Visit the famous rivers of Germany
Distance: 35-50 km average per day. Altitude: 0-100 hm average per day. The lightest cycling holiday; over mostly flat terrain, with not too long daily distances (average 50 km). Short spicy slopes with height differences of up to ± 100 meters occur.
Ride along waters like the Mosel and Main river, tributaries to the mighty Rhine. Pedal through villages that date back to the Middle Ages. The Rhine River is the pulsing economic vein of Germany and Europe. The Mosel and Main are smaller rivers with a long history.
This bike and boat holiday takes you through very divers landscapes and regions. You travel along the Mosel, Rhine and Main rivers. Around every bend, legends spring to life; steep vineyards, the plunging Loreley cliffs, deadly Bingen Reef, the fabled site where Rheingold is buried. But you will also visit bustling cities like Mainz and Frankfurt am Main. A journey through ancient and new Germany.
Embarkation between 2 pm and 3 pm. When you arrive on board, you can settle in and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. You will meet up with other travelers, your guide(s) and the crew . During dinner aboard the ship, the program for the next day and the global planning of the week are discussed. Instructions on cycling and safely procedures will also be given. Starting in the beautiful city Cochem with a lot of shops and terraces. Cochem is famous for its wines and dominated by the old Reichsburg.
The first trip on this journey takes you along the river to a stop at Burg Eltz. This is an iconic fairytale castle with over 900 years of history and has been owned by the same family throughout its history. Many of the original furnishings from centuries past are still present. Here you can see rustic suits of armour, swords and fantastic gold and siver artifacts. The castle is located high on a rock overlooks the valley and the Eltz forest. After the visit you return to the barge by bike for a cruise to Koblenz and moor for the night. Koblenz has a beautiful “Altstadt” (old city) in the triangle between the Moselle and the Rhine.
From Koblenz the route leads to the ancient city of Boppard. Here the Rhine makes a sharp bend, almost 180 degrees. Boppard has always been a visitor magnet with its vineyards and one of the most beautiful lakeside promenades on the Middle Rhine. It also has the oldest preserved Roman fortress walls north of the Alps. Your destination is St. Goar, opposite the famous Loreley. During the Middle Ages, the Loreley, together with the Binger Loch, was known as the most dangerous section of the Rhine. There is an ancient poem about an enchanting woman, the beautiful Lore Lay, betrayed by her sweetheart, and accused of bewitching men and causing their deaths. Instead of sentencing her to death, the bishop sent her to a nunnery. Along the way, accompanied by three knights, she comes to Lorelei rock. She asks permission to climb it and view the Rhine once again. Thinking that she sees her love in the Rhine, she falls to her death. The rock still echoes her name.
We start the day with a boat trip along the Loreley. This is one of the top wine regions of Germany. And for a long time, because the Romans already planted vines here! The old town of Ruedesheim, dating from the Middle Ages, is well preserved. Here you will find nice traditional wine taverns in historic Tudor style houses half-timbered houses. Stroll through the “Drosselgasse”, famous for its entertaining music and taste some local wines. This small old “gasse” is only 144 meters long and has thousands of paving stones. In the center of Asbach you can visit the home of this famous German Brandy, which has been produced locally since 1892.
This day the beautiful first stage leads through rolling vineyards and pictoresque wine villages. The Rhine flows gently here, forming small islands and widening its bed up to 800 m wide! Today's destination is Mainz, where the Main river meets the Rhine. In the afternoon there is time to explore this interesting city. Mainz’s inner city is its pride and joy, filled with spacious squares and streets, lovingly restored half-timbered houses, and magnificent Baroque-style churches. The ‘Old Town’ has a very charming and warm atmosphere.
Today you ride along nice and traffic-free cycle paths along the River Main to Frankfurt, one of Germany’s largest cities. Frankfurt is a trading city, home to banks and stock markets. The city’s skyline is very modern due to the destruction of World War II and subsequent reconstruction. Frankfurt also has many museums, located in a special area along the riverbank and famous for its annual Book Fair. The rebuilt old city center (Altstadt) is worth an evening visit and boasts many bars and restaurants.
This last cycling day takes you first to Hanau, the town where the famous Grimm Brothers were born. Later on you will cross the river to reach the small and romantic town of Seligenstadt in the afternoon. Think of windings alleys, wooden frame houses, and basilica. You will find the barge again in Aschaffenburg, with the Johannisburg Palace, located on the banks of the River Main. This castle will be the first thing you see when you enter Aschaffenburg, as it is the largest of all the Renaissance palace complexes.
After breakfast: disembarkation at 10 AM. If you have an early flight, ask the the tourleader to arrange a taxi to the Airport.
Along the Mosel, Rhine and Main
Our carefully selected routes will lead you along the most beautiful spots along the Mosel, Rhine and Main. The average daily distance is around 40 kilometers. Most participants prefer riding in a group with the cycling guide, but you can also ride individually. A road book is included (1x per cabin). Gps-tracks can be provided by e-mail.
! Note: the tour starts on Monday!
