Organised bike tours

[MotorcycleTourer]

Morning all,

 

Whilst day dreaming about places to visit in 2021, I found myself browsing organised touring companies.

 

What are your thoughts/experiences? Ever been on one?

[Bender]

Possibly but only if there was risk to life  

[MotorcycleTourer]

19 minutes ago, Bender said:

Possibly but only if there was risk to life  

From some of the stories I’ve heard, that often sounds like the case!!

[stedebs]

I'm signed up to go on a tour with Magellan Tours in May, was supposed to be going to Spain on an 8 day last year but it was cancelled ......... decided to roll last year and this year into one and instead of 1 week go for 2 so am doing France, Corsica and Sardinia this year (one of the guys I met through here several years ago pointed me towards them). They seem expensive ...... all the tour companies do ...............  but at the same time friendly. I've already met some people in organised rides during the year last year, . If I was sorting it myself I'd probably cut costs by choosing lower level hotels and do the same tour for a lot less, saying that they have a guide who's already done the work in finding the roads and other "not to be missed" bits that you can choose to do or do your own thing   ......  for me it meant I wasn't going to be sat in a hotel dining room on my own at night, it also meant I wasn't on my own if things went wrong . 

 

[Bender]

@stedebs there is certainly a place for them  

[S-Westerly]

I'd consider it if it was far away and exotic (and I could afford it!) Such as SE Asia, North India or Chile. Sadly unless I win the lottery and covid disappears can't see it happening.

[jedibiker]

I saw them after watching an amazon program. Looked well organised but very tough. Was to China. I think the knowledge they take and the back up van was essential. As said above the company is good when traveling. I went to Poland on my own, not by bike and found going for dinner a little awkward..

So i think there good for the right trip

[S-Westerly]

I'm used to travelling on my own so that's not an issue. Where I'd use one is for the local knowledge in a place where I'd be utterly clueless on my own.

[stedebs]

8 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

I'm used to travelling on my own so that's not an issue. Where I'd use one is for the local knowledge in a place where I'd be utterly clueless on my own.

I think for me the scary part was going to be travelling solo ........ Probably cos I've never done it  

The first holiday after losing hubby I went with mum ........................... never again lol. I love her to bits but not 24/7 again lol

 

 

[Gerontious]

They really suit some people.. but tend to be very expensive. Its the sort of thing one might do as an 'introduction' to touring, if you don't have the confidence to DIY. Everything is taken care of for you and you have knowledgeable guides who have done all the research in advance, so you can have a lot of confidence in getting your moneys worth. They are very popular with people who want a stress free bike trip. The only possible downside is that everything is 'written in stone" so there is little or no flexibility if the weather is a bit off. They can't simply change plans at the last minute and head in a different direction to 'follow the sun' as it were. But, generally they are a great idea for some people. Think of it in terms of a package deal, where everything is included in the price. you get a nice brochure that lays out exactly what you can expect and all you have to do is pay for petrol and any snacks, drinks at rest stops. Hotels and restaurants are all arranged and are worry free. You should have no nasty surprises. and you generally have a guide who speaks the language so there is no worry on that score either if its something that concerns you.

 

I would guess there are people who do something like this year after year.. or as and when. And there are also people who might do it once and then think... well that didn't seem to complicated. maybe I'll DIY next time.

 

Im only talking about relatively local.. Western Europe. starting and ending at a port or the tunnel. Though there are some that also include bike hire.. so you might fly first and get a lot further. for instance to Naples and then spend a week or so riding around the foot of italy and across to Sicily. on a hire bike with all the above benefits of convenience.

Edited January 23, 2021 by Gerontious

[rob m]

Nope.

 

I tour either with friends or on my own. Touring with a small group provides social interaction and sharing of experiences but solo provides ultimate freedom to do what you want. I've done both numerous times and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

 

I would feel constricted by an organised tour. Paying for it would add to my frustration.

 

Saying that, I appreciate that others may choose to be guided and that's cool too. Better to be touring than not at all!

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2021 by rob m

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

I wouldnt say never again because something might crop up eg the Overlander mag organise tours to places like Vietnam which are cheaper than you could do it yourself- tempting. 

Sorry this is a longun but its close to home!

