Motorcycle trip

Italy

Today our only motorcycle tour in Italy takes place in Sardinia: Adventure between Sea & Mountains, a guided one-week road trip with 5 days in the saddle, in a loop from Olbia. Around 466 miles (750 km) across the north and centre of the island, from Gallura to the Gulf of Orosei and the Gennargentu, then along the west coast. The island in detail: our Sardinia motorcycle tours page. Prefer to stay on tarmac? Look at our motorcycle tours in Greece.

£1,790 (€1,990) per rider for our week in Sardinia, whatever the departure date. That covers the Royal Enfield and its fuel, the guide, the mechanic, the support vehicle carrying your bags, the hotel nights and your meals on the island. You pay separately for your flight to Olbia, your drinks and, if it is your first tour with us, a £31 (€35) registration fee. The pillion price is on the tour page.

In spring and autumn, wherever you go in the country: in July and August heat and crowds take over the coast, and in the Alps some high passes can stay closed by snow until late spring. In Sardinia our tours leave in May and June, then in September and October, when days are usually between 20 and 25°C. Open dates are listed on the tour page.

Our Sardinia tour asks for more than everyday road riding: 5 to 6 hours a day on narrow, twisting mountain roads broken up by rolling tracks, some of them technical. You need a motorcycle licence, regular riding and good fitness. Riding off tarmac before is a real plus; if you have not, our off-road courses in France or in Wales will prepare you. Riding two-up? Speak to your travel advisor first.

Not with a UK passport for a holiday: Italy is in the Schengen area, where you can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Check that your passport is under 10 years old on the day you arrive and still valid 3 months after you leave. According to the FCDO, a UK photocard licence lets you ride in Italy. Other nationalities should check before booking. Every document is listed in our help centre: Preparing your trip to Sardinia.

By plane: the tour begins and ends at Olbia airport, on the north-east coast of Sardinia. You book your own flights; when you land, the team picks you up and takes you to the hotel in Tempio Pausania, then drops you back at the airport on the last day. No need to ride down the motorways of mainland Italy or board a ferry in Genoa or Livorno: the bikes are already on the island.

Yes, if you stay alert. The danger is mostly on the road itself: lively driving, close overtaking, gravel on the bends and, inland in Sardinia, cows, goats and sheep wandering across the tarmac. The guide sets the pace, the mechanic and support vehicle follow the group and our assistance line answers around the clock. Before you leave, read the FCDO travel advice for Italy, or your own government’s advice if you live elsewhere in Europe.

Not at the moment: in Italy, Sardinia is our only destination. We chose it because in one week it brings together what riders come to the country for, mountain roads, coast roads and hilltop villages, plus tracks far from the traffic. For more Mediterranean mountain roads, see our tour of Albania and northern Greece, our motorcycle tours in Turkey and all our motorcycle tours in Europe.