Anyone holidayed in the Black Forest?

[Panter]

Half thinking of dragging the caravan down there next Year, the idea being to hopefully get some dramatic scenery and with a better chance of decent weather than the UK.
We like peace and quiet, and being able to walk without too many crowds, it would also be nice to take the MTB and explore a bit.
Anyone been? would you recommend it?

 

[rich p]

Chris, I've been to the Black Forest a couple of times, Waldshut-Tiengen but not with a bike. The BF is nice enough but quite, errmmm, foresty! I like Germany a lot and I like the Germans but I wouldn't necessarily expect to get good weather. I toured the Romantic Road last year which is east of the BF and the weather was indifferent. If you look at the map it's not much further south than Paris so it'll be similar climate to there.

 

[Peteaud]

Scary - been thinking about going to the BF myself.
think it needs some serious research.

I

 

[Panter]

Thanks Rich, I must admit I'm quite a fan of Germany, I've visited a couple of times through work but never on holiday.
I take your point with the weather, but it's got to be better than Wales, surely!
Foresty sounds good to me, I like forests

 

[dellzeqq]

cue the joanna.......

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pCKtk9cD4M

 

[Fnaar]

Cue the gateau...

 

[ASC1951]

...
We like peace and quiet, and being able to walk without too many crowds, it would also be nice to take the MTB and explore a bit.
Anyone been? would you recommend it?

I've been a couple of times, Panter. The first time we rented a cottage in St Georgen, the second time a little nearer Freiburg. Both trips were for road cycling although I'm told the MTB routes are excellent.
Plus points - trains are cheap and plentiful, roads are well surfaced and generally quiet, there is mile upon mile of separate cycle tracks, they know how to treat tourists and, being Germany, everything works.
Minus points - it's quite a long way there and you pass through (to my mind) nicer areas like Alsace and the Vosges, the scenery is rather monotonous and it's all a bit manicured. I prefer my countryside a little rougher, like the Pyrenees or the Alps.
It may not be top of my list, but I would certainly recommend it to someone who hasn't been and I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

[rich p]

Thanks Rich, I must admit I'm quite a fan of Germany, I've visited a couple of times through work but never on holiday.
I take your point with the weather, but it's got to be better than Wales, surely!
Foresty sounds good to me, I like forests

The weather will be better than here in general, for sure, so it'll be sub-tropical compared with Wales! It must benefit climate-wise by being in the landmass not that I'm an expert!
The only other downsides to Germany are that the food is largely pork which can get monotonous, and the beer is below average, although this is offset by the local wine being rather good value for money.

 

[Panter]

Superb, many thanks
All sounds good to me (I'll take some bottled ales if we do go)
I don't know the exact destination, it's a trip being organised by some of the camping & caravaning club members so the trip will be governed by the organisers.
To be honest, I'd normally shy away from that sort of organised trip, but I don't feel confident about going it alone that far, especially towing a caravan as it's been many Years since I drove in Europe.
Well, except a day trip to France that confirmed my suspicions that driving on the "wrong" side of the road is a task far more quickly mastered when you're 18

 

[BLUE(UK)]

Schwangau.

 

[Panter]

Schwangau.

Bless you!

 

[dan_bo]

I drove zurich- freiburg a couple of februaries ago- very picturesque. Freiburgs a smashing town.

 

[TheDoctor]

I've been cycling in along that bit of the Rhine - Basel to Strasbourg IIRC.
The climate is better than Wales, which sounds rather like damning with faint praise! It's a continental rather than maritime climate, and you're in the rain shadow of the Alsace hills. This all pans out to drier and more settled, with a better chance of long periods of high pressure and resultant sunniness.
I liked the beer, and the local wine is pretty good, as German wine goes.
Driving on the other side is easier than you might think, especially if you stick to motorways. Overtaking is trickier, but if you're pulling a 'van then overtaking won't play a large part in your day...

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I went there many years ago on a family holiday and we stayed near to Offenburg. I was nice, although what I really remember were the massive thunder storms we had!!