France Discovery motorcycle tour

Dates On request - Sur demande
Destination Normandy to Provence
Category Guided or Self-guided
Duration 15 days 14 nights

Mileage : 1950 km / 1211 miles  

Tour highlights : Le Mans motorsport museum, D-Day landing beaches, Mont St Michel, St Malo fortified city, Loire Valley castles, Medieval villages of Rocamadour, Conques, gorges of the Tarn River, Millau Viaduct, Roman site of Pont du Gard, Unesco old town of Avignon.

pain france

Dates & Prices

Day 1 - Arrival in Tours
Day 1 - Arrival in Tours

Arrival in Tours. Hotel check-in and group briefing.
welcome dinner in old town Tours.

Day 2 - Tours - Honfleur (280 km / 174 miles)
Day 2 - Tours - Honfleur (280 km / 174 miles)

We will make our way from Tours to Normandy and make a stop at the mythic 24 hours of Le Mans circuit where we will ride an actual portion of the racetrack. We will cross some typical villages of Normandy, well known for their half-timbered houses, and stop at the Basilica of Lisieux, home of St Teresa. We will arrive for the evening in the 18th century harbor town of Honfleur.

Day 3 - Honfleur - Carentan (158 km / 98 miles)
Day 3 - Honfleur - Carentan (158 km / 98 miles)

This will be D-Day revival day. We will stop at many major sites where this historical event took place, from the English beach of Juno and its famous Pegasus Bridge, to the breathtaking beach of Omaha and its heart-rending cemetery. Utah Beach and the Village of Ste Mere Eglise will be our final stop of the day. This was the first village liberated by the 101st Airborne Division.

Day 4 - Carentan - St Malo (185 km / 114 miles)
Day 4 - Carentan - St Malo (185 km / 114 miles)

We head through the countryside of Normandy towards the famous Unesco site of Mont St Michel. We will tour and have lunch at this famous monastery and then make our way to the seaside city of St Malo, a fortified town of seamen and corsairs where the discoverer of Canada, Jacques Cartier, was born. We are now in the region of Brittany, a celtic region of tradition and independence.

Day 5 - St Malo - Chinon (315 km / 195 miles)
Day 5 - St Malo - Chinon (315 km / 195 miles)

After a stop in the medieval city of Dinan, we will head south on the edge of Brittany until we reach the Unesco Loire Valley. The Loire is the ultimate wild river of France. Castles will begin to pop up everywhere as we reach our final destination of the day, Chinon.

Day 6 - Chinon (rest day)
Day 6 - Chinon (rest day)

Chinon will be a good opportunity for those who would like to get off the bike and discover the area. There is much to see and do nearby, including the Chateau of Langeais, Saumur, Ussé, and the Abbey of Fontevraud. The area is also food for wine tasting as it is in the heart of the Loire Valley wine region. The town center of Chinon offer plenty of attractions and small pedestrians streets where getting lost is a pleasure.

Day 7 - Chinon - Uzerche (290 km / 180 miles)
Day 7 - Chinon - Uzerche (290 km / 180 miles)

We will leave the Loire Valley and start heading to the Limousin region following the river Gartempe. The landscape become more hilly, castles will still be part of the journey. We will stop at Oradour sur Glane a martyr town completely destroyed by the Germans during WWII. Today it’s a testimony of war brutality.

Day 8 - Uzerche - Sarlat (137 km / 85 miles)
Day 8 - Uzerche - Sarlat (137 km / 85 miles)

On this day we will travel in the region with the highest number of villages with Heritage Landmarks, including Collonges la Rouge, and Turenne. We will spend the night in Sarlat, the capital of the Perigord region, and enjoy the rest of afternoon in the old town where gastronomy is raised to a sort of art.

Day 9 - Sarlat (rest day)
Day 9 - Sarlat (rest day)

Today is a free day dedicated to Sarlat and its beautiful surroundings, including the medieval villages of Domme, la Roche Gageac, and Beynac, and also the sumptuous garden of Marqueyssac and the prehistoric valley of the Vézère River. One month would not be enough to enjoy all of the sights that abounds. Be prepared for making choices of what to see and do.

Day 10 - Sarlat - Figeac (95 km / 60 miles)
Day 10 - Sarlat - Figeac (95 km / 60 miles)

We are now deep in the heart of France. The villages are settled in peaceful valleys where time seems to have stopped. This is the French wild frontier! Rocamadour and the cave of Padirac will be our stop of the day before we reach the Village of Figeac in the heart of the Quercy Region.

Day 11 - Figeac - Millau (179 km / 111 miles)
Day 11 - Figeac - Millau (179 km / 111 miles)

We are likely to meet many hikers on this days as the road follows the Unesco Trail of Compostela, part of the Way of St James pilgrimage route. We will visit one of its major stopovers, the medieval village of Conques. For those who like knives, we will be in the region of the real Laguiole knives. We will spend this night in Millau.

Day 12 - Millau - Nimes ( 230 km / 143 miles)
Day 12 - Millau - Nimes ( 230 km / 143 miles)

The Millau Viaduct, highest road bridge in the world, will be our starting point as we are enter the National park of Cevennes, one of the most deserted parts of France. We will pass the gorgeous Tarn’s Gorges and its medieval villages. The twisty and curvy roads (Corniche des Cevennes) will lead us to the ancient Roman city of Nimes, the entry portal of Provence. This will be the most interesting and challenging riding day of the trip as the roads into and out the gorges are narrow and steep with many switchbacks.