If you go on an organised tour then there are some important things to consider if you dont want to get caught out. From experience I can say they are not all decent scrupulous people. 
 

1. Is the company based in your home country? Might not seem important but it really is. If something goes wrong you will have little or no recourse as the laws n rules on holidays n health and safety vary wildly from country to country, plus they know youre not going to be able to successfully tackle them from for example the UK if theyre based in India. The EU maybe but even that can be very difficult.
 

2. Do they offer any guarantees or refunds if things go wrong?

 

3. Can you meet the people involved in the organisation of the trip and how do they ensure riders reach a minimum standard required for that particular trip. You dont want to be on a difficult trip with people who cant do it.  
 

4. What is the payment method?
Do not enter into payment arrangements that involve having to use a specific currency conversion site or paying into an overseas account. 
 

5. Research the company thoroughly. Google them- trip advisor reviews etc. Ask to speak to former clients.
Research the weather conditions for the time of year youre going and the type of roads you’ll be riding on- see if that matches the trip description.

 

6. Its a good idea to have the minimal skills necessary to survive on your own in the place youre going. In most of Europe the majority of people courtesy of sat nav and google translate would feel reasonably comfortable if unexpectedly on their own- but in farther flung destinations maybe not so much. So get comfortable with a map n compass and make sure you have the addresses of your destination.

 

If you're not spending a lot and are going to be in Europe then you could skip most of the above.

[Pie man]

I prefer to plan my own trip and wing it, its far cheaper and I don't mind being on my own, or a max of 4. If I was to use a touring company I would probably book a self guided tour. Take a look on Mad or Nomad website there is a good write up about a self organised 14 day trip around the Alps. The author includes all the routes and hotels and links to passes etc. Some good info on there. 

[Steve_M]

The nearest I’ve got to organised tours is a couple of long weekends in Wales with the IAM group I was a member of at the time, and one organised by a work colleague for him and his mates to go to Andorra. Each were pretty relaxed. Based at one hotel, you could join in the day’s ride or go your own way, meeting up at the hotel in the evening. That worked pretty well. From an individual’s point of view you had freedom, but not those  evenings on your own. 
 

One point of note was that there was some friction on occasion with personality clashes, and differences of opinion on routes, refuelling needs, rest points and pace. 
 

I’m more than happy in my own company, but with my good lady on pillion, self-organised tours suit us well. 

[onesea]

I don’t think I would unless it was some where I could not ride my own bike to.It’s hard to find people to ride with so many different styles.

 

 

[MotorcycleTourer]

20 hours ago, jedibiker said:

I saw them after watching an amazon program. Looked well organised but very tough. Was to China. I think the knowledge they take and the back up van was essential. As said above the company is good when traveling. I went to Poland on my own, not by bike and found going for dinner a little awkward..

So i think there good for the right trip

Agreed. I prefer to tour alone (in the main) but dinner can be a little awkward!

[MotorcycleTourer]

20 hours ago, Gerontious said:

They really suit some people.. but tend to be very expensive. Its the sort of thing one might do as an 'introduction' to touring, if you don't have the confidence to DIY. Everything is taken care of for you and you have knowledgeable guides who have done all the research in advance, so you can have a lot of confidence in getting your moneys worth. They are very popular with people who want a stress free bike trip. The only possible downside is that everything is 'written in stone" so there is little or no flexibility if the weather is a bit off. They can't simply change plans at the last minute and head in a different direction to 'follow the sun' as it were. But, generally they are a great idea for some people. Think of it in terms of a package deal, where everything is included in the price. you get a nice brochure that lays out exactly what you can expect and all you have to do is pay for petrol and any snacks, drinks at rest stops. Hotels and restaurants are all arranged and are worry free. You should have no nasty surprises. and you generally have a guide who speaks the language so there is no worry on that score either if its something that concerns you.

 

I would guess there are people who do something like this year after year.. or as and when. And there are also people who might do it once and then think... well that didn't seem to complicated. maybe I'll DIY next time.

 

Im only talking about relatively local.. Western Europe. starting and ending at a port or the tunnel. Though there are some that also include bike hire.. so you might fly first and get a lot further. for instance to Naples and then spend a week or so riding around the foot of italy and across to Sicily. on a hire bike with all the above benefits of convenience.

