How to plan a multi-day motorcycle trip

A trip of several days is where riding stops being a hobby and becomes the best week of the year. It's also where small planning mistakes add up: a hotel two hours further than you thought, a pass closed by snow, a tyre that was fine for a weekend but not for a week.

4 weeks before: route and stays

Start with the shape of the trip. A loop that brings you home on different roads is usually better than out and back. Mark the places you want to ride through, then fill in the days between them.

Plan by time, not distance. Fifty kilometres of motorway and fifty kilometres of mountain pass are not the same day. Twisty roads, photo stops and coffee slow you down a lot. Count how many hours you want on the bike each day and leave a margin for stops. A day that ends early with a beer is better than one that ends in the dark.

Book stays with some flexibility. In summer, popular mountain areas fill up. Booking ahead gives you a bed. Free cancellation gives you room to change the plan if the weather turns. Riders often prefer places with covered or secure parking.

Check the details:

• High passes open and close with the season. See when the Alps are usually open in our Swiss passes guide.
• Tolls and vignettes. Some countries need a vignette for motorways. Check each country on your route before you go.
• Ferries need booking in peak season.
• Documents. Licence, registration, insurance valid in every country, and breakdown cover that includes abroad.

In MotoBFF you can Make your own route for each day and Save it, or use Find me a route once you arrive, since it builds a route from where you are. Places that riders recommend, such as places to stay, food stops and cafés, show on the map with "Still good" or "Not anymore" so you know what's current.

1 week before: service the bike

Do this early enough that a part can arrive if something's wrong.

• Tyres. Enough tread for the whole distance, plus some. A tyre that's nearly done will be finished halfway through.
• Oil and filter if a service is due during the trip.
• Chain and sprockets adjusted, lubed and not worn out.
• Brake pads and fluid. Mountain descents use a lot of brake.
• Full T-CLOCS check.

Try your luggage on the bike and go for a ride with it fully loaded.

The night before: pack and fuel

Pack using a list (our weekend packing guide scales up well). Fill the tank, charge everything and download offline maps. Go to bed early. The first day always starts later than planned.

Each morning: weather and the bike

• Weather. Check the forecast for the mountains, not the valley. Storms often build in the afternoon in summer, so an early start helps.
• Bike. A two-minute walk around: tyres, chain, lights, any leaks, luggage straps tight.
• You. Tired, sore or unwell? Shorten the day.

Each evening: plan tomorrow

Over dinner, look at tomorrow's route with fresh information: the weather, how you feel and anything the locals told you. Agree the start time, the first fuel stop and the lunch stop. If you're riding with friends, put it in the ride chat so everyone wakes up to the same plan.

Build in slack

The best multi-day trips have room in them:

• A spare day for weather, a breakdown or a road you want to ride twice.
• A short day in the middle of a long trip for rest and laundry.
• A plan B for each high pass in case it's closed or in cloud.

Riding with friends

A trip with friends needs a few extra agreements: who leads, how you split costs, what time you stop each day and what happens if someone wants to ride a different route. Talk about it before you leave, not on day three. For riding together on the road, see group riding basics.