Rhine Bike Tour Reviews
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★★★★★ Alan October 28, 2015The trip was perfect
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
All the hotel owners were great, the documentation on where to go was sufficient, and I had an absolute fantastic time.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ 2travelers November 5, 2015
Loved every minute
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
This was our first bike vacation and didn't know what to expect, we loved every minute! We chose Bike Tours Direct because they allowed us to change the itinerary to include 2 extr days in Lorch, the town that shares my husbands family name! After all this was his 60th birthday trip. We had a magically stay in Lorch, met the Mayor who gave us the town flag and put our picture on their FB page! Fun.
We never saw the team that picked up our luggage, but sure enough our bags were always waiting for us at our next stop. The entire bike trip was beatiful, historical and we can't wait to go again.
Thanks Bike Tours Direct, you rock!- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, Families with young kids, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Natalie123 December 28, 2015Laid-back riding in scenic German wine country
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member. It's long been a popular choice for our clients due to the leisurely riding and low price tag. It turned out to be the perfect combination for me of relaxed cycling, off-bike sites and diversions, and plenty of wine tastings.
The Mosel valley is known (along with the nearby Rhine valley) for producing Germany's beloved riesling wines. As a white wine lover myself, it was a little slice of heaven! There's no shortage of opportunities to stop in at wineries and tasting rooms to sample the local fare. Some even have stands right on the bike path to bring the tasty wares right to you! It was lovely to stop at these stands and enjoy a glass of the sweet wine while sitting on the riverbank and chatting with other cyclists.
If you hit bad weather or want to shorten a day's ride, there are good alternative transportation options in this region. An injury from a recent mountain bike crash made longer rides uncomfortable for me during this trip, so I took advantage of a ferry one day to roll my bike aboard and enjoy a little river cruise for several stops before deciding where I wanted to hop off and start riding again.
Another day I took a regional train to shave off a few miles. I bought a ticket for myself and one for my bike, then boarded the car clearly marked for bicycles and rode a few stops.
The dedicated bike path makes for care-free riding: well marked for directions and distances, no vehicles apart from an occasional slow-moving tractor (since you're often riding through farmland and vineyards), and paved almost the whole way. The path hugs both banks of the Mosel River, and your map book shows any unpaved sections so you can cross the river in advance if you don't want to ride on short segments of dirt or gravel.
I found the directions and maps to be reliable, but it's quite difficult to get lost anyway -- all you have to do is point your bike back toward the river and you'll eventually intersect the bike path!
I was very pleased with the accommodations, a mix of comfortable hotels in larger town centers and family-owned winery guesthouses in the smaller villages. All had hearty breakfasts to fuel a day of cycling and exploring.
I did this tour solo, as a female in her thirties, and felt safe and secure (of course taking reasonable precautions). I liked that it was in mostly rural areas, but never terribly remote. There was always a farmhouse nearby, and the bike path was traveled enough that I was passing someone at least every few miles. Having the emergency hotline is a good reassurance as well.
The locals seemed a bit amused by a young(ish) American woman riding the Mosel Bike Path by herself, mostly because the usual clientele is composed more of families, couples, and Europeans. But it was always a good conversation starter to make new friends! SHOW MORE
This trip would be a great choice for other solo travelers, or those doing their first bike tour. Hard to get lost, English is widely spoken, classic European scenery and villages, and forgiving terrain and daily riding distances. That said, it's a great pick for more experienced bike travelers too since it's a great price and value in a beautiful region. You can always add more miles with optional excursions if you're looking for more of a challenge!
I'd also recommend this tour for families or groups composed of people with different ability levels. Kids' bikes and equipment are available to rent, as are e-bikes (which are a great "equalizer" in terms of ability level).
Tip: May was a lovely time to visit. Wildflowers were blooming in the countryside and it wasn't too hot or crowded. And best of all, it's when many of the villages along the route celebrate their spring "wine days" festival, with many winemakers opening their cellars to the public for tastings not normally available and the streets are full of music, neighbors dancing, and delicious pastry stands.
