Germany and France bike tour-any must ride roads or must see sights

[VR_Rider]

I'm of to Germany and staying at Mosel bikes gaff in zetlin reichstag for 6 nights and two nights in France. First off all, what do I have to take on the bike?!?!

Most importantly any recommended places to visit or roads to ride?

[bond_yzf]

No idea where mosel's place is but if its near the b500 baden baden then thats a great road up through the black forest

[bowber]

The Black forest is good, you don't have to do the 500, it's a nice road but there are plenty of nice roads there.
The Mosel valley is very nice but don't point up to all the castles on hills as you ride around

Steve

[chico]

lots of nice parts of Germany, most often quoted is Black forest/b500, but there are many other places, if you are staying at Mikes the world is your oyster, as well as all the Mosel region, there is the Eifel region just North of the Mosel, many interesting towns, Trier, Dusseldorf/Cologne well worth a look as is the Bergish lands around Wuppertal valley,

as a minimum, you need all original bike docs and full licence, and EHIC card,(Old E111) see the AA site for the rest, some take none of it some take it all, plus some travel ins...

a short 4 day one I did earlier this year

http://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum ... ekend.html

[waynecoluk]

I was in Germany last month staying just off the B550 in Schonwald.
The B500 is good with some good fast sweepers but like the others have said there are also lots of other great roads beyond that.
The good thing about the Black Forest is itsd relatively small so we stayed in the same hotel for 5 nights and just ventured out from there and went back at the evening.

If you get the chance visit Triberg. The cuckoo clock was invented there and there is a nice water fall to walk up, lovely place.
Also in Schwartzwald there are a couple of mad rides down the mountains. Its almost like a roller coaster ride but under its own power and you control the brake. Absolute hoot. There are a few around, one in Feldburg and another north of Triberg.

Watch out for the weather though. We hit it bad and got almost constant rain for the entire week and was caught in a storm where our village flooded.

Have fun though

[Tourider]

Berg Eltz, just off the Mosel, is the perfect medieval castle.
A couple of longer days rides with the sat nav set to "avoid highways" are:
The Dam Busters route; Mosel - Gummersbach - Sorpe Dam - Arnsberg - Mohne Dam - Winterberg - Eder Dam - Bad Wildungen - Mosel.
The Ardennes; Mosel - Echternach (Lux) - Ettelbruck - Bastogne (Bel) - La Roche En Ardenne - Clervaux (Lux) - Vianden - Mosel.

[steve172]

I think the BlackForest is a bit too far south if you are staying in the Mosel region?

But if you do go to the Black Forest, the L96 is great!

[KEITH640]

but don't point up to all the castles on hills as you ride around

Steve

:woohoo:

[VR_Rider]

Thanks for the advice, like the idea of visiting the dams, shall look into that!

[Mosel Bikes]

Hi Dave
I'll talk to you when you come over, but by way of short reply here (and these are my opinions living there)

- B500 and Black Forest are too far for a day's ride (best part of 400 miles return)

- as has been said, lots of nice day rides around the Eifel (including the Vulkaneifel area/Nurburgring/Monschau/mini National Park)

- Hunsruek and Rheine (including Rudesheim, up to Koblenz, Deutsche Eck, back up Mosel to visit Berg Eltz and Cochem)

- the Luxembourg/Belgian run (already mentioned) including Vianden, Bastogne, Ettelbruck, Larochette, Echternach and a city visit to Trier.

- I'd also suggest you have at least one 'day off' the bike, when you can take a river boat trip, visit the wine museum and sample the wines, or have a walk through the vineyards and up to the forests at the top of the valley, with a nice picnic lunch.

- you can take a train (Wittlich-Trier-Luxembourg city) if you fancy a full day of culture and gastronomy!

Lots to see and do, depending on your tastes and fancies. I was going to put up some images to give you an idea, but I'm in the UK this week, using my son's computer and for some reason (perhaps his settings), the images seem blurred and low resolution. Just do a 'images of .... monschau/Vianden/Vulcan Eifel/etc search on google and you'll see the stunning beauty of the area.

safe ride over and look forward to seeing you and your good lady.

Mike

Oh, and it's ZELTINGEN RACHTIG !