Tips for planning a motorcycle trip to Europe

July, 08 2022

If you’ve always dreamed of taking a big trip to Europe to see some sights and experience different countries roads, there’s never been a better time. With Covid rearing its head again, Brexit rumbling on and a war in the East – get to the continent whilst you can! It’s also a chance to get some sun without having to deal with the chaos at the airports. Enough of the negativity…let’s talk plans!

Routes

The more time you give yourself to plan, the better. Keep things simple. The earlier you plan the more choice you’ll have on accommodation.

Think about where you want to visit and then look to see if it’s possible. There’s no point planning to go to Rome then straight to Madrid. Be realistic. You might want to tie in some events as destinations so you could have that as the main reason for the trip and add in other places along the route. Try to find your furthest away point and the rest of the route can fall into place from that. Google Maps is an excellent tool for plotting a trip and will give you an idea of distances and time (don’t take this as gospel though!).

Consider how much motorway you want to do (yawn) and that mountain/twisty roads will take you longer. Often less is more so better to cut the daily milage down than stretch and exhaust yourself.

The first and last day of the trip are quite important, you’ll have a ferry/train to include so think about how far you want to ride either end.

Annoying I know, but I must mention again… check and think about the things I mentioned in the first paragraph – restrictions could be an issue. Better to check early and change your route!

Travelling Buddies

Whilst many enjoy a trip alone, there’s nothing quite like riding with friends. When you’re putting your trip together consider who you’d want to take along. Remember, everyone rides at a different pace so make sure your account for that with the milage on your route.

Having someone else with you also gives you piece of mind should the worst happen there’s someone else to help, be that with a wrong turn or even an unplanned ejection… I’d always recommend for a first trip, travel with a friend.

Sat Nav VS Map

I might be a be old-school on this point, but I’d rather have a paper map over a Sat Nav. Whilst a Sat Nav will provide you with the route in front of you, how long you’ve got left and more…I’ve always felt it takes away from the experience. I’d much rather have to stop and check a map than follow a little blue snake on a screen. Now I’m not saying don’t take a Sat Nav with you, it could certainly be handy if you really are in the middle of nowhere, but for true adventure, I recommend keeping things analogue.

A paper map also provides the opportunity to change route easily. Look at the day ahead and change as you wish, you might even spot a route when you’re on the go and decide to check where it comes out. It’s much harder to do that on a Sat Nav.

Pack Smart

Panniers are a great addition when going on a trip, you can get all sorts of types for all sorts of motorbikes. I tend to have one side for quick on the go stuff and one side for lesser used items. The lighter you pack the better, you don’t want to be weighed down by the smoothy maker you’re definitely not going to use.

Pack your clothes in little bundles for each day, saves you having to get everything out every time you stop.

Make sure the bike is ready to go, fully serviced, with good tyres and without issues. You really don’t want to get caught out by a mechanical fault.

Make sure you’ve got the stuff that’s important:

-       GB Sticker for your bike

-       Adaptors for plugs (an extension lead can also be very handy for charging multiple devices!)

-       Sunglasses and Suncream!

-       Facemasks

-       Papers and Documents (for the bike, you, medical and legal)

-       Insurance, MCE offer 90 days European cover with every motorcycle policy, so you’re sorted there. If you need a quote for your insurance – click here!

Worth checking what’s required for riding in each country you’re planning to visit, Hi-Vis and breathalysers a must in France for example.

Have fun and take your time

One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to take your time and enjoy the journey. Make sure you stop lots and take in the culture of the places you are riding through, have a coffee, visit a landmark. It’s not all about the ride (well mostly) and the more you take in on your trip the more you’ll get out of it.

I hope these tips go some way in helping when planning your trip to Europe, it’s an experience not to be missed!