Basel to Rotterdam

[Winnershsaint]

A friend and colleague of mine is planning to cycle next summer from Basel to Rotterdam, roughly following the course of the Rhine northwards. This year he flew with his bike to Barcelona with the intention of cycling back to Cherbourg. In reality his ambitions were unrealistic not because he is deficient as a cyclist but more because his inability to plan. He ended up cycling only between Narbonne via Carcassonne along the Canal du Midi to Toulouse in two legs, before resorting to rail travel. He seriously underestimated distances and the terrain.

I have said that I would help plan a route between the the above cities. Therein lies a difficulty.Looking at it the first part of the ride would appear to favour going north, actually in France towards Strasbourg. Finding suitable routes is much easier a lot of France, like the UK is covered by streetview so it is possible to see where you are mapping. Unfortunately where the planned route enters Germany streetview is not available. I am not familiar with the road system in Germany so am after some advice as to which categories of roads to avoid. Also Ride with GPS seems to do a lot of auto-routing along the Rhine. It is not clear whether these are actual roads or cyclepaths etc. I wonder if anyone is able to shed any light on this.

 

[Brains]

One word. "Bikeline"

The Esterbauer verlag Bikeline books are the books and maps that he needs, mostly written in German but there are some English ones! but it's not the text that is critical. It's the Excelent maps.

there is a cycle route down both banks of the Rhein from Basel to Rotterdam, well used! well signposted! and decades ahead of anything in the UK

 

[mcr]

There's also a secondary network of signed cycle routes/paths between virtually every town and village in that part of the world, so you don't have to follow the Rhine Route doggedly. Check out the websites of each German Land the river passes through (Baden-Wurttemburg, Rhineland-Pfalz, North Rhine Westphalia) via Google - here's the B-W one I happen to have bookmarked - and you can explore available routes and make up your own.

Generally, it's best (and sometimes not an option) to avoid the B roads, which can be fast dual carriageways, but there again, the chances are they'll have a dedicated, well-surfaced parallel cycle path, even in quite rural areas - this is something you can check by zooming in on normal Google Maps view. L and K roads are usually OK, the equivalent of our B and unclassified (or C) roads.

I've said it here before, but there are other very good cycle-specific maps available in competition to the Esterbauer Bikelines, which are very good in themselves, but rather too heavy, and are restrictive in their adherence to the named routes. I've found the ADFC national series of maps (available in Stanfords in Covent Garden) to be very good - showing the whole network, with colour and patterning to indicate quietness etc of a given stretch. And there are plenty of alternatives on sale in any good German bookshop once he's there (including a handy concertina-style map series in the 'Leporello' imprint).

I'm suggesting all these because I found my most enjoyable cycling in Germany last year proved to be away from the honeypot routes, which could get very busy at weekends and often bypassed the centres of the more interesting towns and villages (though maybe your friend has an interest in suburban German housing estates!). I should qualify my comments by saying I've only done short stretches of the Rhine itself, usually en route elsewhere (including a bit through the Rhine Gorge where one's enjoyment of the scenery is somewhat dampened by being confined to a pavement-size cycle path right on the road for long stretches, though things are more rural where the valley opens out).

 

[TheDoctor]

Various people on here have done bits and pieces of the Rhine, but generally speaking @Auntie Helen is the go-to person for all things Germanic.
The 'Bikeline' books are indeed what is required here, even if you can't read German.

 

[snorri]

Also Ride with GPS seems to do a lot of auto-routing along the Rhine. It is not clear whether these are actual roads or cyclepaths etc. I wonder if anyone is able to shed any light on this.

I would second the advice already given, but you could also Google 'Rhine Radweg' or 'Rhein radweg' for loads of information.

 

[Winnershsaint]

Many thank for your helpful advice, particularly about the stretch through the Rhine Gorge as it seems like you are being routed along the dual carriageway. I have used this and the more southerly stretches to help. http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/226889.

 

[psmiffy]

But more because his inability to plan. .

Personally I think this is an admirable trait in a touring cyclist - Myself whenever Ive been following the Rhine Ive always found it easiest navigational wise to follow the Rhine.

Always plenty to look at along the Rhine - even the northern bits have their interesting bits - Best time for the Rhine is the autumn - the wine fests - also the commemorations of the allies crossing the Rhine (The Rhine in flames). A lot of the tributaries are worth a little wander - obviously the Mosel but also the Ahr, the Nahe parts of the Main

 

[Winnershsaint]

Personally I think this is an admirable trait in a touring cyclist - Myself whenever Ive been following the Rhine Ive always found it easiest navigational wise to follow the Rhine.

Best time for the Rhine is the autumn - the wine fests - also the commemorations of the allies crossinLike me he is a teacher so g the Rhine (The Rhine in flames). A lot of the tributaries are worth a little wander - obviously the Mosel but also the Ahr, the Nahe parts of the Main

Like me he is a teacher, unlike me he doesn't drink. Autumn is term start and beer fests would be wasted on him. Me on the other hand! it sounds like a post retirement project.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Any time is a good time on the Rhein!

I had trouble earlier this year with the floods and had to do some on-the-spot rerouting which was generally fine.