Travelling by motorcycle allows offers an exciting and immersive experience with the open road or trail before you and the landscape all around you.
There are classic must-do motorcycle tours and some amazing secret gems. Here is a list of eight great destinations for a motorcycle tour.
Pyrenees Loop, France and Spain
2410kms: From Bilbao to Biarritz
Fabulous scenery and some legendary hairpin climbs and descents make this route a favourite in Europe.
From Bilbao you head east on the N260 – a famous biking road that – before reaching La Seu d’Urgell, then Andorra, before dropping back to Spain. Then it’s on to the Mediterranean coast into France and on to the D117. You’ll climb more mountain passes to finally reach Biarritz.
Great Ocean Road, Australia
290 kilometers: From Melbourne to Petersbrough
A classic one or two day ride, this route heads along a beautiful shoreline blessed with numerous beaches, through rainforest, sand then on to the more rugged Shipwreck Coast, which is famous for its limestone pinnacles.
Nepal and Bhutan motorcycle tour
For something quite different, join a Motorcyle Tour Bhoutan to enjoy unique landscapes, unspoilt farmlands and incredible roads on a motorcycle tour of Bhutan and Nepal.
Cape Town Circuit, South Africa
1690km: From Cape Town to Cape Town
Fantastic roads and fabulous scenery combine to give motorcycle riders a great destination. From Cape Town the coast heads east then north and over the Olifantskip Pass to Addo National Park.
Next it’s the Great Karoo to Oudtshoorn,- via Route 62, and over the Little Karoo Mountains before returning to Cape Town.
Pacific Coast Highway, California
320km: From San Luis Obispo to San Francisco
Another classic tour route, with impressive landscapes including coast and cliffs, redwood forests, the fishing town of Monterey, the surfing capital of Santa Cruz and the famous bridge in San Francisco.
North Coast 500, Scotland
500 (or so) miles: Inverness to Inverness
Scotland’s answer to Route 66, the NC500 is has become a classic route for motorcycles, cars, campervans and cyclists. It takes in the stunning mountains of the Highlands, a dramatic north-west coast, the hairpinned climb of the Bealach na Ba and numerous small villages and towns.
Fjordland, Norway
450km: From Bergen to Andalsnes
Norway is a truly stunning country and ideal for motorcycle touring. Be prepared for amazing hairpin roads, impressive fjords and a few ferry crossings.
Route 66, the US
4580km: From Chicago to Los Angeles
No list would be complete without the classic American Road trip along Route 66. This was once the main highway between Chicago and Los Angeles and offers motorcyclists an epic trip through breathtaking landscapes.
You cross three time zones and eight states from Illinois to Oklahoma riding through Texas and New Mexico and ending up in California.
