Who are we?

We are bikers just like you and we're passionate about having fun and exploring new places. We've invested in our riding by becoming advanced IAM accredited riders and have many years of both riding in and leading large groups. Our intention is to give you the best possible experience with competent and attentive like-minded individuals who want to enjoy the ride and the experience as much as you. We have some routes that are tried and tested such as the Moet and Vosges tours in May and August, but we are constantly seeking new tours and hope you will join us on a voyage of discovery with these. Unlike some tours we aim to have two staff members on every tour to both lead the way and to back mark to ensure everyone makes it to the destinations safely and with the minimum of fuss. This is a process that's been well practiced and rehearsed regularly both in the UK and Europe. You will be fully briefed on what we are doing, where we are heading and what to expect from each day. You will have telephone numbers for both the tour leader and back marker, who are also connected by radio, in case you get into any difficulty. We are a non profit making company, we both have full time jobs and do this for fun. The Team, left to right: Paul Wells, Andy Griffin

Our tours

We vary the tours each year so please check back regularly to see what's on offer or just contact us. For 2024 we are running our Black Forest tour in June, the September tour will take us down the route Napolean down to the mediterranean.

Black Forest tour

June 1st to 8th

Rating: Confident rider Confident rider Confident rider

A 7 night, 8 day tour starting in the Ardennes Forest regions of France and Belgium, followed by a couple of days exploring the Vosges mountainus before crossing into Germany and the Black Forest.

We cross back into France to enjoy the northern Vosges mountains and head north to finish the trip in St. Quentin before the ride back to Calais.

Expect to be riding between 5 and 6.5 hours each day. There will be fuel and rest stops throughout the day.

September 3rd to 14th

A 11 night trip of high alpine fun

Rating: Seasoned expert rider Seasoned expert rider Seasoned expert rider Seasoned expert rider

This trip heads to the South of France taking in the Vosges, Jura, the French Alps and Alps Maritime mountain ranges. We'll be heading to the highest paved road in Europe, the amazing Gorges, the Millau Viaduct traveling along parts of both the Route des Cretes and Route Napolean. We'll take on hairpins, switchbacks and flowing bends across mountains, along gorges and through the forests of France, all coupled with some great overnight stops in historic towns and cities.

Expect to be riding between 5 and 7.5 hours each day. There will be fuel and rest stops throughout the day.

Black Forest tour

An 8 day, 7 night tour starting off with a short motorway section, leaving before the peage and heading cross country to Cambrai for our first night. The second day we continue through the Ardennes forest , through Belgium following the Semois river. Lunch in Belgium and then continue south to Verdun for our second overnight stop. On the third day the Vosges beckons finishing in Geradamer right in the heart of the Vosges. Days 4 we explore more of the Vosges before heading east into the Black Forest for our 2 night stop in Schappbach. Day 5 you are free to choose whether or not to come on a planned ride with us or do your own thing. Day 6 and its running parallel to the B500 up and across into the northern Vosges before heading west and finishing in Pont a AMousson where we spend the night in an converted abbaye. Day 7 takes us across country to the champagne region for a quick stop at the Reims Geux F1 circuit, continuing north through the champagne house region and finishing our last night in St. Quention. The last day is a short day, heading west to Albert for a quick coffee before our final blast along the motorway heading back toward the tunnel and home. Expect to be riding between 4.5 and 6.5 hours each day. There will be fuel and rest stops throughout the day.

Up

Day 1

Calais to Cambrai
112 miles

On the first day we take the tunnel in the morning and make our way down the motorway to our first stop in Cambrai, avoiding the motorway toll.

Day 2

Cambrai to Verdun
198 miles

We cross through the Ardennes forest , through Belgium following the Semois river. Lunch in Belgium and then continue south to Verdun.

Day 3

Verdun to Geradamer
189 miles

We head for the Vosges for some fun.

Day 4

Geradamer to ad Rippolsau-Schapbach
168 miles

We explore more of the Vosges before heading east into the Black Forest for our 2 night stop in Schappbach.

Day 5

Bad Rippolsau-Schapbach
152 miles

A day where you're free to choose what you want to do. Again we have a route planned that takes in some great roads and is not too long.

