Going to Germany questions.

[Bill B]

I'm finally going to Germany. This will be my first trip anywhere out of the USA. I will be going
over with a couple[Les & Eva] for a two week stay with her sister and brother N law. The sister and
her husband live by the Black Forest. We will be taking the train [Euro Pass] from Freiburg up to
munster ,Berlin and Vienna etc. naturally I would like to get in some biking.I am looking for
suggestions for some bike paths in the Black forest area since I will spend most of the time in the
Freiburg area. Now for the Questions. Is there any place to rent a bent? Would shipping my Bike E
AT in advance to the sisters house be over kill,expensive,dumb move or?? If I did ship the bike I
would entertain the thought of selling the bike instead of bringing it back to the States. wonder
if there would be a market for the bike or should I ship it back? I know my fellow benters will say
to take the bike with me on the plane.I would if I were going by myself but we will be changing
flights in Amsterdam and flying on to Stuttgart where the brother in law will meet us and drive us
to Freiburg. If the above Bike E Stuff is out of the question I wonder if Brian would let me ride
one of his test bikes with him leading the way? Won't be going till the end of June so give me lots
of input. Thanks Bill B

 

[Joe Keenan]

[email protected] (Bill B) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm finally going to Germany. This will be my first trip anywhere out of the USA. I will be going
> over with a couple[Les & Eva] for a two week stay with her sister and brother N law. The sister
> and her husband live by the Black Forest. We will be taking the train [Euro Pass] from Freiburg up
> to munster ,Berlin and Vienna etc. naturally I would like to get in some biking.I am looking for
> suggestions for some bike paths in the Black forest area since I will spend most of the time in
> the Freiburg area. Now for the Questions. Is there any place to rent a bent? Would shipping my
> Bike E AT in advance to the sisters house be over kill,expensive,dumb move or?? If I did ship the
> bike I would entertain the thought of selling the bike instead of bringing it back to the States.
> wonder if there would be a market for the bike or should I ship it back? I know my fellow benters
> will say to take the bike with me on the plane.I would if I were going by myself but we will be
> changing flights in Amsterdam and flying on to Stuttgart where the brother in law will meet us and
> drive us to Freiburg. If the above Bike E Stuff is out of the question I wonder if Brian would let
> me ride one of his test bikes with him leading the way? Won't be going till the end of June so
> give me lots of input. Thanks Bill B

G'day Bill,

Did you post a message on bentrideronline to Bryan Ball, who is now living in Germany?

Slow Joe

 

[Cletus Lee]

Crateworks (http://www.crateworks.com/products.html?action=showcat&clickid=2)makes a recumbent
shipping bike-box. It is designed for Bike E's. Your oiptions for shipping are limited. If you ship
by freight, not only is it cost prohibitive, you have to deal with customs. On International
flights, you are allowed two free pieces of luggage. The Bike even though oversized is considered
one of two pieces.

Flying with your own bike is the lowest cost option.

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> I'm finally going to Germany. This will be my first trip anywhere out of the USA. I will be going
> over with a couple[Les & Eva] for a two week stay with her sister and brother N law. The sister
> and her husband live by the Black Forest. We will be taking the train [Euro Pass] from Freiburg up
> to munster ,Berlin and Vienna etc. naturally I would like to get in some biking.I am looking for
> suggestions for some bike paths in the Black forest area since I will spend most of the time in
> the Freiburg area. Now for the Questions. Is there any place to rent a bent? Would shipping my
> Bike E AT in advance to the sisters house be over kill,expensive,dumb move or?? If I did ship the
> bike I would entertain the thought of selling the bike instead of bringing it back to the States.
> wonder if there would be a market for the bike or should I ship it back? I know my fellow benters
> will say to take the bike with me on the plane.I would if I were going by myself but we will be
> changing flights in Amsterdam and flying on to Stuttgart where the brother in law will meet us and
> drive us to Freiburg. If the above Bike E Stuff is out of the question I wonder if Brian would let
> me ride one of his test bikes with him leading the way? Won't be going till the end of June so
> give me lots of input. Thanks Bill B
>

--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -

 

[Bryan Ball]

I e-mailed Bill offline.

