26 DAYS SOUTH OF COPENHAGEN (GBZ TO CPH)

Most European motorcycle tours pick one region and stay in it. This expedition does something different: it traces the spine of Europe northward, starting at the southernmost tip of the continent and riding through Spain, Andorra, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany and Denmark. In one unbroken journey you go from the blue horizons of the Andalusian coast to the snow-capped peaks of the Alps, crossing borders, cultures and climates as the landscape changes around you week by week.

The highlight list reads like a continental bucket list because that is precisely what we designed it to be: the Rock of Gibraltar, the Punta de Tarifa coastline where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, the Alhambra Palace above Granada, the windmills of La Mancha, Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences, the Roman amphitheatre of Tarragona, the Pyrenean mountain roads of Andorra, the medieval fortress of Carcassonne, the French Riviera coastal ride, the Swiss Alpine passes and the hairpins of the Stelvio Pass. Between those icons you will discover hidden villages, winding backroads and high-altitude routes that never make the postcards.

We built this ride for motorcyclists who want a true taste of continental adventure without the full Arctic push. Our 42-day Europe Cape 2 Cape continues all the way through Sweden and Norway; South of Copenhagen is the ultimate ride from the bottom up for riders whose calendar tops out at just under four weeks, packing the densest stretch of European riding into 26 days.

We publish a terrain profile for every tour so you can match the route to your skills before you book. South of Copenhagen rates 5% off-road, 75% comfort and 100% fun — in plain words, this is a paved-road expedition. The route covers around 5,000 km of mainly paved roads, combining relaxed coastal stretches with exhilarating climbs, so the challenge here is not technical dirt riding but sustained, varied street riding: tight Andalusian hill roads one week, high Alpine switchbacks the next.

The rhythm is deliberately humane. Riding days typically run between 110 and 420 km, and four full rest days are built into the itinerary — in Valencia, Carcassonne, Chamonix and Salzburg — so the expedition breathes instead of grinding. The longest single day in the published itinerary is the 420 km crossing of La Mancha's plains; the shortest is the 110 km hop from Grenoble to Chamonix on scenic alpine roads to the foot of Mont Blanc. A professional multilingual tour leader rides with the group, and a local guide and support vehicle travel alongside the entire way, with fuel, ferries, bridges and road tolls all covered.

For riders who want to calibrate the technical peak of the trip: it is day 17, Lake Como to Bolzano via the Stelvio Pass — one of Europe's greatest motorcycling roads, packed with switchbacks, breathtaking views and pure adrenaline. If you can ride confidently at home and handle tight mountain curves, the Stelvio is a reward, not a barrier.

The expedition opens in Gibraltar with motorcycle handover, a rider briefing and a welcome dinner. From there the day-by-day itinerary above tells the story in full; these are the chapters it moves through.

Andalusia and the Spanish interior (days 2–7). The first riding day runs 240 km from Gibraltar to Ronda via Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in Europe, then into twisty Andalusian hills. Granada follows, with an optional visit to the Alhambra, before the 420 km crossing of La Mancha's plains through Don Quixote country to Valdepeñas. The route then swings to the Mediterranean at Valencia — where a rest day lets you relax at the beach or explore the City of Arts and Sciences — and continues up the coast through picturesque towns to Tarragona and its Roman amphitheatre.

The Pyrenees and southern France (days 8–13). From Tarragona the road climbs 350 km into the Pyrenees on thrilling mountain roads to Andorra la Vella, then crosses into France via Port de Cabús, one of the highest paved passes, with alpine vistas all the way to Foix. A short 130 km ride delivers the group to Carcassonne, the UNESCO-listed medieval walled city, where a rest day is reserved for walking the ramparts and enjoying local cuisine and wine. The route then rolls through wine country to the Roman treasures of Nîmes and across Provence — a mix of valleys and ridgelines — to Grenoble.

The Alps at full volume (days 14–19). Chamonix, at the foot of Mont Blanc, earns a rest day with an optional glacier hike or the Aiguille du Midi cable car. Then comes the tour's Alpine crescendo: 320 km through the Alps into Italy for a lakeside evening in Como, the Stelvio Pass climb to Bolzano, and a ride through Tyrol's lush valleys into Austria to Salzburg, where the fourth rest day invites you to explore Mozart's hometown or simply relax in the Alps.

