There’s no shortage of content telling you that riding in Europe is beautiful. There’s considerably less telling you what a specific road actually feels like under your tyres in July, what the border crossing into Albania involves, what accommodation costs on the Montenegrin coast, or which section of the Dolomites is worth the detour and which one exists only on a tourist poster.
This section covers the destinations and routes I’ve ridden — country guides, multi-country trips, and personal accounts from the roads that earned a report. The Balkans, Greece, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, and beyond. On tarmac and off it, on the V85 TT and the DR 800 S, with costs quoted from the receipts rather than estimated from a desk. If you’re planning a trip to somewhere covered here, you’ll find the kind of information I was looking for before I went — and couldn’t find.
The country guides are the most detailed entries — built to be read before you leave and referenced on the road. The route posts zoom out to cover multi-country planning. Start with wherever you’re headed.
The first time you cross an international border on a motorcycle — even a quiet one between Germany and Austria where nothing happens except a sign changes — something shifts in the character of the ride. The road is the same tarmac, the bike is the same bike, but you’re somewhere else now. That feeling […]
International Motorcycle Travel in Europe: Complete Guide Read More »
There are places in Europe where the landscape does something to you that roads in other continents simply can’t replicate. The Dolomites are one of those places. The rock formations rise almost vertically from the valley floors — pale limestone towers stained orange and pink at sunrise, dropping into forests and meadows that seem deliberately
Northern Italy Motorcycle Routes: Dolomites and Alps Read More »
Most people’s mental image of Greece involves a whitewashed terrace, a blue-domed church, and a glass of something cold. It’s not wrong — but it’s about ten percent of what Greece motorcycle travel actually is. The other ninety percent is a country of dramatic mountain ranges, empty interior roads, ancient ruins visible from passes that
Greece Motorcycle Travel Guide: Routes and Tips Read More »
Cross from Croatia into Bosnia and within twenty minutes the landscape, the architecture, the road surface, and the entire atmosphere of the ride shifts completely. Cross from Bosnia into Montenegro a day later and it shifts again — from Ottoman minarets and river canyons to a dramatic Adriatic coastline that looks like it was designed
Bosnia and Montenegro Motorcycle Travel Guide Read More »
Every rider who comes back from Albania Motorcycle Travel says the same thing: I had no idea. No idea the roads were that good. No idea the scenery was that dramatic. No idea the food would cost almost nothing and the people would be that welcoming. Albania has spent decades as Europe’s most overlooked country,
Albania Motorcycle Travel Guide: The Balkans’ Hidden Gem Read More »
There’s a moment somewhere on the road between Kotor and the Albanian border when it hits you. The tarmac is perfect, the canyon walls are closing in on both sides, there’s nobody ahead of you and nobody behind, and you realise you’ve been riding for three hours without checking your phone, your watch, or your
Balkan Motorcycle Route: Plan Your Best 2-Week Trip Read More »
There are roads in Europe that make you pull over just to stare. Croatia has an embarrassing number of them. The Dalmatian Coast — that long ribbon of asphalt squeezed between limestone mountains and a shimmering Adriatic — is one of the most visually dramatic motorcycle routes on the continent. I’ve ridden a lot of
Croatia Motorcycle Travel Guide: Routes and Top Tips Read More »
Slovenia might be one of Europe’s smallest countries, but it packs more stunning motorcycle roads per square kilometer than almost anywhere else on the continent. Tucked between Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, this Alpine gem offers dramatic mountain passes through the Julian Alps, pristine lakes including the iconic Lake Bled, charming medieval towns, and an
Slovenia Motorcycle Travel Guide Routes, Costs, and Tips Read More »
The Balkans are one of Europe’s best-kept secrets for motorcycle travel. Stunning coastal roads along the Adriatic, dramatic mountain passes through the Dinaric Alps, ancient villages perched on hillsides, and some of the most affordable riding on the continent. But here’s the catch: timing matters enormously. Visit in August and you’ll battle cruise ship crowds
Best Time to Visit the Balkans by Motorcycle: Monthly Guide Read More »