How to pack for European touring?

[John Ranalletta]

It's a long shot, but just maybe...

 

A question for those of you who've toured in Euro with a tour org or not.  How did you pack & tote your riding gear, e.g. Stitch, helmet, gloves, boots, etc. as well as street clothes for the duration of the tour, especially, if you had to pack for two?

 

TIA.

[RadioFlyer]

We have done three tours with MotoTrip (who I highly recommend).

 

The last trip (October) we each had one large suitcase and one backpack.

 

To keep the weight of the large suitcase below the limit I wore my riding jacket and I packed my boots with two pairs of gloves stuffed in them in the backpack. I packed my riding pants in the large suitcase. My electronics also went in the backpack.

 

Since we moved to where we now are we need to take a small plane to get to a large international airport. This obviated my prior practice of taking my helmet in a helmet bag as a carry-on since the overhead compartment is too small. My large suitcase will hold my helmet though.

 

I packed a thin jacket for wearing on the street that would also serve as a layer under my riding jacket .

 

Avoid cotton clothing and underwear - it takes too long to dry when you do the laundry.

 

I wore cargo pants that would double as shorts by unzipping the legs.

 

If you have Gore-Tex riding gear it obviates having to take raingear.

 

 

[wbw6cos]

In 2019, Laura and I hired a bike (1250 RT) for a trip from London to Wales and back.  We placed our riding gear with helmets in large, checked suitcases.  We have C-Bailey's side case liners for our RT and used those for clothing, which became our carry-on for the flight; the trip was about a week long away from home.  The best thing about our bike rental place was that they stored our empty suitcase while we had the bike.  So, our trip on the bike would be like at home: I get one side case, she gets the other, plus a good portion of the Givi 56 L topcase.    

 

The majority of our hotel stay was in Wales with 2 days near the bike hire place in Woking.  That worked out well for a Sunday drop-off (by appt) and made it convenient for flight arrangements.   We also used the Nav VI that was part of the rental.  Our recent trip to England a few weeks ago required us to hire a car for the 5 days.  Most newer vehicles have sat navs already, but the recent one did not and, luckily, I brought along my Zumo XT with the car mount that had the Garmin map of England (micro SD card) which I purchased last year.  If you plan to go without a tour group, bringing your GPS device with a regional map would be something to consider.   Last year when we did the same trip with a car rental, the vehicle had the GPS enabled and my Zumo XT was not needed.   Better to have it and not need it.   Well, you get the idea.

 

Good luck.  Sounds like a fun Ride Tale to read someday.

 

Cheers!

[Chris K]

Hi John. I bought gear travel bag thru Cycle Gear to hold all of the riding gear, this was 10 years ago and it cost less tha $100. As for the rest of our clothes, we packed them into another suitcase. When I travel on the bike I always pack for 4 days no matter the length of the trip. I have travel pants, button up shirts and t-shirts that are easily washed and dry overnight. Most of the pants are the kind with the zip off lower legs. I also use the LD comfort shorts that also dry quickly when washed. Some of the hotels have washers and driers available to use but some do not. I also always carry Travel Pocket Laundry Wash whenever I travel so I can do a wash in the sink. 

Enjoy your trip!

[Skywagon]

[Hosstage]

That's going to be a handful in the switchbacks!

[Twisties]

Might look at shipping your gear ahead.  Save schlepping it through airports, customs, etc.  

[Chef Paul]

He may just prefer a little more clearance on those switchbacks!

[John Ranalletta]

1 hour ago, Chef Paul said:

He may just prefer a little more clearance on those switchbacks!

Well, you know, my wife will be going along.

 

Our first and only x-country ride was to the first Unrally in Gunnison at the KOA where we rented a KOA Camping Cabin.  Of course, we had to take a pillow and a small comforter in a dry bag.

 

 

 

 

[Mike]

On 12/1/2023 at 12:17 PM, John Ranalletta said:

It's a long shot, but just maybe...

 

A question for those of you who've toured in Euro with a tour org or not.  How did you pack & tote your riding gear, e.g. Stitch, helmet, gloves, boots, etc. as well as street clothes for the duration of the tour, especially, if you had to pack for two?

 

TIA.

John, I think the best approach is this, if you’re going to be embarking from and returning to to the same point on your moto tour: https://elantravel.app.luggagefree.com/ship.

 

Understanding that this could be viewed as a self-plug, it’s something we offer to our clients and have used ourselves. We’ve got a couple of Pelican cases (in different sizes) that we use for this. It’s a door-to-door service and it’s absolutely great for transporting bulky items, or things you just don’t want to schlep. The downside is that you have to plan ahead a bit, so that your stuff can be picked up at your house in enough time to get there before you, and it’s more expensive than bringing it along in your checked airline baggage. But, it’s a super service. 

If you’d prefer to go to the site that’s not affiliated with our company, it’s: https://www.luggagefree.com.