Questions & Answers, Terms & Conditions 

We have three tours which are perfect for those pressed for time. The Dolomite Domination focuses on some of the best areas in Austria and Italy, the Swiss Splendor dives right into the Swiss and Austrian Alps. Each itinerary is great, with 8 full days of riding while only requiring a week plus a Friday and a Monday away from work.

Most of our tours are of two full weeks duration. Our definition of a two-week tour means 14 nights in hotels, 13 days use of the motorcycle. We don’t fudge the length of your tour by saying that the two days in the air are a part of your vacation. In our experience, it takes as long as a week for tour participants to overcome jet lag, to forget about the hassles in the office, and to become truly comfortable riding on foreign roads. Tours of shorter duration really don’t allow the participants to relax and simply enjoy, as there is so little time. After the first week riders and passengers settle in and begin to really enjoy the experience.

Absolutely not. Our function is to handle details, advise, suggest, but not herd. We do not like regimentation and do not impose it on tour members. Each tour member is free to choose his/her own daily riding companions, routing, and time schedule.

Every tour has a guide on a motorcycle, and you are welcome to ride with the guide daily if you choose. But it is not expected!

Each rider or driver receives a tour book specifically written and published for his tour. Daily itineraries, distances, time en route, suggestions for special activities, and directions to the hotel are included. In addition, this book has illustrations of road and traffic signs, currency exchange information, driving tips, and everything that our four plus decades of touring experience suggests to make your trip more enjoyable and trouble free.

After dinner there is a briefing to discuss the following day’s suggested routes, options, attractions, and side trips. At this time guides are also available to help plan day-to-day routes that will satisfy you.

In addition to the tour book and briefings, each tour bike is equipped with a pre-programmed BMW Navigator V GPS. While using one of these you are not “following a GPS,” you are following a route created by a motorcyclist for a motorcyclist. The GPS is simply an effective tool to assist in your navigation and enhance the freedom of independent travel.

With all this information and assistance, participants are well-informed on each day’s routing possibilities. Then your adventure begins!

An experienced member of the Beach family has always conducted each European tour. For over 34 years, and for the next 10 or so years, that pleasant duty falls to Rob Beach.

Having completed over 200 tours, Rob is now the World’s most experienced motorcycle tour guide.

Gretchen, Rob’s wife, is along on the majority of our European tours, acting as a full-time concierge to assist with activity planning and to make sure everything is running smoothly.

We travel the same distance, pack and unpack daily, eat the same meals and meet with rain, heat, wind, snow and beauty—the same as any tour member.

Each tour participant is met at the airport by a Beach representative and when it’s time to depart we are there to say Adieu or Gute Fahrt!

Motorcycles are provided and are included in the rider tour price. There is no mileage charge nor mileage limitation. You are free to use the motorcycle to your heart’s content!

On the European tours the motorcycle will be at the hotel at the beginning of the tour, and that is where it is taken at the end of the tour. You need not spend time transporting our motorcycles to a remote rental location. In addition, you deal only with the Beachs for all motorcycle arrangements. There is no need to sign secondary contracts with outside agents.

The list of BMW motorcycles available on tour, complete with specifications, and some thoughts on choosing a bike for the tour, may be found by clicking HERE.

The European tours feature the following BMW motorcycles as bikes included in the base (rider) tour price:

• C650
• C650GT
• G310R
• G310GS
• F750GS & F750GS low frame
• F850GS
• R1200GS & R1200GS low frame
• R1250GS & R1250GS low frame
• R1200R
• R1250R
• All other BMW models, with the exception of the S1000RR and the K1600LT series are available at an additional charge. Other brands may be available on special request.

South African tours include a BMW F700GS in the rider price. The F800GS and R1200GS are available at extra cost. In New Zealand the rider price includes the Honda Africa Twin, BMW F700GS, F800GS, and Yamaha MT09. The R1200GS is available at extra cost.

The bikes used in South Africa and New Zealand are from a motorcycle shop located close to our hotel, and must be picked up and returned there.

All of our motorcycles carry the legal limit liability required in each country. This covers damage to others but does not include collision coverage for the motorcycle. Each motorcycle operator is responsible for a maximum of US$ 2,500 of motorcycle damage. A credit card is required when taking delivery of your bike. Should there be any damage to the bike while on tour you will be billed for the repairs on this credit card.

There is no medical coverage for the rider or passenger and we strongly advise you to secure medical or accident and trip interruption coverage. Check your current health insurance as it may very well cover you during your trip.

Insurance offered by Ripcord Travel Protection combines emergency evacuation coverage with standard trip insurance. It is an excellent package that we highly recommend.

