Rhine River Bike Tour Reviews page 2
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- ★★★★★ Larry Mark Robbins
Hotels with Charm?
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Timothy Linehan
A Sampler of Riding Along German Rivers
Germany's Riverside Heritage and Culture by Bike and Boat
Great barge, crew, and food. Knowledgeable, helpful guides.
While there were interesting sights along the Main, and the Rhine, I found the riding along the Mosel to be the most scenic - and the least affected by traffic noise, etc.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Elizabeth Schlosser
Charming tour
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
Good bikes, lucky it was cool weather for most of the trip, charming hotels . We had some small problems following the maps, the day into Koblenz was boring along a highway.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Clair Robbins
A great trip through Germany!
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The tour was beautiful, great scenery and easily bike able! We used the luxury package and were very impressed with the accommodations. Four out of the five hotels exceeded our expectations. Overall we had a great time biking, trying wine, and visiting castles. We found the pacing to be good. A nice amount of biking each day with time to explore along the way. Only a few pieces were stress. It was difficult to navigate the final city due to ongoing construction. And our last day involved a boat trip and it was difficult to coordinate getting the tickets for the boat. That being said, it was an amazing trip and we would go again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Peter Wiedenbeck
Wonderful week of biking in a beautiful place
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
I’d like to give a 4-1/2 star rating because, although it was wonderful and we definitely recommend it, there is still room for improvement
Pros: Wonderful route – the vast majority of the time you are biking on paved dedicated bike paths along the river, separate from the roadway and train tracks. There are a few areas where the bike path is adjacent to the road (especially along the Rhine from St. Goar to Koblenz) and at least one short stretch on packed dirt through the woods. Most of the routes are extremely well-marked. You have to be watchful for turns in towns, where it can be easy to miss the small sign with the arrow to turn, especially when looking at all the sites in the towns. We did better when we stopped at each signpost and made sure we were headed the right way. The Hotels were all very nice and had generous breakfast buffets, which made for a great start every morning. Note that hotels in Germany don’t have AC and often don’t have fans. I had a spray bottle to mist myself while riding and that helped at night, too. Next time, I’ll bring a small fan to help on those hot nights. We didn’t opt for the dinner plan, but did eat in the hotels several times and had excellent meals and service. The organized wine tasting was fun and we did a few more on our own. Luggage transfers all went very well. We added an extra hotel night at each end (Trier and Koblenz), which we would do again. Trier has an amazing amount of Roman history and fabulous restaurants. The extra day also gave us time to ride the other way (upstream on the Mosel) to Saarburg. In Koblenz, we spent an entire day at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (take the cable car up and across the Rhine to get there). The map book was very helpful and detailed the type of trail for each section. But, oops, one page on the Rhine was replaced by a duplicate page along the Mosel. The specific directions packet included detailed distances between towns and possible sites to see. But…. See cons below.
Cons: Bikes: we had conventional bikes (not ebikes), and they could have been better maintained. The chains were a bit dry and downshifting often didn’t work. That was not a huge issue on the flat trail, but in towns, it was a problem. The odometer on one of the bikes quit working after 3 days. The seats are not touring seats – they are wide and therefore chafed. Despite doing lots of riding in prep and wearing padded shorts, we were painfully chafed by the end of the trip. We couldn’t figure out how to use the pump without letting out air, but were able to use a pump at one of the hotels. Detours: Our biggest issue is that it is clear the route was not checked early in the season and the directions adjusted. There was a lot of construction in many of the towns that invalidated the directions in the packet. Construction that clearly would be going on all summer. For example, Day 1, leaving Trier, the booklet says: “Start at Kaiser-Wilhelm bridge and cycle along the left bank of the Moselle” Well, the bike path itself is being reconstructed beneath the bridge - it is down to dirt, covered with equipment and bike path entrance blocked off. No detour signs giving you an alternate route. It took us an extra 10 km of going one way then another over a frustrating hour before we were on our way. Not a great start to the trip. There were similar long-term construction issues in at least two other places (Karden and Koblenz). If the route had been checked, a single sheet in addition to the bound booklet could have provided alternate ways to leave town/get to hotels with much less frustration.
All that said, it was a wonderful experience and we highly recommend it. It is beautiful country, well-maintained bike paths, lovely vineyards and great wine. Being able to have the hotel reservations and luggage transfers all done for us was a pleasure. When there was an issue with the ferry to St Goar, customer service was very responsive and got things straightened out right away. Transportation to Trier and from Koblenz was very easy to arrange on the regional German trains. SHOW MORE- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Lee Chestnut
Great Scenery, History, and Acomommdations. Not much Support
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
BikeTours.com staff reply from jan
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.
- ★★★★★ Bruce
Very cold & windy, a bit of hail and even snow; still a great trip
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
We've enjoyed many self-guided bike trips in Europe and this is a great one with normal weather.
Bike Tours highly professional staff slightly modified the standard tour to meet our request, which was promptly and accurately accomplished. The Radreisefreunde representative, a very pleasant person, met us at the first hotel and supplied the bikes. We rode them around the hotel area before confirming they were the right size and in proper working order. We selected one "uniframe" (sloped top tube) bike and one with a horizontal (AKA men's) top tube. Both were 21 speeds and very suitable for the flat bike trip. The standard "Mosel bikeline" booklet for Metz to Koblenz was supplemented with a custom booklet for us, Trier to Koblenz, the portion, we biked. The supplemental booklet provided more details and is very much a worthwhile addition. Thank you!
All hotels were very clean, well located in the core of each city and allowed easy access to sites, restaurants, etc. Staff were universally welcoming. Special mention as to the Gästehaus Weingut Seminarshof restaurant in Trittenheim...it is located in the same hotel where we stayed. Two related pictures are attached. Mmmmm!
