Hi,
I've been planning our first trip to Germany for several months. I am having trouble finding out how to do a (very short - 12 mile one way) bike trip one of the days we are on the Mosel. I know that our hotel rents bikes, and we would like to bike from Traben-Trarbach to Zell, then take a boat or a train back after bit of wine tasting. How does one go about taking a bike on a train? I know bikes are allowed on boats, and I've been on Kolb's site, but had trouble reading the schedule (even translated) to tell how often the boats left from Zell. It appears only once or twice a day. We would very much like to not be pinned down by a schedule in case we decide to bike farther than Zell and would like to catch a ride back when it is convenient for us. Is that possible to do? Would it be better to catch a train back than a boat? Can tickets be purchased that day or are reservations needed? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Posted by
Green Bay
21145 posts
There is a very nice bike trail along the Mosel on an old railroad bed that is paved. The local regional trains are marked on the Deutsche Bahn website "number of bicycles conveyed limited". which means they do take bicycles. The town of Bullay is the rail junction of the Traban-Trarbach spur, and the mainline of the Trier-Koblenz rail line. Bullay is just a few miles or so downstream from Zell. Some buses also have bike carriers on the front. You can also pick the train back to T-T from the little town of Reil, about 5 miles short of Zell. http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Mosel_Map.php
Posted by
Green Bay
21145 posts
There is a train every hour at 17 past the hour from Bullay to Traban-Trarbach until 10:17 pm. The fare is 3.50, takes 20 minutes and you just haul the bike on the train with you. There will be some cars with open areas you can sit and hang on to your bike. Punderich is a nice town with a few wineries on the way, as is Briedel and Zell is the biggest and somewhat famous as the home of Zeller Scwartze Katz wine. The old rail line the trail is on (replaced a long time ago by the more modern line across the river) was nickednamed (in German, of course) "The Little Boozers Line". Wine merchants came down to the stations to meet the trains and do whistle stop wine tastings and it got a reputation as a cheap drunk. Here is the site for the RegioRadler, the bike bus.
http://www.regioradler.de/index.php?pre=en_&haktiv=10&code=
Posted by
OP
Delhi, Iowa
5 posts
Thank you so much for the information. The train or a bus will work much better than the boat idea. Glad to know the trains run every hour. Enjoy being able to be spontaneous on a vacation more so than tied to a schedule.