Europe trip gear

[KevinRT]

I am scheduled to take an Adriatic tour from Venice, through Tuscany to Sardinia, Corsica and back at the end of April/beginning of May. I've been riding for decades so I'm fairly certain of what gear and clothes to bring and I am aware of the potential weather I might encounter on the trip, so I am not looking for specific advice there, except perhaps some feedback from those who have taken a similar trip and have at some point wished they had brought something that they didn't think of before leaving. I am aware of an adapter to be able to charge my electronic devices. I have a Sena 20S communication device on my helmet - would this be useful to bring? I am not travelling with a companion.

Also, where do you stand on soft vs hard luggage and why? Not luggage on the bike, but luggage to bring on the plane and have carried in the chase van. I plan on bringing my helmet as a carry on in the cloth bag it came in as well as a saddle bag liner whose dimensions seem to meet carry on luggage size requirements. Any feedback here?

 

[elgin mary]

Gear

Kevin, sounds like a great trip. I would bring the Sena because you can link it to the GPS I assume will be on the bike. Or, if you are going on a tour, I assume since you referred to a chase van, you may be able to link with other riders. An extra electrical adapter is the only think I missed when I did a similar trip.

Have fun.

 

[gfspencer]

I've been on five Edelweiss trips and I enjoyed every one of them. I also manage to travel to Europe about once a year even if I'm not riding. Here are my travel preferences:

1. I prefer semi-soft luggage that is expandable in case I want to bring stuff home. I pack with the bag in the un-expanded mode and expand it if I need to bring stuff home. (I have some travel friends who take older clothes that they can throw away if they need to. I have never done that.)

2. Take a power strip that has a European plug for the wall end and U.S. outlets for the things that you want to charge. I think I bought mine on Amazon but I'm not sure.

3. You have a good idea about your helmet. I always take mine as a carry on. That's the last thing that I want to lose.

4. I was on one tour where some riders did have lost luggage. The tour company helped them find replacement gear before the ride started.

5. On my first tour I took way to many clothes. Figure out what you need . . . . and subtract about half of it.

6. Have fun!

 

[rapz]

I've been to most of those cities/countries, but not riding. I would second the idea of taking your helmet as a carry-on... don't trust it to the airlines to handle gently. Taking the liner as carry-on is also a good idea; and the less clothes the better. You can always buy more if you need to, but down time at night allows you to wash stuff. I've ended up buying an additional carry-on for the return flight which is easier than hauling one both ways. I've traveled during April and May and there can be some big swings in temperatures and rain. Sounds like a great trip... enjoy and just worry about the things you can't replace... passport (copy of passport), extra pair of eyeglasses, any meds, European call plan for cell phone, don't take cash, but use credit cards that don't charge a foreign exchange fee, BBVA Compass Bank is a Spanish bank and if you have one of their ATM cards you can get euros at their ATMs without fees coming straight out of your account... even will give you your account balance in euros. No Discover cards and AX is somewhat limited.

 

[ryeflyer]

Im heading to UK and France to rent and ride....

I have an R1200RT arranged for 10 days starting end of April and plan to take my own gear with me. I am interested to read comments about how to dress to ride, when not leaving your own house, and space is a concern! I do not want to carry too much or too little. Any feedback from people who have done a trip to Europe to ride - most welcome. No chase vans - just me and my brother riding our bikes - both R1200RT's.

 

[talmadge_w]

Power adapter is the main thing - and be aware not to go off and leave it in a hotel room half way. Make sure your cell provider and credit cards are notified of the travel if required. If you can use a PIN on a chip credit card that is a big plus in Europe. I carry an extra pair of gloves as they can be hard to replace in a rush. If you like a wash cloth in the shower bring your own - most hotels won't provide one. REI and others sell a microfiber one that dries quickly. Sounds like a fun trip!

 

[patm]

All trips my wife and I do in Europe, we don't have the luxury of a chase vehicle.
We usually rent an RT. Everything has to fit in three cases.

