Cycling the Rhine

Anyone done it? Ideas? Advice? I would like ot visit a friend in Basel and go on from there, maybe
to the NL? I "hear" it's flat and kinda boring, from more experience ccylists, but I just love to
ride and meet people. Always interested in hearing opinions. Thanks, Bill

 

William Dennehy wrote:

> Anyone done it? Ideas? Advice? I would like ot visit a friend in Basel and go on from there, maybe
> to the NL? I "hear" it's flat and kinda boring, from more experience ccylists, but I just love to
> ride and meet people. Always interested in hearing opinions. Thanks, Bill

I've not ridden the Rhine, but I've ridden a few other German river trails, and read accounts of
other people's Rhine rides.

> I just love to ride and meet people.

Then this ride is for you. It can get a little too crowded for those trying to hammer along, but not
for those riding a quick, but pleasant pace. I love riding German river trails. There are always
great amenities (lodging - restaurants - Wursts, Bier, Wein) and lots of directions and signs - not
to mention all the friendly greetings from other cyclists.

 

I've done the Rhine from Coblenz as far as Mannheim. It's about 95% on cycle-paths.

I did not find it boring. The countryside is very well preserved with no houses between towns and
I really liked it, and I'm more used to hilly touring. Germany is really well laid out for
leisure cycling

 

In message <[email protected]>, William Dennehy
<[email protected]> writes
>Anyone done it? Ideas? Advice? I would like ot visit a friend in Basel and go on from there, maybe
>to the NL? I "hear" it's flat and kinda boring, from more experience ccylists, but I just love to
>ride and meet people. Always interested in hearing opinions. Thanks, Bill

I don't know if you speak German but the Bikeline guidebooks Rhein-Radweg 1 and 2 cover
Basel/Rotterdam and have been recommended on rec.fahrrad.de. Apart from detailed maps they contain
accommodation lists. Esterbauer is the publisher.

http://www.esterbauer.com/

Although a cyclist isn't going to encounter many hills riding along the river this isn't to say that
the landscape isn't interesting. The Rhine gorge between Mainz and Koblenz is spectacular and a
complete contrast to the more open sections above and below it. Even the cities are interesting -
Basel, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Mainz, Koblenz, Bonn, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Arnhem.

Crikey, writing this is making me interested in this trip!
--
Michael MacClancy

 

I don't know about the Rhine ride itself, but about Basel: It is the most bike-friendly city I
know (except perhaps in Netherlands). Downtown Basel you find more bikes than cars, and it's a
real pleasure.

On Wed, 19 Mar 2003 15:23:08 +0000, William Dennehy wrote:

> Anyone done it? Ideas? Advice? I would like ot visit a friend in Basel and go on from there, maybe
> to the NL? I "hear" it's flat and kinda boring, from more experience ccylists, but I just love to
> ride and meet people. Always interested in hearing opinions. Thanks, Bill

 

[email protected] (William Dennehy) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Anyone done it? Ideas? Advice? I would like ot visit a friend in Basel and go on from there, maybe
> to the NL? I "hear" it's flat and kinda boring, from more experience ccylists, but I just love to
> ride and meet people. Always interested in hearing opinions. Thanks, Bill

Try these sites for help, ideas and further links, those not in English are easy to work out.

http://www.bicyclegermany.com/ http://www.bettundbike.de/
http://www.deutschland-tourismus.de/radfahren_neu/index_e.htm
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/euhansen.html http://www.tourvelo.org/#Home
http://www-math.science.unitn.it/Bike/#Contents
http://www.travel-library.com/rtw/html/rtwbicycling.html

I am planning to ride France, Germany, Netherlands, Belium, Switzerland, Austria (NOT in that
order...) from late May to August this year and these are some sites I have found to be very
helpful. Will (hopefully) be doing the Rhine from Rotterdam to Mainz around late June.

Have driven Bonn to Mainz 4 or 5 times on various holidays, very easy riding with plenty to look at
and is much the same both further north and south from all accounts.

Enjoy your trip, I know I will be.

CJ.

 

I've biked the French side from Basel through the entire Alsace, and about half the German side
opposite. I've also bike from Koblenz north to Dusseldorf.The latter trip is much more scenic, as
the trails are nearer the River (excert around Andernach), and the surrounding countryside - though
not the trails themselves - have beautiful hills. In and opposite Alsace, you're mostly inland fro
the river, and while it's nice flat farm country with picturesque towns, that's all it is.

A more intersting ride than the Rhine IMHO, is the Mosel from Koblenz to Trier, which is as
beautiful as any ride I/ve ever taken, matched only by the Danube in the Wachau. "William Dennehy"
<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Anyone done it? Ideas? Advice? I would like ot visit a friend in Basel and go on from there, maybe
> to the NL? I "hear" it's flat and kinda boring, from more experience ccylists, but I just love to
> ride and meet people. Always interested in hearing opinions. Thanks, Bill

 

We cycled both the Rhine and the Mosel, plus crossed the Alsace, in September. Beautiful countryside
and great cycling. See http://www.jstevenwood.com/europe_2002.htm for a trip write-up.