*Warning, no pics here*

So the whole purpose of this blog (other than delusional self-aggrandizement) is to document my move to France, disguised as a trip.

Leaving many great things in Montreal, but taking the bike with me to Toulouse first, then wherever I will find a job. In southern France. Fuck Paris.

What’s the thought process?

#1. Location. Toulouse and Carcassonne. Why? I have friends and family there. That simple. And if that isn’t enough, Andorra and the Pyrenees are an hour away, perhaps less. Barcelona? 2h away.

Toulouse Map

#2 Shipping myself. Easy. I racked up enough credit card points to cover the trip.

#3 Shipping the bike. Air France Cargo. Damn right, the bike is flying with me. Well, not with me, but in a plane, in the air and such. It’s more affordable than anticipated, takes a couple of days, it lands in Toulouse and I don’t have to crate the bike. This sounds almost too good to be true.

#4 Insuring the bike. Now that’s the tricky one. Grab a seat.

Called my Canadian insurer “we can’t insure out of our little Canada/US world, besides you can’t ship the bike, and even if you could just import it once in France”. Yikes. That’s more misinformation than infamous ex Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf could even handle.

Called a euro insurer … “but your canadian insurance covers you if you’re staying for less than 90 days, we can’t do anything unless your bike is plated in France”. I facepalmed.

Great. I’ll mention now that you must have an insurance green card (sticker proving you have minimum legal insurance coverage) when picking up your bike. You can’t really improvise.

After a bit of fumbling around on ADVRider.com, I was directed to Knopf Tours and Motorcycle Express. They specialize in helping fools like myself who like to go off the beaten path a bit.

Eventually went with Gail @ Motorcycle Express, as they offer comprehensive coverage. I really wanted theft … I don’t really trust the French or Italian with a red bike. It’s pricey @ 340$/month (for 2 months), but it’ll save me from the creeping panic of seeing my bike gone.

That’s where things are now. Everything is lined up, I just need to pick a date.