Airfare Arrangements
International airfares are not included in the price of the tours. It is the responsibility of the participant to make the necessary air travel arrangements to the tour departure city. Contact Roadrunners for the latest information on the best airfares available for your tour!
Insurance
All tour participants must have travel insurance providing coverage in the event of trip cancellation, lost baggage, and evacuation (such as helicopter rescue) in the event of an accident. Motorcycles provided by HRR are fully insured to local legal requirements for accident and liability. www.worldnomads.com
Passports & Visas
Tour participants must hold a current passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the tour end date. For most nationals, a free 30 day Thailand Visa is available upon arrival at either Bangkok or Chiang Rai Airports. Nepal Visa’s are also available upon arrival at Kathmandu Airport or from a Nepal Counsulate in your home country for a cost of USD$40. India Visa’s MUST be obtained from an Indian Embassy or Consulate from your home country before departure to India. No exceptions! Bhutan Visa’s & Tibet Permits are arranged by Himalayan Roadrunners and are included in with the tour costs. For Tibet Tours, please notify HRR if you already have a China Visa in your passport and are planning on participating on one of our Nepal to Tibet Motorcycle Expeditions. Please note a China Visa is useless in crossing the Border from Nepal into Tibet and is usually canceled upon the issue of the required permit. Since requirements are different for each tour and country, please refer to the specific tour itinerary, and/or contact Himalayan Roadrunners for more specific information! Sound complicated? Its not!
Tour Reservations
A deposit of USD$750. is required to secure a position on one of the tours and this can be done via our Rates & Dates link on the homepage sidebar via a credit card. A Tour balance invioceswill then be sent to you via email and are due 120 days prior to the tour start date. Tour balances are best paid by via bank to bank wire transfer as larger credit card payments are subject to fees. Please note all wire transfer fees must be included in with the wire transfer amount or be settled prior to motorcycle assignement on the tour start date. If you wish to settle your tour balance payment with a credit card, please inform HRR and a pay in link will be emailed to you with the excat amount due. Paypal is also an acceptable means to transfer tour deposits, please contact HRR for our Paypal address. Upon receipt of your tour deposit, you will receive confirmation by email.
Driving License Requirements
Tour participants MUST hold a valid International Driving License endorsed for motorcycle operation and valid for the country of the tour. These can usually be obtained from your local Automobile Association for a small fee. In the case of Tibet where China regulations are in force, International Driver Permits, while not recognized by China, are still required for the Nepal portion of the tour and as proof towards issue of temporary China Driving Licenses, now required by all foreign driving visitors, and arranged by HRR.
Medical Requirements
A thorough medical checkup is recommended before tour departure. Immunizations are necessary for travel to the Himalaya and South East Asia! Participants are advised to consult their nearest travel clinic or doctor/GP for the latest uptodated recommendations for high altitude travel and the destination country (s) of your tour.
Tour Payment Security
In full compliance with the EC Travel Directive (implemented under UK statutory instrument 1992 No. 3288) all client funds are deposited into a trust account and are only released to the company after completion of the tour.
Ability
All interested partipants in a Roadrunners Motorcycle tour MUST have adequate motorcycling experience, which can be initially gauged by how comfortable a rider is in modern day rush hour city traffic on a regular sized bike (500cc and larger) While most of the tours are on paved roads, there is occasonal loose gravel, tight bends , etc and any off road experience is a real plus! While Roadrunners will from time to time work with new riders given advance notice, we are not motorcycle riding instructors nor do we wish to be! If a rider comes off the bike a 1st time, Roadrunners staff & tour leaders will be watching. A 2nd time coming off the bike, manadatory consulations and discussions with tour leader on exactly what went or is going wrong. A 3rd time coming off the motorcycle equals forfeiture of the motorcycle with transportation provided in our sweep vehicles from behind! Sorry no exceptions to this rule.
Motorcycle Damage Deposit
A safety deposit of USD $1000. is required prior to tour departure and will be refunded upon return of the undamaged mororcycle. Deposits are easily made 1-2 weesk proirt to tour departure via credit card via our Rates & Dates side link on the Homepage of this website. Scroll to the bottom of teh page. While HRR will make every effort to supply a back-up motorcycle and/or spares in the event of a mechanical brakedown, HRR is not obliged to replace a crashed and damaged motorcycle.
Age Limitations
We have hosted riders from ages 18 to 76! Riding experience, a positive outlook, and state of health are the most important considerations for participation. Riders under 21 years of age should be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Senior riders should contact us to discuss participation on the more demanding tour route itineraries, such as high altitude travel in Ladakh & Tibet 13,000 – 18,360 feet.
Accommodations
Accommodations for all Roadrunners tours are the best catagory, the best situated, or the most culturally desirable, why stay in a concrete box when you can hang out at an all teak guest house with loads of character and one of the oldest lodges in a village ? New hotels do have their place and we do use them, depending on whats available. None of the trips operated by Himalayan Roadrunners utilize “cheap” accommodations as a business means, which abounds in SE Asia! We dont! and this is guaranteed. Check other operators carefully as nearly all do this. Tour prices are based on double occupancy on a shared basis with another member of the tour. A single supplement can be added to the tour cost if participant requires single room accommodations. If a roommate cannot be found for participant on a sharing basis, a single supplement charge must be added.
Riding Style
All tours are guided by at least one western group leader. Most touring is together utilizing a leader-sweep system to facilitate route changes, lunch stops, and general accounting. A guide rides at the front, a staff mechanic rider is the last bike in line, and our support vehicles bring up the rear with first aid equipment, spares and luggage and optional seating for riders and passengers as required.
