Frequently Asked Questions

Who are you?

British Bike Tours is a motorcycle touring company offering guided tours for customers using their own motorcycles. We will arrange your holiday including ferry crossings, hotel accommodation, tour escorts etc.

Where are you located?

In the UK we are located in a small village just outside Hertfordshire and 25 miles North of London.

In France, we are located in a small village in the Mayenne, Pays De La Loire called Couesmes Vauce. We are approximately 15 miles North of Laval and 50 miles west of Le Mans.

Where do we meet up?

On our longer tours (Bridge In The Sky, Alpine High Roads, Balkans) we will meet you at Dover and will accompany you on the ferry journey. If you are coming from far away we can arrange hotel accommodation in Dover/Folkestone for the evening. On our shorter tours to the Normandy Beaches or the Loire valley it is possible that we will meet you in France at one of the ferry ports or at our house in France. Otherwise we will meet you at Dover/Portsmouth etc.

What do we get for our money?

We consider that our tours are unique. We will take you to some of the most scenic places in Europe travelling on little used roads which will immerse you in the country you are travelling through. The tour routes have been carefully plotted so that you can enjoy the scenery, the bikes and the overall experience.  We do not travel on ‘A’ roads, there are no gatso’s, there are plenty of photo opportunities and refreshment stops. Once you have ridden on these roads you will not want to go back to the UK!!

Most of our trips include return ferry crossings from the UK, hotel accommodation in family run 3 or 4 star hotels (most have swimming pools); experienced tour guide (usually ROSPA advanced rider); breakfasts; secure bike parking, full routes in MS Autoroute format; tour dvd.

How long do we spend on the road?

Our tours are motorcycle holidays. We do not spend a great deal of time sitting round swimming pools, shopping, drinking etc. The emphasis is firmly placed on being on your bike and enjoying the scenery, roads and cultural experience.  Having said that we do adopt a fairly relaxed approach.  Usually we start each day of the tour at around 0900 hrs and aim to be in our next hotel by 1700 hrs. We will have a stop for lunch for approximately an hour and we do have regular coffee stops in the morning and afternoon. On average we will travel approximately 200 miles per day.

What do we do in the evenings?

We aim to get to our hotel at around 1700 hrs and certainly no later than 1800 hrs.  This will give you enough time to unpack, shower, freshen up etc.  Sometimes the hoteliers will welcome us with a nice cold beer which is always appreciated after a days ride.  We do encourage everyone to eat together as the evening meals are an event in themselves.  Anecdotal stories, jokes and general banter are positively encouraged

What do we expect from you?

With all these types of holidays there is an element of risk.  We obviously want everyone to be as safe as possible, therefore, we do insist on a few common sense rules.  These include wearing of crash helmets, gloves and full length trousers whilst riding. Riding in just flip flops, T Shirt and shorts is not allowed.

We will give you a full briefing on other safety issues on the morning before the tour begins.

Can you hire bikes for customers?

For those customers who are flying in from abroad, we can arrange motorcycle hire for you. We have arrangements in place with two of the best motorcycle hire companies in the UK. We can arrange for you to hire virtually any bike Ducatis, BMWs, Hondas, Yamahas, Suzukis etc.  Favourites for hire are Honda VFRs, Honda CBRs and BMWs. We will even pick the bike up for you if you don’t fancy riding a bike through London.

Is there a minimum or maximum age requirement?

There is a minimum age requirement of 21 years for all riders. There is no minimum age requirement for pillions but they obviously must be able to meet the legal requirements for a pillion passenger. There is no maximum age requirement.

What about personal insurance and bike breakdown cover?

We insist that everyone who comes on our tours has some form of breakdown cover. Bikes do break down and punctures do happen.  We will do whatever we can to keep you going but sometimes recovery is necessary. Usually the problems can be sorted out relatively quickly and you can continue with the tour.  If you breakdown on the Motorway (which is rare because we dont do many motorway miles) then you will have to either call your own recovery service or wait for the regular Highway Rescue services which patrol all EU motorways.  For safety reasons we will not come and help you if you breakdown on the motorway - this is a job best left to the professional rescue services.  The hardshoulders and sliproads of motorways both in the UK and Europe are very dangerous places.

If you choose to ride on a motorcycle with reliability issues then you do so at your own risk. In other words don’t expect too much help from the rest of the group or from the breakdown insurance companies who will expect your bike to be roadworthy and well maintained.

Personal insurance which cover biking injuries and medical costs is recommended but we do not insist on it.  Please check your small print on any travel insurance you may have as it may not cover you for riding a motorcycle over 125cc

We can give advise on the best breakdown and personal insurance.