The best motorcycle tours in Europe from the UK

The best motorcycle tours in Europe for a rider starting in the UK are the French Alps, the Dolomites, the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa, with Normandy as the easiest first trip. The Alps and Dolomites have the biggest passes but only open from about June to October. The Picos and Normandy work from spring to autumn and are a short ride from the ferry.

These are my ten picks as a Touring HQ rider, chosen for a UK rider taking their own bike over on a ferry or through the tunnel. Each one has a free GPX file and opens in the tour planner, which splits it into days with fuel and sunset for your dates.

Ten European motorcycle tours compared

Distances are for the GPX route on each page. The Calais and Santander tours are loops from the port and back. The others start where the good riding starts, so add the ride there. Best months are my judgement from when the high roads are normally open and the weather is reliable, and closures vary every year.

Normandy and Mont-Saint-Michel, the easiest first tour

My first trip abroad on a bike was Normandy off the overnight ferry to Caen, and I would still send anyone nervous about riding on the right there first. The roads are quiet, the towns are close together, and nothing is steep. The loop runs along the D-Day coast to Barfleur and Cherbourg, down the Cotentin coast to Mont-Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo, and back through the Suisse Normande.

You cannot ride onto Mont-Saint-Michel. Park on the mainland and take the shuttle. The D-Day beaches are very busy around the June anniversaries, so avoid the first week of June if you want quiet roads.

The Ardennes and Luxembourg, the closest good riding to Calais

The run from Calais to Charleville-Mezieres is mostly main road, but from there the Meuse valley, the Belgian Ardennes round Bouillon and La Roche, and Luxembourg's Mullerthal are all tight, wooded roads with very little traffic. Belgium and Luxembourg have no motorway tolls for motorcycles, and Luxembourg fuel is usually cheaper than in the countries round it, so fill up there.

Calais to the Alps and back, the trip most UK riders mean

This is the full trip from the port: south through Champagne and the Jura, over the Col de la Faucille to Annecy, then the Aravis, Roselend, Iseran and Galibier before coming home by the Vercors and Burgundy. At 200 miles a day it is a week of riding before rest days. The line keeps off motorways and toll roads by design, so swap in the autoroute for any stretch you want to get done.

The high cols are normally open from June to October only, and an early June trip is a gamble. I arrived at the bottom of a col in the first week of June once to find the barrier down, and lost half a day going round. Check the passes before you leave, and again the night before. The mountain passes pages show height and fuel on each side.

The Route des Grandes Alpes, end to end

The Route des Grandes Alpes runs from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean over Colombiere, Aravis, Roselend, Iseran, Galibier, Izoard, Vars, Cayolle and Turini. For me the Galibier and the Izoard are the best of it. Many riders swap the Cayolle for the Col de la Bonette, which is higher. Expect big groups of cyclists on the famous cols in summer, especially at weekends.

Riding into central Lyon, Grenoble or another French low emission zone on the way down needs a Crit'Air sticker. Buy it only from the official Crit'Air site.

The Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo in one day

From Bormio, the loop climbs the Stelvio's 48 hairpins down to Prato, goes round through Val Mustair and back up the Umbrail, then takes in the Gavia and the Mortirolo. The Stelvio is the famous one, but on a summer weekend it is crowded with cars, bikes and cyclists, and I enjoyed the Gavia more. The Gavia and Mortirolo are narrow, with unguarded drops on the Gavia. Go early.

The Umbrail crosses into Switzerland. If you use any Swiss motorway on the way there you need a Swiss vignette, but the passes themselves do not need one.

The Dolomites, short days and the best scenery in Europe

The Dolomites loop from Canazei crosses the Sella, Gardena, Campolongo, Falzarego and Giau, and comes back past the Marmolada on the Fedaia. It is only 80 miles, because you will stop every few miles. Base yourself in one place for three or four nights and ride a different loop each day.

Some passes have had summer motorcycle restrictions and noise checks in recent years. Check the local rules before you go, and ride quietly through the villages.

The Picos de Europa, the best value mountains from the UK

The ferries from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander land you within a couple of hours of the Picos, so you skip two days of riding through France. The loop runs through the La Hermida gorge to Potes, over San Glorio and the Ponton, and back through the Beyos gorge. For the money and the traffic, I rate it above the Alps. The gorge roads have rockfall, so watch the surface after rain.

The Pyrenees from Santander

From Santander the loop runs east through Rioja and Aragon into the Pyrenees and back. You can also ride the French side, Aubisque to Peyresourde, on our Pyrenees cols route. The Aubisque and the Tourmalet close in winter, normally until late May or June, and livestock roam the high pastures, including on the road.

The Vosges and the Black Forest, a week with no high passes

If you want good mountain riding without the altitude, the Route des Cretes in the Vosges and the B500 along the Black Forest ridge are lower, open for more of the year and easier on a loaded bike. Some Black Forest roads have weekend motorcycle restrictions and frequent speed checks. Look for the signs. German cities have low emission zones, so check whether your bike needs a sticker before you ride into one.

Trollstigen and the Atlantic Road, for a longer trip north

Norway is the biggest commitment on this list. The route from Geiranger up the Eagle Road, over Trollstigen to Andalsnes and out along the Atlantic Road to Kristiansund includes car ferries, so check timetables before you set off. Trollstigen and the Geiranger road are normally closed from October to May. Norwegian speed fines are very high, so stick to the limit.

How to choose a European tour for your first trip

Pick by how many days you have. With five days, go to Normandy or the Ardennes. With a week, the Picos from Santander or the Vosges and Black Forest. The Alps want ten days from Calais, so the ride there and back does not eat the trip.

Then check the crossing. The ferry and tunnel crossings page groups every route by where you land. The routes that start at the ferry are a good shortlist if you want to ride from the port.

Before you book, work out the cost with the trip cost calculator and read our guide on planning a motorcycle tour. For the documents a UK rider needs, our riding in Europe page links to the GOV.UK advice for each country, and the checklist before you leave covers the rest. If you would rather stay home this year, see the best roads in the UK. Every European route is on our Europe routes page with a GPX download.