Adventure Motorcycle Tours by Region: Best Routes in France

In previous posts, we talked about some of the best motorcycle tours in Spain and Germany. The European continent offers some great riding opportunities for any motorcycle enthusiast, and once you get through Spain and Germany you’ll wonder what else there is to explore.

This time, we’ll continue our series with some of the best motorcycle tours in France.

In case you missed the reasons why a guided tour is a great idea, we’ll recap some of them for you. First and foremost, the chance to explore some of the finest locales in the world, at locations already curated by an expert team of tour guides and tour operators, means there’s very little stress for you.

All you have to do is bring your gear, show up, and ride. If you go on a group ride, you’ll be meeting up with other like-minded riders, too. A perfect opportunity to make some life-long friends.

Most tour companies also have motorcycles for you to rent. The nice thing about that is you can likely stay on the same (or similar) type of Adventure motorcycle you already own, or if they have it, you can take a model you’ve wanted to try for one epic test ride.

However, if you insist on riding your personal motorcycle, some tour operations will allow that also, assuming it’s in good running condition. The benefit of riding your own motorcycle includes eliminating the learning curve of riding a new bike, and you can also join the tour for a much lower cost.

The down side can be restrictive depending on where you are, as it’s usually your responsibility to get it to and from the start location. Also, if you were to crash or incur any damages, you’ve now ruined your own motorcycle. With rented bikes, you simply pay the insurance deductible (always get the insurance!) and walk away.

Any reputable tour company will provide guided tours with an experienced tour guide, but if you’d rather chart your own path and ride on your own, some tour companies offer self-guided tours, so you can ride on your own schedule.

There are so many places to go and so many sights to see. Not surprisingly, Europe is one of the most popular destinations for motorcycle tourism. Here, we’re going to focus on France. Filled with some of the most beautiful cities in the world, along with some amazing scenery, France is a motorcyclist’s paradise. Here, let’s explore some of the best tours in the country.

Guided Motorbike Tours

Voted one of its most popular tours of the year, the Route Napoleon Motorcycle Tour provided by Guided Motorbike Tours is a step back in time, tracing a route very similar to one Napoleon took in 1815. On this 10-day tour, you’ll log 2300 miles, covering some of the most scenic and twisty roads France has to offer. Here’s a brief description from GMT:

This Escorted Route Napoleon Motorcycle Tour in France is an incredibly awesome, fun and entertaining motorcycle journey, a similar route Napoleon took in 1815 from Elba. This route is stunning and couldn’t be more suitable for bikers than it already is. You will experience a unique route created by Guided Motorbike Tours that captivates some of the most beautiful locations and scenery that so many other tour companies miss in the region by taking customers to some of the “off the tourist track” locations found during our scouting expeditions.

See the rest of the tours offered here.

Yellow Yeti ADV

Typically, Yellow Yeti ADV is a motorcycle tour company with a bend towards adventure riding. Even though it doesn’t offer any specific tours in France, Yellow Yeti does offer a few detailed and interactive route maps of France, complete with popular destinations and a brief description on what makes each locale worth visiting. You can see the route map and descriptions here.

For example, the Route des Grandes (Great Alpine Road) takes motorcyclists through 16 mountain passes and countless winding turns as you travel to some of the highest peaks in all of Europe. And once you finish with this route, there are several others Yellow Yeti can guide you through as well.

Click the link above to see the different routes. The tabs on the top of the page will send you to Yellow Yeti’s adventure tours in other parts of the world.

Edelweiss 

No story on motorcycle touring is complete without mentioning Edelweiss. The world leader in motorcycle tours, if Edelweiss Bike Travel doesn’t go there it’s probably not worth visiting. With 40 years of experience, you can count on an Edelweiss Bike Travel tours being one of your most cherished memories on a motorcycle.

Because epic riding in France is so close to amazing roads in neighboring countries, many Edelweiss tours often combine multiple countries into one big trip. The same holds true for some of Edelweiss’ travels through France, but the company also has tours that exclusively allow you to soak up the French countryside.

Take the “From Paris to Omaha” tour for example. Starting and ending in Versailles, this 12-day tour (10 riding days) can take you as much as 1400 miles! Here’s the Edelweiss description:

From Versailles (near Paris) we head South, follow the Loire for a while and marvel at some of the countless châteaux which are lined up along the river. Then we reach the Atlantic coast and Brittany with its Celtic heritage. Carnac is famous for its megalith culture and stones that were put upright more than 6,000 years ago. Along Brittany’s wild coast and across its scenic interior, we circle around the peninsula and see highlights such as the pink granite coast and St. Malo with its huge ramparts.

Past Mont St. Michel in the Wadden sea, we reach Normandy and the city of Bayeux. Here, at the beaches of Normandy, where Allied forces liberated Europe in 1944. Today countless historic sites attract visitors from around the globe.

The wealth of history and culture in Northern France are second to none!

And this is just one of over two dozen Edelweiss tours through Europe. There are far too many to list here. To learn more, and to see the rest of the destinations Edelweiss travels through, visit the Edelweiss website.

Concluding Thoughts

As you can see, France has a lot to offer, with neighboring countries not far away if you’d like to explore even more. There are numerous mountain passes, offering postcard-worthy landscapes that are sure to enhance any riding experience. Add to that the wonderful food and drink (wine, anyone?)

France has to offer, and a motorcycle tour through the country is an easy decision to make. Ask anyone who has done a tour and they will tell you it’s definitely a bucket list item they’re glad to check off. With so much to offer, you’re bound to make memories, and friends, that will last a lifetime. So what are you waiting for?