Old style ones include a GB identifier with the Union flag, the Euro flag, any national flag for England, Wales, or Scotland.

Tools/spares/puncture kit: Not compulsory, but potentially useful. It’s up to you whether you carry any spares, but a small toolkit is always handy, even if it's only so you can tighten up the odd loose sat-nav mount or trim a frayed luggage strap. You might need to use separate EU, EEA (European Economic Area) and Swiss lanes when queuing. Your passport should also now be stamped. Share this article After the date comes your initials, unless you’ve only got one initial in which case the second character is replaced by a 9.If you have a paper driving licence, or a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle on Man then you may need an international driving permit. Insurance: You no longer need a Green Card to ride in the European Union, but you will need your insurance certificate (again, not a copy, though if it’s supplied digitally, you can print it out).

Depending on which countries you're visiting, you may need extra paperwork, equipment and/or knowledge. Here's a start for the most popular destinations for Brit bikers… Switzerland's far too law-abiding to be fun on a bike for very long, although it does have some magnificent scenery of course. Mainly it's just easier to go through it than around it when you're on your way to Italy, Austria or places further East (speaking of which, have a look at our guide to riding in Croatia here. In January 2021, as part of the post-Brexit fallout, the old ‘Euro’ number plate which showed the EU stars symbol, was replaced with a new plate showing the Union flag and a GB symbol. Contrary to popular wisdom you do NOT need to carry a spare bulb kit… although it's not a bad idea anyway. As your motorbike will be loaded up, this changes your machine’s performance. So, anticipate that braking and acceleration might be slower and less responsive. Be respectful of local traffic lawsDifferent EU countries have different rules around slow-moving or stationary traffic. Some allow filtering. Other countries, like France, don’t. Often the motorways are too congested to go fast anyway, in which case remember filtering's only legal in completely stationary traffic. You need a full UK motorcycle licence to ride in Europe. The Compulsory Basic Training(CBT) assessment isn't enough. The good news is that because the Government has reached an agreement with the 27 EU member states, we can ride in those countries without the need for an international driving licence. This also applies to Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, but only as long as you’ve got a photocard licence. This also means that if your motorbike is stolen while riding abroad, your policy might not cover you.

Most road safety organisations recommend a break of at least 15 minutes every 2 hours. Mind your load Passport:And make sure it's valid. That doesn't mean just 'not expired yet'... The EU/Schengen requirement is that your passport much have been issued less than ten years before your outward travel date, AND that it has three months' validity on your planned return date.A puncture kit is well worth having too, but completely pointless unless you know how to use it, so make sure you practice a couple of times on an old tyre before you go.