Supplements:
Reservation costs € 25,- per booking
Contribution Dutch Guarantee Fund € 5,- per person (Insolvency Protection)
All departure dates
Luxury double cabin, with double bed € 1.955,-
Twin cabin € 1.735,-
Smaller double front cabin, with double bed € 1.495,-
Smaller front cabin for single use € 2.225,-
Extra options
Rental touring bike per week (bike insurance included) € 110,-
Rental E-bike per week (bike insurance included) € 220,- (from 155cm)
Special diet (gluten free, lactose free, vegan) € 75,- per diet (to be specified when booking)
Boarding time on Monday is between 2 PM and 3 PM. You can recognise the barge by the banner with ‘Cycletours’ written on it. The name of your barge ‘Zwaan’ is printed on the voucher, which you will receive separately. After arrival there’s coffee and tea on board. Other drinks are also available on cash payment. If you want you can bring your luggage in advance from noon onwards.
The mooring place of the barge in Cochem is along the Mosel.
The nearest airport to the embarkation point of the barge is Frankfurt Airport (FRA). You need to take the train to Cochem. Travel time is a about 2,5 hours. The price for a one-way train ticket (2nd class) is about € 40,-. For the exact departure times and prices check deutschebahn
Cochem has a train station. From the station it is walking distance to the mooring place of the barge (1.5 km/ 1 mile). You also can take a taxi to the barge (5 minutes).
The tour ends one week later on Monday morning after breakfast before 9.30 AM. You will spend the night from Sunday to Monday on board in Aschaffenburg.
From Aschaffenburg station you can take the train to Frankfurt Airport (FRA). Travel time is about 1 hour. The train leaves several times per hour and a one-way ticket (2nd class) costs about € 20,- per person.
On this tour the following barge is are scheduled:
Rental bikes on this tour.
Imagine a floating hotel sailing to the next stage, while you are calmly pedalling along. No lugging of luggage: that is exactly what Bike & Barge is all about! In the pleasant atmosphere on board you can have a chat, go through the day with the others, and enjoy the meals prepared specially for cyclists. In the evenings you can enjoy a drink in the salon or admire the setting sun on deck. Do not expect a cruise ship with its passive luxury. The Bike & Barge Holidays are for people who really enjoy the physical activity of cycling and who value sociability more than wholesale luxury.
Free WiFi is (limited) available in lounge and on deck.
The captain/skipper, the chef and your tour guide all welcome you warmly. They are prepared specifically for these trips and will provide good and safe passage, good meals, and a friendly, pleasant atmosphere. They will, of course, also give you a great deal of interesting information during and after the cycling and sailing. The skipper is responsible for the smooth running of things on board; the cook is in charge of the catering. A tour leader accompanies you during the bike ride and can assist in case of breakdowns. He/She will be your guide to point out the things of interest along the way and is multi-lingual (Dutch/English, some speak German and/or French).
Your chef is used to cook delicious meals for hungry cyclists. Besides an extensive breakfast, you will also be offered a packed lunch for on the road. It consists of different types of bread and sandwich fillings, juice, a snack and a piece of fruit. Lunch package needs to be prepared by yourself after breakfast. Dinner is different every day. There is a first course, main course and dessert The meals on board are included in the price, as are coffee and tea. Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks can be obtained at a reasonable charge. When you return on board after the day’s cycling, a cup of tea or coffee with a biscuit will be waiting for you.
If you suffer from food allergies or food intolerance (such as lactose- or gluten- intolerance/-allergy) or if you have special meal requirements (vegetarian; pescetarian; vegan meals; gluten free meals etc.), we ask you to mention this when booking, but no later than 14 days before arrival. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus and special food requirements cannot always be met in all details.
In case of vegan meals, gluten free or lactose diet, there is an additional charge. This charge is € 75,- per diet/ per person/per week when you order the diet when booking and € 100,- per diet/ per person/per week when ordering on spot.
One of the most attractive aspects of the Bike & Barge holidays is that you encounter an international company on board, including people from e.g. USA, Canada, Australia, France and United Kingdom. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know various cultures at the same time! We have people of all ages, solo travelers, couples and also families with children (during the school holidays).
Yes, this must be notified when booking, but no later than 14 days before arrival. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus.
On some trips, in case of a gluten-free diet; lactose-free diet or vegan meals, a surcharge of € 75,- per diet per week applies. This is stated per tour.
Most of the participants then wear rainwear. When the weather is so bad that cycling becomes really impossible (but that is almost never the case!), you can stay on board or your guide can organize an alternative program with, for example, cultural excursions and city tours (at your own expense).
The main countries represented by our cycling guests are: United States and Canada. We also receive guests from United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. The common language on board is English.
No, the barge doesn’t take the same route as the cyclists do. Sometimes the route may be altered because of weather conditions or repairs to bridges or locks and then the guests and the guide can arrange with the skipper to be met at a different place. Naturally you can always stay on board for one or more days.
Cyclists can choose a longer route than the group takes. The guide will gladly advise you on the choice of an alternative route. GPS tracks are available, on request, for all tours.