Great advice

[MotorcycleTourer]

19 hours ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

I wouldnt say never again because something might crop up eg the Overlander mag organise tours to places like Vietnam which are cheaper than you could do it yourself- tempting. 

Sorry this is a longun but its close to home!

If you go on an organised tour then there are some important things to consider if you dont want to get caught out. From experience I can say they are not all decent scrupulous people. 
 

1. Is the company based in your home country? Might not seem important but it really is. If something goes wrong you will have little or no recourse as the laws n rules on holidays n health and safety vary wildly from country to country, plus they know youre not going to be able to successfully tackle them from for example the UK if theyre based in India. The EU maybe but even that can be very difficult.
 

2. Do they offer any guarantees or refunds if things go wrong?

 

3. Can you meet the people involved in the organisation of the trip and how do they ensure riders reach a minimum standard required for that particular trip. You dont want to be on a difficult trip with people who cant do it.  
 

4. What is the payment method?
Do not enter into payment arrangements that involve having to use a specific currency conversion site or paying into an overseas account. 
 

5. Research the company thoroughly. Google them- trip advisor reviews etc. Ask to speak to former clients.
Research the weather conditions for the time of year youre going and the type of roads you’ll be riding on- see if that matches the trip description.

 

6. Its a good idea to have the minimal skills necessary to survive on your own in the place youre going. In most of Europe the majority of people courtesy of sat nav and google translate would feel reasonably comfortable if unexpectedly on their own- but in farther flung destinations maybe not so much. So get comfortable with a map n compass and make sure you have the addresses of your destination.

 

If you're not spending a lot and are going to be in Europe then you could skip most of the above.

 

You raise some good points there! Thanks mate

[MotorcycleTourer]

17 hours ago, Steve_M said:

The nearest I’ve got to organised tours is a couple of long weekends in Wales with the IAM group I was a member of at the time, and one organised by a work colleague for him and his mates to go to Andorra. Each were pretty relaxed. Based at one hotel, you could join in the day’s ride or go your own way, meeting up at the hotel in the evening. That worked pretty well. From an individual’s point of view you had freedom, but not those  evenings on your own. 
 

One point of note was that there was some friction on occasion with personality clashes, and differences of opinion on routes, refuelling needs, rest points and pace. 
 

I’m more than happy in my own company, but with my good lady on pillion, self-organised tours suit us well. 

Yea I’ve been on a few tours with mates and riding clubs and they’ve always worked out fine.

 

I think the personality clashes is a great point. Imagine having to share a room with someone on an organised tour and you end up not getting on with them!!

 

And everyone wants to do/see something different. But inevitably, you can’t do/see at all of them or else you’d never get anywhere.

 

All that money for a restrictive tour that you end up hating

[Stu]

When I was first looking at doing a tour I looked at a few companies to go with as it was a bit daunting for me for a first trip abroad without a clue!! 

 

We ended up going with a few mates/members off here instead as they all wanted to go and one of them had done many tours over the years. 

 

I'm one of these who likes to have a plan so when the organiser said I have booked 1 hotel for the whole 10 day tour I was a bit baffled! 

 

We booked 1 night just outside of Koblenz then chased the sun every day and just went where we wanted to go. 

We was on the bikes by no later than 10 every day and looking for another hotel by 5pm every hotel we walked in they could accommodate us without a problem there was 5 of us and required 3 rooms each night. 

 

We had some fantastic hotels from massive suites with 4 poster beds to small rooms in an attic in a guest house and also a hotel right outside auschwitz  

 

I would always recommend going with someone who has been touring before if you are unsure but as for touring companies its not for me! as others have said there is no flexibility and plans don't change! 

 

Yeah OK they know where to take you but with a bit of research 90% of the time you will have beautiful scenery wherever you go.

[Gerontious]

My own strategy for the trips I organise is really quite simple.

 

I basically say... Im going to 'such and such' does anyone want to tag along. we will be doing XYZ.

Dates are such and such.

Times for the crossing are these..

And, to break up the journey we will stay overnight at (usually) Ashford the night before, so we can have a nice early and yet relaxed start.

 

Thats generally written in stone fairly quickly.

 

After that I ask for suggestions, sometimes I get some, but mostly I get none at all. Aside from requests of things or places to avoid.. this generally due to bad previous experiences.

