Touring France with your motorcycle

Touring Spain on your motorbike

Book a ferry crossing to France or Spain

All of our French ports are close to fast roads, allowing you to head your bike in whatever direction you choose with the minimum of fuss. If you have a specific destination in mind (perhaps in the south of the country) and you want to get there as soon as possible, then obviously the main (and frequently toll-charging) motorways are your best bet for opening up the throttle on your bike.

If you're not in such a big hurry you'll find that a lot of these major roads have lesser-graded routes running roughly parallel with them. The advantage here is that these, apart from being free of charge, are usually much less busy. And in many respects a whole lot more interesting for bikers.

Motorbike highlights

From the glorious green landscapes of the Loire southwards, the variety of roads appealing to bikers really begins to widen. The Massif Central for instance, with its vast number of extinct volcanoes, can in parts give the impression of being almost lunar-like.

On the other hand, you'll also find a great deal of pretty countryside and if you absolutely want to hit the heights, the Pyrénées and Alps both offer mountain roads to ride that will reward bikers with some truly spectacular views. Remember though, many of these high altitude roads are best visited between June and September because the winter snow can have a tendency to linger around for months after falling.

Bike riding in the south of France

One region of France always highly popular for its great stretches of road for keen bike riders is Languedoc Roussillon, set in the central deep south. The rich variety of the landscapes here includes coastal plains, mountains, valleys and plateaux. Together they provide the opportunity for just about every kind of bike riding experience you could wish for.

Recommended French roads for Motorbikes

D22 – Tinchebray to La Haute-Chapelle in Normandy : A nice twisty route through rural Normandy.

D514 – Caen to Honfleur in Normandy : The coast road running past the D-Day beaches with terrific veiws and lovely coastal towns.

N138 – Alençon to Le Mans in Western Loire : Some magnificantly long straights, perfect for just opening up the bikes throttle.

N138 – Ecommoy in Western Loire to Tours in Loire Valley : A very pleasant and pacey run through the rolling hills and sweeping bends of the Loire Valley, this route has a little something for every motorcycle rider. Up and down straights, sweepers, good surface and nice environment through the countryside through quaint towns and past poppy fields, and all only 20km from Le Mans.

D749 – Saumur to Lussac-Les-Châteaux in Western Loire : A typicaly great French D route with great road surfaces, fast stretches and great scenery. Hardly any traffic and a good way to bypass Poitiers.

D952 – Angers to Saumur in Western Loire : Great road running beside the river Loire with little traffic and lots of straights with plenty of places to stop.

D944 – Neuvy to Bourges in Loire Valley : Meandering road passing through forests and woods. Great for fun at sensible speeds.

N144 – le Puy-en-Velay to Mende in Limousin : Running across the top of a plateau with generally light traffic. 80mph bends are possible.

N9 – Millau to Lodeve in Limousin : Winding dual carriageway with light traffic. The kind of road you want to ride again and again.

D526 – La Mure to Mens in Rhône Alps : Narrowish road around 10km long with a fantastic series of corners just made for flipping the bike around.

Tips for riding your Bike in France

Just in case you didn't know, French law says that all motorcycles when moving must display dipped headlights – yes, even in broad daylight. Also, most European countries require you to carry a full set of replacement bulbs for your bike. You can be fined for not being able to show these when asked to.