Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Fri, 20/08/2010 - 08:30
I don't know if anyone here has tried these adventure holidays advertised in the back of bike mags, or maybe just run across them on the internet and thought, "That sounds like fun, where do i sign up?".
I've done a full tour of Thailand and more recently spent a few weeks trundling round Morocco, two up on a GS and was curious if anyone else has tried these and their experiences.
Did you feel it was worth the cash? Were the companies you dealt with friendly? More importantly, did you get value for money?
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 00:04
#2
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Goulash: Understand Hannah and David will be blatting about Eastern Europe in the Summer and Spain/Morocco either side. She sure does handle the GS like it's a doddle to ride and David can take his Honda thingy just about anywhere!
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 00:47
#3
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Don't know what you mean by "Adventure Holiday" but if you don't mean "crossing the Himalayas" or "Cape Horn to Alaska" then IMTBike does really good tours in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, France and Italy.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 07:33
#4
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
@ vroum_ninou
Adventure holiday means anything to do with a GS that involves going to unusual places for bike trips.
@ roundincircles
You obviously know i know Hanna & David. I think they run great tours into Morocco & Spain & Portugal and offer a great service at a reasonable price. Yes i know they are organising trips to the Czech Republic now as well which could also be cool as the scenery is great there, think Wales without the sheep.
http://www.motoadventours.com/
I'm curious if others have done any adventure holidays, like the one going to the Himalayas on Royal Enfields and their experiences be it good or bad
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 10:37
#5
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Yes i know they are organising trips to the Czech Republic now as well which could also be cool as the scenery is great there, think Wales without the sheep.
http://www.motoadventours.com/
http://www.motoadventours.com/
This is quite interesting and indeed coincidental. I was quaffing a coffee with SilverCub here in Prague over the weekend and told him that we had been toying with the idea of opening up a bike holiday business here in the Czech Republic for quite some time. We would be looking to do it with a slight twist but it is all just in the head at the minute and may well remain there. There are some stunning parts for sure, though I can't say in the years that I have been living here that a comparison to Wales ever sprung to my mind. If you know the people at Motoadventours and they would like a local point of contact then please feel free to pass my link on. There are certainly elements of riding in this country that some local knowledge can make a huge difference as well as to the country itself.
I have never done one of these adventure holidays but there are some companies in Germany who do them in a big way and on research I found that many of them have a base and people basically do ride outs from there and return each night. Doesn't seem that ideal to me and I was also surprised at how little riding was actually being offered. Still maybe that is how people like these things.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 11:37
#6
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
I know Hanna is from the Czech Republic which is why they've started doing tours there as well. She knows the country very well so i'm sure she's aware of items of interest. That said, no harm in contacting them if you want to help them out. Drop them a line on the link i posted.
As to touring in Germany, it kind of depends where you are really. I mean if you go down south, thinking Bavaria and round there, its's very picturesque. Trips into Austria are not to be underestimated either, as the Austrian alps are something else, great scenery, great roads. Northern parts of Germany can be a bit bland, (apologies to our tuetonic cousins) but i drive through there by bike quite a bit and it can be a bit boring.
I've been all over Europe by bike, Hungary is excellent as well, cheap too. If you like water, they have the biggest lake in Europe in the guise of the Balaton which is freshwater, great for swimming and fishing.
Truth is the further east you go, the more planning involved and you can definately run into problems with security in places like Romania and Bulgaria, having said that, the more of you there are, the safer it is.
Guided tours are the best option for sure as there's normally backup and the hotels are nice, but that's what you pay for. When i did Thailand it was seriously excellent with 5 star hotels and so much to see, i mean who can beat a walk across the bridge over the river Kwai? Definately have the t-shirt on that one ;) Or the two day trip heading south from the mountains in the north of the country where we did over 4000 bends, unforgetable.
The other problem is not every company delivers what they promise. I've been lucky and had great tours with reputable companies but i've also heard some horror stories from other riders i've encountered. That's why i was curious if anyone else has had issues or if they've had a great time, depending who they went with?
