FAQ’S

General
Are you always on hand?
Yes, we personally accompany all trips both on and off road. We’re always available if you need help and won’t hide if there’s a problem. We treat guests how we would like to be treated.

How big are the groups?
On our short breaks we can accommodate a maximum of 10 guests in our property; on our longer European Tours we set a maximum of 15 bikes.

Do you get much repeat business?
Loads! Take a look at the leader board and our testimonial pages – they say it all.

Do you provide maps or GPS routes and will we ride motorways?
We always use a ‘second man drop off system’ with a designated “back-marker” so that nobody gets lost. There is never any pressure to keep up with the person in front and you ride at your own pace. We avoid motorways wherever possible as we believe that you’d rather ride scenic routes. We never ride them on our short breaks unless in unforeseen circumstances.

What experience do I need to ride on the continent?
In your interest you should be a competent rider. We always give a pre-tour briefing which includes advice and highlights particular road signs etc. We grade the general pace of each trip which is either leisurely, moderate or brisk. Don’t worry, you will enjoy yourself.

Do you hire motorcycles?
Sorry but no we don’t, however Road Trip Rentals hire-out bikes in the UK.

What items should I bring? …
Please see our advice page

Do you get many ladies on your trips?
Our longer European Tours attract a much higher ratio of ladies and we’re always pleased to welcome ladies whether riders or pillions.

Why don’t you include the ferry crossing in your prices?
We are a French registered company and all our trips start and finish on the continent. We know that even on the same trips guests sometimes like to use different ports before meeting up, perhaps they’ll even arrive a day earlier. Not including the ferry makes the crossing more flexible for you. We can however offer up to 7.5% discount with Brittany Ferries – please contact us for a quote.

How do you provide for my financial protection?
We are a French registered company and under European directives your money is held in a separate account until the trip is completed. We have been established since 2003 and have a trustworthy reputation. Your money is safe.

Anything else I should know?
Only the obvious (to us anyway)… Get your bike serviced and check that the tyres will last the trip – worrying about your steed will not make for a good holiday.

Make sure that you have full personal travel and breakdown insurance, you only appreciate having insurance when you need it. We have arranged preferential rates for travel insurance only with Holiday Safe Travel Insurance.

Short Breaks
What’s the accommodation like?
Our property is registered with Gites de France and has 3*. We have 5 en-suite rooms and all have stunning views. There’s also a games room, a drying room and a 200sq metre barn for bike parking. We supply soap & towels and hairdryers are available.

Can you cater for dietary requirements?
Our food is legendary – see our guests’ comments! We cook every meal and so with prior notification can cater for all needs except vegan which proves too difficult after we’ve both been riding all day.

How much spending money will I need?
You’ll only need money for fuel, coffee, lunch and a Bike Normandy T Shirt! Breakfasts, dinners and all evening drinks are included.

Can I stay longer than 2 nights?
Yes, we can provide extra nights accommodation with dinner and drinks etc but we only offer three days guided riding.

Is it just riding or can we see the sights?
We not only ask for your pace of riding but also if you’d like to visit the WW2 landing beaches or other interesting places. Coffee and lunch are always taken at scenic places.

Off Road
Do you run the trips all rear round?
No, we run them in March, April, October and November when the ground is normally muddier and ramblers / horse riders aren’t around as much.

Are you legally entitled to ride the lanes you use.
Yes, we live here and know which ones are open to motorcycles. We sometimes ride on private land with permission.

What sort of riders do you attract?
A broad range of ability however we don’t normally have novices as they tend to learn in the UK. Most riders are experienced and several ISDE guys regularly visit us.

Does my bike have to be road legal?
Yes as you ride on public roads / lanes, it also needs to be insured. All bikes have to have front and rear lights as there isn’t the equivalent of a daytime MOT in France. Please put the baffles in your exhausts so as not to upset the locals or the animals.

Who are the guides?
We have French guides who don’t speak much English but are very sociable! They are all very experienced and know the lanes in their particular area which means that they can change the route to suit the group – a major advantage over using road books. Our guides’ riding standards have been appreciated by all our guests. For groups of 8 or more we will also provide a “sweeper” to close the group. John is always on-hand in the support vehicle to assist with any problems during the day.

How many miles will we ride and is there much roadwork or gates?
The miles covered depend on the going. The lanes are flowing and there’s nothing too difficult. If it’s dry then we’ll ride up to 100 miles in a day. If wet and muddy then this can reduce to around 70. Our guides have an in depth knowledge of the area and can add on or remove lanes from the planned route depending on the going. As a rule of thumb it’s 90% lanes 10% roadwork, gates are virtually non-existent.

How do I know where I’m going?
We do not use road-books as experience has proved that you can get lost and end up taking short cuts across farm land. We use a second man drop off system that allows you to ride at your pace and makes it obvious where you’re going. This means that the ride flows as you’re not continually stopping to check roadbooks & maps.

Will we get any ‘hassle’?
Trail riding is widely accepted in Normandy. We’ve had ramblers cheer us while attempting a climb and even hold up traffic for us! Like everywhere there’s always an exception to the rule but it’s very rare. Respect others and they respect you.

If you’ve any other questions then just ask.