Bike Tour Reviews: Rhine Bike Path  Mainz To Cologne


Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne

COUNTRY: Germany

6 nights
4.5/5 (28)
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours Primarily bike paths Family-friendly bike tours
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours Primarily bike paths Family-friendly bike tours

4.5/5 (28)
6 nights

Self guided from EUR € 874

Description:
The Rhine bike trail from Mainz to Cologne is along the most beautiful part of the river. The hot springs and spas attracted the ancient Romans to the Rhine, and today vineyards and picturesque towns add to the region's charm. Admire this gorgeous…

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  • Rhine Bike Path
    (5/5) Jean Schlier 5 months ago

    Mosel Trip Trier to Koblenz

    Great laid back trip along the Mosel. We stopped for a wine tasting in a quaint winery along the route, enjoyed riding through the many vineyards and along the bike paths. There were a lot of flowers so very beautiful. A few too many areas riding alongside roads but it was usually along a bikepath right next to the road. We had a great time, a lot of laughs and enjoyed the little villages.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Larry Mark Robbins 5 months ago

    Hotels with Charm?

    As expected, the tour was beautiful, flat, and easy to follow. This is said to be the most scenic segment of the Rhine and I have no reason to doubt that. The bikes were excellent. We selected e-bikes, a first for me, that were useful since we encountered several cool days with a headwind. We chose the Charme category and travelled between seasons 2 and 3. Unfortunately, we were informed that four of the six hotels advertised were unavailable. Quote "Some of the hotels that were booked (due to availability) only offer Category A, however the highest room category was booked at all the Category A hotels. For Rüdesheim and Cologne we can offer a discount of 20,00 € per person/night." Ok, reasonable we thought and agreed. Here are how the switches worked out:

    Mainz: H2 hotel: Brand new hotel, residential neighborhood but walkable to Old Town, overall nice. Room was good (clean & modern) tho not exceptional. More basic hotel than luxury hotel as Favorite Parkhotel appeared in pictures. Differential between the two hotels on Expedia for two nights is €80. No compensation offered.

    Rudesheim: Central Hotel: As the name implies, central to tourist area. Room was Ok but not great. Certainly not "the highest room category was booked at all the Category A hotels" as promised. Breuer's Rüdesheim Castle, the brochure hotel, is €60 more expensive per night and pictures appear significantly more upscale. Compensated €40.

    St Goar: Schlosshotel Rheinfels: This is the brochure hotel. Relais & Chateaux level hotel. Outstanding. Don't miss dinner in hotel dining room as sun sets.

    Koblenz: Diehls Hotel: Located on the other side of the river from Koblenz but this was not a problem for us. Very fine hotel, received an upgraded room. Had an excellent dinner at hotel. Left the next morning from this side of the river. This was not either of the brochure hotels, but was excellent.

    Bad Godesburg: Boutique Hotel Dreesen: This was the brochure hotel. Upscale as expected in a beautiful neighborhood. Restaurant Rheinzeit nearby should not be excluded.

    Cologne: Hotel Eden am Dom: Top notch location next to cathedral and other tourist sites but just OK hotel. No upgraded room. At least €40 per night cheaper than the advertised Steigenberger per their own individual websites x 2 nights = €80. Given €40 compensation. Again, nothing wrong with this hotel, but not the experience advertised and not adequately compensated. Life isn't perfect but given this was mid-September, there were shortcomings.

    NB: The ICE train returning from Koln to the Frankfurt airport is not the Hauptbahnhof next to the cathedral. That train leaves from the Messe/Deutz Bahnhof across the river.  SHOW MORE 

  • (3/5) Lee Chestnut 8 months ago

    Great Scenery, History, and Acomommdations. Not much Support

    We enjoyed seeing the Rhine Valley and historic villages. Our accommodations were great and the food was great.
    Unfortunately, the Rhine was near flood stage and much of the given route was flooded. After contacting the local operator for direction, I was told to find my own route or take a train, at my own expense.
    We found our own way using Google maps and talking with other cyclists.
    The main reason I use a tour operator is to have local support when difficulties arise. We didn't receive that support.
    It seems the operator could come up with secondary routes that are safe and beautiful (which we came up with on our own) and supply them to their guests as needed.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from jan July 18, 2024

      Thank you for sharing your experience. We're glad you enjoyed the Rhine Valley, our accommodations, and the food.

