Blog moto & voyages de Ride in Tours

I’ve been travelling on motorcycles ever since I got my licence 15 years ago at the age of 17. I started by riding all over the UK, but pretty soon that felt too small and so I headed to France…

On my first big trip, I landed in Calais, rode off the ferry, got lost within 5 minutes and pulled over into a quiet country layby. I had no idea where I was going, where I would stay that night or which road to take (I forgot to buy a map). There was a Frenchman in his car not far from me.

I walked over and asked if he could point me in the right direction. This stranger was the very first person I spoke to while motorcycling abroad…

He pulled out his phone and called his daughter. Told me that he had a business meeting to go to, but that his daughter would be here in five minutes and that I should follow her car back to their house where I could stay the night.

To reach Normandy from the Loire valley on a motorcycle, I would have thought a Harley would have been more logical. Not Necessarily the U.S. Army old model , the WL750 called "Liberator" is a bit too rustic, but bike like the Fat Boy would have been ok for me. I even thought for a second to take my Harley 1200 XL Forty Eight. Never mind, I’ll rather go with my old faithful BMW R 1200 GS, the bike I know best although it’s a german bike...

Everything is alright and to reach the coast by Le Mans and Lisieux is a formality. Everything is good, right, except this fall’s sky in which are jostling very threatening clouds. They are coming closer to me, not at the rhythm of the drum,  but at the one of a thunder.  And the usual scenario is repeating endlessly : one drop, then one second and before I have the chance to count the third one , it’s a real flooding that drops on me. Should I recognize a symbol of the landing ?. In my opinion, I am luckiest than those soldiers, who came here to be killed. As a replacement of heavy artillery, I will only get water on me. Fortunately, this rain will be as short as suddenly. But that was enough to wet me to the bones. Nevertheless in a tenth of a second, I measure all the happiness of being able to go to this green Normandy's landscape on autumn 2018, but not on June 1944.

After several coffee breaks, and nearly 300 km telling myself how much I love this old motorcycle despite the fact that I have all the new models of BMW in my garage.  I finally arrived at St Laurent sur Mer, where the Landing took place.

Here is finally the famous Omaha Beach. The beach is empty and is so long, so impressive, and so calm. It's hard to imagine that 75 years ago, one of the most deadliest episodes of the Battle of Normandy took place here. It is not possible not to think about the movie scenes of the "Longest Day" or "Saving Private Ryan".  We suddenly realize even through those movies, the hell lived by those young soldiers. The night is falling on the english Channel, and we’re about to reach our hotel, time to go back to the bike... Now, I can say that I am one of those who’ve seen Americans people on Omaha Beach.

Do you make flight arrangements for your motorcycle tours ?

No we don't. It has to be arranged from your home country. However, once you have your flight details we can organise your transfer from airport to your hotel. 

What should I bring with me on the tour in France ?

You will always be more confortable if you ride with your own riding equipment but we can provide jackets, helmets and gloves on requesty some if needed. 

Should I arrive early ?

When talking about travelling on a motorcycle in Europe, Italy is a choice that automatically comes to mind almost as a reflex. For its nice climate suitable for any bike trip and many more reasons.  But also because motorcycling takes a much more important part in this country. Perhaps also because the country reflect us the idea of ​​a certain art of living.

Then appears images of an Italy that we would like to make ours.  These are the hilly landscapes  of Tuscany with their sinuous roads lined with cypresses.  These are also the beaches of the Adriatic along which, the youth of 7 to 77 years wanders on scooters or with a tasty italian ice cream in hand.  What can be called the transalpine charm, it also those swarms of mopeds and scooters that rush in pack like at a moto GP start at every traffic light.

It must be said that here the practice motorcycle and scooter is part of the life of everyone from the youngest age.  Everyone here, has a great enthusiasm for motorcycling champions.  Not a town, not a village where famous N°46 of the "Doctor "(Valentino Rossi) is worshiped.  Go visit his native village Tavullia (in Central Italy) and you’ll understand then that one don’t laugh with motorcycle racing.

Pyrénées, the most authentic mountain ranges of France, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, it's 500 km as the crow flies. Riding it with your motorcycle count at least double, while roads turns as much as you can wish!.

The departure is given on the Basque coast, in Saint Jean de Luz, on Jar Alai day, the sardine festival. The BMW 1200 GS harnessed like a trading post horse, is ready to roam 1200 km of road eastbound towards the Mediterranean. When one plunge in Basque County and moves away from the sea, the traffic weakens and the Basque soul is revealed. Our first step is short, we stop in Ainhoa, who has the label of "most beautiful villages in France".

In the middle of the white houses with green or red facings, we find the famous walls of Basque pelota where the chistera will soon be handled by pelotaris. Indeed, on the 15th of August, the celebrations are in full swing from the Landes region and the feria of Dax and extends to small communities lost to the hinterland of the Rhune where everywhere you’ll find competing Basque pelota or force play competitions .