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 11:48
#7
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Shuggiemac: Hanna is a real character and truly accomplished biker as is David, who is Spanish and has competed offroad. They were badly let down by their previous business partner/employer so they may be cautious about third party involvement but Hanna is very open and a joy to meet.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 12:13
#8
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Shuggiemac: Hanna is a real character and truly accomplished biker as is David, who is Spanish and has competed offroad. They were badly let down by their previous business partner/employer so they may be cautious about third party involvement but Hanna is very open and a joy to meet.
Ok fair enough, it was just a thought. We have a bike business here already and it is an idea that we have related considered as I say. It is a big enough place to accomodate more than one option for customers. I hope they do well and will watch with interest and wish them all the best.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 12:34
#9
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
shuggiemac: Perhaps I have mislead you. They are worth an approach as presumably they need a bike partner but thier past experience is likely to make them cautious, that's all as pre-warned is better than.............don't know.....
I went to the Czech Republic last year, also Slovakia and Poland in the ski mountain area on a GS sans wife. We really enjoyed Prague and the city where Budva is brewed with a beutiful town square and Beer Hall with great food - something? Budgevice? I was amazed how different the country side and people were in Slovakia and Poland compared to the Republic.
Prague is a great city to walk, drink beer, eat and drink beer and then more beer. Very attractive setting and the girls have the longest legs in Europe.
Good fun all round!
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 12:41
#10
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
I think 'adventure' means a lot different things to different people - for touring novices it's simply going abroad, maybe the South of France being the big ambition. but generally it does seem to mean going beyond the mainstream in terms of distance or more unusual locations.
I did an Enduro India trip about eight years ago and found it very cliquey and not a great atmosphere, while quite a few participants weren't happy about explanations of where the money being raised ended up. I never received the open and full accounts i was promised, but I didn't have the resources (mostly time) to investigate it further - it may well have been perfectly legitimate, but the organisers were not good at putting this across...
I think with any tour, the key is to be absolutely clear about how much riding there is and also how much chaperoning you'll get. Some people want to be in groups with leaders showing them the way and everything sorted, others prefer recommended routes, maybe with hotels/camping or whatever being pre-booked, but with everything else being up to you. I've been on an MCI Tours trip to the Moto Legende event in Dijon and that's how it was, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as we would either ride off alone or in small groups, then meet up again in the evenings and chat about our adventures getting there over some beers.
Spyder Club do tours using their own bikes, which are mostly latest model sports bikes, which actually is a good opportunity to really try out a new bike if you're thinking of buying it.
Value for money is hard to say, but I know MCI Tours get a great deal of repeat business, which is a good sign, and Spyder Club appear to be too, although they're still pretty new to it.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 13:21
#11
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Well I should have done a full-disclosure: I actually work for IMTBike.
So I speak from experience.
I'm not here to promote IMTBike, I'm just talking about what I know pretty well regarding this topic.
You can check us out at: www.IMTBike.com
Our tours would probably not qualify as "Adventure" for most people as there is no off-road and we ride in Western Europe except for our Morocco tours (that might be adventure enough for some).
That being said these are great tours, with great roads, impeccable bikes, outstanding hotels and expert guides. We do get an extremely high rate of return customers.
You can come with your own bike or rent one from us. During the tour the bike is yours and you can do whatever you want: go with the group, leave earlier, leave later, take an alternate route...
Just thought I should share this information. I am not on this forum as an IMTBike representative, but if you need any information I'll be happy to help you.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 13:32
#12
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Wow, another weird coincidence!
I was hoping to pick Shuggie's brain (before he had the frontal lobotomy) about a trip across Czech Republic, Slovakia to the Tatras, returning through S. Poland but we blethered (I like that word, Shugs!) so much that we never got round to it.
Any chance I can find out more about your route by emailing you, RiC?
Shuggie is an expert on the topography of Prague women; he married a gorgeous (and longsuffering, obviously) one!
Can't really help with the topic itself as I've never done one, until now prefering DIY tours with a bunch of mates. Motorrail (only Deutches Bahnhof left now i think) cuts out a lot of boring motorway driving and gets you into the heart of Europe. However, touring farther afield, bike hire at the very least makes a lot of sense but there's no substitute for local knowledge when it comes to route planning.
