Self Guide or Tour Group

[Bryn]

I've done a lot of riding solo and a fair few group tours - I reckon I'd choose group over going it alone purely for the social side of things. I've spent a lot of time sat by my one wishing there was someone with me who I could share the awesome experience with. If you get a good group, it enhances the experience.

[mark vb]

I suspect you won't know for sure which is best for you until you've tried both, that is if you're wholly undecided and have a leaning neither one way or the other. I've not had any direct experience of a tour group, but cannot see myself signing up to an organised trip. I can however see they serve a good and useful purpose for folks who haven't the time/inclination/confidence to go it alone (by alone I mean possibly with company but arranging everything oneself). An organised tour gives an assurance whereby the risk associated with individual travel is substantially reduced but at a price. Conversely, I am fairly sure that individual travel is more rewarding (at least for me). I have never travelled alone, always with a biking mate or two and/or my wife who also has a bike license, so I can see the attraction of a tour group for company ....if the group gets on and is well led.
Thinking back, I'm sure there were few if any organised tours back on the 70's/80's so one really had little choice but to "DIY" it all!
Good luck whichever you decide on ☺

[92kk k100lt 193214]

Just back from 10 days in France. Solo trip, 520 miles from Roscoff to my destination, a one day ride each way. I have done it many times, sometimes with a friend, sometimes on my own.

Amazing what can happen though. My K1100LT like my other K bikes trouble free. I came off the ferry in Cork yesterday morning, stopped at supermarket to pick up supplies and all is good. One mile later I am home and park the bike. Take out one pannier bag and come back for second and notice oil on the ground and rear tyre. Rear final drive seal failed in that last mile. Clock reading 99,900 miles and I have it since 58,000 miles and bought exactly 2 years ago.

Just left it parked for now and using another bike. Good thing is the seal is cheap but decided to do the big bearing at the same time. Lucky BMW that bearing is identical on almost every BMW over 30 years and more.

Thing is, if you travel solo, you need a certain frame of mind. If that had happened where I was staying I would have left it and flown home and later gone back with another final drive and just swapped it out.

I do have breakdown cover for old vehicles and so on but no cover actually repairs the cause of the breakdown and it can often work out cheaper to bite the bullet and repair it yourself......with an old vehicle they wont bring you back if the cost is more than the value but will simply give you the value. With that in your pocket you then get the repairs done locally to where you are broken down and you end up maybe with 2 cheap flights rather than a heavy repair bill.

[Oop North John]

I guess it comes down to how far you want to push your comfort zone and whether or not you prefer to ride on your own, or in a group.

First couple of European tours I did were organised because friends were going with them. Soon found out that I liked organising trips away,and hated riding in a long procession of bikes. Done many self organised trips to Europe and eventually bit the bullet to go on my own to Morocco, only to be knocked off my bike on the M5 near to Birmingham