 

Or, I might ask if anyone wants to go to the Nurburgring and if they do.. then we will fit that in. Going there is always very easy as its open at a very convenient time for us, towards the end of the day. and then its a great ride back to our base.. which is easy to follow. no sat nav required. and the guys can ride it at their own pace.

 

And thats really all there is to it.

 

I do the daily ride routes months in advance. this, mainly because I don't like to think about them, in fact I want to forget all about them so when it actually comes to the day.. I only have a vague idea of where we are going and its as much of a surprise to me as it is for everyone else. as far as routes go, nothing is written in stone they are adjusted on the fly. If I see an interesting sign I might follow it, just to see what's there. and so on. This happens a lot.

 

The only parts of the trip thats quite rigid is the ride across... when we go to the Eifel, we know the route well and our stops. we have plenty of time to do it.. we don't 'go for it'. as there is no point. the longest leg of the entire 255 miles is 65 miles. other than that its usual about 40 and then a pause for 15 minutes. I like to do it that way so anyone with a smaller tank range doesn't need to fret about running out.  we always stop for at least an hour for lunch.

 

when we have our off year, then we go camping as its something I enjoy and its super convenient for my purposes. as for where we are going, I will always have a plan A, B and C. because with camping we want great weather.. and so, if at the last minute the forecast is bad, then we simply go with another plan. This happened a few years ago. All set to go down to Black Forest/Austria and possibly the Dolomites but the forecast was rain, rain, rain for the first 3/4 days once we crossed the Rhine and into the Black Forest. And I can't tolerate that, so we went with plan B instead and went to the Vercors in the south of France.. we followed the sun and warmth. And just had a bit of rain on our return home, which didn't matter.

fwiw. Ive always said to people that if they don't want to camp then thats fine.. they can go find a room and we will adjust things to make that work. its no big deal. but.. thats never happened so far. 

 

and thats about it. Its my holiday and I ask or invite people to come along. it seems to work well 99% of the time. I make a point of getting no cash benefit. for me, thats just wrong. I'm not going to profiteer from this. We all pay exactly the same more or less. depending on beer consumption and individual bar bills.

[Copycat73]

we did the first year via a tour organiser company .. it was fine but you pay a premium for that service .. also bein kept to a schedule annoyed.. too rigid ... most seem to be moving location every day .. however i preferer to get to one location and use it as a base .. its easy to organise yourself now with the internet and cheaper ..

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

3 hours ago, Gerontious said:

My own strategy for the trips I organise is really quite simple.

 

I basically say... Im going to 'such and such' does anyone want to tag along. we will be doing XYZ.

Dates are such and such.

Times for the crossing are these..

And, to break up the journey we will stay overnight at (usually) Ashford the night before, so we can have a nice early and yet relaxed start.

 

Thats generally written in stone fairly quickly.

 

After that I ask for suggestions, sometimes I get some, but mostly I get none at all. Aside from requests of things or places to avoid.. this generally due to bad previous experiences.

 

Or, I might ask if anyone wants to go to the Nurburgring and if they do.. then we will fit that in. Going there is always very easy as its open at a very convenient time for us, towards the end of the day. and then its a great ride back to our base.. which is easy to follow. no sat nav required. and the guys can ride it at their own pace.

 

And thats really all there is to it.

 

I do the daily ride routes months in advance. this, mainly because I don't like to think about them, in fact I want to forget all about them so when it actually comes to the day.. I only have a vague idea of where we are going and its as much of a surprise to me as it is for everyone else. as far as routes go, nothing is written in stone they are adjusted on the fly. If I see an interesting sign I might follow it, just to see what's there. and so on. This happens a lot.

 

The only parts of the trip thats quite rigid is the ride across... when we go to the Eifel, we know the route well and our stops. we have plenty of time to do it.. we don't 'go for it'. as there is no point. the longest leg of the entire 255 miles is 65 miles. other than that its usual about 40 and then a pause for 15 minutes. I like to do it that way so anyone with a smaller tank range doesn't need to fret about running out.  we always stop for at least an hour for lunch.

