Cycling The Rhine, Moselle, Champagne and Marne
We are catching a train from Munich to Mainz to begin the next stage of our tour. We are going to ride along the Rhine River from Mainz to Koblenz, where will take the opportunity to meet up with some good friends from Melbourne and Norway. From Koblenz we will then ride to Metz along the Moselle River, through the historic fields of WW1 and the Champagne region. Finally, we will follow the Marne River valley for a triumphant return to Paris where we will complete our adventure.
We will be following the EV15 (Rhine Cycle Route) to Koblenz and the Mosel Cycle Path, where we will cross our old friend the EV5 (via Francigena) near Luxembourg as we make our way to Metz. From Metz we will navigate backroads to the V52 (La Veloroute de la Marne) to Paris. We expect this stage to take 10-12 days.
Getting to The Rhine
We had no issue searching and booking our trains from Munich to Mainz using the Dbahn website, and we did this about a week prior to planned departure to ensure we had the mandatory booking for the bikes on the ICE train from Munich to Mannheim. The train from Mannheim to Mainz was a regional train, so a booking for the bikes was not necessary. We also selected a 6:45 train from Munich to get ahead of any weekday commuters and hopefully minimise any issues with bikes and luggage
The booking was the easy part as it turned out. We have travelled on German trains quite often in the past and have always admired the super-efficient operations and personable experience. We had heard rumors that this experience was a thing of the past, and so it turned out. The ICE train, with great bike storage areas, left Munich 5 minutes late and lost another 5 minutes at each of it stops to Mannheim with a total delay of 45 minutes causing us to miss our connecting train to Mainz. Given we had a pre-paid reserved ticket, we attempted to board an IC train to make up lost time only to be sternly advised by the train driver who was hanging out of his window, that without a specific train reservation for that specific train it was not permitted to board the train. We retreated to the DBhan Travel Service office where we were greeted by no fewer than six workers, three manning assistance desks and three trying to work out how to open a window and let some cool air in! Whilst simultaneously scrolling Instagram, the customer service representative we had managed to advise that we needed to wait for the next regional train and, with prompting, was also able to tell us which platform… Another 90 minutes and a few trains missed, we eventually go to Mainz 2 hours after our expected arrival.
We are now willing to concede that the rumors we had heard were the new reality for DBahn, what a shame. Our view of the German railways is a thing of the past and we would now rank them behind France and Italy in service levels.
There comes a time in most longer journeys where travel weariness creeps in and so that came to be today. Our frustrating morning of train transit combined with the heat of the day, which by the time we got to ride was approaching 33 degrees (apparent temp) and our general physical weariness left us a bit flat. Nevertheless, we pressed on! Chris had noticed some sort of penicillin looking growth in his water bottle so first stop was the bike store to replace that, and this had the added bonus of allowing a short ride through Mainz and to pick up a pretzel for now lunch in the Aldstadt. We headed out across the Rhine to join the EV15 on the west side of the river and followed this until Rudesheim am Rhein where we took a ferry across to Bingen on the east side. Before the ferry we passed the very interesting remains of the Die Hindenburgbrucke, a railway bridge that was destroyed in WW2 by retreating Germans. It spanned some 1100m across the Rhine and was the only bridge linking Rudesheim to the east side of the river. Its huge concrete remains offer a confronting and somewhat haunting reminder of the destruction of war. From Bingen we continued downstream enjoying lovely views of vineyard landscapes and the castles that dot the route, eventually arriving in Bacharach, a place that Chris had stayed sometime around 1989 and wanted to revisit. We had planned to stay in a local campsite but the google reviews suggested that the owner was a bit cranky and less than hospitable toward bikepackers. Given our travel weariness, we decided to go with a pension called Hotel zur Post that was only marginally more expensive and was within the lovely Aldstadt area.
