Anne-France Dautheville: the woman who took solo motorcycle travel worldwide
Long before solo travel became a hashtag, Anne‑France Dautheville made it a lived reality—on two wheels, alone, and with the stubborn clarity that defines true riders. Known as the first woman to ride a motorcycle solo around the world and to turn that experience into published stories, she remains a reference for anyone dreaming of a roadtrip moto that’s more than a route: a way of meeting people, testing yourself, and learning freedom without posing. We asked her a series of direct questions about her beginnings, her solo mindset, the setbacks, and what still calls her today.
Interview: Anne‑France Dautheville, rider and writer
What sparked your passion for motorcycles?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “I was too stupid to get a car license, so I bought my first motorcycle without a license, on Rue Montmartre, in ’68. It was a 50cc Honda. Then I left alone for my first trip to the French Riviera.”
Planet Ride take: a first bike doesn’t need to be big to be decisive. A light machine forgives mistakes and makes you move—especially in cities where slow-speed balance and clutch control are the real first exams.
Why did you always want to travel alone?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “My first trip abroad was my first Raid Orient. That’s when I understood I was made to travel alone—and that I even needed to be alone. If I’d gone with someone, I would have paid too much attention to them, and I wouldn’t have been available for the people I met.”
She sums up what many solo riders discover after a few days on the road: solitude isn’t isolation; it’s bandwidth. You notice details. You stop more easily. You talk to strangers more naturally.
Did you ever run into problems traveling solo on a motorcycle?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “It was easy! Of course you have to hold the bike when the track is bad, get back on after you’ve crashed. There’s a kind of personality that comes with it—you have to be stubborn.
As for mechanics, the less you touch, the better! When I had a mechanical problem, I waited for a van to pass, loaded the bike, then went to fix it further away. During my round-the-world trip, when I arrived in Japan, Kawasaki factories completely reworked my engine because I was heading to India on tough roads. They took it apart and rebuilt it—and put a piston clip the wrong way. After 250 km in India, it got wedged between the cylinder and the piston. So I put the bike on a train, brought it back to New Delhi where there was a French Embassy, had parts shipped from France, rebuilt the engine, and that was that.”
Micro-detail riders will recognize: when you’re far from home, the real skill isn’t knowing every repair—it’s knowing when not to “tinker roadside” and instead move the bike to a safer place, with shade, water, and time.
Any memorable crashes during your motorcycle roadtrips?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “In a photo on Chloé’s site I’m sitting on a bike in the sand. I fell like crazy during the Raid Orient, on a track north of the salt desert in Iran. And because I couldn’t lift the bike alone (too heavy), I sat on it and waited. A truck arrived, I stopped it, explained I’d fallen and wanted help lifting the bike. They got down, saw I was a woman, and screamed in terror! They jumped back in and left. When the next ones came, I suggested we take a photo!
I fell seven times during the Raid Orient. And being next to a bike you can’t lift is dangerous. You must always have a way out.”
One pro pacing tip (Planet Ride): if you’re riding alone off the main roads, avoid stacking fatigue. In practice: keep your hardest section early in the day, then shorten the afternoon. A late-day fall is when small problems become big ones—because light, hydration, and options disappear fast.
Your best memory from traveling by motorcycle?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “In Bamiyan, Afghanistan, during my world trip, I climbed up to the Buddha’s head. The whole cliff where the big Buddha was used to be a monastery with Buddhist monks. Inside the cliff there were stairs, cells, and rooms with frescoes on the walls. And at the top, on the Buddha’s head, there was like a terrace. I went up when the sun was dropping over the Bamiyan valley. I think it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life—so beautiful, so peaceful, so far. That was magic.”
She also mentions South America—Cusco as a shock of beauty—and quieter rides in France, including the Landes forest where the light in the trees and the absence of traffic made the solitude feel “necessary.” For riders who want to browse more structured trip ideas, the original internal link remains relevant: motorcycle travel.