Gore-tex suit, leave the extra rain gear at home. Boots, gloves (mandatory now in France).
Drytech type of clothes, mostly underwear, T-Shirts, socks. I usually bring only 4 sets and a tube of hand wash soap for a two weeks stay.
Wash and hang to dry in the evening. Hotels have laundry services but they may not be quick enough if you need to leave early in the AM.
Others in your group won't care if you wear the same T-Shirts under your suit everyday. (As long as they don't smell )

A couple of wrinkle free shirts (European hotels don't have ironing boards and irons in the room), one pair of jeans and a pair of shorts for evening / diner.
Long underwear if you ride in the Alps at that time of year.
Polar fleece.
Roll or fold everything together.
Bag for dirty laundry.
Walking shoes, sandals if you plan to go to the pool.
Power outlet adaptor. Power cords or USB cables chargers - adaptors.
Credit and debit cards. Know your PINs.
Cell phone. Public phones are almost inexistent.
Earbuds for airline entertainment. Face mask if flying overnight. Earplugs too.
Tablet or thin laptop. Mapping app on tablet.
Small camera. Extra SD cards. Good ones. Don't rely solely on your cell phone.
Extra pair of prescription glasses. Sunglasses. Hat.
Sunscreen lotion.
Sewing kit.
If you have prescription drugs, bring the prescription, usually found in the container.
Any non prescription drugs you use regularly like Advils or Tylenols.
Insulated water container - bottle.
Small notebook to write your everyday experiences. Keep a log of your trip.

Sena, why not? It's small and remains on the helmet but unless you have a GPS, or someone else has one and want's to chat, you won't use it.
Helmet, carry it on board if you can. Otherwise, if it needs to be checked, bring the shield with you. Ask the airline for their policy on helmets.
Even if you have a chase vehicle, you don't want to depend on it if it gets cold or it starts to rain. Be ready for all weather conditions.
Dry socks are always welcome...

The idea of luggage is to protect as much as to carry your gear. I prefer hard luggage, the outfit I rent the bikes from, allows us to leave our suitcases in their place.
Check with Adriatic tours.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[rocketmanli]

Passport.
Don't forget your passport.
Also, make a copy of your passport.
In case you lose the original, at least you'll have the registration number to maybe help you get a replacement quicker.

 

[martinph]

Twice the money. Half the clothes.
Have fun.

 

[globalrider]

Also, where do you stand on soft vs hard luggage and why? Not luggage on the bike, but luggage to bring on the plane and have carried in the chase van. I plan on bringing my helmet as a carry on in the cloth bag it came in as well as a saddle bag liner whose dimensions seem to meet carry on luggage size requirements. Any feedback here?

Pack your riding gear in a backpack that will be used as your carry-on. You cannot afford to have the airlines lose your riding gear.

Order up a Dowco helmet bag from Fortnine. You'll appreciate the carrying handles and protection as you are running through the airport and elsewhere.

As for luggage, what comes along in my soft full sized luggage makes it into both of my BMW side bags and GiVi top case with lots of room to spare in the latter. I am on the road there for 6 to 8 weeks annually.

 

[globalrider]

Helmet, carry it on board if you can. Otherwise, if it needs to be checked, bring the shield with you. Ask the airline for their policy on helmets.

I would never "check" a helmet. It is a safety item and my 2nd carry-on with my riding gear in a backpack being my 1st carry-on. In 22 straight years I have never had an issue with any airline regarding my carry-on luggage.

 

[rocketmanli]

I'm flying overseas in July for a week of riding.
JFK to Amsterdam to UK, then on to Alsace, France, and back.

I just bought a padded helmet bag as a carry-on for my Shoei Multitech.

Problem with carrying on additional gear is Delta's size requirement:

• Baggage may not exceed 45 linear inches (or 114 cm) in combined length, width and height, including any handles and wheels, with the exception of small musical instruments that fit in the overhead compartment space or under-seat space available at the time of boarding.

• Baggage must fit easily in the Carry-on Baggage Check (approximately 22" x 14" x 9" or 56 x 35 x 23 cm).

• STANDARD CHECKED BAG ALLOWANCE
50 lbs (23 kg)
62 inches (157 cm) when you total length+width+height

That's not a whole heck of a lot of space for all my gear to be carried on.

 

[globalrider]

I just bought a padded helmet bag as a carry-on for my Shoei Multitech.

Problem with carrying on additional gear is Delta's size requirement:

• Baggage may not exceed 45 linear inches (or 114 cm) in combined length, width and height, including any handles and wheels, with the exception of small musical instruments that fit in the overhead compartment space or under-seat space available at the time of boarding.