Today was just an all-round delightful amble along the west bank of the EV15. No gradients to speak of and plenty of bicycle traffic in both directions, with the river ever present as our guide there was no real need for navigation tools to interrupt the views today. The route is boarded by rising hills dotted with castles and covered in grape vines, and in the valleys housing, rail transport, roads, bike paths and the river (and its associated cargo barges and the many river cruising ships) competed amiably for space. We took our time riding and wandered through the towns of Oberwesel, Sankt Goar and Boppard, each with interesting architecture and old town centres for which this area is famous. Since 2002, the Rhine region from Bingen to Koblenz has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage area, and it is easy to see why!
We have settled into the Hotel Jan van Werth, which as a garage for bike storage, and have plans to catch up with friends from Australia who currently live in this area as well as our old mate AC who is travelling from Norway to cycle with us for a few days.
The Moselle Path
We spent six days making our way up the Moselle River from Koblenz and eventually returned to France as we rolled into Metz. In Koblenz we met up with an old friends from Melbourne (Mike and Jan who now live in Germany and explored around Cochem on their motorbikes) and AC who flew in from Norway because she wanted to try out some cycle touring, we were only too happy to help! AC rented a bike and some panniers from Rhein Bike just near the Haupbahnhof and once acquainted with its features we headed off towards our first stop, Cochem.
Leaving Koblenz, a dedicated path is well sign posted for the Moselle River cycle route it sticks pretty closely to the river, but with opportunities to follow paths through the vineyards themselves. A 33-degree day ensured that we stopped plenty of times for a cold drink and AC managed the flat gradients of the path well. We set up camp in the Camping-Schausten as per the owners instructions, but unwittingly created some campground ‘real politik’ before being treated to a huge storm that raced up the valley whilst we listened to the cheers of locals who were enjoying Germany winning through to the quarter finals of the FIFA Euro’s in the campgrounds small bar.
We found the Moselle River route to be much more serene and quiet than its bigger, bolder relative, The Rhine. Where the Rhine is a true ‘working’ river, the Moselle is largely left to the tourist boats (and their cycling day trippers), motorbikes and cyclists, especially through the lower and middle sections where you are surrounded by the ancient, terraced vineyards. There is less barge traffic that of course work the entire river from the upper industrial sections through to the Rhine and beyond. The cycle route takes riders through the small towns and villages along the route rather than sticking hard to the river as the Rhine had done, giving a glimpse into life for residents and allowing plenty of opportunity to chat with fellow cyclists. Given the soaking we had experienced in Cochem, we changed our plans and booked an apartment. The Traben Aparment – Tenvik, in Traben allowed us to dry out our gear, and included a welcome pack, with a very helpful owner, bike storage and the opportunity to enjoy a home cooked meal and chat well into the evening.
Our next stop was the Campingplatz Neumagan/Dhron with its excellent flat and grassy pitches right beside the river for a camp cooked speck and vegetable soup. Drizzle greeted us the next morning and this, with a headwind, accompanied us for much of the ride to Trier. The steep valleys of downstream of the Moselle opened up into farmland along this section and made for pleasant riding despite the weather. Approaching Trier, the path leaves the river and heads through the key shipping port in Pfalzel which highlights the continual importance of the river to industry.
The ride to Schengen had us driving deep into the panniers to retrieve long buried wet weather gear for another long day in the rain. We continued along the Moselle Path, ducking in and out of Luxembourg at Wasserbillig before settling into the Schengen Chateau for a little bit of luxury (albeit a work in progress as it is under renovation) for AC’s last night with us. Schengen has a very interesting history as the place where its namesake agreement was signed creating free movement without border controls between Germany, Luxembourg and France. This agreement has since grown to include border free movements between 26 European countries but despite this interesting history, Schengen itself has little else to offer the weary traveller!
We had decided to visit Metz because it is the end of the Moselle cycle path, but it also has masses of Franco/German history and is listed as one of the unexpected delights of France. Given also the capital of Lorraine, it of course has quiche as a pastry staple. The Moselle runs on different courses through the city, creating a series of islands in the town and the Cathédrale Saint-Etienne, which is one of 4 large churches in the city, was built from the 13th to 16th century is one of the most impressive in France. The city surprisingly as a hilly centre, which is assuming why is has always been a fortress town since roman times. We have been on the move now for 9 days straight, so will spend a couple of days admin as we then plot our final path to Paris.
