Biking the Neckar River Valley May '15

"We would be starting in the South and heading north toward Heidleberg, hopefully this is the downhill route." I'm a bit confused by your geography. The flow of the river is predominantly east to west through the scenic valley. What is your proposed start point? The scenic portion begins upstream at Bad Wimpfen and ends at Heidelberg.

The roads and bike trails that run along the river are mostly flat. You would only encounter enclines if you rode up into the surrounding Odenwald mountains.

I don't have specific dining or lodging recommendations, but virtually every town has plenty of options.

I'm not sure how long you intend this trip to be, but from Bad Wimpfen to Heidelberg, you could probably bike all the way in one long day's ride. At most, the ride would last about two days of a few hours cycling.

go to www.crazyguyonabike.com and search for 'grampies go by the books'. they recently biked the Neckar and other rivers in Germany. They will have lots of info you can use.

My friend and I came through Heidelberg in 2008 as part of a cycling trip along the Rhine & Mosel and across Bavaria. If you're not completely committed to the Neckar River Valley or have time for another spot in Germany, I'd recommend biking the "Romantic Rhine" between Mainz and Koblenz and then following the Mosel to Cochem. We spent two days biking from Mainz to Koblenz, spending the night at the castle hostel in Bacharach seen in Rick's episode on the Romantic Rhine, and stopping at the various cafes, castles, and wineries along the way. Burg Eltz is on the way between Koblenz and Cochem and there are several railway stations along the route to take you to other regions. All of these locations could be reached in 3-4 days with ample time for sightseeing as you go. We carried a tent and small sleeping bags on our bikes and stayed at campgrounds along the rivers most nights. Back then they ran 10-15 euro per night and included locker rooms and charging stations for electronics.