SHOW LESS- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, Families with young kids, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
Video: A typical scene from the bike: a river boat, a castle, and pedestrians promenading along the Mosel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BEO6hbkAsw (404)
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★★★★★ JustBob June 7, 2016
Land of Castle, Cruise Ships and Barges
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
After 18 day on a bus tour, a self-guided bike tour along the Rhine was a perfect way to regain some solitude. The tough decision were which of t many historic towns, castles and churches to sit and visit, and what kind of pastry go best with with late morning beer! It would be even better if the Bikeline guide we available in English.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 23 - 29, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Ginny50 June 8, 2016· · Neckar & Rhine Rivers by Bike and Boat
This was an enjoyable bike/boat tour. The crew and staff were very nice. The riding days were usually short and manageable. The rainy weather was an issue which made for slippery riding on cobblestones. Due to the rains the Neckar River was closed and our ship was diverted. The company handled the diversion to the best of their ability and these detoured riding days were okay. We ended up in the town of Speyer, which was our favorite stop of the entire tour. One major complaint was the rooms on the ship were very small. They did state that in the promotional information, but we were not expecting that tiny. Everyone complained about the tiny rooms. We just laughed and dealt with it but it did make for close quarters. If you travel in May bring rain gear!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May/June 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Paulie July 6, 2016
When the Weather Agrees The Rhine is Beautiful
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
Flat, well-marked path. Castles. Wine. Beer. Friendly hotel staffs. For what more could I ask?
If possible opt-out of the dinner package, restaurants in all towns visited are plentiful. The menu selection available is very limited and beverages are not included in the price of dinner.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ krpete July 12, 2016
60th Birthday Celebration
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
My wife took me on this beautiful Rhine bike ride for my 60th birthday. What a great way to experience Germany first hand! All of the bed-and-breakfast-style hotels were wonderful, clean and well-apportioned. Breakfast in the morning always had a great selection of foods, leaving us well-energized each day to hit the trail. We rode at our own pace every day, stopping on a whim to look at this, that, and the other thing. We toured castles, Roman ruins, shopped (the panniers were large enough to accommodate most items we bought), ate snacks and lunch, and took advantage of any and all photo ops. At the end of each afternoon we had time to do a walking tour of each town we stayed in, eat a stellar dinner and then have a hot shower and a good night's rest. The weather and temperature were very cooperative, just perfect. We absolutely cannot wait to do this again next spring. We are already planning another BikeTour.com trip to another destination. Best vacay ever!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 17, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Julius August 28, 2016
Lovely ride
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
I decided on the spur of the moment to treat myself to a bike tour. The Mainz to Cologne route appealed to me because I did it by boat many years ago. It was one of the most enjoyable holidays I've ever had. The scenery was impressive, the ride was nice and easy and the hotels were sufficiently comfortable. Having done bike trips before where I carted my own luggage it was an absolute luxury to have my luggage looked after by the tour company. This was done in a very efficient way. The trip is quite easy. Before this, the last time I was on a bike for more than 10km was about 10 years ago. I had no problems, other than some saddle soreness after the first day. I would recommend proper cycling shorts, that makes life in the saddle a little easier.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14-19 August 2016
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Jenny P August 31, 2016
Beautiful Scenery, Nice Riding, and Excellent Wine
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
Excellent bike tour! Traveling as a couple, we found the hotels nice, and especially loved the Hotel Weinhaus Mayer in Zell. Our favorite stops on the trip include hiking up to Zummethöhe and having dinner at Hotel Zummethof after the first day of biking (Trittenheim); wine tasting at the Vino-thek in Bernkastel-Kues; and everything about our stay in Zell. Breakfasts were excellent, and kept us filled until the afternoon.
There were many other bike tourists on the route, including families with children of all ages. The route was fairly flat, and there seemed to be options for riding on either side of the river in most cases. The riding can be done in 2-4 hours, and there are plenty of villages to stop in along the way.
The bike path itself was generally wide and well-paved, although we experienced a few short bumpy segments. The first 10 or so miles of the bike path (leaving Trier) goes through a rather industrial area, but once you've gotten through that, the scenery on the rest of the tour is incredible. We did the tour in mid-July, and had generally great weather. If going in early August, you should be able to eat lots of wild blackberries! We had a great time and would highly recommend the tour to anyone looking for a scenic and relatively leisurely trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 14-20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Anna September 17, 2016
Mosel bike Tour
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The tour was planned good. Very nice landscape and picturesque small towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ fudledudle September 26, 2016Allsace wine route
· Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road
This tour is fairly easy to do, great scenery particularly on the French side of the Rhine, some minor detours due to missing signage, all in all a great tour
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 10/16
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Germany
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★★★★★ MaryB May 4, 2017
Biking Adventure of a Lifetime!
· Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road
This was the perfect bike tour for us to combine with a visit with our son and his family who were living in Freiburg for the year. The bike company was very accommodating and let us rent the bikes a few days early so that we could ride around Freiburg with our kids. Getting the bikes early was a good chance to get
familiar with the bikes so that we could exchange one of them when we found out
that it was too big. Although we gave our height so that the tour company could estimate the right size bikes for us, it might have been more helpful to give our inseam length to determine if our legs could swing over the bar or touch the ground from the seat. Estimate your height a little lower than you actually are to get the right fit bike. The bikes were a great weight, had nice sized tires for the type of terrain we rode over, and they shifted very well. The saddlebag was roomy and held all my day gear, but the weight of it tended to tip the bike over on slanted hills. You might want to get a saddlebag on each size to balance out the weight more evenly. There is no mirror or water bottle holder on the bikes. I carried my water bottle in my back pack and trusted the cars and bikes behind me to pass carefully! I loved the countryside and trails through the woods. Riding on the Rhine was awesome. The quaint villages we rode through and stayed in were beautiful. Our hotels were all lovely and had delicious breakfasts. Our luggage arrived every day on time or early and we had secure locations to park and lock up our bikes every night. We did have trouble following the maps and directions given. It was almost like going on a scavenger hunt when you aren't sure that you are interpreting the clues correctly. The map was way too small to read and the written directions were on a separate page from the map so you had to keep flipping back and forth to get the full picture of where you were going. It seems that the directions and/or maps were old and had not been updated recently. We ran into construction along the Rhine River path and had to take a long detour----following the German signs was hard and it added many miles to that day's ride. We also had construction in two other cities and had to find our way on our own as the detour was not obvious. Sometimes there are bike signs at an intersection that say you can go in directly opposite ways to the same place. Quite confusing. One time we were told to turn right in our written directions but according to the map we should have gone left....what to do? We were directed to ride on one way streets going the wrong way. There were no directions to get to the hotel in Strasbourg if you took the new bike path over the river. That was very difficult. We were quite frustrated with having to figure out if we were on the right path or not. My suggestion is to have the tour company check the current directions before each trip and indicate detours and update street names. Definitely provide new directions for getting into Strasbourg over the bike bridge. The German tour company should try following their directions with someone who is not familiar with the route and who does not speak German - then correct each turn where it is confusing. That would saved a lot of frustration and make the trip more enjoyable. Or, provide GPS devices for everyone. If we had had one, it would have been easier. It costs $10 per day to use our smartphone as a GPS device so we opted not to. It might have been worth it. I think adding an option of staying an extra day in Strasbourg and Colmar would be nice...a break from biking every day and a chance to see more of the cities. Other than the directions, we loved the trip and felt a real sense of accomplishment when we were done. Our kids and grandkids were very proud of us for going on such an adventurous bike tour! SHOW MORE- What was the date of your tour?
- April 24 - 30, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Germany
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★★★★★ jackie20 May 26, 2017
Good trip
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
Most hotels were excellent, however two (in St Goar and Bad Godesberg) had our rooms on either the second or third floor and no elevators. Best hotel and service were at the Baron in Rudesheim. In addition, the maps and directions to hotel in Bad Godesberg and Cologne were poor. Lastly, recommend sightseeing trip to Monastery Eberbach include distance, we never found the place after riding 10km. Overall, good trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14 May 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Pierre June 15, 2017
Great experience
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The best holiday we have ever had. The cycle route is very well sign posted and the tour operators superb.
Hotels are well situated and very well suited for our needs.
Our only request would have been for trip meters on each bicycle to keep track of the kilometers travelled each day- What was the date of your tour?
- 27 may 2017 to 3 June 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Bike June 28, 2017
Beutiful
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
Was a beautiful and amazing experience, ride around the Mosel river and arrive to hatel to hotel and town to town every day was a great sensation. Was our firts time in Germany and we really like this way to travel :) Biking:)
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 8 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- just this
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Zacthecat June 28, 2017
Great fun rolling down the river
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
As a group of four, 2 couples in our early 60s, we self-guided down the Rhine. Three of us had e-bikes and one did it the old fashioned way. We all loved the riding and we were lucky with the weather, which was fine and mostly sunny.
The information provided was very good, but we recommend a better description of how to find the hotels. In two cases the hotel wasn't on the map, so that needs to be improved. Perhaps draw a coloured line from the bike path to the hotel, with a different colour for each hotel.- What was the date of your tour?
- 12th - 17th June 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ GFunk July 17, 2017
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Musse Pigg August 8, 2017
A very beautiful trip
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
- What was the date of your tour?
- 17/7-2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ bike beasty August 10, 2017
A perfect first tour!
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
This tour definitely met with our expectations, and was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. The information given beforehand was really comprehensive and the recommendations for meals and excursions really helpful. This was bought as a 70th birthday present for my husband and he/we had a great time! A bottle of bubbly awaited him on the first evening of the ride, as a present from the company, which he was very touched by! We were very lucky with the weather too, so all in all a great little adventure!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/07 - 16/07/2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- just this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ MandyG August 11, 2017
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/8/17
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