Breakfast were included and were pretty much same, same. Most of the food was good, especially fresh breads/rolls. The coffee....well, if you're accustomed to the good stuff, downgrade your expectations offered at most hotels.
The trip is on dedicated bike paths, shared bike/pedestrian paths and a little along shoulders of roads or on very quiet roads. The route is generally well signed and it's pretty obvious how to proceed. However, per usual, we got lost a handful of times and realized such quickly and course corrected.
We supplemented the booklets using our cell phone and an e-sim from Airalo, with O2 the actual German cell coverage firm. When switching on the service, it instantly connected and provided fast worthwhile assistance to the route and hotels. We used it sporadically each day and 1GB of data ($5.00USD) was more than enough, can be tipped up easily or buy a larger package up front. All hotels supplied free WiFi. Note: the Airalo e-sim we used is data only, no local phone number is included.
Had the weather been much better, we would have lingered at more cafes along the route, as we enjoy delicious treats mid-day and good coffee.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Stephen Graham
Great area, careful with cars in France
Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road
Fascinating area, half German half French. French side has the cutest towns, German side the safest biking. Beware biking on the French side on weekends, as locals drive to the vineyard towns for lunch or overnights, and they drive fast. Often no shoulder or bike path, drivers not always courteous, a lot of energy on avoiding catastrophe for less-experienced riders instead of enjoying the scenery. Support was good, replacing a bike with brake problems mid-trip. Navigation had one major error, sending us to a small bridge across islands in the Rhine near Strasbourg that had in fact been closed for months. A bit stressful at the end of a long day riding, but we found another way across. Minimal guidance as to where to stop for cafes, lunch, etc.; could use a more detailed list of suggestions. Some of the budget hotels are not in charming locations or walking distance from restaurants. The Grand Hotel in Strasbourg has seen better days.
- ★★★★★ Joseph Wise
A bike trip to remember.
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The bike trip was the highlight of our two week trip to Germany this year. We went from town to town with beautiful scenery along the way. We moved at our own pace and enjoyed stopping in towns along the way to our next destination. Our luggage was always at the next hotel, usually before we arrived. All hotels were beautiful. Having breakfast each morning was a great way to start each day. We were fortunate to have great weather, but the saddlebags did allow for bringing extra clothing or rain gear if needed. Equipment was in great shape as well. We used e-bikes which helped with hills when needed. If you want to see Germany through the eyes of small towns, at your own pace and without the hustle of large cities. This type a bike trip is recommended.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first, but not the last.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that this trip was the highlight of your two-week visit to Germany! Your recommendation for those wanting to discover Germany's charm through these bike trips is certainly compelling. Lovely photos as well! We look forward to being of help to you again in the future.
- ★★★★★ Thomas Bailey
Good trip
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
I will give you the positives and then areas I think you could improve upon. 1. The route along the Mosel is absolutely fantastic. And the boat ride down the Rhine was a very pleasant surprise. 2. We stayed in the upscaled lodging, and they were all very, very good. 3. The bikes were some of the best we have rented in Europe. They were very clean and I think almost new. Areas for improvement, 1. Your representative in Germany is, at best, average. Almost no discussion about the route or functionality of the bikes. He was very anxious to get the bikes in our hands...and leave. He also stated the route is so straightforward I did not need gps, and recommended I leave it a home. That might be true if I lived there and spoke the language. Regardless, I took my garmin and was very happy I did. The written directions were extremely imprecise - and since we had upgraded our lodging, our hotels had very bad directions to get to them. I even asked about this before we left and there was little effort to make them more clear. Not sure what your quality control is for your representatives, but we have been on several biketours.com and the quality of service when you get there is very, very inconsistent. Belgium was good, France not so much. 2. I would build in more time to see some of the beautiful small towns we visited along the way - at least give that as an option for people looking for a more relaxed schedule.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Janice Render
Mosel bike Path
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
We had no guide but 4 of us, we enjoyed doing it on our own with all hotel booked and ready for cyclists. The maps and instructions are a good idea but need to be updated we got lost and spent a lot of time trying to figure out where we were and how to stay off roads to get there. Hill in Cochem to hotel was not pleasant. Needed better instruction on getting there and to garage
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 11,2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Jacquelyn Burles
Scenic and easy
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
Well organized tour, bikes ready and in great shape. The maps provided were a little out of date and twice the written instructions were wrong. At one point our hotel was a the top of a steep hill and the instructions led us to a staircase we felt unable to lug electric bikes up. Might not be a hotel used regularly. Otherwise, scenery was amazing, very little in road cycling although because of the terrain a lot of it was close to a road. The wine tasting was particularly interesting.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Jimmie Ring
Self guided tour of the Rhine
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Emil Koenig
What a Wonderful Bike Trip
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
My Family enjoyed all aspects of this bike trip. It was culturally rewarding and added up to a great bonding with my Family
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Peter Dworkin
Beautiful scenery; great bikes
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Sheryl Slone
Disappointed
Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
We were disappointed in the inability of the app to work for route directions. Several detours were encountered that were clearly not recent detours but alternate directions were not given. We ended up just doing a Google bike route to get from city to city.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Germany
BikeTours.com staff reply from JV
Thanks for your feedback. We are actively working - as a cycling community in Europe - to improve the overall app experience but unfortunately it is still a very fragmented market. Thank you for your business!
- ★★★★★ Timothy Paradiso
The trip was well planned
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The trip was wonderful unfortunately a member of our trip was injured and we had to stop our trip early. However the portion that we were able to do was wonderful, the hotels was great with a wonderful and very helpful staff. My only wish is that I would really like to have the GPS option, following the path was not difficult but would have been easier with the GPS, and made the trip more enjoyable.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