Could bike hire (with or without twist) plus extra $$ for suggested routes & descriptions, be a suitable model? The complete package for less adventurous travellers available $$++
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 13:42
#13
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Could bike hire (with or without twist) plus extra $$ for suggested routes & descriptions, be a suitable model? The complete package for less adventurous travellers available $$++
IMTBike also does straight bike rentals. They also offer self-guided tours (you get a bike, a roadbook, all hotels reservations are made and off you go!).
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 13:48
#14
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
OK, vroum_ninou, proves I'm always behind the trend.
You can stop plugging now!
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 17:26
#15
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
You can stop plugging now!
From my previous posts you might have thought that I was working for KTM in the SMT product range... :-P
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 14:49
#16
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Now we're getting somewhere. Kev made some valid points earlier with regards the topic. Some of the reputable companies i've come across give serious value for money, but it comes at a cost. Therefore people on a budget have to think differently from the choices available.
My basic question from the beginnig has been that you see all these companies offering touring opportunities in the back of the various bike mags to far away exotic places, how does joe biker know which one is good value and which one is crap? I know from experience the guys i mentioned provide excellent value for money as they offer different versions of their tours, some self catering, others the complete package.
No disrespect to IMTBike as i haven't heard of them before but that doesn't mean squat. Plenty clearly have and have had a great time, and that in itself speaks volumes.
I guess i'm just trying to weed out the two bob operators as sometimes it's just pot luck who you sign up with and with the cost a factor, some of these adventure trips don't come cheap. I've been looking into going to Cambodia and that's a major undertaking i can tell you. I freely admit that watching Ewan & Charlie got me into this as i always take my girlfriend and want a bit of rough with the smooth so to speak and tend to go for the bigger all in operators as there's nothing like a decent hotel at the end of the day to discuss the days goings on.
Like the next guy, i want value for money, which is why i was curious if people have had any bad experiences so we can avoid those firms like the plague.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 15:15
#17
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
This is getting quite interesting all round. I pose the question then what makes a trip good or bad? There seems to be different options avaialble and I guess what one person thinks is the dogs danglies another will think is complete pants.
So what does constitute value for money, a good anticipated level of riding .... etc etc
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 15:22
#18
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
I've tried a few different tour companies and have had varying experiences. Being in the Royal Navy quite often means that I don't get as much time to prepare a holiday. Therefore I find the idea of someone else doing the legwork for you very appealing.
Another important point here is the difference between 'Guided' tours and 'Escorted' tours. Many people don't realise that there's a significant difference.
I don't want to name names on here. Suffice to say that I am happy to give people the benefit of my own experiences if they e-mail me directly at
For all that though I will be using a tour company again. If only because you are sure to meet like-minded people and perhaps make some lifelong friends as a result.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 15:37
#19
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
No disrespect to IMTBike as i haven't heard of them before but that doesn't mean squat. Plenty clearly have and have had a great time, and that in itself speaks volumes.
IMTBike has been in operation for almost 14 years now and was previously known as Iberian Moto Tours (hence the IMT in IMTBike).
We have a fleet of more than 100 new model BMW motorcycles (the fleet is renewed entirely every year) in 7 different cities in Spain, an additional one opening soon in Portugal. So we are quite an established company, not a mom and pop operation with 4 bikes (not that this type of operation could not offer a fantastic product)
Our target market for our tours has historically been North and South America (the owner is American and Colombian).
We only recently starting to advertise in Bike to tap into the British market. But it is our rentals that we promote in Bike, not our tours. We are starting to get quite a few British customers for rentals.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 16:32
#20
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
This is getting quite interesting all round. I pose the question then what makes a trip good or bad? There seems to be different options avaialble and I guess what one person thinks is the dogs danglies another will think is complete pants.
So what does constitute value for money, a good anticipated level of riding .... etc etc
From my personal experiences and bear in mind this is only my opinion, i expect what's advertised to be what i actually get. To that end the first phone call to the company is important, as this is where i decide if i go with that company or not. If the guys on the other end are enthusiastic about what they are offering, and can give me a fair amount of detail in regard to what is being offered, they will have my full attention.
