking sites use “parking” to cover everything from a private garage to a public car park round the corner. Before you book, ask the host:

• Is the parking a locked garage, a gated courtyard or an open car park?
• Is it locked overnight, and who has the key?
• Is it visible from the road, or tucked away behind the building?
• Is the ground firm and level enough for a loaded bike on its side stand?
• How many bikes fit under cover, if you are travelling with friends?

A host who replies with a photo of the garage is a host who understands what you are asking. Places that cater for riders tend to answer this without fuss; our biker-friendly hotel checklist covers the other things to ask at the same time.

Ranking what you are offered

• Best: a locked garage or barn, ideally bikes only.
• Good: a gated, covered courtyard locked at night, out of sight of the street.
• Acceptable: a private car park overlooked by reception or rooms, lit, with something solid to lock to.
• Last resort: on-street or public car park parking. Possible, but this is where your own locks and cover do the work.

The kit that helps

Carrying security on a bike means trading weight against peace of mind. A sensible touring set-up is:

• A disc lock, ideally with an alarm and a bright reminder cable so you do not ride off with it fitted. It is light, quick and stops the bike being wheeled away.
• A chain and padlock if you expect open parking. It only helps if there is something solid to lock to, or another bike to lock together with. Heavy, but on a group tour one long chain through several bikes is efficient.
• A plain bike cover. It hides what the bike is, keeps dew and rain off, and makes it slower to inspect. A cover with eyelets lets you thread the lock through it.
• A tracker fitted before the trip, if you ride something desirable. It does not stop a theft but it improves the odds of getting the bike back.

Take everything you can off the bike at night: tank bag, GPS, phone mount, anything in soft luggage. Hard panniers and a top box can stay on if they lock, but do not leave valuables in them.

Parking in towns during the day

Lunch stops and sightseeing are where many riders get caught out. Some practical habits:

• Park where people are, not round the back. A busy square in view of a café table is better than a quiet side street.
• In many European towns bikes can use dedicated motorcycle bays, and some cities allow parking on wide pavements while others fine it heavily. Rules vary city by city, so look for signs and bays rather than assuming.
• Helmet locks or a cable through the helmet chin bar save carrying a lid around a museum. In hot sun, put the helmet in the shade or a top box.
• Note where you left the bike. After a long lunch, every Alpine village square looks the same.

On ferries and trains

On most ferries the crew or the rider straps the bike down on the car deck. Arrive early enough to watch it done, check the straps are not crushing anything, and put a cloth between strap and seat. Leave the bike in first gear. You are not allowed on the car deck during the crossing, so take what you need upstairs. On LeShuttle through the Channel Tunnel you stay with the bike on the train and staff show you where to park it. Our guide to motorcycle ferry routes to Europe has more on each crossing.

When the parking is not what you were promised

It happens: you arrive late, and the “garage” is full or does not exist. Options, in order:

• Ask the host. Many will find a corner of a shed, a neighbour’s barn or let you park right outside the door.
• Look for a spot in view of a lit window, off the road, ideally next to a wall or another bike.
• Lock the bike to something solid or to your companions’ bikes, fit the disc lock and cover it.
• If it feels wrong, ride on. A mediocre room with a garage beats a nice one without it. Places near me shows biker-friendly stays nearby.

Insurance and paperwork

Check your policy before you leave. Some policies set conditions for overnight parking, such as a locked garage or an approved lock, and some treat theft abroad differently. Keep photos of the bike, its frame and engine numbers, and your V5C or registration document (keep the original out of the bike). If the worst happens, you will need a police report from the country where it was taken.

Regions where secure parking matters most

Busy holiday areas with lots of bikes on the road tend to be where hosts are best prepared. Around the Alpine passes in the Tyrol and French Alps, and in German riding country such as the Mosel Valley and the Sauerland, many stays have bike garages as standard. In cities and big ferry-port towns, choose the stay for its parking first. If you are planning several nights in one place, a route like the Grossglockner makes a good day loop from a base with a proper garage.