There’s a universal truth among motorcyclists: a trip to the Alps never lasts just two weeks. Officially, our adventure is scheduled for September. Just two short weeks to ride some of Europe’s most beautiful roads. But in reality, this trip began several months ago.
A Casual Idea Quickly Takes Shape as a Concrete Plan
Since spring, our minds have been somewhere between Quebec, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria. Our bodies are still at work. As for our wallets, they’re already in the Alps.
It all started with an idea tossed out around a table: “It would be fun to ride through the Alps someday.” A few minutes later, “someday” had become “September.” From that moment on, there was no turning back. The first task was to reserve the motorcycles. Because one thing is certain: if you wait until the last minute, the best bikes disappear faster than a slice of pie at a family dinner. So we spent several evenings comparing the available models and their technical specifications: adventure, GT, trail, seat height, side cases, with or without a top case.
At a certain point, we weren’t really sure what we were comparing anymore, but we were all convinced it was extremely important. We did, however, all agree on one thing: we want a bike that’s nimble, lightweight, and easy to ride.
Choosing a motorcycle for the Alps is a bit like picking a dance partner. You just hope everything goes smoothly through the thousands of turns that lie ahead (don’t worry, I’m better on a motorcycle than I am at dancing). I chose the Triumph Tiger Sport 660, with side cases and a top case. It’s a lightweight, nimble bike, and with its 3-cylinder engine, it’ll have plenty of power for the Alpine passes.
Planning the Flight With All the Ins and Outs of Packing
Once the motorcycles were booked, we had to buy the plane tickets. That’s when reality hit. Before, the trip was just an idea. Now, an airline already had a portion of our money. The plan suddenly became very real. Flight comparison sites quickly became our go-to websites.
We watched the prices go up. Then down. Up again. Then up once more.
We experienced every possible emotion without leaving our living room. Finally, we made the purchase. A few clicks later, the tickets were confirmed. The countdown could officially begin.
For some of us, this adventure also sparked another project: buying new luggage. Not motorcycle cases. Airplane luggage. Which seems like a simple purchase until you discover that there are about 14,000 different models: hard-shell, semi-rigid, ultra-lightweight, expandable, shock-resistant, anti-theft, and probably bear-proof as well.
After extensive research, we’ve practically become experts in international luggage with size restrictions, weight limits, and so on. A skill we had no idea we’d ever need in our lives.
Making Sure Your Papers Are in Order
Another essential part of the preparations is the famous international driver’s license. A fascinating process. We already have a perfectly valid driver’s license.
But to ensure that everyone understands we have a valid license, we need to obtain another document confirming that our license is valid. In Quebec, the application is processed through the CAA.
Bureaucracy sometimes has a sense of humor all its own.
Despite everything, we’ll submit the application with enthusiasm. Because having a little official booklet in your pocket immediately makes you feel like a seasoned adventurer. Fun fact: when I received the CAA envelope containing the international driver’s permit, I thought it was a CAA advertisement. I even told my girlfriend she could throw the ads in the trash—I’m not interested in joining the CAA. Luckily, she didn’t listen to me; the envelope contained my international driver’s permit.
The passport is also on the list of important things to check. It’s always a moment filled with suspense. You open the drawer. You take out the passport. You look at the expiration date. You check it a second time. Then a third. Because finding out in August that a passport expires in September is an experience no one wants to go through. So far, everything seems under control. At least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves.
Planning the Trip Between the Airport and the Motorcycles
Meanwhile, another important question has come up: how do we get from the Lyon airport terminal to the rental garage? At first glance, it seems simple. But when a group of motorcyclists starts analyzing the logistics of a trip of just a few kilometers, with all our checked luggage. It can quickly start to feel like preparing for a space mission. Were we going to take a taxi? A shuttle? The train or the bus? Rent a helicopter?
For now, the helicopter seems to be slightly over budget.
So we’re continuing our search. The option that works for everyone—for just a few extra euros—is a shuttle that will pick us up directly at the airport and take us to our motorcycle rental shop. The shop will store our empty luggages until we return the motorcycles at the end of our trip.
“Choosing Which Roads To Ride… There Are So Many! ”
Between all the preparations, we’re obviously spending a lot of time studying the roads. It’s probably the most enjoyable part of the whole planning process. Every evening, we discover a new mountain pass. A new road. A new village clinging to a mountainside.
Every video we watch convinces us even more that September is still way too far away. The problem is that the more we look at the maps, the more ambitious our itinerary becomes. At first, we wanted to see a few famous mountain passes. Now, we’re mentally trying to cram the equivalent of three months of motorcycling into two weeks. The math doesn’t seem to add up. But our optimism remains very much alive.
As the weeks go by, the trip takes up more and more space in our conversations. We talk about the roads. Hotels. Restaurants. Landscapes. Gear. Tires. The weather.
Sometimes even things that have nothing to do with motorcycling, but that still end up circling back to it. The phenomenon has become unstoppable.
We’ll ride the Route des Grandes Alpes, but probably not the entire route. Legendary mountain passes like the Galibier, the Iseran (the highest pass in France), and the Stelvio in Italy with its 48 hairpin turns are on my “bucket list.”
“The Trip Has Already Begun—in Our Minds”
While others are waiting for fall to arrive, we’re mostly looking forward to September. We’re already imagining the moment the plane touches down on French soil. The moment we’ll collect our luggage. The moment when we’ll finally see the motorcycles lined up in front of the garage. The moment when months of preparation give way to the first few kilometers.
We’re already imagining the mountains that will appear on the horizon. The roads winding their way up to the peaks. The impromptu coffee breaks. The endless photo sessions. The evening chats on a hotel terrace after a day spent tackling one curve after another.
We also know there will likely be a few unexpected twists. A navigation error. An unplanned detour. Unpredictable weather. Because no adventure worth its salt goes exactly as planned. That’s probably what makes it interesting.
For now, we’re still in the planning phase: the motorcycles are reserved, the plane tickets are bought, the to-do lists are piling up, and the itineraries are changing every week. As for the dreams, they’re already well underway. September is quietly approaching.
And even though the wheels haven’t touched European asphalt yet, one thing is certain: the journey has already begun. It simply began in anticipation, several months before we first turn the ignition.
