What are Transalp Tours?
Transalp Tours are designed to let you experience the joy of motorcycling in some of the most epic landscapes of Southern Germany and the Alps. We want to show off this region and its beauty, rustic accommodation, great people and delicious food - especially to people who can't or won't ride their own motorcycle here, and who are not interested in a luxury tour.
On road
no dirt, no stress
Iconic bikes
that were made for this
Worry free
and almost all-inclusive
Affordable
rustic but comfortable
No events at the moment
FAQ
How much biking experience do I need to participate?
Our tours are designed to be enjoyable and our bikes are easy-riding. This is not an an "iron butt" kind of tour, nor is it techncially challenging.
Come along!
What documents do I need?
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License: Full European/UK or a restricted (European A2, up to 35kW) license
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Passport: For our UK friends, remember the 6+ month validity requirement
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Visa: For people from further abroad, we can help with itineraries and invitation letters
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Insurance: Travel insurance covering motorcycling and any other "risky" activities you'll get up to
What about riding gear?
One's own gear is always the most comfortable. Please bring all your usual gear, that is jacket, trousers, gloves, boots, your helmet and waterproofs (!). We've flown with helmets in hand luggage many times and never had an issue. For the avoidance of doubt, we won't take you without proper protective gear. If you struggle for luggage allowance, just wear your gear on the plane!
What are the exact dates of your tours?
For tours that are further away, we will set the date as soon as we have visibility of people's preferences, which you can state in the registration form. We try to avoid peak holiday times as the roads can be busy and accommodation expensive, but if you'd like to go in July or August, we'll be happy to!
What's included in the price?
The tour prices include everything but lunch, dinner (dinner is included in the Germany Edition tour), drinks and ticketed activities or visits, so you can choose on a case by case basis whether or not you want to join an activity or museum visit.
This means the following is included: Airport transfer, bike, petrol, accommodation, breakfast, insurance.
Why is it so cheap?
There are lots of expensive tours out there, and they are fantastic. Our goal is to offer an equally fantastic, but more rustic tour for people with less deep pockets, or those who don't care for luxury when on a motorcycle trip.
The pricing covers our cost and gives us a very small margin to earn back our investment over time. We can't call it a passion project because the tax man would come after us, but it's not far off...
More about our motivations in the About section.
Why is it so expensive?
Tell us about it! For next year, we'll look into a camping-based tour option.
Do you offer self-guided tours?
At the moment, we're focusing on guided tours, but if you'd like to ride your own ride, get in touch and we'll see what we can do!
Can I ride my own bike?
You could, but we believe some of the charm of our tours lies in going out as a colourful posse of Transalp 600s, so we recommend joining in. If you'd rather ride your own bike, just get in touch.
Will we ride off-road?
The tours currently on offer are tarmac-only, barring a couple of short access roads and parking lots. We're working on a more gravel-based route for next year, but the region we concentrate on, especially Germany and Austria, are sadly not gravel-country.
Why is dinner not included?
For most tours, we've chosen to keep dinner outside the package for two reasons: 1) People's preferences can vary wildly, and 2) we don't want to force you to spend all day, every day with the group. Some of our accommodation places offer half-board, in which case you'll have the option to have dinner included in that night's price.
Where are you based? How do I get there?
Our HQ is at Lilly's family's farm near Ulm. We will pick you up from a nearby transport hub, which include:
- Stuttgart Airport (STR) from Heathrow
- Memmingen Airport (FMM) from Stansted
- Stuttgart Central Station (6h30min from St Pancras on the Eurostar)
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If flying into Frankfurt (FRA), there's a high-speed train from inside the terminal to Ulm, where we'll pick you up.
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For Munich (MUC), we need to make a plan - please get in touch.
I think Transalps are too tall for me!
The Transalp 600 has a standard seat height of 850mm, which works well for Lilly (167cm tall).
We have made a couple of bikes lower by fitting lowered seats and slightly adjusting the suspension. If you get here and you find you're not comfortable on a Transalp, we have a Suzuki GSF650 Bandit with a lowered seat up our sleeve that should work for even the most inseam-challenged riders.
FANCy A custom tour?
If you are a group of 4-6 people and you have a specific date or theme in mind, get in touch!