My wife and I, age 65, are somewhat avid cyclists and are interested in Biking along the Rhine Valley in the fall of 2012. What parts of the Rheinsteig Trail are moderate to low level cycle routes?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"What parts of the Rheinsteig Trail are moderate to low level cycle routes?" Almost none. The trail ascends and descends continuously. If you want an easy bike tour of the Rhine valley, use the paved trail on the opposite bank. It runs directly along the river from at least Bingen to Koblenz and it's almost completely flat.
Posted by
OP
St. Catharines, Canada
23 posts
Much obliged. From your 2 towns mentioned, I was able to connect with an online site at www.radwanderland.de which gives an excellent overview of all the cycle routes on both sides. Thanks.
Posted by
OP
St. Catharines, Canada
23 posts
Much obliged. From your 2 towns mentioned, I was able to connect with an online site at www.radwanderland.de which gives an excellent overview of all the cycle routes on both sides. Thanks.
Posted by
Paradise
6759 posts
I would encourage you to look at the bike paths along the nearby Mosel River as well, where there is less noise and traffic, more nature, and where the bike path is more often separate from road traffic.
Posted by
San Diego, CA
638 posts
I second what Russ said, the Mosel is a great place to cycle. I rode from Trier to Koblenz on my first trip to Europe and it is still one of my favorite trips. It took roughly a week if I remember right, most of it through vineyards along the way.
Posted by
Richmond, Virginia, USA
345 posts
Look at this guy's photos of the Rhine and Mosel: http://home.comcast.net/~bepineurope/photos/363.htm
Posted by
Nederland, CO
1497 posts
David, you might want to check out a couple of websites. 1st is an american company that arranges bike tours through various european companies and I believe they both offer tours along the Rhine. www.biketoursdirect.com the second is www.radweg-reisen.com My husband and I are taking a bike tour around lake Constance in June through radweg-reisen. Both of these companies have a service that will transport your luggage from town to town for you, but they also have detailed descriptions of tours they offer along with information regarding difficulty and distance.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
A technique I learned from scouting cross-country skiing paths - look where the rail lines are. Rail rarely goes more than 2 or 3 degrees up or down. If you find a bike trail on a map that mirrors a rail line, chances are good it will be fairly easy riding.
Posted by
Chicago, IL, US
96 posts
I agree with Tom. I've done the trail from Bingen to Koblenz, and it's easy and fun. Having said that, the Mosel River trail might be better. I've never ridden on it, but I've stayed along the Mosel, and I believe that it is at least as nice as, if not more so, than the Rhine.