Please check my proposed route

[u01rdw4]

I plan to cycle from Zeebrugge (Belgium) to Prague (Czech Republic) over 8 days via Germany. My proposed route is below. If anyone's done any of those routes, could you advise me about what it's like? I'm particularly looking for details of the surface (ie, tarmac/asphalt/gravel) and hillclimbs. The hillclimbs are a big one for me, because I need to know which days I'll not cover as many miles as I would on flats (Google maps is bad for understating hills!).

Thanks

Day 1: Zeebrugge - Sluis - Vlissingen - Roosendaal - Breda (103 miles/166km)

Day 2: Breda - Eindhoven - Venlo (79 miles/127km)

Day 3: Dusseldorf - Cologne - Bonn - Andernach - Koblenz (91 miles/146km)via Rhine cycle route

Day 4: Koblenz - Bingen - Mainz - Frankfurt (86 miles/138km) via Rhine cycle route

Day 5: Frankfurt - Wurzburg (71 miles/114km) via River Main cycle route

Day 6: Wurzburg - Munchberg (104 miles/167km) via River Main cycle route

Day 7: Munchberg - Hohenberg an der Eger - Karlovy Vary - Rakovnik (114 miles/183km)

Day 8: Rakovnik - Beroun - Prague (45 miles/72km)

 

[bof]

Put your route into RIdewithGPS or various other cycle route mapping sites and you'll get a profile back. To Frankfurt it is almost totally flat - a couple of short steep hills on the Rhine right bank near the Lorelei IIRC and that's about it. I can't speak for beyond. Pretty well all paved - I remember one long strip with coarse gravel but I think they were rebuilding a road there - I can t remember for sure.
You would probably want to climb up to the Lorelei. It's not that hard on a bike.

 

[Brains]

day 7 may be a bit much, as my limited experience of cycling in Czech Rep is the cycle paths are English standard and lower, which after hundreds of miles of German standard will come as a shock.

From a personal prospective when touring I work on 50 mile days, some days more, others less that way you will see stuff and appreciate the view.
I've never managed a century on a loaded tourer, and never wanted to try as there is no point.

 

[bof]

I'd reiterate what Brains said - with those sort of miles you won't have time to see much or do much off the bike.

 

[u01rdw4]

Thanks for all the advice!

Just to clarify, I'm in a group of 10, so we'll be able to peloton, and we won't be carrying our gear as we'll have a support vehicle.

We're going to a festival in Prague, and so the challenge is to see if we can get there in 8 days, hence the high mileage. I understand why you mention stopping and having time to experience places, but we'll be driving back to the UK, so we'll be able to take in sights then.

Brains, you say that Czech roads are English-standard and lower. What kind of tyre would you recommend? If it's bumpy, but still paved then can a slick still cope? But if it's compact gravel then would a semi-slick work?

 

[vernon]

Brains, you say that Czech roads are English-standard and lower. What kind of tyre would you recommend? If it's bumpy, but still paved then can a slick still cope? But if it's compact gravel then would a semi-slick work?

The tread pattern will make no difference on metalled surfaces or on compact gravel.