My First European Motorcycle Tour: What I Expected... and What Actually Happened

Despite being a motorcycle mindset coach, I am a rider with just two years' post-test experience. So if you had asked me a week before setting off on my first European tour what I was most worried about, I would have given you quite a long list, including...

• Riding on the right-hand side of the road.
• Managing a fully loaded bike.
• Keeping up with riders who had far more experience than me.
• Covering 200-300-mile days.
• The Channel Tunnel.
• Getting lost.
• Making mistakes.

In my role, I spend a lot of time helping riders understand that confidence does not usually appear before we do something challenging.

It grows because we do it.

Even so, I still had all the normal questions running through my own head.

Am I really ready for this?

The answer, as it turned out, was yes.

Not because I felt completely confident before I left, but because I was about to discover just how much confidence can grow through experience.


 

The Riding was Only Part of it

Do not get me wrong. The riding was incredible.

From sweeping roads through the Black Forest to mountain passes, picturesque villages and twisty roads that seemed purpose-built for motorcycles, every day brought something new.

But when I look back, the riding is not the only thing that comes to mind.

I remember the conversations over coffee and, in the evenings, a cold beer, discovering places I would never have found on my own, laughing together after the inevitable little mistakes we all made, learning the stories behind the places we visited and sharing the satisfaction that comes from stepping outside your comfort zone.

I realised that a great motorcycle tour is not simply about riding from one destination to the next.

It is about the experiences you share along the way, especially when you're part of an organised tour led by someone who really cares that you have a memorable time.

 

I Was Not the Only One Learning

One of my biggest worries before leaving was that I would be the least capable rider in the group.

I quickly realised I had been looking at it the wrong way.

Every single rider was still learning.

Some had years more experience than me, yet everyone had moments when something did not quite go to plan.

Nobody was riding perfectly.

The difference was not simply experience versus inexperience.

The difference was how calmly experienced riders recognised a mistake, dealt with it safely and carried on.

That was one of the biggest lessons I brought home.

Experience does not mean never making mistakes. It means having the judgement to recognise when something has not gone to plan, respond appropriately and take the learning without allowing it to ruin the rest of the ride.

 

Why Experienced Tour Leaders Mattered

There was another thing I had not fully appreciated before the tour.

Just how much mental energy goes into organising a trip.

• Planning routes.
• Finding accommodation.
• Working out fuel stops (and knowing how to operate the different fuel payment systems).
• Knowing where to eat.
• Choosing interesting places to visit.
• Keeping a group together.
• Adapting when the weather, traffic or circumstances change.

Having Dougie and Paul take care of all of that meant I could concentrate on my riding, learn from the experience and enjoy the journey.

As a mindset coach, I understand how much mental capacity uncertainty can consume. When you are already dealing with unfamiliar roads, a different traffic system, additional luggage and long riding days, removing some of that uncertainty makes an enormous difference.

That does not only benefit riders who are new to touring.

Experienced tourers can also enjoy the freedom of letting someone else manage the logistics while they concentrate on the ride and the wider experience.

 

It Was Not All About Motorcycles

One of the biggest surprises was just how varied every day was.

Of course, there were fantastic roads.

But there were also museums, castles, waterfalls, beautiful lakes, traditional cafés, Black Forest gateau (of course!), quirky attractions, incredible scenery and plenty of unexpected discoveries.

We visited the world’s largest working cuckoo clock, stood inside the world’s largest toilet and rode in a Unimog that appeared to defy the laws of physics.

There were storks, mountain views, historic sites, plenty of cake and lots of laughter.

Those moments broke up the riding perfectly and made the whole week feel like a genuine adventure rather than simply a succession of routes and miles.

It is something DS Roadcraft Tours do exceptionally well.

Every day felt thoughtfully planned, with the riding forming one important part of a much bigger experience.

 

The Challenges I Had Expected

Some of the things I had worried about were challenging.

Riding a fully loaded motorcycle felt different. I had been on my own planned tours before in the UK, but it had been a while since I had loaded my bike up quite so much. 

The heat was intense, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees every day.