      We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the flooding and the delay in support from the local operator. Many local companies faced similar issues during this period, which led to the disruptions and staffing issues.

      Your feedback on having secondary routes is invaluable, and we will work on improving our services to ensure better support. We appreciate your resourcefulness in navigating the situation.

      We apologize once again and hope to serve you better in the future.

    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Jimmie Ring September 6, 2023

    Self guided tour of the Rhine

    My spouse and I elected to take a self guided tour of the Rhine from Mainz to Cologne. We could not have been happier with the support, hotels or the route. The daily length of the ride was PERFECT for allowing plenty of time to explore along the way. The hotels were awesome - located always close to the things we wanted to see, comfortable, and breakfasts were fantastic. The support- from the information provided before the tour to the daily pickup and drop off of luggage - was perfection. The bikes were also very good and comfortable. We were very happy with the whole experience.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Peter Dworkin August 26, 2023

    Beautiful scenery; great bikes

    Relaxing and fun trip. Great bikes. Attractive hotels. Good itinerary. Negatives: Navigation app. Need to provide turn by turn instructions that integrate with Google maps. Would have preferred all hotels to be in cute small towns. Some were in modern less charming bigger towns.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    1 other
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • (4/5) Jeffrey Kuhl September 12, 2022

    second tour

    Day 1 - 3 were fantastic.
    Day 4 was too long partly because of route, a few mistakes and a long detour to local bike repair shop. Broken seat was replaced quickly, but caused 3 or 4 stops to attempt to tighten seat with tools that didn't fix the problem. I could only ride a short distance before stopping to flatten seat. The issue was a broken ratchet that had to be replaced. Local tour company worked to find repair and notify them I would be there. I arrived right before closing.
    Day 5 I just wanted it to be over.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 3
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Rebecca Heersink August 6, 2022

    Great family vacation

    We completed this tour with our 2 year old in the infant trailer. The route provided great stops for everyone in the family including great playgrounds for the little one and wine/beer for mom and dad. We enjoyed visiting castles, small medival towns and cable cars rides. The bike riding was manageable but pulling the bike trailer in the heat wave did prove hard some days, maybe an ebike would have helped in retrospect. Hotels were nice and all provided an infant bed. Can't wait to do another cycling tour!

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    First one
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    •  (photo by Rebecca Heersink)
    •  (photo by Rebecca Heersink)
    •  (photo by Rebecca Heersink)
    •  (photo by Rebecca Heersink)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Jessica McAdam August 5, 2022

    Castle Heaven!

    We loved nearly everything about this trip! The route was perfect! It delivered days of delightful excercise, followed by late afternoons exploring the next lovely overnight stop. Breakfast was always a feast and a deliciously fun way to start each day. We diverged off the path to explore a few castles and were Wowed! One small change could make this THE perfect bike tour: do NOT book lodging in Rudesheim during the annual Harley Festival. Distressingly loud people kept us up all night. It was unbelievably noisy, leaving us sleep deprived—sadly, not a fun night at all.

