Scotland?

too bad you don't have more time OP
so much to see there

the inner Hebrides - island chain off the west coast, though not a great bike destination
is a real trip back in time, many inhabitants still have Gaelic as their first language
and a great place to see some famous old distilleries if you're a fan of scotch whiskey
particularly the smokey Islays

Inverness in the north is a must see
great city and the heart of the Highlands
 
I'm thinking of doing this maybe 2019-20. What about shipping your bike over? I'm guessing that would only make sense if riding for 2-3 weeks or longer? Has anyone here done this for a shorter trip?
 
Allistonfjr said:
I'm thinking of doing this maybe 2019-20. What about shipping your bike over? I'm guessing that would only make sense if riding for 2-3 weeks or longer? Has anyone here done this for a shorter trip?
Click to expand...

We shipped our bikes to Europe for a month. By my calculations, that was the breakeven point compared to renting. 3 weeks and less, it's cheaper and less hassle to rent.
 
Lightcycle said:
We shipped our bikes to Europe for a month. By my calculations, that was the breakeven point compared to renting. 3 weeks and less, it's cheaper and less hassle to rent.
Click to expand...

Thank you for commenting. That’s kinda what I was thinking. On top of that I guess is the benefit of no wear and tear on your own bike.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Allistonfjr said:
On top of that I guess is the benefit of no wear and tear on your own bike.
Click to expand...

There's pros and cons to both.

If you ship your own bike, it's kitted out the way you like it: seat and shield tailored to your comfort, you know what will or won't fit in your panniers and cases. Plus you can ship all your motorcycle gear with the motorcycle, and walk on the plane with nothing but a backpack. If I was taking a multi-week motorcycle trip, I wouldn't want to sit on the stock seat of a rental bike every single day, or have to leave gear behind in the rental company's office because the luggage options were too small.

However, if you rent, you don't have to worry about insurance - which is something you have to shop for and purchase separately when you ship your own bike. Also, it's much cheaper for shorter trips, and most reputable rental agencies carry late-model vehicles in good condition, so maybe you get to try out a nice BMW or Ducati.

Most companies also have a breakdown service included, so if your battery goes or if you get a flat, they'll send someone to fix it. Saves a lot of time and money especially if your vacation is short - you don't want to be calling around for a shop and/or a tow truck company when you could be back on the road in a few hours.

Once, a rental company brought a new bike to replace the one we were riding because it broke down. The guy rode up to us, handed us his keys and loaded the old bike up in a van that was following him. All within 45 minutes of us calling the rental agency. That was pretty sweet.

Another problem with shipping is that sometimes your motorcycle won't arrive on time, depending on airline delays or administrative SNAFUs. If you've only got 10 days vacation and your motorcycle arrives 7 days late, that would really suck. That happened to us a few times. Fortunately once, it was at the end of our trip and the bikes were being flown back from Europe to Toronto. Somehow they overshot and ended up in Vancouver. It was cheaper for the company to truck them back to TO, and we got the bikes back a week later.

No apologies, no compensation. That's just the way the airlines roll.

Pros and cons.
 
Lightcycle said:
There's pros and cons to both.

If you ship your own bike, it's kitted out the way you like it: seat and shield tailored to your comfort, you know what will or won't fit in your panniers and cases. Plus you can ship all your motorcycle gear with the motorcycle, and walk on the plane with nothing but a backpack. If I was taking a multi-week motorcycle trip, I wouldn't want to sit on the stock seat of a rental bike every single day, or have to leave gear behind in the rental company's office because the luggage options were too small.

However, if you rent, you don't have to worry about insurance - which is something you have to shop for and purchase separately when you ship your own bike. Also, it's much cheaper for shorter trips, and most reputable rental agencies carry late-model vehicles in good condition, so maybe you get to try out a nice BMW or Ducati.

Most companies also have a breakdown service included, so if your battery goes or if you get a flat, they'll send someone to fix it. Saves a lot of time and money especially if your vacation is short - you don't want to be calling around for a shop and/or a tow truck company when you could be back on the road in a few hours.

Once, a rental company brought a new bike to replace the one we were riding because it broke down. The guy rode up to us, handed us his keys and loaded the old bike up in a van that was following him. All within 45 minutes of us calling the rental agency. That was pretty sweet.

Another problem with shipping is that sometimes your motorcycle won't arrive on time, depending on airline delays or administrative SNAFUs. If you've only got 10 days vacation and your motorcycle arrives 7 days late, that would really suck. That happened to us a few times. Fortunately once, it was at the end of our trip and the bikes were being flown back from Europe to Toronto. Somehow they overshot and ended up in Vancouver. It was cheaper for the company to truck them back to TO, and we got the bikes back a week later.

No apologies, no compensation. That's just the way the airlines roll.

Pros and cons.
Click to expand...

Great information. Thank you. Can you tell me which airline you used?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Allistonfjr said:
Great information. Thank you. Can you tell me which airline you used?
Click to expand...

It was a while ago. We used a company called Motorcycle Express. They're a US-based company and they in turn contacted a Toronto Freight Forwarder, and the local FF used Air Transat.

To this day, I don't know if the Vancouver/Toronto mistake was Air Transat's fault or the FF's.

I've heard good things about Air Canada Cargo. I would go with this, if you want to ship yourself. You'll still have to get Green Card insurance for foreign vehicles while riding through Europe. We use http://greencard.mototouring.com
 
Lightcycle said:
It was a while ago. We used a company called Motorcycle Express. They're a US-based company and they in turn contacted a Toronto Freight Forwarder, and the local FF used Air Transat.

To this day, I don't know if the Vancouver/Toronto mistake was Air Transat's fault or the FF's.

I've heard good things about Air Canada Cargo. I would go with this, if you want to ship yourself. You'll still have to get Green Card insurance for foreign vehicles while riding through Europe. We use http://greencard.mototouring.com
Click to expand...

Thanks. You've been a great source. Appreciate it.
 
norri said:
No need for an international license, it's basically just a translation so there's not much benefit Canada - Uk
Click to expand...

True. I've driven (rented) car twice in the UK. Our license is fine.
 
Air Canada Cargo is the way to go for sure .....figure about $2k return including the dangerous goods certificate.
You can leave your luggage on the bike but when you go for the dangerous goods paper the bike needs to be close to the same weight as when you are going ......there is some flex.

You just ride the bike to Air Canada Cargo with 1/3 or less of a tank of fuel. Then ride it out of the terminal at the other end tho I suggest for international there might be some extra. Steps.
The bike CAN go on the same flight but I'd suggesty sending the bike a few days ahead....but check on any storage charges.

Hmmmm got me thinking I should do it solo this year to the west coast and ride back with some variatlon from last time. Likely do the Canadian route on the way back and spend more time in BC....there was a very inexpensive AirBnB in mid BC that would be an excellent base to operate from.
 
Man, I'm so jealous.... I'm also attending a wedding in Scotland in August but there's no way I'll get a chance to explore anything on two wheels :( If you see a frustrated campervan or motorhome driver waving feverishly to bikers that might be me :P
 
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