There were unfamiliar road signs and junction layouts, long days in the saddle, steep roads, loose gravel, awkward cambers and moments when my concentration was beginning to fade.

I made mistakes too.

On the first day, I realised about 20 minutes after leaving our final pit stop that I had not fastened my helmet. There was only one sensible decision: stop safely and correct it, even though it meant admitting my mistake and briefly inconveniencing the rest of the group.

Later that day, after turning at a stop sign, I briefly found myself on the wrong side of the road.

For a while, I replayed both mistakes in my head.

Then I reminded myself of something I regularly say to my clients.

Take the learning and let the rest go.

A mistake with no harm can be a gift, provided we are willing to learn from it.

What also struck me was that nobody else was making a big deal out of either incident.

The only person judging me harshly was me.

That realisation became another important part of the tour.

 

I Came Home a Different Rider

By the time I arrived back in the UK, I knew something had changed.

Situations that would once have made me feel anxious no longer seemed quite so overwhelming. 5 miles from home I came across a traffic jam and began filtering without hesitation. I also didn't let it get to me when a passenger opened the door of their stationary car as I was about to ride past. 

I had spent a week riding unfamiliar roads, covering distances I had never attempted before, handling a fully loaded motorcycle, riding in extreme heat and learning something new every day.

I had not become fearless.

I had become more confident in my ability to deal with whatever happened next.

That is a very different kind of confidence.

It is not the belief that nothing will go wrong.

It is the belief that, if something does not go to plan, you are capable of responding.

 

Better Equipped to Support Other Riders

The Black Forest tour did not just develop me as a rider.

It also developed me as a motorcycle mindset coach.

Before the tour, I understood many of the psychological challenges riders face because I had experienced them myself and supported clients through them.

Now I have experienced the particular demands of a European motorcycle tour first-hand too.

I know what it feels like to wonder whether you are ready.

I know what it feels like to ride a fully loaded bike for long days, adapt to unfamiliar roads and traffic systems, manage physical and mental fatigue and deal with the inevitable moments of self-doubt.

I also know how quickly confidence can begin to grow when the right support is around you.

Having lived that experience, I am now in a much better position to recognise what riders may be going through while on tour and to support them in a way that is practical, relevant and grounded in reality.

That might mean helping someone settle their nerves before the first day’s ride.

It might mean supporting them after a wobble, helping them manage overthinking, encouraging them to take the learning from a mistake or simply helping them recognise how much progress they have made.

My role is not to replace the riding support, route planning and touring expertise provided by Dougie and the rest of the DS Roadcraft team.

It is to complement it by helping riders manage what is happening inside the helmet as well as what is happening on the road.

Because sometimes the biggest journey on a motorcycle tour is not measured in miles.

It is measured in confidence.

 

Why I Am Going Again

One European tour is not enough. I have the travel bug. I always knew I wanted to tour Europe, but I also knew I wanted to go with the people who would give me the right support. 

That is why I am delighted to be joining the DS Roadcraft Tours team again for the Normandy tour this September.

Normandy offers fantastic riding, beautiful countryside, fascinating history and plenty of memorable experiences beyond the bike itself.

We will visit significant locations connected with the D-Day landings and hear the human stories behind them. Riders with a family connection to the events may also have the opportunity, given enough information and time, for the battlefield guide to research their story and help bring it to life during the tour.

There will also be opportunities to enjoy the wider experience of Normandy, including its towns, cafés, local produce and some more light-hearted stops along the way.

Whether it is your first European motorcycle tour or one of many, the flexible approach means the experience can work for riders with different backgrounds, confidence levels and amounts of touring experience.

If my first tour taught me anything, it is that the roads are only part of the story.

The real memories come from the people you meet, the places you discover, the challenges you overcome and the confidence you gain along the way.

My first European motorcycle tour gave me an experience I will never forget.

It also made me a better rider and a better mindset coach.

And I have a feeling Normandy will do exactly the same. 

If you'd like to join us, send an email to info@dsroadcrafttours.co.uk . If you'd like to find out more about my experience and whether touring is a good next step for you, email me at claire@youronelife.co.uk .