Day 6

Bad Rippolsau-Schapbach to Pont a Mousson
170 miles

We take roads running parallel to the B500 up and across into the northern Vosges before heading west and finishing in Pont a AMousson where we spend the night in an converted abbaye.

Day 7

Pont a Mousson to St. Quentin
211 miles

A great ride across France into the Champagne region and then north to St. Quentin

Day 8

St. Quentin to Calais
130 miles

We make our way to Albert for a quick coffee before jumping on the motorway back to Calais.

Approx 1385 miles in total.

What's Included

  • Eurotunnel crossing
  • Accommodation in 3 star hotels with breakfast.
  • Tour pack, including routes and hotel details

What's NOT Included

  • Petrol
  • Lunch
  • Evening meals
  • Travel/Breakdown insurance
  • Repatriation of you and/or your motorcycle
  • Toll charges

It is part of the terms and conditions that you have adequate breakdown cover.

NB: This is an accompanied tour, however, anyone is free to choose to make their own way to the hotels. If you ride with the group we use the drop off system.

How much does it cost?

  • Rider in a shared room - £ 660
  • Rider in a single room - £ 835

Alpine tour

An 12 day, 11 night tour of stunning scenery through the French Alps. Expect to be riding between 5.5 and 7.5 hours each day. Don't worry there will be fuel and rest stops throughout the day.

Close tour details

Day 1

Calais to Epernay
200 miles

On the first day we take the tunnel around lunchtime and make our way down the motorway to Cambrai for a quick fuel and coffee then on to our first overnight stop in Epernay.

Days 2

Epernay to Saint Claude
265 miles

Heading south across the Haute-Marne Cotes d'Or and then on to the Jura mountains for our next stop in Staint Claude.

Livigno

Day 3

Saint Claude to Susa
225 miles

We hit the ground running today with a fabulous stretch of road from Saint Clause to Gex before skirting Geneva. We continue south hitting some incredible mountain roads all the way to Susa.

Day 4

Susa to Grasse
225 miles

We head down the Route Napolean for another fabulous day of high altitude riding finishing in Grasse.

Day 5

Grasse to Avignon
215 miles

We head west starting off with amazing alpine rods before opening out a little as we get closer to Avignon.

Day 6

Avignon to Millau
220 miles

We continue west reaching some fabulous twisties as we get closer to Millau, where we take a route around to take in the famous viaduct from the north.

Day 7

Millau to Montbrun les Bains
220 miles

We start by riding past the viaduct from the south ( the best view) before heading east via more amazing mountain roads to Montbrun les Bains.

Day 8

Montbrun les Bains to Grenoble
210 miles

We live up to our name today, almost entirely mountain roads all the way to Grenoble.

Day 9

Grenoble to Macon
190 miles

Another mountain heavy day before finishing in Macon.

Day 10

Macon to Troyes
200 miles

Riding north across country ( no mountains today ) to Troyes.

Day 11

Troyes to Charville Mezieres
200 miles

Continuing north across country, into Belgium where we briefly follow the winding Semois river before finishing in Charville Mezieres for our last night.

Day 12

Charville Mezieres to Calais
175 miles

The final push to Calais and home.

2535 miles in total.

What's Included

  • Eurotunnel crossing
  • Accommodation in 3 star hotels with breakfast.
  • Tour pack, including routes and hotel details

What's NOT Included

  • Petrol
  • Lunch
  • Evening meals
  • Travel/Breakdown insurance
  • Repatriation of you and/or your motorcycle
  • Toll charges

It is part of the terms and conditions that you have adequate breakdown cover.

NB: This is an accompanied tour, however, anyone is free to choose to make their own way to the hotels. If you ride with the group we use the drop off system.

How much does it cost?

  • Rider in a shared room - £1100
  • Rider in a single room - £1350

Frequently Asked Questions

Some answers to common questions.

Is this tour suitable for me?

Our tours have a rating based on the following:-

wheel wheel Up to 6 hours riding on a mixture of fast and twisty roads. Suitable for most riders who can ride competently.

wheel wheel wheel Up to 7 hours riding a day over a longer period. More demanding roads for much of the tour. We think you need to be pretty comfortable with your motorcycle skills as these routes will challenge you and you will need to have ridden reasonable distances.

wheel wheel wheel wheel A longer tour with lots of technically demanding roads, suitable for experienced riders only. You need to bring your 'A game' to these tours. This can be both physically and mentally tiring so you will need to be reasonably fit and used to riding for long periods on technically demanding roads.