Each suggested daily ride has been carefully planned to take maximum advantage of road conditions and still permit sightseeing and relaxing.

There are a number of riding options each day, so riders who want to ride long and hard will find opportunities to do so. Those who wish to amble along and enjoy the scenery may opt for a shorter route.

We have chosen our overnight stops with three things in mind — comfort, sightseeing, and riding. Each day you choose the route to take. Most days on tour range from 120 km. (3 to 4 hours riding time) to around 300 km. (6 hours riding time).

Keep in mind the fact that we have an entire day to cover those hours of riding. Departing the hotel at 9:30 a.m. and staying out till 6:00 p.m. leaves 8½ hours to cover the distance and do things other than ride!

One of the pleasing things about a Beach tour is that evening accommodations are prearranged. You may stay out and play till dinner time, if you like. There is no need to end your day at 4:00 p.m. in order to search for lodging for the night.

On most tours we spend 2 to 4 days on the road between double overnights. The second day on a double overnight stay is a free day to do as you please. This provides an opportunity for rest, relaxation, sight-seeing and/or taking advantage of outstanding riding locations.

On these days it is not necessary to ride, but we will wager that after a taste of the roads and scenery in these areas you will spend at least part of each day on the bike!

When we are riding from one overnight stop to the next we, like the postman, travel rain or shine. As we do have a planned destination on those days, it is necessary to ride in changeable weather conditions to arrive at that destination. Excellent riding gear is essential on every tour. It is not fun to be wet or cold on a motorcycle ride!

The Alpine tours are high-mountain tours where the weather can change rapidly. These tours are in June through September; months when mountain passes will generally be open and the roads clear of snow.

Remember that the temperature changes 3° for each 1,000 feet of change in altitude. So, if it is 75° Fahrenheit in the valley at 650’ above sea level, it will be 50° Fahrenheit at 9,000’. We do spend time running up and down mountains and need to be prepared for a wide range of temperature.

Participants on May and October European tours should expect temperatures ranging from 50° to 70° Fahrenheit. South African temperatures range between 70° and 90°, and New Zealand between 60° and 80°.

On all tours, regardless of the time of year, we must be prepared for a variety of conditions each and every day.

A list of suggested clothing and riding gear is furnished after an application is received. We do not have riding gear available on any tour—you must supply your own.

We encourage tour participants to bring a variety of good riding gear to be comfortable and safe. Riding in jeans is not recommended, as the weather is not always accommodating. An excellent rainsuit, good cold weather riding gear, and proper protective equipment are recommended for both rider and passenger on all tours.

A luggage van is provided on every tour, allowing you to ride an unencumbered motorcycle during the day. Each tour member may bring two suitcases and a carry on bag. Your luggage needs to be in the hotel lobby by 9:00 in the morning and will be in your hotel room by 6:30 in the evening.

Live out of two saddlebags? For many people it is impossible—and you never need to do so on a Beach tour.

We pay great attention to creature comforts. Nightly accommodations are furnished in quality hotels. Some hotels have saunas, spas, and/or swimming pools. The hotels are chosen for a specific reason—be it the view, the area, the owners, or the ambiance.

Alpine accommodations vary between three and four-star hotels. Italian Idyll hotels are predominately four star. Adriatic Amble, Island Interlude, and Alpine Adventure West hotels are between two and four star.

The tours in Africa and New Zealand use a wider variety of accommodation ranging from two to four star.

We make use of the best accommodations available in each given area and have chosen them with great care and consideration. Tour prices are based on two persons sharing a room. Single occupancy is available at additional cost.

All breakfasts are included. Included evening meals are detailed on the individual tour pages elsewhere on this website. Non-alcoholic drinks are included at dinner.

Anywhere! Some days you may wish to lunch at an outdoor cafe and enjoy the weather and the views while some days, if you’ve had a late breakfast, you may just wish to skip lunch and some days you may wish to have a picnic on a mountainside.

Our evening menus are planned in advance, so we need to know what your requirements are. To the best of our abilities we will arrange for your evening meal to be prepared for your special needs.

Not included:

• Airfare
• Airport taxes, and airport fees
• Lunch
• Alcoholic beverages
• Laundry
• Items of a personal nature
• Road tolls
• Gasoline or fuel for your vehicle
• Souvenirs
• Anything not specifically listed as included is not included.

For our two-week tours in the Alps, we suggest that you plan to spend an additional $750 if rider only, and $1,150 if a couple, to cover gasoline, lunches, beverages, and tolls. These estimates should cover minimum necessities plus some extra activities.

