Girls Ride: off-road training in France, 2 days

For women riders who are at ease on the road and want to start riding off-road, or gain confidence on tracks, among women. The course is run with Wildust Sisters, a French brand of motorcycle clothing and accessories designed by and for women. No off-road experience is needed, but this is not a course to learn how to ride a motorcycle. The group is limited to 8 motorcycles.

The programme is close to our two-day Level 1 course and trail ride, which runs from March to November and is open to everyone. This one is for women only and runs once a year, in October. To ride further afield with other women afterwards, Girls Ride also offers a tour, Chasing the Nomad Caravans in Tunisia.

On the first day, a briefing, then training on private ground near Sain-Bel, in the Beaujolais: obstacle crossings, off-camber riding, slow riding, braking and exercises matched to your level and goals. On the second day, after a debrief, around 99 miles (160 km) of trail riding through the villages of the Beaujolais crus and the forest tracks of the Beaujolais hills, to put the previous day’s skills to work. Back at base around 6pm.

This is an autumn course: it runs in October, over a weekend. The next edition, on 24 and 25 October 2026, is full; your travel advisor can put you on the waiting list. Other dates are possible on request to your travel advisor. If you would like to ride sooner, the two-day course open to everyone has dates from March to November.

A recent Royal Enfield Himalayan 411, supplied with fuel. You need a motorcycle licence and regular experience on the road. Unsure about the seat height or your licence? Ask your travel advisor before you book.

Yes, as on all our tours: she shares the motorcycle of one of the riders in the group and pays the pillion price, £440 (€490). The course stays women-only, riders and pillions alike, with 10 participants at most. Tell your travel advisor when you book, as pillion places count towards that total.

£690 (€790) per rider and £440 (€490) per pillion, covering the motorcycle, fuel, third-party motorcycle insurance, instruction by staff certified by the French Motorcycling Federation on both days, the hotel night, dinner on the first evening, breakfast the next morning and both lunches. Budget on top for your riding gear, travel to the Beaujolais, a €600 deposit per rider and, on your first booking with us, a registration fee of £31 (€35).

The night between the two days is spent in a standard hotel; on your own, you share a twin room with another participant. If you would rather have a room to yourself, ask your travel advisor about the single-room supplement, subject to the hotel’s availability.

Yes, nothing is lent and off-road gear is required to ride: full-face helmet, high boots, reinforced gloves, jacket and trousers with protection. Pack rain gear too, as track conditions depend on the weather over the weekend and in the days before. The details are in our help centre.

The course starts from Sain-Bel, in the Beaujolais, west of Lyon; the village has a railway station with trains from Lyon, and Lyon Saint-Exupéry is the closest airport for flights from the UK. The exact meeting point and time are confirmed before the course. The night before is not included. There is no support vehicle: if something goes wrong, the instructor calls the emergency services.