Venturing Abroad On A Motorcycle

Have you been dreaming of adventuring abroad on your motorcycle? Bike trader, We Buy Any Bike have written this guide, giving you information and tips to get you on your way!... More and more people have started travelling abroad on their motorcycles, it’s a way to see and experience new places like no other.  A lot of holidays involve sitting on a plane, car, bus and sleeping away the hours, just waiting to wake up at the destination. These transports are about getting from A to B, and for a lot of people, this is what they want from a holiday. However, for some people, they want something else from their time. They want to be out in the elements with a feeling of adventure and exploration, the holiday is about the journey itself. Before I had my motorbike license, I and my partner did a euro trip on his F800GS. We went through France, Germany, Switzerland to arrive in Venice, Italy. I have done a lot of travelling, but this was my all time favourite trip. You meet people and see places on a bike that you wouldn’t get the chance to on other forms of transport. A really important part of this kind of travelling is the reading up beforehand. I would strongly advise checking out Horizons Unlimited, it is packed full of information specifically for people travelling on their bikes. Horizons Unlimited's Grant and Susan Johnson have been on the road for 11 years, so definitely know what they are talking about. It's hard to know what to take or what preparation to do, but after a lot of research and personal experience, this blog should help you with your checklist.

Documentation

Make sure you can produce these documents when required, for example when crossing boards or stopped by the police: ✤ Passport ✤ Driver Licence ✤ MOT ✤ Breakdown Policy ✤ Vehicle Registration Document With a Great Britain driving license, you can ride abroad in European countries, read GOV.UK for further details. If you are wanting to explore Europe its worth having a good read of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office leaflet. If you’re driving licence is from somewhere other than Great Britain, you can check if you can ride in GB on GOV.UK.

Plan Your Journey

Decide where you want to get to, and then think about: ✓ How long does it take to get there? Give yourself enough time to actually experience the places you go. There nothing worse than feeling like you’re rushing through the area and not seeing what you wanted to, or not having the time to meet local people. Taking in the culture is what you’re there for, so make sure you have time for it. ✓ Where are you going to stay over? Some people prefer to freestyle it, turning up in towns and finding somewhere to sleep once arriving. This way of doing it is fine and usually works out pretty good, I really like travelling this way. However, some people aren’t a fan. If you are running behind schedule one night on your trip, it’s nice to know where you are going to be staying. Whichever way you like travelling it’s good to have an idea of which hotels, hostels, campsites are in the areas you want to stop in. If you read ahead you might even find out if there is a biker hang out spot that’s suggested, if you’re looking for the social side! There are some great apps to use while travelling too!

Organised Tours Abroad

If you think you might want more support when riding abroad, you could always contact a company that specialises in organising agendas and itineraries for you. Most companies offer a few different options such as - just hiring a motorbike, hiring a bike and joining a scheduled tour or riding your own bike and joining a tour. Whichever way you decide to go, always ride cautiously and expect the unexpected. If you haven’t ridden abroad before you might be shocked by the local riding styles, but you’ll soon get into the way of things you will have an amazing time. After all this, the best advice is to just do it. It’s easy to over think things and be put off by what you need to sort out beforehand, but it’s worth the effort and you will love every second of it!

About Us

WeBuyAnyBike aren't based abroad (for all you Brits)... we're actually based in Yorkshire! So, if you are around the area and you're looking to sell your bike... why not pay us a visit?! You can find our address details on our Contact Us page, where you can also find an email address to send us a few pictures beforehand! You can alternatively call the UK's leading bike trader on 01274 600 224!