"Joe Keenan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Bill B) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > I'm finally going to Germany. This will be my first trip anywhere out of the USA. I will be
> > going over with a couple[Les & Eva] for a two week stay with her sister and brother N law. The
> > sister and her husband live by the Black Forest. We will be taking the train [Euro Pass] from
> > Freiburg up to munster ,Berlin and Vienna etc. naturally I would like to get in some biking.I am
> > looking for suggestions for some bike paths in the Black forest area since I will spend most of
> > the time in the Freiburg area. Now for the Questions. Is there any place to rent a bent? Would
> > shipping my Bike E AT in advance to the sisters house be over kill,expensive,dumb move or?? If I
> > did ship the bike I would entertain the thought of selling the bike instead of bringing it back
> > to the States. wonder if there would be a market for the bike or should I ship it back? I know
> > my fellow benters will say to take the bike with me on the plane.I would if I were going by
> > myself but we will be changing flights in Amsterdam and flying on to Stuttgart where the brother
> > in law will meet us and drive us to Freiburg. If the above Bike E Stuff is out of the question I
> > wonder if Brian would let me ride one of his test bikes with him leading the way? Won't be going
> > till the end of June so give me lots of input. Thanks Bill B
>
> G'day Bill,
>
> Did you post a message on bentrideronline to Bryan Ball, who is now living in Germany?
>
> Slow Joe

 

[Devon]

> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> > I'm finally going to Germany. This will be my first trip anywhere out of the USA. I will be
> > going over with a couple[Les & Eva] for a two week stay with her sister and brother N law. The
> > sister and her husband live by the Black Forest. We will be taking the train [Euro Pass] from
> > Freiburg up to munster ,Berlin and Vienna etc. naturally I would like to get in some biking.I am
> > looking for suggestions for some bike paths in the Black forest area since I will spend most of
> > the time in the Freiburg area. Now for the Questions. Is there any place to rent a bent? Would
> > shipping my Bike E AT in advance to the sisters house be over kill,expensive,dumb move or?? If I
> > did ship the bike I would entertain the thought of selling the bike instead of bringing it back
> > to the States. wonder if there would be a market for the bike or should I ship it back? I know
> > my fellow benters will say to take the bike with me on the plane.I would if I were going by
> > myself but we will be changing flights in Amsterdam and flying on to Stuttgart where the brother
> > in law will meet us and drive us to Freiburg. If the above Bike E Stuff is out of the question I
> > wonder if Brian would let me ride one of his test bikes with him leading the way? Won't be going
> > till the end of June so give me lots of input. Thanks Bill B
> >

Bill,

Take good notes ... I too am planning a trip to Germany as my first overseas adventure (likely late
July of '04). I have a daughter in Tuebingen so might well be flying into Stuttgart, although I am
considering booking a 1-week bike tour of France or Germany prior to hooking up with my daughter.

DeVon

 

[Cletus Lee]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> >Subject: Re: Going to Germany questions.
\
>
> Can anyone speak to the possibility/ease of travelling within Europe by train WITH a recumbent?

I traveled by train in the Czech Republic and again in Denmark. Each country/railway has slightly
different rules. Passage can not be booked on all cars or every train. Most railways have websites
in English with the particulars for rail travel with bikes. It is quite common where I have been.

Perhaps our Danish contingent can elaborate about Denmark. I am sure the Dutch, Brits and Deutsch on
this NG can add comment too.
--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -

 

[Bryan Ball]

It's very easy in Germany. All the trains here have cars set aside for bicycle. It costs a bit extra
(I think it was 7 Euro last time I did it) but it was no problem. They don't like it when you roll a
trike on the train but they've never thrown me off.

