EuroVelo 6 - some noob questions

[dimrub]

Ok, I'm now thinking of moving our trip to after the kiddo's exams, around the end of June. We'll have to think of something else to do during the Passover, maybe do part of the HLC route, maybe go sailing somewhere in the Med. Thanks folks for the warning about the weather!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That's a good point, which I haven't considered. Do you mean we need some strength kept in reserve to pitch the tent and prepare the meal where otherwise we would have just crushed in a hotel room and went for a dinner out, or are there other considerations at play?

The extra recovery you get in a hotel bed compared to in a sleeping bag on a mat in a tent after say a wet day or night. It should not be underestimated. It’s rare to carry the same weight if credit card touring compared to camping. What doesn’t seem like much difference at home can be the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back

 

[Ridgeway]

No3: fly to Basel or Zurich, you can add Geneva to those options and you will probably have more choice overall.

 

[dimrub]

No3: fly to Basel or Zurich, you can add Geneva to those options and you will probably have more choice overall.

Yes, definitely an option too, and Lyon too. Lyon is even better, if I manage to find a convenient flight, since it's just an hour train away from Chalon-sur-Saone which seems like a reasonable starting point.

 

[dimrub]

This is on, a month from now. I've reworked the original plan. We're flying into Zurich with our bikes (yes, the kid got a new gravel bike now too), taking a train to Mulhouse, and from there to Ulm along EV6, trying to do no more than 700m elevation gain per day. I only have limited information about the Swiss part of the route, and no experience riding in Switzerland whatsoever, so any hints or pointers, including interesting spots to visit along the way, are most welcome. One point I'm not sure about is whether Donaueschingen is worth a detour (EV6 connects to the Danube in Tuttlingen, about 35 km downstream of the source) - I was thinking, time permitting, to cycle into Tuttlingen, take a train upstream, then cycle towards Ulm along the Danube.

 

[Ridgeway]

Any advice you need on Swiss riding just ping me but watch out they are dangerously smooth and void of any potholes a real menace

Drivers are usually very respectful of cyclists here, giving them the required (by law) 1.5m although there’s always some nobber some where….

Just remember you’re riding on the right (you’re from UK right?) so watch out at junctions. One thing i would say is that roundabouts are a recent invention here and still nobody really understands them but you’re advised to move out to the centre of the lane and block the car behind from passing around 25m from the roundabout (checking first of course).

 

[cougie uk]

Switzerland is lovely. I've raced there and a Swiss guy said he'd not had a p@ncture in years as the roads are so well maintained.
Zurich Youth Hostel by the Lake is lovely too.

Enjoy your adventure!

 

[dimrub]

Just remember you’re riding on the right (you’re from UK right?) so watch out at junctions. One thing i would say is that roundabouts are a recent invention here and still nobody really understands them but you’re advised to move out to the centre of the lane and block the car behind from passing around 25m from the roundabout (checking first of course).

Nope, I'm from Israel (so roundabouts come naturally to me ). Thanks for the advice. I'm never sure where am I expected to stick to pavement, and where to block out the lane.

I'm curious as to how much of the Swiss section of EV6 has places for stops - cafes, but also just picknick tables, or even just places where one can move out of the traffic and rest for a few minutes. Also, here's a list of places we will be passing, if anyone has any advice as to what to do/see in any of them - that would be great.

- Basel
- Rheinfelden
- Bad Sackingen
- Laufenburg
- Bad Zurzach
- Schaffhausen
- Radolfzell

 

[Ridgeway]

Boka tov ! my favourite country (i’ve been consulting Israeli start ups for the last 10yrs).

I’d be pretty confident they’ll be plenty of areas that you’ll be able to stop in that route, some formal ones with tables as you mention and others where you can just set down in a field. Cafes will be plentiful but be aware they ain’t cheap, just like IL😮‍💨

 

[cougie uk]

Nope, I'm from Israel (so roundabouts come naturally to me ). Thanks for the advice. I'm never sure where am I expected to stick to pavement, and where to block out the lane.

