A guide to motorbike touring in France

Get your moto running, head out on the highway … and get revved up for touring France by motorbike. Read our motorcycle travel guide for must-do routes, tips and advice. 

Why every biker should go on a motorbike tour in France

A road trip to France should be on the bucket list of any serious biker. Whether it’s the huge variety of landscapes, from the soaring peaks of the Alps and the Pyrenees to the rolling hills of the Loire and the Dordogne, the gastronomic delights or the quality of the roads, motorbike touring in France offers the freedom to explore a biker-friendly country at your own pace. 

Ride your motorbike to France with LeShuttle

LeShuttle is the perfect way to cross the channel if you’re touring France by motorbike. Ticket prices are around half the cost of a car, and covers the bike, rider and pillion passenger if required. Bikers can drive straight onto our standard double deck carriages, and stretch their legs for the 35-minute crossing. At the other end you can simply ride away onto the open roads of France! 

The best motorbike routes in France

Col du Galibier, a stunning Alpine route to ride

Route des Grandes Alpes

The 720km route from Lake Geneva to Nice traverses the most breathtaking parts of the French Alps, twisting and turning with sensational views of mountains, valleys and lakes. Well known for featuring in the mountain stages of the Tour de France, many of the climbs on the Route des Grandes Alpes have ‘passed’ into legend – Col du Galibier, Alpe d’Huez, Col de la Colombière. They will certainly be easier on the leg muscles and the lungs on the back of a motorbike than a bicycle, but are still challenging rides, full of hairpin bends, steep climbs and fast descents.  

Col du Pourtalet

The Pyrenees is frequently described as a motorcyclist’s paradise, and it is easy to see why. Epic mountain passes like the Col du Pourtalet, which reaches 1,800m above sea level, leave bikers with treasured memories of awe-inspiring peaks and verdant mountain pasture (as well as sheer drops it’s best not to dwell on). The Col du Pourtalet runs for 54km from Laruns in France to Biescas in Spain, and is another route popular with cyclists. It’s generally a wide, fast road, especially in the Spanish section, and there are shops, bars and restaurants at the top of the pass while you admire the views.  

Route Napoléon 

Chapelle Notre Dame du Roc, one of the highlights of the Route Napoléon

Touring France by motorbike isn’t complete without following in the footsteps of Napoleon himself, whose route from Antibes to Grenoble in 1815 marked the end of his exile in Elba and brief return to power. It’s another incredible ride, taking in the clifftop roads of the French Riviera, the foothills of the Alps and three National Parks. The highlights include the Verdon Gorge and the epic scenery around the hilltop town of Castellane. The whole route runs for 320km and can be ridden in a day, but to really get the most out of it plan an overnight stop in Gap, Sisteron or Castellane. 

Motorbike holidays in France’s wine regions

Motorbikes and wine – quite the combination, as long as you have stopped riding for the day! If you haven’t, let your pillion do the tasting while you find room in the panniers for the bottles! 

Alsace wine route

Eguisheim, a beautiful town on the Alsace wine route

The oldest wine route in France, established in 1953 and running from Marlenheim in the north to Thann in the south. There are many villages that claim to be the ‘most beautiful in France’ on this route, but if half-timbered colourful houses and cobbled lanes are your thing, you will be in chocolate-box heaven! Take your pick from Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Riquewihr or Colmar itself, ‘the Little Venice’. As you wind your way down the 170km route, stop off at some of its celebrated vineyards and taste the Alsace grape varieties including Riesling, Muscat and Pinot Noir. 

Loire Valley wine route

Stretching 280km from Nantes to Orléans, the Loire valley is all about magnificent châteaux and great wine. It should take about 3 days to ride the length of the valley, but the beauty of the Loire is that it is not linear. You could also ride a circular route, stopping off at castles and vineyards regularly. Try not to miss the châteaux at Chambord (between Tours and Orléans) and Chenonceau, but with over 300 castles in the area you’ll be spoilt for choice. The riding in the Loire is mainly on quiet rural roads, with some ascents and descents in the hills and valleys of this incredibly picturesque region. 

Bordeaux wine route

The grape escape in Bordeaux

Such is the scale of the Bordeaux wine region (57 appellations strong) that there is not one but multiple Bordeaux wine routes. You could take the Heritage Trail through the Pomerol and Saint-Emilion estates, home to many Grand Cru wines; or the Château Trail in the Médoc region, immersing yourself in the history, culture and terroir of some of the finest wines in the world, including Château Lafite Rothschild. The Médoc also has stunning beaches and wonderful restaurants. Dining at a winery and watching the sun dipping below the vines is enough to melt even the hardest of leather-clad hearts. 

Planning your motorbike holiday in France

Essential documents

If you are planning a motorbike holiday in France you will need the same documents as if you were driving a car in the country: a full, valid driving licence, your certificate of motorbike insurance, a passport and a V5C certificate as proof of ownership. 

Additionally, bikers and pillion passengers should carry a hi-vis jacket at all times in case of emergencies. A warning triangle is not mandatory for motorcyclists, as it is for car drivers, but they are still recommended if you have space in your panniers. 

French road rules

Lane splitting is now legal for bikers in France 

The speed limits in France are: 

•    Motorways – 130 km/h

•    Dual carriageways – 110 km/h

•    Rural roads – 80-90 km/h

•    Urban areas – 50 km/h

Lane splitting (or filtering) is now legal for motorcyclists in France, after several years of regional trials. This means that bikers are allowed to ride between stationary lines of traffic on dual carriageways and motorways, and on roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h if the traffic is moving and 30 km/h if traffic in all lanes is stationary. This became law in France in 2025.

Top tips for motorcycling in France

Bikers must have four reflective strips on their helmet – one on the front, back and each of the sides – if the helmet does not already have reflectors. 

Bikers should plan for all weathers in one day, especially if riding into mountainous areas. The temperature can drop dramatically within the course of a few hours, and storms can make riding conditions treacherous very quickly, especially in the Alps and Pyrenees. 

Make sure you fuel up when you get the chance. In some remote areas petrol stations and electric charging points can be scarce. Stay hydrated and take regular breaks. 

If your biking holiday in France is outside of the summer months, check that the routes you’re planning to ride are open. Some of the mountain roads are closed during the winter, because snowfall makes them impassable.

Biker-friendly amenities and accommodation

You’ll find plenty of places to pitch up at

There is no shortage of accommodation while motorbike touring in France – from campsites to gîtes, cottages to B&Bs. Guesthouses will often have drying rooms to dry wet gear and secure parking spaces. Why not try a unique place to stay like a troglodyte cave in the Loire valley, or club together with a group of friends and hire a farmhouse – or even dare we say it a small chateau? There are biker-friendly guesthouses such as the Riders Rest in the Massif Central, and the Hotel De Moulin in Normandy. Check out The Biker Guide for tips on cafés, pubs and accommodation in Europe. 

You’ll find plenty of roadside cafés, and the motorway service stations and aires are a cut above their UK counterparts. At many the food is even good enough for a Michelin star!