"GreyFx2" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >Subject: Re: Going to Germany questions. From: [email protected] (DeVon) Date: 1/13/2004 5:09 PM US
> >Eastern Standard Time Message-id: <[email protected]>
> >
> >> In article <[email protected]>,
> >[email protected] says...
> >> > I'm finally going to Germany. This will be my first trip anywhere out of the USA. I will be
> >> > going over with a couple[Les & Eva] for a two week stay with her sister and brother N law.
> >> > The sister and her husband live by the Black Forest. We will be taking the train [Euro Pass]
> >> > from Freiburg up to munster ,Berlin and Vienna etc. naturally I would like to get in some
> >> > biking.I am looking for suggestions for
some
> >> > bike paths in the Black forest area since I will spend most of the time in the Freiburg area.
> >> > Now for the Questions. Is there any place to rent a bent? Would shipping my Bike E AT in
> >> > advance to the sisters house be over kill,expensive,dumb move or?? If I did ship the bike I
> >> > would entertain the thought of selling the bike instead of bringing it back to the States.
> >> > wonder if there would be a market for the bike or should I ship it back? I know my fellow
benters
> >> > will say to take the bike with me on the plane.I would if I were
going
> >> > by myself but we will be changing flights in Amsterdam and flying on to Stuttgart where the
> >> > brother in law will meet us and drive us to Freiburg. If the above Bike E Stuff is out of the
> >> > question I wonder
if
> >> > Brian would let me ride one of his test bikes with him leading the way? Won't be going till
> >> > the end of June so give me lots of input. Thanks Bill B
> >> >
> >
> >Bill,
> >
> >Take good notes ... I too am planning a trip to Germany as my first overseas adventure (likely
> >late July of '04). I have a daughter in Tuebingen so might well be flying into Stuttgart,
> >although I am considering booking a 1-week bike tour of France or Germany prior to hooking up
> >with my daughter.
> >
> >DeVon
> >
> >
>
> Can anyone speak to the possibility/ease of travelling within Europe by
train
> WITH a recumbent?
>
> DeVon

 

[Mikael Seierup]

> Can anyone speak to the possibility/ease of travelling within Europe by train WITH a recumbent?

Denmark: Local trains should not be a problem. In intercity trains you need a reservation in
addition to the ticket for it. Also theres a 190 cm limit on the length of the bike. If yours is
longer the trick is to get it on the train and fitted in somehow before the ticket person shows. If
you ask them on the platform its impossible to take it but if they see it already in place they dont
say anything. Danish trains are pretty expensive though. Ferries is another option for getting from
place to place.

Sweden: Some trains going across Øresund between Denmark and Sweden. Some local trains also. For
longer stretches its more or less impossible.

Poland: There are trains with luggage/bikecars but sometimes it can be hard to figure out which
trains. Putting the bike at the rearmost part of the train seems to be a timehonored tradition. Or
you could try putting it in the aisle on first class and tip the ticketpersons. Might sneak it into
the restaurant car also but again I imagine it would take some tips and friendly staff. You need a
biketicket but its very cheap.

Mikael

 

[Dan Burkhart]

I can't speak to the Black forest area, but my wife and I rode the Danube trail from Passau Germany to Vienna last May on our honeymoon. This trail is touted as the most popular in Europe and I don't doubt it. We did not take bikes as they were provided by the tour operator anyway, but I think the logistics of transporting a DF bike would be bad enough let alone a bent. The cabs are small, and it would have been a challenge to get one bike in a case trasported from airport to hotel. I think if I had taken my recumbent, I would have had to assemble it at the airport and ride it.
The Danube trail is terrific if you don't like doing hills. ( Like my dear wife.) It is about 300 kms from Passau to Vienna, and, because you are running with the flow of the river, it is generally downhill.
After that experience, I would definitly recomend the self guided option if you are booking with a tour operator. We did and were very glad of it. Your hotels will still be arranged for you, and your luggage transferred, but you can go at your own pace and eat, ( and eat and eat) when and where you choose.
D.B.

 

[Mike Heule]

GreyFx2 wrote:
>> Subject: Re: Going to Germany questions. Take good notes ... I too am planning a trip to Germany
>> as my first overseas adventure (likely late July of '04). I have a daughter in Tuebingen so might
>> well be flying into Stuttgart, although I am considering booking a 1-week bike tour of France or
>> Germany prior to hooking up with my daughter.
>>
> Can anyone speak to the possibility/ease of travelling within Europe by train WITH a recumbent?
>
> DeVon

Holland:

Absolutely no problem. A dayticket for your bike costs 6 euros. Special places to put your bike are
available in allmost every train. It's not a separate car; you can sit next to your bike ;-) Bikes
are only allowed during non-peak hours and you'll have to take your luggage off. Folding bicycles
may be carried free of charge, if they are completely folded.

I travel by train to get to a race with my Baron with tailbox. Never had a problem.

--
Mike Heule http://www.ligfiets.tk