First Time abroad - Riding to Tunisia

[wainleft]

Hi, I'm toying with the idea of riding my viffer to Tunisia this summer - I'm going regardless, but thought it might be a good idea to have my bike there while I'm taking a language course.

Any experience with this out there? I expect that I would take a ferry from Marseilles to Tunis.

From Tunis, I think I'd take a ferry to Italy or Croatia and ride up to the MotoGP in Brno. Any word on those ferries either?

I suppose most of all I don't really know exactly what to bring and what to expect. Breakdown insurance (for a UK bike ridden with a US license), special tools, camping gear (is camping a good option)?

Thanks for your help - figured I'd get some worldly folks on here!

[JZH]

As Tunisia is not in Europe, it may be excluded from your insurance cover. Check your green card (which you will need in any case. Breakdown cover may not be available at all, but your license wouldn't make any difference--I rode in Europe on my US DL for six years before getting my UK license... Tunisia is a fairly common place for Europeans to ride (especially Germans), but it is possible that you will need a carnet to show Tunisian customs--and these are expensive...

Everywhere you're going is going to be very hot--including Brno. I hope you can figure out a set of gear you will be able to wear, because it will be very tempting to ride without. And I don't think you want to experience hospitals in that part of the world. Speaking of which, you should check that your health insurance will cover you in North Africa. You'll probably want repatriation cover as well. Maybe some supplemental UK travel insurance--but check in the fine print that neither Tunisia nor motorcycling is excluded.

By the way, have you been following the news stories concerning the kidnapped German bikers in Algeria? True, Tunisia isn't Algeria, but...

Ciao,

[Dee Duble Yuh]

I gather that some countries (outside EU) make you pay import duty if your bike is written off and you can't get it out again. Does anyone know
1. if this is true, and where (e.g. Tunisia, Morrocco etc)
2. what precautions you can take to insure against it? E.g. Does breakdown cover also handle this?

[wainleft]

What can anyone recommend about warm weather riding, meaning clothing. I know they say leathers all the way....but would jeans and a leather jacket do it as well?

Also interested in breakdown insurance, since I don't have any quite yet....could be useful!

Thanks

Ken

[Beast]

Ken
Sound advice from JZH.............heed it!

Brian