Magellan is a specialist and independent motorcycle tour operator setup and run from the UK, established out of a desire to provide something different to those wanting to tour on their motorcycles and enjoy a fantastic motorcycle holiday.
Felix, our founder and lead guide, got the bug whilst touring Mongolia on his motorcycle:
“On arriving back into Europe, I decided that I wanted to enable others to have this kind of adventure. I wanted to open it up to people of any ability or background, so they could experience what I had at their own pace and on their own terms. I didn’t want to force people to follow a tour leader like they were on a bus holiday; I wanted them to have all the tools they needed to navigate through new terrain. I wanted them to be participants in their own adventures and to get the sense of accomplishment that comes with that. I wanted even the most novice rider to have the support to allow them to turn up and do this in style and comfort.
To do this right, I realised we needed to offer something premium and curated, where time and attention were spent on every step of the process, and where safety, professionalism, and support were the cornerstones of everything we did. Enter Magellan.”
Unique Style of touring
We do things differently to most here at Magellan and one of the biggest examples of this is our FreeRide system. We produce hyper detailed tour packs for all of our riders with a glossy tour itinerary document that goes out in the post as well as in digital format. All of our routes are provided in Garmin, TomTom and Google map formats split into numerous daily waypoints with morning and afternoon coffee stops, lunch stops and various points of interest.
You don’t just get given a track or a list of hotels to aim for each night. Doing it this way means that on our Guided Tours people are free to have their own adventures on their own terms. Our riders usually break off into smaller groups of 2 or 3 choosing to ride with others that go at a similar pace. We don’t force you to ride in one big group so no one has to ride slower or faster than they want, our guides “lead from the back” and so are always there if people have a problem during the day. You can ride with others on trip, with one of our guides or on your own and chop and change each day depending on what you fancy. The level of detail we provide is unique in the industry with packs taking over 100 hours to produce for each rider, and we provide exactly the same service on our Self Guided Tours just with remote support from the office as opposed to from a guide on the ground.
Multilingual, first aid trained guides with extensive travel experience on all tours
Our guides come from all walks of life but share one thing in common, a passion for motorcycling and travel. They are experienced advanced riders and first aid trained, many are multilingual and all of them get a real kick out of watching our clients bond and share the wonderful adventures that we organise year on year.
MOTORCYCLE TOURING, ELEVATED
Leisurely pace of touring with multiple stops and rest days for off bike activities
We very rarely venture onto a motorway and our days are all about 5.5/6 hours in length which means you can take them at a leisurely pace and enjoy the scenery you ride through. We include several rest days on each tour in interesting locations where there are off bike activities offered from walking tours and Segway trips to camels rides and more, although rideouts are also arranged too for those that can’t get enough saddle time!
Always here to help
We are pleased to offer a variety of flexible payment terms across all our tours to help you spread the cost of your next trip. We also offer the option for most nationalities to pay for their tour in their home currency.
The most comprehensive tour packs in the industry removing the hassle
Our tour packs contain copious notes on each day’s ride as well as maps and pre-programmed GPS routes for SatNavs. These take you from your hotel in the morning to an AM coffee stop, lunch and then a PM coffee stop before ending at that night’s hotel. We also include packing lists, pre trip setup info and lots more in the weeks leading up to each trip.
Supported by the best
We can offer all of this and more when you travel with us because we have one of the largest operations teams in Europe on hand 24/7 to ensure that you everything is just right for you.
New rider or experienced rider, we’re open to all ages and abilities
Our customers come from all walks of life and have ranged in age from 25 to 85. We aren’t a “boys on tour” outfit and one of the many great things about a Magellan tour is the number of Ladies that we have come away, both on their own bikes and as pillions. Newer or less confident riders are also supported and encouraged throughout, indeed there is no better way to improve your riding ability and confidence (whether you’re a new rider or a ROSPA/IAM member) than spending 10+ days in the saddle on totally traffic free beautiful roads in the company of other like minded bikers
5 Star rated and industry leading rebooking rate
People who travel with Magellan tend to come back time and time again. Our rebook rate currently stands at around 70%. With many people having done 8 trips or more, one of the big things we have to cope with is coming up with enough new tours and routes each year to satisfy our growing band of regular riders, so that they don’t run out of fresh destinations!!
Total financial protection on all bookings
Before parting with your money for a holiday it’s very important to ensure that it will be safe. Here at Magellan we believe our client’s peace of mind comes first and as such we are proud to go over and above in protecting you and your monies while complying in full with the 2018 Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations. Find out more here.
Become part of the family
You’re treated like one of the family on all of our trips, we’re passionate about the community of riders that have grown around Magellan over the years and people make friendships on our trips that last a lifetime, often rebooking future tours together. There’s an active rider community on our private Facebook riderpage with over 2000 members sharing their experiences, tips on touring and planning their next adventures together. Why not join the group and hear direct from our customers what makes us special?
Join Rider Group
Rental bikes available on all tours
We can provide motorcycle hire with full insurance for clients on all Guided & Self Guided trips from our Global network of managed fleets and facility partners. Each tour has a different range of bikes available depending on location, just click the drop down on the relevant tour page for full info on what bikes are on offer.
Magellan are a Global Rescue Safe Travel Partner
Emergencies happen even to the best prepared adventurers, when they do Magellan rely on Global Rescue. They are the support team of choice for many of the world’s leading expedition organisations and government agencies including NASA and National Geographic. Their team of medical and security experts — staffed by doctors, paramedics, consultants, special forces veterans and Air Force rescue specialists – are just a call away to provide 24/7 medical and travel advisory services, field evacuations and security extractions to our riders when needed most.
Speak to a tour specialist to start planning your holiday….
Speak to a tour specialist to start planning your holiday….
Join our community
Join our e-newsletter for latest tour information and special deals. Our Facebook Riders group also is a busy place to share experiences and ask any questions you might have.
