With COVID restrictions lifting and some reassuring statistics being released on who is at risk, how you catch it and some promising vaccines in final testing; its time to start looking ahead. There are lots of great reasons for getting out of lockdown and on your motorbikebike again.
Know Your Risk
It is now very clear that age is the biggest risk factor for serious complications and death from COVID. If you are under 50 the risk is negligible, if you are over 75 then the risk is highest. Males in poor health who are overweight are the most at risk. So if you are male, over 70, overweight, and have other medical issues you should probably still be very cautious – otherwise, you can relax and start getting back to normal.
COVID Safe Day Trips
There are few leisure activities that are as socially distanced as motorcycling. Alone on your bike, out in the fresh air, with a helmet on – you couldn’t be at much less risk of catching the virus or passing it on to anyone else. If you also avoid overnight stops and pack your own food then you don’t have to mix with anyone else at all. So there is nothing stopping you from getting on your bike now and enjoying the roads and countryside within a day’s ride of your home.
It is also really easy to bike in small groups safely. You maintain a safe distance when biking anyway and it’s easy to adopt social distancing measures when you stop for a break.
Motorcycle Touring Holidays
If you are young(ish), healthy, and are not overly worried about the virus you can make your trips longer. Simple social distancing and hygiene measures appear to be sufficient safety measures so you should feel free to restart doing the things you enjoy. Book a few night’s accommodation or rough it in a tent. It’s pretty simple to wear a mask and take some alcohol with you and avoid large groups of people who are not practicing good social distancing measures.
It’s easy to plan a trip in the UK if you can find accommodation that isn’t extortionately expensive. This should become easier once the kids are finally back in school. You can of course pop over the channel and spend a few days in France, Spain, Germany, Holland or Norway. The UK government is still advising people against all but essential travel however there is nothing actually stopping you holidaying abroad if you want to.
Check the rules on self-isolation and quarantine in your destination countries as well as the rules in the UK on your return and make decisions accordingly. It’s a good idea to only make plans at short notice as travel restrictions and quarantine rules seem to be changing almost daily.
Booking a Foreign Biking Holiday
Booking a holiday of any kind seems to be risky at the moment. There are plenty of stories of companies who will not provide refunds, who ignore customers’ attempts to contact them, and who have gone bust.
However you can still plan ahead and book a holiday, you just need to do a few more checks than normal.
If you book a holiday you need to do it with a company that is fully bonded so your deposits are safe even if they do go bust. It is also a good idea to choose one that has demonstrated a customer-focused approach to their COVID response.
So what should you look for?
First of all, is there high profile information about COVID on the holiday company’s website? Do they have a clear policy and have they addressed the security of your money and your personal safety while you are on your holiday? If they are not even open and upfront with you before you book what can you expect if the worst happens?
Can the company demonstrate that it is fully bonded? Not all compensation schemes are the same so make sure you know exactly what happens to your money if your holiday is canceled due to your own illness or international travel restrictions. Is your money safe if the firm goes bust?
Thirdly, test the company’s responsiveness to a call and or email. Do they respond at all, how quickly and how well? If you can’t get them to communicate well with you before you book then don’t expect them to help you after you hand over your money.
Luckily many of the companies that run motorbike tours are small businesses that rely on repeat customers and recommendations. As a result, they tend to be highly customer-focused and responses to COVID, in general, have been really good.
Take Magellan Motorcycle Tours for example. They decided to cancel all their holidays in 2020 as the uncertainly was too high for customers and planning incredibly difficult for tour operators and hoteliers. They provided full and instant refunds to everyone and helped customers re-book for 2021 if they wanted to. They provide very detailed and transparent information about their COVID policies, the security of your deposits, and safety procedures. With these sorts of plans in place and such a clear demonstration of having done the right things by their customers, you can book with confidence.
Best Destinations?
So where should you choose to go? To play it safe it makes sense to choose a destination where cases have been low and that have good health systems and the ability to control people’s movement. Norway, Canada, and Cuba are all good examples of world-beating biking destinations in which COVID has been controlled and are likely to still be in control next year. The USA seems to be a complete nightmare at the moment but the remote sate of Alaska appears to be a safe location and is fantastic for bikers.