Our aim is for everyone that comes on our trips to be completely comfortable so if you are at all unsure about whether a tour suits you, please call us for advice. We're here to help you enjoy touring and we can either re-assure you that you'll be OK or we'll be honest with you if we feel it's not in your best interest.

What is the minimum size motorcycle?

We wouldn't recommend our tours to anyone with a bike less than 500cc.

What is the size of the group?

The ideal number is around 12. However, we will run the tour with as few as 10 and as many as 16. Any larger than 16 and the stops tend to become very lengthy.

Is our money safe?

In compliance with EEC regulation (90/314/EEC) all payments received will remain in a dedicated account until your tour is complete.

Do we need to purchase a vignette for Switzerland?

Although we try to avoid motorways in Switzerland, there is such a large distance to cover that we do use them for approximately 5 - 25m of the route. If you are stopped by the police without a vignette on display you can be fined on the spot. The fine is currently 200 CHF ( about £140). It is entirely up to you whether or not you take the risk and not purchase the vignette. The current cost is around £30 ( 40€) so it may be worth it just for peace of mind. Details of the vignette can be found here and you can purchase from here NB: If you would like us to order the Vignette, tick the box on the booking form and you will save the booking fee and postage costs ( approx £4)

Can I pay in cash for petrol?

Whilst we make every effort to ensure that the petrol stations we visit are manned, inevitably they are not always. Quite often they are manned in the mornings but not in the afternoon. If you pay by credit/debit card at the machines or in the kiosk you may be liable for a foreign currency transaction charge. The cost of this will vary with your bank, so please find out what they are likely to charge you beforehand. You may even be able to get your bank to provide you with some sort of Euro account for use abroad.

Will I need a Sat-Nav?

It's not a mandatory requirement. If you decide to ride with the group the marking system will direct you. However, if you wish to ride apart from the group or wish to deviate from the planned route at any time then you may find it useful.

Do you hire motorcycles?

No we do not hire out bikes. There are specialist bike hirers who may be able to help. Just search the internet for motorcycle hire.

Video Links

A selection of tour videos.

2016 Alpine tour

2016 Alpine tour

Testimonials

Here's what our customers are saying about us.

Vosges and Black Forest 2019

"Great trip and great company, Thank you all for making another enjoyable trip with Mountain Seekers. Hope to see you next year" Julian S.

"Really enjoyed the roads and great company, maybe not the hairpins as much but got better at them as the week progressed." Patrick W.

"Just a note to say thank you so much for a great trip, I am so impressed with how relaxed and easy going you both are in the face of... well, anything really! We have stayed in some lovely spots and seen some beautiful countryside, and I have made some new friends which is just perfect :-D. Thank you also for letting me kidnap half of the group on Friday, I did enjoy that!" Helen M.

"Crikey I agree with all the comments- exceptional week! Thanks Paul and Andy for organising- Mick for sharing a room and being great company - all those who leant gaffer tape, straps! As a first timer to any sort of group ride it was a bit of a 'baptism by fire' but I loved it, so thanks for the patience and advice and above all friendly camaraderie!" Tim M.

"Had a long 560 plus miles today to reflect on a what has been an utterly brilliant week of riding, with a great group of people." Dan C.

"Undoubtedly my best week yet on the RS! So many memories and great new friendships, which are hard to come by in any other walk of life.
Paul and Andy, thank you for your professionalism and patience in organising the whole thing, it all went according to plan - apart from the odd bike-drop, of course. Great adventures, great fun, great value." Peter A.

"THANK YOU for being there and for an awesome week... Great company, great places and superb roads..." Simon D.