• Baggage must fit easily in the Carry-on Baggage Check (approximately 22" x 14" x 9" or 56 x 35 x 23 cm).

All the airlines that I flew with have that requirement and I have never had a problem with boarding with both my carry-ons. The one or two times in the last 22 years where the short connecting flight was on a regional jet and the overhead bins were small, I was told to place my helmet on the floor.

If they ever brought it up, I'll wear my helmet on. As for my riding gear, if they can guarantee not to lose it, I'll check it. They can't though.

 

[rocketmanli]

I'm hoping to bring all my gear in my T-Bag Lone Star.
They show the dimensions as 18.5" x 16" x10" without the roll top.
That seems to meet the airlines requirement. Guess I'll find out when I show up at the gate.

 

[globalrider]

Bring a GPS that track logs in detail so that you can download them later to see where you actually were.

Once you synchronize the time on both your digital camera and GPS, I also use it to mark photo locations.

 

[patm]

I too would prefer to always bring it on board as carry on luggage but sometimes you can't, or you are asked to put it in the hold because the overhead bins are too small. I also would never put my laptop in the hold but was told to do so on a flight out of Dulles. It happens.

Read this post on USA Today:

Answer: No one likes being forced to check a carry-on item, particularly not something they were expecting to transport with kid gloves. But when flights are full, or a change in aircraft makes finding space in the overhead bin a competitive sport, or your bag—or in this case motorcycle helmet—simply doesn't fit, away it must go.

The flight attendant was correct to insist that Bessels couldn't carry his helmet on his lap. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations stipulate that all passenger carry-ons must be safely stowed before the aircraft doors can be closed in preparation for takeoff.

It's all about safety. Unstowed items, whether suitcases or helmets, could become hazardous projectiles if the aircraft were to stop suddenly while taxiing. A heavy, hard-shelled motorcycle helmet could pack a serious punch if it became airborne. Another concern is that wayward carry-ons could obstruct aisles and prevent passengers from quickly evacuating in an emergency.

"Our number one concern is safety," says United representative Charles Hobart. "Our crews follow a pre-flight plan to ensure the safety of all passengers on board."

All that said, flight attendants do have the ability to work with passengers to help find space for their carry ons, if possible. They can rejigger suitcases in overhead bins to open up space, for example, or ask passengers to put coats on top of luggage or check to see if there's space in a closet, if the aircraft has one. If none of those pan out, your item will be taking a quick trip down to the cargo hold, as Bessels discovered.

As for wearing the helmet in lieu of putting it in the hold, that wasn't something the United crew—or its media relations department—wanted to entertain. The FAA likewise seemed baffled by the notion.

"The airline may have its own rules about allowing a passenger to wear a helmet onboard," says FAA representative Laura Brown. "I don't think that's addressed specifically in our regulations."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/burbank/2012/12/31/travelers-aide-airline-takes-motorcycle-helmet-for-rough-ride/1801571/

Having it in a padded bag like GlobalRider suggested is not a bad idea. Be prepared for the worst.

 

[globalrider]

Pat, when the overhead bins were too small as they sometimes are on smaller regional jets, I was asked to put my helmet on the floor by my feet.

 

[essspe]

Europe Trip Gear

If you wear prescription sunglasses and ordinary prescription glasses, France ABSOLUTELY requires that you carry TWO pair of each. You will be fined if you don't.

Have a great trip!

 

[patm]

If you wear prescription sunglasses and ordinary prescription glasses, France ABSOLUTELY requires that you carry TWO pair of each. You will be fined if you don't.

Have a great trip!

I've never heard of that. Would you have a source? Thanks.

 

[rocketmanli]

I was told about 2 major French biking rules.
You need to always have with you a reflective safety vest. Don't have to be wearing it, just need to have it with you.
Also, real specific dimensions and locations for reflective stickers on your helmet. Ordered and installed them already.

"All helmets must display reflective stickers on the front, rear and sides in
accordance with the requirements of Regulation 22 - a sticker of minimum
surface area 18cm2 must be visible from the front, rear, left and right and
within each sticker it must be possible to mark either a circle of 40mm
diameter or, a rectangle at least 12.5cm2 in surface area and at least 20mm
in width."