Give way to the right at rural crossroads and in towns where no other signals or signs occur.

Always make your own mind up about road and weather conditions - do not go faster than you feel comfortable with and avoid last-minute manoeuvres - a wrong turn is easier to correct than a crash.. If you overshoot, just wait.

If you are finding the pace too quick where you are, try travelling nearer the group leader - as this will be a pretty even 85-90 mph. If you allow slower traffic to get between you and the group ahead, be aware you and the riders behind you will either need to travel quite quickly in order to catch up, or be prepared to make your own way to the next stop.

On motorways, we encourage the group to keep reasonably 'tight'. It is not possible to wait at junctions or on the hard shoulder. The group leader generally rides at 85-90mph on motorways - ie roughly at the speed limit +/- 10% and slows down near route changes to allow the group to bunch up - this can be up to 10 miles ahead of time.

If we have to stop on the hard shoulder, never take your eye off oncoming traffic.

Bring some small change for the toilets on the motorway !

On rural roads ( A and B roads ) we will wait a reasonable time at junctions where a change of route is indicated.  The group leader stops only at junctions where a direction change occurs and you should also ride as such - this means going straight on at cross-roads and following the general right of way where there are other turnings. At roundabouts stay on the same route number eg N10, N20, D15. If you feel lost, check your route instructions and map.

Finally, when travelling in a group please ride considerately and safely.

Take care with your speed in Europe - whilst points are not yet deducted from      

your licence, fines can be severe. If you speed, you do so at your own risk.

In Germany especially please do not make any gestures to other drivers. They actually have a law that covers road-going impoliteness

All countries we visit have draconian speeding fines.

The road surface on European A and B roads can be very variable - so take extra care of loose surfaces and farm debris. In general, roads in France and Belgium including Motorways have a rougher, grittier surface and you can find the bottom of your fairing at the front getting peppered - so tape up with Duck Tape if you're worried.

Keep a good reserve of fuel - we usually try and stop every 80-100 miles on motorways and 70-80 miles on A and B roads. If you need a break more often, please let the tour leader know. Most motorway petrol stations take plastic - most rural petrol stations do not and are usually closed evenings and on Sundays. Some petrol stations won't let the next person use a pump until the previous person has paid - this can cause huge delays so if you can, try and fill a few bikes at one filling.

Tickets for most events are available at the gate - even for the Dutch TT at Assen - or from Ticket brokers in advance. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance if you need them.  GP and WSB events vary in price significantly between around £25-£60 for the day - and some like Catalunya only sell week-end tickets. Most now have web-sites so that you can buy tickets and book seats in advance.

Parking everywhere is usually free, but keep an eye out for handy secure bike parks.

Although in most cases we will lead you to the circuit it is inevitable that the group gets split up on the way in so it's best just to go with the flow.

We research all our routes in advance and try and make them a good compromise between interesting and scenic roads and motorways - which we use either to skirt big towns and cities or to get some miles under our belt where the roads or scenery are otherwise boring.

Here's a few hints and tips that you may find useful:

Road signs can be confusing abroad and nowhere more than the French/Belgian/German borders. Here, places have multiple names in different languages :

Liege = Luik, Louvain = Leuven
Basel = Bale
Aachen = Aken = Aix La Chapelle

English bikes can 'disappear' very quickly on the continent and it's in your interests to make certain that your bike is secured to your satisfaction.

Big cities are usually prime targets for thieves - when out and about, keep your eyes out and beware of pick-pockets and similar scams. Central Barcelona, Paris, Florence can be particularly tricky in this regard - the friendliest of people can be the worst of handbag snatchers! But don't let that put you off - these things are very rare.

Weird Stuff happens - so if you are at all concerned, we recommend you take out holiday insurance (available from many sources), breakdown coverage valid in all the countries you plan to visit, and get yourself one of the new EHIC cards that replaces the old NHS form E111 Health Care entitlement form. These are available online (free) at http://www.dh.gov.uk/ ( and search for ehic ). E111 forms are no longer valid.