Itinery
This seven-night, eight-day tour starts with an overnight ferry crossing frome Portsmouth to Ouistreham / Caen on Sunday night in a shared cabin (individual cabins are available at an additional cost). Please note: A buffet breakfast is included at all hotels but NOT on the ferry.
Day One: Caen to Blois 246 miles.
As we leave the ferry around 07:00 the next morning, we take a cross-country ride to our first hotel in the beautiful riverside town of Blois. You will be spoilt for choice, with a wide selection of restaurants and cafés to suit every taste.
Blois
Day Two: Blois to Clermont Ferrand 181 miles
Leaving Blois, we head south through France towards Clermont-Ferrand and our base for the next four nights.
Day Three / Four / Five/ Six Clermont Ferrand
Once we arrive at our hotel, you can leave all your heavy kit in your individual en-suite hotel room and spend the next few days exploring the region. The area is dotted with (hopefully) dormant volcanoes, which have created some staggering scenery and equally importantly, some amazing roads. Our daily excursions seek out roads that seem to have been designed specifically for bend-hungry motorcyclists. But, if you fancy taking a day off the bike, you can spend some time exploring the town or discover the region under your own steam. It’s your trip, so make it what you want.
However, the highlight of the whole trip will be an excursion to the stunning Millau Viaduct, reached via the A75 motorway. Generally, our routes avoid motorways, but this is no ordinary motorway. It is packed with sweeping bends, descents and climbs, reaching its highest point at the Col des Issartets, 3,600ft (1,121m) above sea level.
The white masterpiece, designed by British architect Norman Foster, will appear in the distance as we round yet another curve in the motorway. Just before the viaduct is a toll station, currently €6.80 for bikes, which is the only toll on this section of motorway.
We’ll stop at the purpose-built service area, where we can take a walk up to the observation area and get those all-important photos.
The viaduct is a multi-span suspension viaduct, with its pylons towering 1,125ft (343m) above the Tarn Gorge. To put that into perspective, Pylon No. 2 is 13m taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Having said that, once you’re riding across the viaduct, you can’t actually see down, so it shouldn’t cause too many problems for anyone with a fear of heights!
Our journey then takes us across the viaduct and down into the Tarn Gorge, through the small town of Millau. Here, you can get an idea of the congestion caused by all the heavy traffic heading south that once had to pass through the town before the viaduct was built.
Our route back towards the hotel continues along the gorge, following the river that gives it its name. This part of the journey is peppered with the twists and turns that we simply don’t get enough of in the UK, and there will be plenty of opportunities to stop for photographs along the way.
It's long day but worth it for the views and the scenery
Sleeping Volcanos
Millau Viaduct
Day Seven: Clermont Ferrand to Tours 180 miles
All too soon, it will be time to head back towards Caen, with an overnight stop in Tours along the way.
Day Eight: Tours to Caen 165 miles
As we make our way back towards Caen, we have one more treat in store for you. We’ll stop at the world-famous Pegasus Bridge and Café Gondrée. The café was run by a couple who passed information about German movements to the French Resistance and the British Army before D-Day. Today, the café is run by their granddaughter.
Our ferry leaves at around 16:30 and arrives back in Portsmouth at approximately 21:30 on Sunday night, giving us plenty of time to chat about the tour and maybe plan the next one.
Important Information: The itineraries quoted should considered as a guide only. We reserve the right to alter the route due to weather, travel or time constraints. It may also be altered by a majority vote by the participants.
So how much will this amazing trip cost ?
Single traveller with their own ensuite hotel room £1450 per person
Pillion sharing a hotel room with their rider £695 per person
A Non-refundable 50% deposit (per person) is payable at time of booking and the balance will be due a minimum of 10 weeks before start of the tour.
The tour price includes
- Return Ferry (including shared cabin on overnight ferry crossings) / Eurotunnel crossing
- 3 / 4 star en-suite hotel rooms including buffet breakfast
- Sat Nav co-ordinates for each hotel
- Route plans if you require them
- Hotel Parking (where available)
The tour price excludes
- Petrol
- Toll charges (vignette)
- Admission charges
- Meals other than those specified
- Any fines (if you are being silly)
- Travel / Medical Insurance
- Breakdown / Recovery Insurance
The Small Print:
Although we will make every effort to stick to the itinerary detailed above; we reserve the right to make changes where necessary.
ECM Tours cannot be held responsible for any traffic, road or weather conditions on each day of travel. ECM Tours cannot be held responsible for any delays in your channel crossing to or from the UK, whether caused by bad weather or any other circumstances. In the event of delay you will be responsible for providing your own meals and accommodation.
ECM Tours cannot be held responsible for any additional costs incurred, should you decide to change your hotel or ferry bookings from those booked by us. ECM Tours reserve the right to request you leave the tour if your behaviour both on the road or at the destinations is considered to be dangerous to others or disrespectful to the other members of the tour or to the residents of the places we visit. In this situation all further hotel reservations will be cancelled and NO Refund be issued.
Your Vehicle:
You are responsible for your own motorcycle, the manner in which you decide to ride and for your pillion passengers safety.
You are required to ride within the law in any country visited.
ECM Tours will not accept any responsibility for violation of the law.
As we will be traveling through France, it is recommended that you purchase a 'Crit Air certificate' this the French equivalent of the ULEZ charge in the UK and it covers many cities throughout France. We will be happy to provide information on how to do this.
Valid motorcycle insurance is your own responsibility and must be valid for the duration of the tour. Although most comprehensive policies provide European cover, you are required to let your insurer know when you will be travelling abroad.
You are required to take out your own European motorcycle breakdown / recovery policy.
ECM Tours accept no responsibility for transporting you, your bike or your pillion to any alternative destination in case of breakdown or accident. Furthermore, in case of your motorcycle breaking down, the cost of any repair or service will be solely the responsibility of the rider.
You must carry your driving license, insurance certificate, current MOT and vehicle registration document (V5) at all times.
Travel / Medical Insurance:
Travel & Medical insurance is your own responsibility and must be valid for the duration of the tour and must cover holiday cancellation, accident, illness and death. Please check that you are covered to ride motorcycles abroad as many travel insurance policies only cover up to 125cc. Motorcycling is usually listed in the Dangerous sports section of the policy small print.
Passport:
All travellers should carry a valid passport at all times.
There must more than 6 months left after your return to UK. Please Note: Most foreign countries ignore the expiry date and count ten years from the issue date.
Non-UK passport holders must ensure that they meet all visa requirements for the countries included in the chosen tour.
Refunds:
The trip is based on a minimum of six guests travelling with us, if the trip is not filled it may be cancelled and in this case ONLY; all monies paid will be refunded.
If you decide to leave the tour or change your travel arrangements / channel crossing for any reason; ECM Tours cannot accept responsibility of refunding any money.
We also reserve the right, in any circumstances, to cancel your booking, giving you eight weeks’ notification and a full refund of all monies paid, unless the circumstances are beyond our control.
Refunds will not be made in the following situations: war, threat of war, riots, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural disasters, fire, technical problems to transport, closure or congestion of ports, cancellations or changes to schedules by carriers ceasing to operate due to adverse weather conditions or other reasons and similar events beyond our control or where we cancel because you fail to pay the balance of your holiday cost.
Cafe Gondree, Pegasus Bridge
Tours