Motorcycle race tracks in France: a guide region by region

Yes, there are motorcycle tracks within reach in almost every region of France: Carole on the doorstep of Paris, Paul Ricard down in the Var, Lédenon, Dijon-Prenois, the Bugatti at Le Mans, Croix-en-Ternois up north. Every one of them runs track days open to riders of all levels, complete beginners included. Here is the map, region by region, plus our advice for getting ready for your first session on track.

Which motorcycle tracks will you find in each French region?

Every big French region has at least one track that opens its gates to motorcycles, from household names like Paul Ricard and the Bugatti at Le Mans to quieter circuits that are ideal for learning. The table below rounds up the best known ones, region by region.

Region	Tracks worth knowing
Île-de-France	Carole (Tremblay-en-France), La Ferté-Gaucher
Hauts-de-France	Croix-en-Ternois
Grand Est	Chambley, Anneau du Rhin
Pays de la Loire	Le Mans (Bugatti circuit), Fay-de-Bretagne
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté	Dijon-Prenois, Nevers Magny-Cours, Bresse
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes	Charade (Clermont-Ferrand), Le Laquais, Issoire
Nouvelle-Aquitaine	Val de Vienne (Le Vigeant), Pau-Arnos, Haute Saintonge
Occitanie	Lédenon, Albi, Nogaro, Alès
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur	Paul Ricard (Le Castellet), Grand Sambuc, Le Luc

Nothing here is set in stone: some tracks only take motorcycles on certain dates, others reshuffle their calendar every season. Before you book, always check the track day dates and the regulations on the circuit's own website. And if your region is short on tracks, turn the trip into a proper ride: our guide to building a motorcycle road book in France will help you get the route right.

Which motorcycle tracks are close to Paris?

Carole, at Tremblay-en-France, is the easiest track to reach if you ride in the Paris area: about twenty minutes out of the city, and it lives and breathes motorcycles. It runs several packages, whether you want a safe first taste of the track or a proper blast once you have some experience behind you. All the practical details are on the official Carole circuit website.

If you are starting out, the end-of-day package is a great way in: you get an hour on track once the quicker riders have packed up, with far less traffic around you. Enough to find out what you and your bike can do, and to end the day on a serious hit of adrenaline with no stopwatch breathing down your neck.

A bit further east, La Ferté-Gaucher also puts on regular motorcycle track days and training courses: a handy backup when Carole's calendar is full.

What about Marseille and the deep south?

The best known track near Marseille is Paul Ricard, at Le Castellet in the Var, no contest. You can ride your own motorcycle there or book a package with a rental bike. Coached courses are the fastest route to progress: lines, braking, body position, it all clicks far quicker with an instructor on your tail.

The south is packed with other options. Grand Sambuc, near Aix-en-Provence, is narrower and more technical, so turn up with a bit of experience under your belt. Le Luc, in the Var, and Lédenon, near Nîmes, round out the picture, the latter known for a hilly, physical layout that never lets you breathe. Do check the level required before you pick your first track. And between sessions, the region is a stunning playground on open roads: we have put together a guide to planning your motorcycle ride in Provence.

How do you get ready for a first day on track?

It comes down to three things: your gear, your bike and your head. Speeds on track are way above anything you see on the road, so a fall slides a lot further: most circuits ask for a leather suit (one piece or two, depending on the rules), reinforced gloves and boots, and a back protector. The textile jacket and reinforced jeans you wear every day usually won't cut it. Every track publishes its own regulations, so read them before you book, not the night before.

On the bike side, give it a proper once-over: brake pads with plenty left, tires in good shape and set to track pressures (they are not the same as road pressures, and we cover the whole subject in our guide to motorcycle tire pressure), fluids topped up, nothing leaking. Plenty of organizers also want mirrors and lights taped over or removed.

Last thing: get there early. The morning briefing is no formality, it is where you learn the flags, the overtaking rules and how the level groups are put together. Ride in the group that actually matches your experience, that is how you improve without scaring yourself.

How do you measure your progress from one session to the next?

The easiest way is to record every session and put your days side by side: distance covered, average speed, top speed and, above all, the lean angle you dare to carry through the corners. That is exactly what a smart GPS tracker like GeoRide does, with nothing to launch: recording is automatic, and it is all sitting on your phone by the end of the day. If you are torn between several options, we compared the apps for recording your motorcycle rides.

The GeoRide 3s goes further and logs your lean angle every second: average angle, maximum angle and how both move along the lap, shown on a graph. For a rider new to the track, watching that angle climb session after session says far more than a vague feeling at the bars. And in the evening, the 3D ride replay lets you fly over your lap again and relive the best sections, or even turn them into a video to share.

"After a big road trip day, you get home in the evening, drop onto the sofa and watch your ride back. That feeling is something else." (Thomas, GeoRide founder)

One point worth spelling out: the speed you record is a private statistic, yours alone. The device is not a certified speed measuring instrument, and that data can never be used against you.

Is your bike safe in the paddock and on the way there?

During the sessions, yes: the paddock is buzzing, near enough everyone knows everyone, and your bike sits in front of dozens of pairs of enthusiast eyes. The moments that deserve your attention are elsewhere: the night before, when the bike sleeps on a trailer or in a van outside a hotel, and the drive itself, with its fuel stops along the way.

That is where real-time tracking changes everything. A GPS tracker like GeoRide warns you at the slightest vibration or movement of the bike, by push notification, by email, and even by phone call during the time slots you pick, overnight for example. You can also draw a safe zone around the hotel: if the bike leaves it without you, you know straight away. No need to stand guard, in most cases the alert alone gives you time to act. To dig deeper, have a look at our guide to protecting your motorcycle against theft.

What GeoRide brings to the table here

A track day with a GeoRide fitted to the bike gives you the best of both worlds: the GPS tracker keeps watch over the motorcycle in transit and through the night before, and every session is recorded on its own, riding stats, weather and route included. The GeoRide 3s adds lean angle recording, built with sports riders and track day regulars in mind, and it even charges over USB on race-prepped bikes running without a battery. It installs in 5 minutes, red wire to the positive, black wire to the negative. Want a look at the app before you commit? Demo mode is open to everyone, and official dealers can walk you through it in store.

FAQ

Can you ride on track with your everyday motorcycle?

Yes, most track days take road bikes with no special preparation. You just have to play by the circuit's rules: a visual inspection, sometimes a noise limit, mirrors taped over or taken off. You don't need a sports bike to have fun out there, especially in the beginner groups.

Does my motorcycle insurance cover track riding?

Most of the time, no: standard policies rule out riding on a circuit, even outside competition. Check your policy before you book, and ask the organizer, plenty of them offer day cover for your time on track.

Which track should you choose for your first time?

The right one to start on is close to home and splits its sessions by level, like Carole near Paris with its end-of-day package. A short, flowing layout forgives more than a fast track, and a coached course is still the most reassuring way to take your first lap.

How do you record your lean angle on track?

The GeoRide 3s measures your angle every second through the corners and shows average lean, maximum lean and how they change around the lap. Recording is automatic: you ride, and the graph is waiting for you in the app at the end of the session.

Can the speeds recorded on track be held against me?

No, the speed recorded by the GeoRide tracker is a private statistic, yours and yours alone. The device is not a certified speed measuring instrument and that data can never be used against you: it is only there to track your progress.