Motorcycle trip

Greece

Three 7-day tours, each with 5 riding days. The Road of the Gods loops around the Peloponnese from Athens, via Sparta, Monemvasia and Epidaurus: the most accessible, ideal for a first tour or for riding two-up. The Secret Roads of a Different Europe leaves Thessaloniki for the mountains of northern Greece and Albania, with long stages. Girls Ride: The Road of the Gods follows the Peloponnese loop in a women-only group; no 2027 date is published yet. Crete and the islands are not on our routes.

£1,790 (€1,990) per rider and £1,490 (€1,690) per pillion, on each of our three 7-day tours. The price covers the motorcycle and fuel, the tour leader, the mechanic, the support vehicle, accommodation, full board and airport transfers. You budget for your flights, drinks and tips, plus a £31 (€35) registration fee on your first tour with us.

In spring and autumn, away from the July and August heat. The Road of the Gods runs in April and May, then from September to November; The Secret Roads of a Different Europe departs in May, then in late September and early October. Days are usually mild, with cooler mornings and evenings in the mountains. Open dates are listed on each tour page.

It depends on the tour. The Road of the Gods and its Girls Ride are rated Accessible: with a full motorcycle licence and regular riding, you follow mountain and coastal roads, with a few short stretches of easy track. The Secret Roads of a Different Europe is rated Intermediate: hardly any off-road, but long, winding stages day after day that call for stamina. Riding two-up is possible on all three tours.

UK passport holders need no visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area, which includes Greece; your passport must be under 10 years old on arrival and valid 3 months after you leave. A UK photocard licence is accepted in Greece; for Albania, the FCDO suggests a 1968 International Driving Permit, sold only in the UK. EU passport holders need neither. Everything is in our help centre: Preparing your trip to Greece.

By air, on flights you book yourself. The Road of the Gods and its Girls Ride start and end at Athens airport: a transfer takes you to Rafina, on the coast, where the group meets in the evening. The Secret Roads of a Different Europe starts at Thessaloniki airport, in the north. Both cities have direct flights from several UK airports, more of them in season. Our team meets you on arrival and takes you back on the last day.

Yes, with the usual care: on a motorcycle, the main risk is the road itself, with tight mountain bends, surfaces that can be slippery or broken, animals on the road and bold overtaking. The tour leader sets the pace, and the mechanic and support vehicle follow the group, including on remote stages far from medical help. Before you go, read the FCDO travel advice for Greece and, for The Secret Roads, Albania, or your own government’s advice if you live elsewhere in Europe.

Riding your own bike from the UK means well over 1,500 miles (2,400 km) across Europe, or a long ferry crossing from Italy, before you even reach Greece, then planning stages, hotels and breakdowns on your own. Our Greece tours are guided: you fly in, a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is waiting, serviced by a mechanic, and an English-speaking tour leader rides ahead, with a support vehicle for the luggage. We ride with 10 motorcycles at most, 12 participants with pillions.