Road trip: take your own bike or rent one

You're planning a motorcycle road trip in Greece or Crete, and wondering whether to take your own motorcycle or rent one. To decide on the best option, ask yourself the right questions.

1. Is riding your own motorcycle a matter of principle?

If that's the case, you don't need to hire a motorcycle - you'll be riding your own motorcycle in Greece, whatever the journey, whatever the distance, however long it takes. 

However, if you're asking yourself this question, it's because you think the answer may not be self-evident, and you're right.

The main issue is distance. Greece isn't at the end of the world, but it's still at the end of Europe, so it's a long way. Count on at least 700 km of freeway to Ancona in Italy if you start from Nice, double that if you start from Lille, Nantes or Bordeaux, and we're not talking about Brest or Brussels. And you'll add a whole night on the ferry, or even more if your port of disembarkation is Patras, in the north of the Peloponnese.

For the ferry crossing, you might want to aim for Venice rather than Ancona if you're setting off from Strasbourg, Lyon or Geneva, which means a shorter motorway journey, but at the cost of a longer crossing. Allow 24 hours to reach Igoumenitsa, opposite Corfu, and 30 hours to Patras.

Or consider a route through the Balkans or along the Adriatic coast. But this superb 2,000 km route, starting from the French border, should be seen as a journey in its own right, not as a link. Allow around ten days to do it right.

However, it's not just a question of where you're leaving from, but also of where you're going in Greece, which can potentially make your journey much longer!

 If your final destination is Corfu or the Ionian coast for a seaside holiday, leaving with your motorcycle may be a good solution if your starting point isn't too far away.

On the other hand, if you're planning a motorcycle road trip in Greece, you're likely to have in mind a visit to the great Unesco-listed sites in Greece, such as the Meteora in Thessaly, or a trip down to the Peloponnese, or even as far as Athens. Greece has no shortage of major sites to visit!

But in the end, it starts to add up to a lot of miles!

If you want to take a motorcycle road trip in Crete, be prepared for a second 12-hour crossing between Piraeus and Heraklion or Chania! 

Travelling to Greece involves considerable distances. The next question is how much time you have.

2. Is time an issue?

 If you're retired and time is not an issue for you, or even the opposite, then riding down to Greece on your own motorcycle is definitely an option.

On the other hand, if time is of the essence for you, ask yourself how much you want to spend going downhill and then back up, and how much you want to have available on site for your road trip.

 If you don't have at least 3 days to get off and another 3 to get back on, including the ferry crossing, forget about your personal motorcycle, unless you're prepared to put up with hundreds of boring, tiring kilometers on Italian, then French, Swiss or Belgian freeways. 

Similarly, if the price you have to pay for coming down with your own motorcycle is that you won't be able to ride for at least a full week, and ideally even ten days, then give up your own motorcycle or your road trip to Greece.

No, if time is of the essence for you, then clearly the best option is to rent a motorcycle locally. 

A three-hour flight, or thereabouts, and you're in Athens or Heraklion, with 100% of your time free to explore Greece or Crete by motorcycle.

 If, on the other hand, time isn't an issue for you, is travel enjoyment?

3. Compromising on comfort and pleasure when getting off your bike?

 If you're prepared to endure a multi-day liaison trip with no interest other than staying loyal to your mount, the personal motorcycle option is available.

On the other hand, if you want your trip to Greece to be a pleasure and comfortable, then you'll want to make it a leisure trip in its own right. You'll want to plan your itinerary carefully, so that you take roads that are well worth the effort, and don't miss any places of interest along the way. 

 And then you'll want to be selective about where you stop, so that you can enjoy good food and quality bedding. And if you do the ferry crossings, you'll take a cabin to avoid the nightmare of crowded lounges and air mattresses...

If you have the time and the means, then it's a good idea to use your motorcycle rental budget to ride your own bike for longer and better.

Behind this question, of course, lies the question of your budget. 

Is budget the main reason for taking your motorcycle to Greece?

It's possible to rent a motorcycle in Greece from a serious professional rental company with a fleet of exciting new bikes. If you take the time to look hard enough, you'll find them in Athens, Thessaloniki and even Heraklion in Crete. 

Mind you, we're not talking about scooters, but real motorcycles, in excellent condition, with all the necessary luggage, insurance and assistance in the event of a problem. There are already a lot fewer people out there! At Hellenic Rides, we offer a fleet of 60 recent machines in excellent condition, and a wide choice of motorcycle models.

Depending on the make, model and rental period, you'll need to budget between 100 and 200 euros per day, or even a little more depending on the model you're looking for. To this budget, you'll also need to add the cost of flights.

 Obviously, if you come to Greece with your motorcycle, you'll save on these costs, but you'll have to pay for fuel, tolls, ferry crossings, stages, and so on. In the end, the difference won't be that great.

 If budget is the only justification for taking your motorcycle to Greece, it's not really a good calculation.

 If, on the other hand, your idea is to start the journey from the very first day and from the very first kilometer, then setting off with your motorcycle can be an excellent idea.

5. With or without your own motorcycle, you can count on the support of a passionate and competent professional! 

Whether you want to take your own motorcycle or rent one locally, the ideal solution is to rely on the skills and knowledge of a motorcycle road trip professional. 

At Hellenic Rides we specialize in Greece, which we know very well. We offer charming motorcycle road trips, with or without motorcycle rental, throughout Greece and Crete.

We're also very familiar with the routes to Greece by motorcycle, whether through Italy or down the Adriatic coast. 

Ask us, and we'll make you a proposal tailored to your needs and budget!