North through Bohemia and Germany (days 20–21 and beyond). Leaving Salzburg, the route enters the Czech Republic and cruises through Bohemian countryside to Prague, then makes the fast 350 km run to Berlin. From there the expedition points north through Germany and into Denmark — this is the South of Copenhagen tour, and Copenhagen (airport code CPH) is where it ends, with transfers on the official departure day included. Check the itinerary section above for the day-by-day detail of each leg.

A crossing of eight-plus countries is as much a cultural journey as a riding one, and the itinerary builds the stops in. These are the anchors:

• Punta de Tarifa (day 2). Touch the edge of the continent where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean — wind, waves and epic coast views at Europe's southernmost point.
• The Alhambra, Granada (day 3). Spain's most iconic fortress-palace, surrounded by gardens, arches and mountain views — an optional visit on the Granada stop.
• Valencia (days 5–6). The Mediterranean rest stop: beach time or the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences.
• Tarragona (day 7). A Roman amphitheatre by the sea at the end of a coastal riding day.
• Carcassonne (days 10–11). The UNESCO-listed medieval walled city, with a full rest day to walk the ramparts and taste the local cuisine and wine.
• Nîmes (day 12). Roman treasures reached through French wine country.
• Chamonix and Mont Blanc (days 14–15). A rest day at the foot of Western Europe's most famous massif, with an optional glacier hike or Aiguille du Midi cable car.
• Salzburg (days 18–19). Mozart's hometown, and the gateway between the Alps and Bohemia.
• Prague and Berlin (days 20–21). Two of Central Europe's great capitals, back to back, before the ride turns north toward Denmark.

Group activities and entry fees are included in the tour price, so when the group walks in, everyone walks in — no ticket-counter arithmetic along the way.

The motorcycles. The base bike is the CFMOTO 450MT, included in the tour price. If you prefer more displacement, two upgrades are available: the CFMOTO 800MT-X for +$1,299 or the CFMOTO 1000MT-X for +$1,999. All bikes are latest-model, professionally maintained machines. Mandatory third-party liability insurance is included; the mandatory motorcycle damage and theft liability reduction insurance is a +$650 addition, and a refundable security deposit on your credit card is required to take the bike out, sized according to the rental bike you choose.

The group. We keep this expedition small: minimum 6 riders, maximum 12, led by a certified multilingual tour leader with a local guide and support vehicle alongside. Riding two-up? The Add Pillion/Passenger option (+$7,499) covers your co-rider. Accommodation is in shared rooms by default, with a single-room upgrade available for +$2,499.

What the price covers. The tour starts at $14,999 per rider on the CFMOTO 450MT in a shared room. That includes accommodation, all breakfasts, the base motorcycle rental, fuel, ferries, bridges and road tolls, group activities and entry fees, a pre-tour preparation guide and briefing, transfers to and from Gibraltar and Copenhagen (GIB/CPH) on official arrival and departure days, up to 25% discount on riding gear from our partners Klim, Giant Loop and Mosko Moto, and all taxes — all backed by our price match guarantee. Airfare, lunches, dinners and drinks, personal paperwork, permits and visas, and tips are not included; for travel and cancellation insurance we point riders to Global Rescue.

Booking and payment. Hit Book Now, pick your date and pay the deposit; we accept bank transfer, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal and Bitcoin, and you can split the balance into monthly payments with no interest. Booking as a group is rewarded: when 5 riders pay, rider number 6 travels free. Every booking is backed by our price match and departure guarantees. The next scheduled departure is May 1 to 26, 2028, and private group dates are available for groups of 6 or more riders.

Who can join. You need to be 20 or older with at least one year of experience on a 500cc-or-bigger motorcycle, hold a valid driver's license with motorcycle endorsement, and carry a passport with at least six months' validity at tour start. That is the whole bar — if you ride confidently at home and the Stelvio makes you grin rather than gulp, this route is for you.

Seventeen-plus years of operating tours and more than 4,000 riders have shaped how we run Europe from the bottom up. Gibraltar to Copenhagen is the proof: one continent, one motorcycle, 26 days.