  • (5/5) Jim Gr August 21, 2019

    Magnificent Rhine

    Wonderful scenery including vineyards, castles, lovely towns and history dating back to the Roman occupation.
    Well organized, nice hotels, great bike path and directions.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Photo 1 (photo by Jim Gr)
    • Photo 2 (photo by Jim Gr)
    • Koblenz, Germany (photo by Jim Gr)
    • Koblenz, Germany (photo by Jim Gr)
    • Rhine River (photo by Jim Gr)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Richard 69 July 18, 2019

    Gute Fahren along the Rhine

    This was a most picturesque tour along the Rhine. The ride was gentle and we mostly rode on dedicated bike paths. Most of the ride was right along the river except when the path took us through one of the many well preserved medieval towns. The tour company was great and our bikes performed well. Our luggage was always delivered on time. Our maps and printed materials were very helpful, especially the recommendations for restaurants for lunch and dinner. Our hotels were very comfortable and they were all air conditioned. They also served lovely breakfasts. This was a very memorable ride that compared favorably with other European rides that we have taken. I highly recommend this tour.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 29 - June 5
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) luis1957 July 4, 2019

    Wonderful Easy Biking

    The Rhine region of Germany is gorgeous, we enjoyed sunny warm days and relaxed biking. Towns and cities are beautiful and interesting and the people are educated and friendly. The 3* hotels are good and the 3* Superior hotels are excellent. Breakfasts everywhere were really good and there were very good options for dinner wherever we went. The bikes are heavy and bulky but adequate for the trip, the only issue we had was climbing the long steep hill to Eberbach Monastery. The maps are not easy to read, but the route is pretty straightforward. The only challenges are navigating inside the cities and finding some hotels, which is easily done with Google Maps.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • One gorgeous day (photo by luis1957)
    • In the woods (photo by luis1957)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Nonickname59 June 14, 2019

    Two wheeled wonder

    Best way to see the sites on the Rhine. Great accommodations along the way.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 30, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Martin June 13, 2019

    Perfect way to experience the Rhine

    This tour was lovely; scenery was outstanding; easy bicycling, mostly next to the Rhine. We lijed the hotel/guest house variety.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 30-June 4
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Mute swan on the Rhine (photo by Martin)
    • Romanesque sculpture (photo by Martin)
    • One of many castles (photo by Martin)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (2/5) Jim Brewer September 25, 2018

    Mainz to Cologne

    The Rhine Valley was beautiful. The hybird bikes were very good. Maps and directions for the tour were very poor at best. Extremely difficult to find Hotels and the key sights mentioned by the tour. We experienced extremely high temperatures but had A/C most nights. The night without A/C resulted in very little sleep and NO biking the next day. The night that they shut off the A/C in the middle of the night resulted into a lot of lost sleep. Bottom line even with average high temperatures you need A/C every night and all night long.
    Others on the same tour with the same maps etc also had difficulties finding the Hotels each evening.

    What was the date of your tour?
    22 Jul 18--28 Jul 18
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    • 1/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Lillee September 17, 2018

    Greatest family vacation!

    Rhine biking is perfect combo of castles, beauty, history, food, beer/wine, and fun! Great exercise, not strenuous biking. Four college-age kids and three parents--something for all everyday. We will be back for another trip!

    What was the date of your tour?
    7/23/18
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) MikeSue5052 September 5, 2018

    The Rhine is a very busy river!

    We were enthralled with the amount of river traffic going in both directions. Barges and river tour boats, constantly plying the wide river. Of course, the historical locations, from castles to churches, are numerous all along the river.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Germania (photo by MikeSue5052)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) louis16 July 1, 2018

    Great Trip down the Rhine

    We had a fantastic first bike tour. The hotels in general were well appointed. One hotel had staff that did not know any English which made communication a challenge but we managed. The castles were amazing. The routes are well laid out and easy to follow even if you do no know German.

    What was the date of your tour?
    6/17/2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Badgers September 27, 2017

    WONDER-FUL trip!

    Despite chilly temperatures and rain we thoroughly enjoyed our Rhine River self guided tour. The hotels were comfortable, the breakfasts were top-notch and the route took us through so much beautiful scenery.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 12-17, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson, Founder and president September 28, 2017

      Thank you for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed your Rhine tour!

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Route selection