<h3 “>Day 1: UK to Verdun, FranceBegin your Sardinia and Corsica motorcycle tour with an early morning Eurotunnel crossing from Folkestone to Calais. Head east through the rolling countryside of Picardy and Champagne to your first overnight stop at Verdun — one of the most significant and moving places in Europe. The Battle of Verdun in 1916 lasted 303 days and resulted in nearly 700,000 casualties. Arriving today gives you time to settle in and perhaps take a first look around the town.

Distance: ~280 miles (450 km)
Highlights: Eurotunnel crossing, Champagne region, Verdun arrival

<h3 “>Day 2: Verdun to Malbuisson — Jura MountainsThe landscape still bears the scars of 1916 more than a century on, and a visit here is both humbling and unforgettable. Head south-east from Lorraine and Champagne into the Jura Mountains — a landscape that riders who’ve never visited are always surprised by. High forested plateaus, dramatic river gorges, hidden lakes, and a network of superb roads carrying almost no traffic. Your overnight stop is Malbuisson, a charming village on the shores of Lac de Saint-Point, the largest natural lake in the Franche-Comté.

Distance: ~230 miles (370 km)
Highlights: Verdun battlefield — Ossuary of Douaumont, Fort de Vaux, Jura Mountains, Malbuisson, Lac de Saint-Point
<h3″>Day 3: Malbuisson to Autrans — Jura & Vercors

Continue south through the heart of the Jura Mountains, following the high plateaus and river gorges that make this region such a joy to ride. Cross into the northern Alps and climb up onto the Vercors plateau — a dramatic limestone massif rising above the Rhône Valley — to your overnight stop at Autrans, a quiet mountain village with views south towards Grenoble and the high Alps beyond.

Distance: ~185 miles (300 km)
Highlights: Jura high plateaus, river gorges, Vercors plateau, Autrans

More about our Route Napoléon tours

<h3 “>Day 4: Autrans to Castellane — Route Napoléon

Today you join one of the great motorcycle roads of Europe — the Route Napoléon (N85), the route Napoleon took southward in March 1815 after his return from exile on Elba, bound for Paris. Riding it south, you follow the same mountain scenery through the Pre-Alps to Gap, Corps, Digne, and Grasse, the road sweeping and flowing through lavender country and alpine passes. Your overnight stop is Castellane, a spectacular mountain town beneath a great limestone rock topped by a 12th-century chapel, and the perfect gateway to tomorrow’s highlight.

Distance: ~200 miles (320 km)
Highlights: Route Napoléon N85, Pre-Alps, Gap, Digne, Castellane

<h3 “>Day 5: Castellane — Gorge du Verdon — Toulon — Overnight Ferry to Sardinia

Today’s ride saves the best for last before the ferry. Head out of Castellane and into the Gorge du Verdon — the Grand Canyon of Europe — where the road clings to clifftops 700 metres above the brilliant turquoise water of the Lac de Sainte-Croix. This is one of the most dramatic motorcycle roads in France, with view after view that takes your breath away. Drop down through Provence to the port of Toulon and board your overnight ferry to Sardinia. Wake up to the island.

Distance: ~80 miles (130 km) + overnight ferry
Highlights: Gorge du Verdon, Lac de Sainte-Croix, Provence, Toulon ferry port

<h3 “>Day 6: Arrive Sardinia — SP105/SS49 & Cross-Island to Bari Sardo

Wake up as the ferry glides into Sardinia’s coastline. Disembark and head south along the SP105/SS49 — one of Sardinia’s celebrated motorcycle roads running down the west coast, with the Mediterranean to your right and the island’s mountainous spine rising to your left. From here you cut across the dramatic interior, where the landscape opens up into granite plateaus, cork oak forests, and ancient Nuragic stone towers — a side of Sardinia most visitors never see. Arrive at your base in Bari Sardo on the wild Ogliastra coast, ready to make the most of your rest day tomorrow.

Distance: ~100 miles (160 km)
Highlights: SP105 west coast road, Sardinian interior, Ogliastra mountains, Bari Sardo arrival

<h3 “>Day 7: Bari Sardo — Rest Day or Ride Out, SS125 & Gennargentu National Park

Today you discover why Sardinia is regarded as one of Europe’s premier motorcycle destinations. The SS125 — known as the “Orientale Sarda” — winds along the eastern seaboard through the Ogliastra hinterland with a combination of tight mountain hairpins, sweeping coastal curves, and breathtaking sea views. Head inland on the into the Gennargentu National Park, Sardinia’s mountainous backbone, home to golden eagles, red deer, and the island’s highest peaks — roads regularly used for motorcycle manufacturer press launches. Return to Bari Sardo.

Distance: ~130 miles (210 km) optional
Highlights: SS125 Orientale Sarda, Gennargentu National Park, Ogliastra mountain roads
<h3″>Day 8: Bari Sardo to Santa Teresa Gallura

Ride north through Sardinia to the island’s rugged northern tip, finishing the day in the charming town of Santa Teresa Gallura. From here, on a clear day, you can see Corsica just 12 kilometres across the Strait of Bonifacio — close enough to feel the anticipation building for tomorrow’s crossing. A relaxed evening in town before an early start for the ferry.