 

when we have our off year, then we go camping as its something I enjoy and its super convenient for my purposes. as for where we are going, I will always have a plan A, B and C. because with camping we want great weather.. and so, if at the last minute the forecast is bad, then we simply go with another plan. This happened a few years ago. All set to go down to Black Forest/Austria and possibly the Dolomites but the forecast was rain, rain, rain for the first 3/4 days once we crossed the Rhine and into the Black Forest. And I can't tolerate that, so we went with plan B instead and went to the Vercors in the south of France.. we followed the sun and warmth. And just had a bit of rain on our return home, which didn't matter.

fwiw. Ive always said to people that if they don't want to camp then thats fine.. they can go find a room and we will adjust things to make that work. its no big deal. but.. thats never happened so far. 

 

and thats about it. Its my holiday and I ask or invite people to come along. it seems to work well 99% of the time. I make a point of getting no cash benefit. for me, thats just wrong. I'm not going to profiteer from this. We all pay exactly the same more or less. depending on beer consumption and individual bar bills.

Sounds just right to me, a framework and flexibility within that to follow the sun or change direction. 

[jedibiker]

5 hours ago, MotorcycleTourer said:

Agreed. I prefer to tour alone (in the main) but dinner can be a little awkward!

Although when I did think sod it and went for dinner, I ended up sat on a table next to a couple and got chatting. He was a biker and used to teach bike safe with the Police., so it wasnt too bad. But that was a good day..

[MotorcycleTourer]

6 hours ago, Gerontious said:

My own strategy for the trips I organise is really quite simple.

 

I basically say... Im going to 'such and such' does anyone want to tag along. we will be doing XYZ.

Dates are such and such.

Times for the crossing are these..

And, to break up the journey we will stay overnight at (usually) Ashford the night before, so we can have a nice early and yet relaxed start.

 

Thats generally written in stone fairly quickly.

 

After that I ask for suggestions, sometimes I get some, but mostly I get none at all. Aside from requests of things or places to avoid.. this generally due to bad previous experiences.

 

Or, I might ask if anyone wants to go to the Nurburgring and if they do.. then we will fit that in. Going there is always very easy as its open at a very convenient time for us, towards the end of the day. and then its a great ride back to our base.. which is easy to follow. no sat nav required. and the guys can ride it at their own pace.

 

And thats really all there is to it.

 

I do the daily ride routes months in advance. this, mainly because I don't like to think about them, in fact I want to forget all about them so when it actually comes to the day.. I only have a vague idea of where we are going and its as much of a surprise to me as it is for everyone else. as far as routes go, nothing is written in stone they are adjusted on the fly. If I see an interesting sign I might follow it, just to see what's there. and so on. This happens a lot.

 

The only parts of the trip thats quite rigid is the ride across... when we go to the Eifel, we know the route well and our stops. we have plenty of time to do it.. we don't 'go for it'. as there is no point. the longest leg of the entire 255 miles is 65 miles. other than that its usual about 40 and then a pause for 15 minutes. I like to do it that way so anyone with a smaller tank range doesn't need to fret about running out.  we always stop for at least an hour for lunch.

 

when we have our off year, then we go camping as its something I enjoy and its super convenient for my purposes. as for where we are going, I will always have a plan A, B and C. because with camping we want great weather.. and so, if at the last minute the forecast is bad, then we simply go with another plan. This happened a few years ago. All set to go down to Black Forest/Austria and possibly the Dolomites but the forecast was rain, rain, rain for the first 3/4 days once we crossed the Rhine and into the Black Forest. And I can't tolerate that, so we went with plan B instead and went to the Vercors in the south of France.. we followed the sun and warmth. And just had a bit of rain on our return home, which didn't matter.

fwiw. Ive always said to people that if they don't want to camp then thats fine.. they can go find a room and we will adjust things to make that work. its no big deal. but.. thats never happened so far. 

 

and thats about it. Its my holiday and I ask or invite people to come along. it seems to work well 99% of the time. I make a point of getting no cash benefit. for me, thats just wrong. I'm not going to profiteer from this. We all pay exactly the same more or less. depending on beer consumption and individual bar bills.

I love the idea of chasing the sun! I’ve done a fair bit of touring in my time, but I’ve always followed my own schedule and had all my accommodation pre-booked. But I totally see the merit in ditching the rainy Dolomites plan for some time in Sunny France