UKC

I am planning a bike/climb trip. Having always flown and hired cars previously, this is all a bit unknown.

What do I need on top of:

Ferry ticket

Insurance

Recovery

Many thanks

My brother drove out last summer and I remembered something he mentioned. 

Depending where you're going and the age/type of bike you might need a sticker re emmisons.  Some stuff about it here: https://www.britishmotorcyclists.co.uk/critair-sticker/#:~:text=Bikes%20mee....

Not sure if this list applies to motorbikes as well as vehicles  but for a recent van trip.

Crit d aire

First aid kit

Spare bulbs

UK sticker

Hi vis vests

2 warning triangles

Edit, also need your v5 and insurance docs in vehicle.

You may want to check the terms on your insurance. In 2021 I wanted to use BMC insurance for mountaineering in Switzerland. They only covered riding a 125. I asked if I could use their insurance for the mountaineering part of the trip and take out a specific motorbike policy with another provider for personal accident when riding. I was told I would not be covered. 
 

No idea if this is still the case, but definitely worth checking. 

Why would they care how you got there ??

credit card and a toothbrush, everything else you can obtain along the way.

Having done several bike trips through Europe my recommendation is an old school road map atlas, pen, pencil, paper, masking tape, stove and coffee.

Ditch the sat nav. Mark in the map your destination. Draw a straight line on it (pencil). Find the roads that more closely follow that line. Now find points of interest along or close to that line, ideally within an hour or 2 from each other. Link them with straight lines and again, find the closest roads to them. That's your route.

At each stop write down waypoints in the piece of paper and tape it to your tank.

This guarantees you will get lost, you'll find beautiful riding roads, go through small off-the-beaten-path villages and avoid the autoroute slogs and 'faster' routes which motorbikes are not made for (if you are gonna take the motorway might as well use a car). Also will find random points of interest, viewpoints, etc where you can stop, brew a coffee, and enjoy being there instead of just zooming through.

Take earplugs and i also like earphones for playing some music.

Put some coloured electric tape on your right side of the handlebar or right mirror to remind you which side of the road you got to be on. After an hour of driving through country roads with no traffic in sight is easy to revert to the wrong side of the road unknowingly and play chicken wth oncoming indigenous vehicles, specially coming out of junctions

Don't filter. It makes the police angry.

Thanks all, anyone know if the v5 and insurance docs need to be hard copies or is a phone copy acceptable.

Good info about filtering and BMC insurance.

Jon, they are bothered because it gives them a reason not to pay out.

Except where it is permitted, there are even road signs covering it.

If you value your life don't try keep up with a French person ftering, I thought I was quick but no. 

Turn off speed camera warnings on your sat nav. 

Take a credit card and debit card, I found some tolls accept one and others the other. 

It's a few years for me so it might have changed but I ran out of money, I was filling the bike at least once a day, putting around £20 a time in but the unmanned pumps were debiting £100 and refunding the balance, the refunds took 10 days to come through though. I only found out when my card was rejected and I rang my bank and had to transfer some money from my savings to my current account. 

You're supposed to carry the originals but you might get away with copies.

There are 21 departments now where filtering is allowed but look out for the signs first. For example driving into Avignon at rush hour cars go wide in their lanes and create a middle lane for motos. It works.

E