Distance: ~120 miles (195 km)
Highlights: Northern Sardinia, Strait of Bonifacio views, Santa Teresa Gallura

<h3 “>Day 9: Santa Teresa Gallura — Ferry to Corsica, Col de la Tana, D81 & Calvi

An early morning ferry crossing from Santa Teresa Gallura across the Strait of Bonifacio brings you to the southern tip of Corsica at Bonifacio — one of the most dramatic arrivals in the Mediterranean, with the walled citadel town perched on towering white limestone cliffs above the harbour. Head inland and north over the Col de la Tana before picking up the D81, one of Corsica’s legendary motorcycle test roads, which hugs the dramatic west coast above the Golfe de Porto — every corner delivering another jaw-dropping view of the turquoise sea far below. Continue north to your base at Calvi, a beautiful Genoese citadel town overlooking a sweeping sandy bay backed by the mountains of the Balagne — your home for the next two nights.

Distance: Ferry crossing (~45 mins) + ~130 miles (210 km)
Highlights: Strait of Bonifacio ferry, Bonifacio citadel, Col de la Tana, D81 west coast road, Calvi arrival
<h3″>Day 10: Calvi — Rest Day or Ride Out, D81 Northern Peninsula & D80

Your rest day in Calvi — and for those who want to ride, today’s optional route is a spectacular loop around the wild northern peninsula of Corsica. Head north out of Calvi on the D81, which continues along the coast past the Balagne villages and around the rugged Cap Corse peninsula — remote, dramatic, and with almost no traffic. Pick up the D80 down the western side of the peninsula, where the road winds above a wild and largely untouched coastline before sweeping back south to Calvi. Those who prefer a rest day have the 6km sandy bay of Calvi right on the doorstep — the sea is warm, the citadel is worth exploring, and the harbour cafés do an excellent coffee.

Distance: ~120 miles (195 km) optional
Highlights: D81 northern peninsula, Cap Corse, D80 west side, Calvi beach, Genoese citadel

<h3 “>Day 11: Calvi — D84, Monte Cinto & Parc Naturel Régional de Corse — Ajaccio — Overnight Ferry to Toulon

A final spectacular day on Corsica before the ferry home. Head east out of Calvi on the D84, which climbs through chestnut forests and dramatic gorges deep into the Parc Naturel Régional de Corse via Col de Vergio in the shadow of Monte Cinto — at 2,706m the highest peak on the island, its granite flanks towering above the road as you pass. The park interior is a world away from the coastal Corsica most visitors see — wild, silent, and breathtakingly beautiful. Loop south through the Corsican mountains to Ajaccio, the island’s capital and birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, with time to explore the old town and harbour before boarding your overnight ferry back to the French mainland at Toulon.

Distance: ~140 miles (225 km) + overnight ferry
Highlights: D84, Col de Vergio, Monte Cinto, Parc Naturel Régional de Corse, Ajaccio, Napoleon’s birthplace, overnight ferry to Toulon
<h3″>Day 12: Toulon — Mont Aigoual & Cévennes — Millau

Disembark at Toulon and head north-west through the garrigue landscapes of Provence and the Languedoc, climbing up through the Cévennes towards Mont Aigoual (1,567m), the highest point in the Cévennes massif and one of the great viewpoints in southern France — on a clear day you can see the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Mediterranean coast. Continue north to Millau, where you arrive to your overnight stop with the iconic Millau Viaduct — the world’s tallest bridge — framing the valley, with time to take in the famous viewpoint above the town.

Distance: ~200 miles (320 km)
Highlights: Toulon arrival, Cévennes, Mont Aigoual summit, Millau Viaduct viewpoint

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<h3 “>Day 13: Millau to Limoges — Tarn Gorge & Cévennes

A spectacular day’s riding through some of France’s most dramatic landscapes. Head north-west into the gorge country of the Massif Central. The Tarn Gorge is one of Europe’s great natural wonders — the road carves through sheer limestone cliffs above the river for mile after mile of sensational riding. Head into the Cévennes National Park with its high granite plateaus and chestnut forests, before crossing the rolling hills of the Limousin to your overnight stop in Limoges.

Distance: ~225 miles (360 km)
Highlights: Tarn Gorge, Cévennes National Park, Limoges

<h3 “>Day 14: Limoges to Chartres — Oradour-sur-Glane

Head north through the wooded hills of the Parc naturel régional de Millevaches en Limousin. A short detour brings you to Oradour-sur-Glane, the village left exactly as it was in June 1944 following one of the worst atrocities committed in Western Europe during WWII. Its preserved ruins stand as a powerful and permanent memorial. Continue north through the Parc naturel régional de la Brenne — a tranquil landscape of lakes, wetlands, and heathland — to your overnight stop in Chartres, dominated by its magnificent 13th-century Gothic cathedral.

Distance: ~220 miles (355 km)
Highlights: Parc de la Brenne, Millevaches National Park, Oradour-sur-Glane memorial, Chartres Cathedral

<h3 “>Day 15: Chartres to Calais — Home

The final day. Head north through the rolling countryside of northern France, passing through the Paris basin and Picardy to Calais for your Eurotunnel crossing back to Folkestone. Return home with an extraordinary collection of memories — island roads, mountain passes, gorges, ferry crossings at dawn, and the kind of riding that only Europe can deliver.

Distance: ~200 miles (320 km)
Highlights: Northern France, Calais, Eurotunnel crossing, home