I'm curious as to how much of the Swiss section of EV6 has places for stops - cafes, but also just picknick tables, or even just places where one can move out of the traffic and rest for a few minutes. Also, here's a list of places we will be passing, if anyone has any advice as to what to do/see in any of them - that would be great.

- Basel
- Rheinfelden
- Bad Sackingen
- Laufenburg
- Bad Zurzach
- Schaffhausen
- Radolfzell

Schaffhausen is pretty. Do go see the waterfall there but you can't really miss it.
I'm sure there's plenty of facilities for cyclists wherever you go.

 

[dimrub]

Boka tov ! my favourite country (i’ve been consulting Israeli start ups for the last 10yrs).

Heh . Glad you like us!

I’d be pretty confident they’ll be plenty of areas that you’ll be able to stop in that route, some formal ones with tables as you mention and others where you can just set down in a field. Cafes will be plentiful but be aware they ain’t cheap, just like IL😮‍💨

Thanks. Yes, expensive cafes are something we're quite used to. Most days we're content with passing by a supermarket and making a picknick in a picturesque spot, but sometimes one wants to splurge .

 

[RobinS]

Mulhouse, and from there to Ulm along EV6, trying to do no more than 700m elevation gain per day

While there are a few minor ups and downs along the Swiss/German border part of the Rhine route the only real hill is climbing from the Untersee to drop down to Tuttlingen, on this bit you climb up to just over 800m altitude (actually it's the only decent sized hill on the whole of the EV6 as far as Bratislava!). Everywhere along the EV6 we found plenty of lunchtime picnic spots, and only rarely struggled to find a nice Bar/Cafe for an afternoon beer before the campsite. We usually managed to find a morning bakery for pastries to keep us going as well. If you want to read about our experiences on that section look for my "European Tour 2019 - Year of the Headwinds" report in the Members Travelogues section.

 

[dimrub]

While there are a few minor ups and downs along the Swiss/German border part of the Rhine route the only real hill is climbing from the Untersee to drop down to Tuttlingen, on this bit you climb up to just over 800m altitude (actually it's the only decent sized hill on the whole of the EV6 as far as Bratislava!). Everywhere along the EV6 we found plenty of lunchtime picnic spots, and only rarely struggled to find a nice Bar/Cafe for an afternoon beer before the campsite. We usually managed to find a morning bakery for pastries to keep us going as well. If you want to read about our experiences on that section look for my "European Tour 2019 - Year of the Headwinds" report in the Members Travelogues section.

Thanks, reading about your adventures. Great stuff, very interesting to read about the sections we haven't been to yet, and nostalgic reading about those we've been to already.

 

[dimrub]

We're back. Amazing trip, one of the best, if not the best. It was hot, but not ubearably so, and the nature, the cities, the people, it was all absolutely amazing.

 

[dimrub]

I'm going now to hijack my own thread in preparation for the next stage - the EV6 part that is France. My son is very enthusiastic and wants to do it in one installment, and I kind of go along with it - I wouldn't mind doing a lengthier adventure either.

So the idea is to get somehow to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins and ride along EV6 to Mulhouse, where optionally switch over to EV15 and continue to Strassbourg.

The first question is, of course, when to do it. The options are either early April, starting around 4th, during the Passover vacation at school, or some time in the summer, starting in July, when the school is over (he graduates next year). I am, of course, concerned with the weather in France in April. Formerly, it would seem immediately clear that July is the better option, but with the current state of affairs I'm no longer sure. After all, you can layer up for cold and even for rain, but there's no escaping the heat. Your thoughts, ladies and gentlemen?

The second question (I'm just musing aloud now) is the daily distance. We've just done days of 80+ km with sizeable climbs, so given the rather flat course, I'm thinking 100km days are entirely reasonable. This will bring us to 12 riding days, which is just right in terms of the Passover school vacation.

Accommodations. We plan to mostly camp, booking a hotel a couple of times for a respite from the tent life. I'm thinking of bringing the cooking gear but mostly as a backup - I wouldn't want to miss on French cooking.

Any thoughts? Advice? Suggestions?