If all i get is, 'check our website for details' then i hang up as these sort of companies are only after one thing, and that's your cash. I expect around 150 miles a day with regular hourly stops at points of interest, anything less and you might as well go on a coach tour. Anything less than around 2000 miles on a two week trip and i start moaning lol.
If you're paying top dollar you can't expect less and the companies i've used have always been happy to mention the hotels used, bikes (normally no more than a year old), support vehicle, plus guides. Now most of these can be verified by a simple search on the net, once satisfied, i'm happy to part with my hard earned.
For those on a budget, the same applies, most of the time you can find out about hire companies, camp sites etc via the web, remember, planning is everything. Diving into the unknown where bike trips are concerned is not my bag, specially when travelling two up and i'm getting too old for sleeping rough unless i have to.
To sum up, plan well ahead, if using a company, try and find a good one, make sure they know what they are selling before giving them any cash. If travelling on a budget, do the same, it's easy to get burned and your holiday of a lifetime could easily end up as a giant nightmare which might put you off these type of 'adventures', which is a shame because if well organised, they can be a brilliant experience.
Wed, 10/11/2010 - 18:26
#21
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
Ive done a few off road enduro tours with www.redtread.com i realy enjoyed it,you see parts of spain you would never see normaly,up in the mountains,new honda enduro bikes,freindly people,but be warned you will b knackered after a days rideing.
Tue, 11/01/2011 - 13:11
#22
Re: Adventure holidays, Creating Your Own Adventure
If your interested in the oposite side of the coin. How to organise your own expedition. You could do worse than go listen to a talk from Austin Vince. He's got a small tour lined up at the moment. http://www.mondoenduro.com/events.html
In truth you could sumarise his message as: Go do it. Look to "Mondo" only as an example of how unprepared you can be and still get away with it. Get back realise how you should have done things, but that in essance was your adventure.
Reality is that your tour choices will be governed by the interplay of your imagination and how cash rich / time rich you are.
More educatioal would be Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, but Austin's talks (shows) are great entertainment. The comment is half posted to promote Mr Vinces talks but the other half is because a least a few of you should have a damm fun night out.
The fun can be increased by: Turning up on fully Tourteched GS. Heckling. Drinking. Asking for signature on inside cover of your copy of "The Long Way Round" (These will make sense if you go!)
End piece for the Ural lovers http://www.everywherevirtually.co.uk/2010/01/10/come-ural-with-me/
Tue, 08/02/2011 - 23:04
#23
Re: Adventure holidays, are they worth the money?
just found this thread
I did Enduro India 5 years ago and Enduro Africa about three years ago. Both were orgaised by the team at Global Enduro (www.globalenduro.com). Organisation, support, hotels, and everyhting else was first class.
These were both charity events. So the 'ticket price' was expensive but a chunk of that (about 35%) went to charities. Global Enduro took the trouble to get us involved in seeing how the funds were being used for charities in the areas we were riding through.
Kev - was your India trip in the days before Global Enduro ? I think they only started about 7 years ago ?
One benefit of the charity rides is that you can get your friends to sponsor you and pay for the holiday - but this will not work every year !
Some of these trips can be done cheaper without the charity donation. But still relatively expensive. I think you get what you pay for. After a long hot day's riding, a nice hotel with pool and cold beer is just what you want.
At the other end of the scale I rode to Timbuktu and back with Nick Sanders a few years ago. His trip is definitely a loosely supported adventure. Accomodation was provided and guidance supplied on routing and things like border crossings. Nick also helped beforehand with stuff like carnets and visas. But it was not a guided tour ! However it was a cheap way to travel and could probably be a catalyst for people who feel they want to do adventure trips on their own but feel they need a bit of 'help' first of all.
It is that time of year again .......
I am at the planning stage for 2011 trips. Can anyone direct me to recommended routes to Valencia Jerez Mugello et al starting from London? GPX format would be just fine but prepared to pour over a Michelin map or two as well