For American citizens, a valid passport (with an expiration date at least 3 months after your return home) and a motorcycle operator’s license are required for riding in any foreign country. On the Alpine and Italian tours an international driver’s license with motorcycle endorsement is also necessary. This document is available at your local AAA office. No visas are required for Americans in the countries in which we travel.

Citizens of countries other than the USA must check with their local authorities concerning what documents may be necessary.

Tour participants have ranged in age from 3 months to 84 years. Each motorcycle operator must have a valid motorcycle license. There is no upper age limit, but it is important that you are fit and healthy.

The motorcycle operator’s minimum age for the European tours is 18. Minimum age (and time as a licensed driver) to drive a car varies by the class of automobile. Please contact us with specific questions.

Yes. Both motorcycles and automobiles are welcome on most Beach tours, so friends or family may still join you in the adventure of international touring! Contact us for specifics on the automobile options on the various tours. Prices for automobile drivers are listed on the various tour pages as “Sports Car Driver”.

We recommend that participants interested in driving on the tour choose a convertible, as the view is so much better than in a sedan.

The cars on European tours are arranged through Sixt car rental. The current fleet in Munich includes both 2 and 4 seat convertibles. The current list may be foundhere.

Sixt is based in Munich. Some of our European tours begin or end in other cities. One-way rentals are not available, so extra days are required to move the vehicle between Munich and the start or end city for the tour. All cars have no mileage charge, nor mileage limitation. An alternative is to arrange auto rental from a local company. We will assist to the best of our ability if you choose this option.

Rental cars are also available on the African and New Zealand tours. Contact us for details.

Finally, drivers and passengers should be aware that on cold or wet days, the motorcyclists in the group may be quite envious of the heater and the fact that you can put the top up!

More information about driving on tour may be found here.

One person pays the “Sports Car Driver” price, any passengers pay the “Passenger” tour price. Refer to “What items or expenses are not included in the tour package?” for details.

For many years our only rule has been: Arrive at the hotel in time for dinner! If you can’t make it by 7:00 p.m., please phone so we don’t worry and send out a search party.

All riders and drivers must adhere to local traffic laws and to the laws of the countries visited during the tour. And finally, it is highly recommended that you enjoy each day!

Motorcycle riding is, by nature, an intense, risk-filled sport. It is very difficult to say how much risk is involved in our tours as much depends on the ability and judgment of the participant. A road or set of conditions offering considerable challenge and risk for a novice rider may present an experienced rider with little risk.

Likewise with weather conditions—a rider accustomed to riding in the rain may simply find it uncomfortable. A rider terrified of riding in the rain may make poor decisions and put himself in a dangerous position. Riding in the European Alps is some of the most challenging street riding a motorcyclist will ever encounter. It will also certainly be the most rewarding from the standpoint of the scenery, the challenge, the daily options available, and the sheer joy of life. The Alps are truly Motorcycle Heaven.

Curvaceous is the single word that aptly describes central Italian roads. There are fewer hairpins to negotiate, and shorter climbs and descents than in the Alps. But the turns follow one right after the other and no place is level, resulting in few straightaways. Throughout the itinerary traffic is generally light and the road surfaces excellent.

South African roads are in excellent condition, and 99% of the riding we do is on paved roads. There are two sections (totaling about 30 miles) of gravel to get to/from our game lodges. We can arrange to have your bikes transported over these sections if you don’t wish to ride. South Africa and New Zealand require driving on the left side of the road.

Simply complete one tour application for each person, and send it with a deposit of $500 per person to our office. The balance is due thirty days prior to the date of departure.

The deposit you pay at the point of booking is refundable in full up to six months prior to the start of your tour, unless otherwise noted. Thus, you can reserve your place as early as you please to ensure you don’t miss out.

Cancellations made less than 6 months prior to the tour are assessed a fee of $250. If the cancellation notice is received less than thirty days before the departure date there is no refund on the deposit.
At that time, any non-recoverable expenses incurred will also be charged to the applicant.

There are no refunds for unused services or accommodations once the tour has started.

Possibly. We have conducted custom tours in the past, and special itineraries are available for groups. You will find more information by clicking on this answer.

A tour member leaving the tour for any reason must arrange transportation for himself, his luggage and vehicle to the final tour destination. We will assist as far as possible. These arrangements are subject to the approval of the tour guide.

Call, write, fax, or e-mail us. The only foolish question is the one you neglect to ask. We strive to answer any and all of your questions before you depart, so that the only surprises on tour are the pleasant ones we have planned for you!