Z.i.Tours has been arranging holidays and trips to European race events since 1989 - and always with the same, simple down-to-earth philosophy you'd expect of fellow enthusiasts. We arrange ferries, hotels and routes at prices that you'd find difficult to beat anywhere else.

We pride ourselves on the amount of effort and energy we expend on finding fantastic biking routes that you'll find hard to beat in the UK. We've built up years of experience and have learnt a great deal about the kinds of roads, scenery and hotels our clients like; we also know a great deal about prevailing route and road conditions and the speeds favoured by our clients.

On our fully escorted trips, we always try to make sure our travelling groups stay together with frequent on-road checks and rests. All designed to make your's, and your pillion's, holiday experience something to remember.

You'll find that we're ordinary riders too - just like you. So ... whether you're young or old, girl or bloke, happy or sad - you're assured of a fantastic time with us. We don't believe you can find a more experienced and considerate tour company.

We think our tours are suitable for the vast majority of riders - all kinds and ages of riders and bikes have thoroughly enjoyed our trips - from beginner to expert, from euro-virgin to euro-star. We try to make the pace as comfortable as possible but maintain a good steady itinerary in order to make sure we get to our destination in good time. Our route instructions (in combination with a map) are very good too, so if you fancy going faster, or slower, it's easy to go it on your own or with other riders. We try our best to make sure nobody gets lost or overawed by the European experience.

Some of our tour leaders speak more than one foreign language - but seldom use them - as there isn't much call for Icelandic or Latvian in the countries we visit! But don't worry - we've never tired of using that universal language of the road, employed with much success each year   

by thousands of British tourists abroad - English ... It works for us and it should work just fine for you - if in doubt use simple words . Also, shouting helps.

Places are limited on these exclusive and much sought after tours, so secure your place on one of them now by filling in and posting your booking form and deposit. Anything you are not sure of? Want some more information? Then please don't hesitate to write, phone, or email us

The hotels we use are all good quality regional or local hotels.

They usually have an in-house restaurant which is of good quality selling a range of international and local meals.

The ferry normally starts loading about 30' before its stated departure time, the new ticket gates at Dover can take quite a while to clear - so please make sure you leave plenty of time to check-in. We usually try to turn up at least 50 minutes before departure.

BE CAREFUL AT DOVER WITHIN THE DOCK PERIMETER - DOCKS POLICE NOW OPERATE SPEED CHECKS AND PENALTIES ARE ENFORCEABLE UNDER NORMAL UK TRAFFIC REGULATIONS - IE POINTS ARE APPLIED - THE SPEED LIMIT IS 20 MPH

All ferry crossings run Dover-Calais-Dover from Dover's EASTERN DOCKS. Journey time is about 90 minutes. They run every hour or so. The port is at the bottom of the slip-road as you come down from the direction of Canterbury, or if you're coming in from the M20 it is at the far end of town.

We each go through tickets/customs /passports separately and not as a group. Check in at the gate and proceed to the numbered lane given to you by the check-in clerk. We'll meet you there.. Bikes load first as a rule because of the time taken to tie them down - so don't be late. More info on tie-downs later.

Fuel up in Dover so that you can make the first stop which is usually 70-110         

miles from Calais (dependent on the route and the maximum tank range of the bike with the smallest capacity).

On-board, we usually meet up in the 'Brasserie' which is a pleasant non-smoking lounge serving coffee and snacks. Breakfast is available on board either in the Brasserie or in the main cafeteria.

We mostly try to book the newer Ferries that have specific facilities for Bikes - but remember, this isn't guaranteed. The newer boats have Bike bays and are usually tied down by the staff. Facilities for bikes on older ferries are often rudimentary - a short piece of nylon rope with which to tie the bike down is the norm, and real tie-downs are a luxury. So, if you're worried about this, get a pair of ratchet tie-downs and bring them with you.

KEEP YOUR PASSPORT, TICKETS, CASH AND CARDS, SPARE KEYS AS WELL AS YOUR ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS ON YOU.

"There are few things in life more discouraging than standing on the quayside in Calais, in the pouring rain, waiting for your so called mate to turn up with your cash, mobilephone, passport, ticket and route instructions. At the time, it seemed like such a good idea for one of us to hold all the papers and stuff ..." - a true story repeated all too often" .

Riding in a group in Europe is a great experience but there are some common courtesies and rules that we like to observe:

Keep at least two bikes ahead of you in sight - if you lose contact, try to catch up briskly but safely - and keep your eyes well peeled in case the bikes ahead have pulled over or, on a motorway, have pulled over into a service area.

Give other riders room to make mistakes. Nobody is perfect.