UKC

Our Lass and me are planning on having a 'different' holiday this year without the kids, which means no mountains. (I know, I know, but I have wangled a week's Alps trip too, so it's not all bad.....). The plan is to take the road bikes on the back of the camper and head down the Rhine valley, with no particular destination in mind other than perhaps Baden Baden for a posh coffee.

So, has anyone got any suggestions for places to head for with some holiday/nice squares/sightseeing, and even better if there are some good cycle routes nearby. I have been trawling the 'net, and have found all sorts, but dunno where to start. I don't mind cycle-ways, but will be on road tyres like....

Have been to places like Colgne, Koblenz, Karlsruhe beore, but on the motorbike, so this is a new angle....

Inspiration?

In reply to JohnnyW:

Sounds like a great idea. My wife and I cycled by a circuitous route from Dieppe to Paris a few years ago, then used the bikes around Paris. We had a great time, doing castles and cathedrals.

We drove through Germany last summer. Can you go as far east as Munich? We stayed there for a couple of days and I thought it was a very interesting place, with echoes of the past and a very fresh, modern feel. In the English Gardens the city has what must be one of Europe's largest urban parks, and also the most landlocked surfing spot.

We went to Heidelburg, where we watched the World Cup final. It is drop-dead pretty, but is a tourist honey pot, a bit like Bruges. I am glad I have seen it, but I wouldn't go back there.

If you get down to Stuttgart, the paleantology museum is wonderful.

If you are driving through Belgium on your way, my tip is to see Ghent. I loved it. We went there on the way out to the Dolomites and then again on the way back. It is full of cyclists, is very attractive and has a great vibe. I'd certainly go again. We stayed in a hipster's house, found via AirBnB, and he lent us his bikes and gave us lots of good ideas for where to eat and what to see. We were there on the way back during the street theatre festival, when the place is absolutely buzzing and lots of fun.

In reply to JohnnyW:
If you get to Baden Baden make sure you try the Schwarzwaldbecher (an ice cream dessert)!

In reply to elsewhere:


Will do

In reply to JohnnyW:

We did Prague to Berlin along the Elbe cycle route and then headed up to Rostock and Copenhagen.
Cycling in Berlin and Germany in general were great. Good surfaces and route marking. There are good maps available with cycle routes on. Plenty of scope for circular routes based on Berlin.

Contemplating doing Berlin to Usedom on the Baltic before heading along the coast to Gdansk this summer.

In reply to JohnnyW:

Tuebingen is nice. River valleys: Neckar, Donau, and hills in the black forest and Schwaebische Alb. Also Bodensee (lake Constance) and routes leading there. Bikemap.net seems like a good resource. Most of the official routes will be compact gravel where not paved, mostly in good condition (welcome to Germany!) so quite ridable with sensible tyres and saddle. I live near Stuttgart, though confess I haven't done all of these routes, yet.