Anyone ridden the Rhine-Main-Danube canal?

[NickC]

I'm planning to ride from the southern part of the Netherlands to Croatia, part of which might be along a section of the Rhine-Main-Danube canal. Has anyone done the part of this ride that runs from the river Main at Bamburg to the Danube at Kelheim? If so, I'd appreciate any information you could give me about the ease or difficulty of this route, and about camping possibilities (or lack of them maybe) along the way.

Many thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Can't help you on this one (yet). I'm doing a Rhine/Moselle tour in May/June. However you might be able to help me with a query - do you know if NS will allow me to take a recumbent tricycle on their normal trains from Hoek van Holland to Venlo?

 

[Andy in Sig]

I've gone along bits of it and basically there is a bike path along most of its length or alongside parallel roads, if I remember aright. There is a much nicer way of getting from the Main to the Danube which is the Romantische Straße bike route. This will take you from Würzburg or Wertheim (depending where you want to pick it up) down to the Danube at Donauwörth and you will see some lovely medaeval towns along the way. However that does mean that if you are coming from the west you will miss Bamberg which is a jewel of a place. (I'm assuming you're going along the Main.) My choice would be to go to Bamberg and then hop on a local train back to Würzburg - it takes about an hour - and so along the Romantische Straße.

 

[NickC]

Auntie Helen: I don't know, I'm afraid, though I'm a bit doubtful that they'll take a tricycle. I'll ask at my local station and let you know.

Andy: Many thanks for that, I'd vaguely heard of the Romantische Strasse, though I know nothing about it as yet. From what you say, it sounds like a more interesting alternative. I'll do some investigation.

 

[rich p]

I can highly recommend the Romantische Strasse too. I did it 2 years ago and it was a great experience.

 

[Brains]

I can highly reccomend the 'bikeline' books on the route. written in German, but even if you can't speak a word (I can't) well worth it for the excellent cycle maps

If fact as go as far as to say, don't leave home without it

 

[NickC]

rich p, Brains: Thanks guys. My German is not good (despite the fact that I live in the country next door), but it's good enough for me to be able to (sort of) read a guidebook, so I'll get hold of the book you mention Brains.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I occurs to me that if you are going to Croatia and do indeed follow the Romantische Strasse, this will take you all the way to Fussen at the start of the Alps. This is also the start point for the Via Claudia Augusta bike route (also covered by a Bikeline guide) which will get you to the Venice area.

 

[NickC]

Andy: Yes, that's true, but on this occasion I want to go along the Danube to somewhere before Vienna, turn right and go through eastern Austria close to the Neusiedlersee, then into Hungary, through Szombathely and south through a little bit of Slovenia and on through Varazdin. I'm aiming for the village of Visoko, about 75 km north east of Zagreb.

 

[Brains]

bike line books

http://www.stanfords.co.uk/stock/europe-bikeline-atlases-of-long-distance-cycling-routes/

 

[NickC]

Thanks Brains, the relevant books are now on order.