Q. At what date and time will my ferry be booked?
A. Your ferry will be booked on the arrival and departure dates for your chosen tour or Unguided Package. If you would like to sail on different dates we are happy to make these arrangements at no extra cost. You can select your preferred travel times on our booking form. We will arrange your outbound and return ferry crossings within one hour of your preferred sailing times.
Q. I've never ridden abroad before, is this a problem?
A. No. Many people can be apprehensive about riding abroad for the first time, but you'll be surprised how quickly it becomes second nature. With the exception of riding on the right-hand side, you'll find the rules of the road in other EU countries much the same as the UK. Please click here for our printable guide to travelling abroad with yourimotorcycle and riding in Germany.
Q. What are the checking-in & checking-out times at my hotel?
A. Checking-in times are between 2.00 pm and 10.00 pm. A later check-in time is possible by previous arrangement. Checking-out is no later than 11.00 am on the morning of your departure. While staying at your hotel you can come and go as you please, day or night.
Q. How do I know when and where to meet my tour guide?
A. When you arrive at your hotel a Middle Rhine Tours representative will be there to welcome you. You'll then be issued with a tour schedule that includes each day's start times. The normal meeting place is in the hotel reception area. When we arrive at a destination on our tour schedule your guide will ensure you're familiar with our designated meeting place and aware of the time you should be there for our return journey.
Q. When on a guided tour what happens when we reach our destinations?
A. Rather than insisting on a rigid structure we prefer to offer more flexibility to our customers. On arrival at all of our destinations you'll receive an information sheet and leaflet (including a street map) highlighting places of interest etc. You then have the choice of exploring at your own leisure or accompanying your tour guide.
Q. What do I need to know about riding the Nurburgring - Nordschleife?
A. The Nordschleife (North Loop) used to be part of the original 27-mile long race track. It's now classed as a one-way public toll road without speed limits (except on approach to the entrance and exit). Officially your motorcycle must be road legal (no race exhausts etc.). Despite the noise limit of 95 decibels, I've yet to see a rider turned away for having a loud exhaust. However, if your bike falls into this category, bear in mind there's a chance, no matter how small, you could be excluded.
Other rules include the wearing of full protective clothing (not necessarily leather). Jackets, trousers, gloves and boots specifically designed for motorcycle use will be fine. Expect to be disappointed if you turn up wearing jeans, a t-shirt and trainers! Your motorcycle must also have rear view mirrors on both sides and be in a road worthy condition. With our guided tours you'll be given safety information and other useful tips about riding the Nordschleife.
Riding this world famous circuit is great fun and quite an experience, but please remember it's unlikely your Motorcycle Insurance, Breakdown Insurance and Personal Travel Insurance will cover you (check before departure). Even if the Nurburgring - Nordschleife isn't named as an exclusion in your policy you'll often find a clause that's carefully worded and amounts to much the same thing.
Q. Can I do my own thing?
A. Yes. You're under no obligation to do all of the activities on each day's tour. You may even choose to miss a day entirely. If you feel like heading off on your own our tour guide will be happy to advise you about routes, activities and attractions.
Q. What type of people do you cater for?
A. We cater for people of all ages and backgrounds who ride a wide range of different machines. Variety, after all, is the spice of life.
Q. Is my motorcycle suitable for your tours?
A. You can easily complete our tours on anything from a sports bike to a custom cruiser. In general we recommend a minimum engine size of 500 cc, but there's no hard and fast rule. It's more important that all motorcycles are road worthy and reliable.
Q. How much riding experience do I need?
A. We recommend you have at least one years riding experience in the UK with a full motorcycle licence. It would also be helpful if you've had experience riding in groups.
Q. What will happen if I can't keep up with the rest of the tour?
A. We recognise that skill, experience and confidence levels are bound to vary from one rider to another. Your tour guide will always ensure he's riding at a pace everyone's comfortable with. No individual rider will be forced to ride beyond their own comfort zone.
Q. How long will we be riding each day?
A. The total approximate mileage covered during our tours is shown on the relevant tour page. Each riding day will vary depending on our destination and activities. Our longest riding day will cover approximately 180 miles in total, but we make regular stops to stretch our legs, take on refreshments and admire the scenery.
Q. How safe and secure will my bike be?
A. You're three times more likely to become a victim of vehicle crime in the UK than in Germany (according to international comparisons supplied by the Home Office). Even so it would be foolish to ignore bike security. We can offer free garage parking near our hotel in Boppard.
Q. Can I hire a bike from you?
A. Unfortunately we don't have motorcycles for hire, but we're happy to supply you with details of suitable hire companies in your area. If you prefer to fly or drive to Germany, and hire a bike after your arrival, we can make the arrangements on your behalf. This is something we've done on many occasions before. Please contact us for more details.
Q. Why don't you accept credit & debit cards?
A. Our tour packages are offered at highly competitive prices. In order to keep things that way we try to reduce our administration costs to a minimum. Credit card companies charge businesses for each transaction accepted, plus a monthly fee. Companies like Paypal also charge a percentage of each payment accepted. For these reasons we've decided not to accept card payments and pass the savings on to our customers.
Q. Can I access money easily?
A. Germany and most other EU countries use the Euro as their standard unit of currency. You can exchange Pounds Sterling for Euros at various places in UK High Streets. You can also change your money on cross channel ferries.
UK credit and debit cards are widely accepted in German shops, petrol stations and cash machines.
Your hotel in Boppard is a short walk from several major banks that also offer counter services to people wishing to cash travellers cheques. There's no need to carry excessive amounts of money.
Q. How much money will I need?
A. You'll need to budget for the petrol you use (petrol prices in Germany are similar to those in the UK). We give an approximate mileage covered during our tours on the relevant tour page, we also give an approximate mileage from Calais to your hotel in Boppard on our Getting Here page. If you know your bikes average fuel consumption you should be able to work out roughly how much money you'll need for petrol.
What's included in our tour prices is also stated on the relevant tour page, but midday and evening meals aren't. Eating out in this part of Germany can be relatively cheap. It's common for a good quality evening meal to cost less than 12 euros, there are also many cafes and restaurants to choose from.
No doubt you'll want to budget for a few drinks as well, other than this it very much depends on the individual. The best policy is to allow some room for error, the last thing you want to do is to run out of money.
Q. Why don't you include midday and evening meals in your tour prices?
A. When touring, returning to our base in Boppard for a midday meal would be impossible. There will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy a meal while at our tour destinations or on route.
Good quality evening meals are available in the many cafes and restaurants Boppard has to offer. We prefer not to restrict our customers to just one venue.
Q. What documents do I need to bring?
A. Please click here for our printable guide to travelling abroad with your motorcycle and riding in Germany. This guide includes a section outlining the documents you should bring with you.
A. Our Booking page gives a clear step-by-step procedure for making a booking. If you need help, or have a problem making a booking, please contact us.
Q. Can I bring my car on one of your tours?
A. If you want to drive to our hotel in Boppard, and hire a motorcycle on arrival, we are more than happy to make the arrangements on your behalf. This is something we've done for our customers on many occasions before. Please contact us for details.
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