Day 13 - Nimes - Avignon (80 km / 49 miles)
Day 13 - Nimes - Avignon (80 km / 49 miles)

From Nimes to Avignon … not a great distance, but a magical ride filled  with the smells of Provence and a stop at the medieval village of Baux de Provence, the Roman three-level  bridge Pont du Gard, and so on. We complete this tour with two nights in the Unesco city of Avignon.

Day 14 - Avignon (rest day)
Day 14 - Avignon (rest day)

Today you might decide to wander the Unesco streets of Avignon and visit its former pope Palace. For those who still want to ride we will take you to the nearby Mount Ventoux and Lubéron plateau.
A farewell dinner will close our tour.

france-discovery-map-ride-in-tours

France is a patchwork of regions and varied landscapes whose common denominator is a rich history and a world-renowned gastronomy. The challenge is daunting, you discover in 14 days, an authentic and welcoming France on a Bmw motorcycle. 

In this diagonal north to south which lead you from Normandy to Provence, you will experience intense emotional moments on the beaches of the longest day, your steps will resonate on the cobblestone narrow streets of St Mont Michel. Guests are welcomed in the gilded salons of the castles of the kings of once, erect on the banks of the majestic Unesco Loire River.
In Périgord, you will enjoy goose and duck specialities and walk in the footsteps of prehistoric man, visit their cave dwellings. And when the lavender fields and olive screeching of cicadas, you know that are in Provence, at the end of your motorcycle journey.
Full of Memories in the eyes and heart, you already will dream of your next motorcycle trip to France.  

 

 

 

Day 1 ARRIVAL IN TOURS
Day 2 TOURS - HONFLEUR (280 km / 174 miles)
Day 3 HONFLEUR - STE MERE ÉGLISE (158 km /  98 miles)
Day 4 STE MERE ÉGLISE - ST MALO (185 km / 114 miles)
Day 5 ST MALO - CHINON (315 km / 195 miles)
Day 6 CHINON (rest day or loop ride)
Day 7 CHINON - UZERCHE (290 km / 180 miles)
Day 8 UZERCHE - SARLAT (137 km /  85 miles)
Day 9 SARLAT (rest day or loop ride)
Day 10 SARLAT - FIGEAC (95 km /  60 miles)
Day 11 FIGEAC - MILLAU (179 km / 111 miles)
Day 12 MILLAU - NIMES (230 km / 143 miles)
Day 13 NIMES - AVIGNON (80 km /  49 miles)
Day 14 AVIGNON (rest day or loop ride)
Day 15 TRAIN RETURN TO PARIS * 

riding France motorcyclevisit france on a motorcycle

france discovery voyage

motorcycle tour of France 

(*) optional : FREE !! enjoy 2 more days of free riding for those who choose to bring back the motorcyle to our office in Tours. 

Motorcycles available in category A : BMW R 1200 RT / BMW LC 1200 GS / BMW LC 1250 GS
Motorcycles available in category B : BMW F 700 GS / BMW F 750 GS / Moto Guzzi V85TT
Motorcycles available in category C (quote on request) : Yamaha MT07 Tracer / Honda 750 NCX

All motorcycles comes with side panniers and top case box
Lower seat and lower frame version available on request.

This motorcycle tour is alsa available in self-guided formula at the dates of your choice.

Rates in guided tour formula (in € pp) : 

Models of motorcycle / room type
(price per person)

lit single

lit double

lit twin

  BMW R1200RTBMW R1200GS  

€ 5 220

€ 3 950

€ 4 910

Moto guzzi V85BMW F 750 GS € 4 140 € 3 410 € 3 830

The price of this guided motorcycle tour includes :

  • Train transfer from/to Paris Airport and transfer to hotels on arrival and departure
  • Motorcycle rental with unlimited mileage and insurance
  • A professional bilingual guide on a motorcycle leading the group
  • 14 hotel nights in two and three star hotels with continental breakfast
  • Entrance tickets to Le mans Motorsports Museum, Omaha Beach museum and one castle (to be defined on the tour)
  • Welcome and farewell dinners and 2 picnics (if weather permits)
  • Tour information package with road-book and travel tips

Not included in the price of this guided motorcycle tour :

  • Flight tickets
  • Any other meals not included in the tour
  • Drinks and all personal expenses
  • Fuel
  • Riding equipment (helmet, jackets, gloves)

 

Rates in self-guided formula (in € PP) :

Motorcycle / type of room
(price per person)

lit single

lit double

lit twin

voyage en italie avec votre moto *

€ NC

€ NC

€ NC

BMW R1200RT   BMW R1200GS € 3120 € 2 365 € NC
Moto guzzi V85  BMW F 750 GS

€ 2 490

€ 2 050

€ NC

The price of this self-guided motorcycle tour includes :

  • Train transfer from/to Paris Airport and transfer to hotels on arrival and departure
  • Motorcycle rental with unlimited mileage and insurance
  • 14 hotel nights in two and three star hotels with continental breakfast
  • GPX files for GPS or smartphone
  • Tour information package with road-book and travel tips

Not included in the price of this self- guided motorcycle tour :

  • Flight tickets
  • Any other meals not included in the tour
  • Drinks and all personal expenses
  • Fuel
  • Riding equipment (helmet, jackets, gloves)