Do you still ride and travel?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “I had to sell my motorcycle last spring. I had a serious car accident four years ago and my arm was shattered. It was the first time I’d broken bones. I kept the motorcycle thinking I might get back to it, but I never did. I wrote a book about my recovery in Avicenne hospital. It was a real adventure for me—patients and caregivers come from different cultures. I see it as a travel book. It was magical that we could all understand each other despite our differences, and find what we shared.”
If you could do one last motorcycle trip, where would it be?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “I’d love to ride Iceland, Norway, or Finland. When I stopped big trips in ’81, I thought small trips would come later. I did many small trips as a journalist but I didn’t have money. And going north takes cash. I don’t want to camp anymore, and hotels are expensive. Everything is expensive.
I’ve never been to China and would have loved it. I didn’t go to Russia either. Originally for my world trip, I wanted to follow Michel Strogoff’s route: Moscow to Irkutsk. I went to the Russian Embassy and a man—Ayzanov, I think—received me politely. When I said I wanted to do it by motorcycle, he said: ‘No, it’s not possible.’ He told me there were no roads. I said the Trans‑Siberian railway runs there, so there must be a maintenance road along the tracks. He said it still wasn’t possible because there were bears!”
What was your main limitation when traveling?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “I had only one limit: money. I traveled at my own expense. I borrowed motorcycles then, and importers lent me equipment too. But I didn’t get paid by anyone for reports, to stay free. I earned back what I’d spent by selling reports when I returned—for ‘Moto Journal’ or ‘Moto Revue’, and generally ‘Cosmopolitan’. I also had a contract for a book, which helped cover costs. Today, I don’t think that would be possible anymore.”
How do you see the image of women on motorcycles, then and now?
Anne‑France Dautheville: “A feminine girl on a motorcycle back then—didn’t exist. Like the story of the three bikers in the desert, one day a guy cut me off. I pulled up at the light to tell him what I thought. He opened his window, saw me, got surprised and turned to his friends saying: ‘Damn, a transvestite!’ A woman on a motorcycle is always a bit exotic. But back then there was a lot of curiosity. Seeing a woman ride alone around the world couldn’t be scary. There was even a duty of hospitality and respect for a woman traveling alone. Maybe that changed today.”
Why her story still matters for a roadtrip moto
- Solo is a skill: it’s not “going without,” it’s choosing your attention—toward the road and the people you meet.
- Real-world problem solving: train freight, embassies, waiting for help—she describes logistics the way they happen, not the way we wish they did.
- Safety is strategy: “always have a way out” is a simple line, but it’s the core rule when you can’t lift the bike alone on loose ground.
And if you’re building your own roadtrip moto—solo or not—remember her most practical lesson: stubbornness helps, but humility keeps you moving.
Mini-FAQ
Is solo motorcycle travel realistic for beginners?
Yes, if you start with short days and predictable roads. Build your confidence on low-stress routes before adding gravel, sand, or long distances.
What’s the biggest risk when riding alone off paved roads?
Not the fall itself—being stuck next to a bike you can’t recover, with no traffic and no plan. Choose routes where you still have exits (villages, main tracks, daylight margin).
How do you budget a long motorcycle roadtrip today?
Accommodation style is usually the biggest lever (camping vs. hotels). Fuel planning matters too in remote regions: you may need to top up whenever you can, even if the tank isn’t low.
À savoir aujourd’hui
Anne‑France Dautheville’s words remain a sharp lesson in solo riding: mindset, risk awareness, and the art of meeting people. What you should verify before leaving has changed: border procedures, insurance requirements, road access, and the real availability of fuel and lodging—especially in remote areas. Build your plan with current local constraints, and keep flexibility for detours.
Secondary keyword used: islande en moto (mentioned as her dream destination and a current rider aspiration).
Internal links kept from the original: https://www.planet-ride.com/thetrip/10-raisons-de-voyager-seul/ and https://www.planet-ride.com/fr_FR/voyage-moto/