Germany tour 2017

"As the rider with the steepest learning curve, both on the saddle and in the bends, I want to say what a pleasure it was for me to ride with you this week. My first international expedition on two wheels was exhilarating, enjoyable and exhausting in equal measure! Each of you had much to teach me and I thank you for your feedback and your forbearance. The ride home from Folkestone felt a lot more instinctive than it did a week ago when we first met up in Folkestone. Thanks in particular to Paul and Andy, for arranging these adventures to suit novice and veteran tourers alike. I look forward to riding with you again before too long!!" P Archibald

"You've both been superb this week. Learnt tons; roads amazing and the week long banter with new friends priceless. Have certainly set me up to find some good roads to keep the practice round the bends!" S Biswas

 

"It was indeed an epic trip ' great routes, great company, great weather (mostly!) and great riding. " D Simmons

"I can't add anything to what's already been said...only it was an absolute pleasure and a privilege to ride with you all. Rare to get a safe environment to ride in for so many days where everyone shows a level of respect, recognition and reassurance to each of the group. Bloody marvellous. " R Baker

Germany tour 2016

"Just wanted to say a big thank you for organising such an amazing trip and for being welcoming and accommodating to a newbie tourer such as myself. I had a great time, met some fantastic people and my riding has improved dramatically. Only thing is, I think I may have caught the touring bug..!!" P Ainsworth

"An intense riding experience which was well planned and executed, it was progressive not for the faint hearted, but as you say ride your own pace but its hard, anyway, you do progress with better riders. All in all, loved it.Mick

"It was a great. Good mix of people, roads and weather which made the whole week work well for me." R Longworth

Short tour 2016

"Just wanted to say thanks for a great trip. I had an excellent time, good people, great roads and some happy memories. Hoping to see you again next year. Thanks!" S Fenn

"Really enjoyed my first overseas tour! Fantastic group of riders (and pillions) that didn't worry about any of the little challenges that France threw at us" T Paz

"First trip abroad, I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Looking forward to the next trip. " Julian

"Had a marvelous time, just the right amount of days, 2 nights and 3 days was spot on. Lovely people. Absolutely fell in love with my bike during this tour - those roads on day 2 were ace." Jayne

Vosges & Jura tour 2015

"a fantastic tour. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and wouldn't hesitate to do the tour again." Dave "Day-glo"

Vosges & Jura tour 2014

"Andy/Paul, thank you for a great week I really enjoyed it, and absolutely loved the roads you planned for the trip." A Seker

"Thanks so much for organising a fantastic trip. Great to have met you all and hope to see you again. " J Freeman

Mountain & Moet 2014

"Big thanks to Andy and Paul for a great tour of France with some great sights, excellent company, Pelforth beer, lovely grub and loads of laughs" Mike W.

"I would like to mention the huge enjoyment gained from the two 'haute' sections of twistys on day 2 & 3 ' well worth the mileage on their own." Andy G

"Thanks to Paul and Andy for a great few days in the saddle. Fantastic hotel in Pont Mousson, might even go back there with Mrs. Some amazing roads around the Voges and can't believe I rode past all that champagne without trying any! " John W

"You did a cracking job in organising the trip. You certainly showed us some fantastic parts of France. Yes, there was a lot of riding, but France is a bloody big country so it would be hard to see all that we did see." Ian D

"Thanks to Paul and Andy for your hard work in organising and ensuring we made our way round France. A great mixture of roads and smiles all round. A thoroughly enjoyable introduction to France and I'm looking forward to the next one." Anthea D

Booking

To confirm a place on the tour a deposit of £90 will be required. Please download and complete the booking form and send the completed form(s) together with your deposit(s) to the address below.

Please make cheques payable to MountainSeekers, if you wish to send payment electronically (preferred method) please contact us for the bank details.

An acknowledgement will be sent on successful payment.

NB: If final payment does not reach us by the due date, your place(s) may be lost and deposit(s) forfeited.

Regretfully we cannot take credit card payments.

NB: In the event that the tour has to be cancelled for any reason by us, you will receive a full refund. Please see all the terms and conditions.

Before you can accompany us on a tour you need to sign and return a disclaimer form


Please send completed forms to:-

MountainSeekers
91 Shiplake Bottom
Henley On Thames
Oxon
RG9 5HJ

Send us a message

If you'd like any information on one of our tour or just need to discuss your requirements please fill out the form.

Links

Motorcycle organisations and clubs. We are members of TVAM and are affiliated to MAG

Useful information

European Driving Laws

  • European Driving Laws