As we have both a picked up a bit of a cold, no doubt due to recent unstable weather, we decided to catch a mid morning regional train from Metz to Verdun. Like Metz, Verdun is a historic fortress town that stretches back to the days of Charlemagne but for those unfamiliar with the past 100-200 years, it was a key garrison town for the French and grew as a result of the Franco-Prussian War and subsequent Treaties. Verdun and its surrounding forts were therefore on the front line when WWI broke-out in 1914. The town and surrounding areas including the Argonne were the sights of French’s bloodiest battles and as we made our way firstly along the Meuse canal (EV19) and then secondary roads including the D38, the scale of loss was evident in the many French cemeteries. It was a tough day on few fronts. There was the physical, with a developing cold, and constant rain with a headwind of 25kms an hour, but also the emotional when passing through sites of such history and bloodshed. In Varennes-en-Argonne we had the opportunity to sit in a bar, the Le Bras d’Or, with some locals to speak about our trip, enjoy a beer or two and watch England beat Switzerland in the Euro24 Qtr Finals. We stayed at the Camping Paquis and resolved that this would be our last night in tents having decided to spend our last week of the trip in the relative luxury of hotels and hopefully with some nice meals prepared by someone else!
There are no cycle paths that we could follow, so to make our way between Varennes-en-Argonne and Chalon-en-Champagne we continued on the D38 as well as navigating other D roads. Given it was a Sunday, we didn’t expect much traffic, and apart from the D3 which is a key (and very straight!) road between Chalon and Sainte-Menehould we didn’t have much traffic to content with. The graves and sights also continued today, notably on leaving Varennes-en-Argonne where you pass the impressive Pennsylvania Monument – an American memorial to their soldiers who died in this area. Further on the rise of the D38 is a German fortified position called the Abri du Kronprinz and the large French Nécropole Nationale in La Harazée. After leaving the Argonne Forest, there were a series of undulating roads through sparsely populated fields of lettuce and wheat that stretch to the horizon towards the Champagne region. Janette as also started to enjoy the noise of broken wheel bearings, so we will also be looking for a bike repair shop in the next couple of days. We are staying at the Hôtel du Pot d’Etain in the old town centre of Chalon. The hotel welcomes cyclists and provides secure bike storage in their garage.
We were greeted by a nice sunny and wind-free day as we rode from Chalon to Reims through the Champagne region. The route was a mix of canals and a climb through the eastern side of the Parc naturel régional de la Montagne de Reims with its horizon of champagne grape vines. From Chalon until the vines you follow the V52 – Canal Lateral a la Marne an joining the Canal Marne – Aisne at Condé-sur-Marne. The Canal Marne – Aisne runs all the way to Reims, but as a cyclist you need to leave the canal at Vaudemange and rejoin the canal at Beaumont-ser-Vesle after climbing through the vines. The road section follows in some part the Champagne Route, and includes some short sharp climbs through the endless vineyards, as you navigate the small roads with the local vineyard workers, their harvesting equipment and local tour buses. The canals are dedicated cycle paths, and as you approach Reims the path becomes the V30 – Veloroute de lar Somme a la Marne which forms a southern boundary of the city. After another visit to a Reims bike-shop, it looks like Janette after approx. 2200 kms may have her front derailleur fixed!
We have both found the days leading to Reims was taking a little more out of the body than expected. Whilst in a chemist picking up throat lozenges and nasal decongestant, we spied a particular kind of viral test, that has become prevalent over the past few years. We thought to be on the safe side we would take such a test, and low and behold we found our 2 days in Reims in self-isolation and disinfecting everything we touched.
The 2 days break helped, and although still a little under the weather, we have spent the last couple of days continuing through the Champagne region, firstly making our way to through the middle of the Parc naturel régional de la Montagne with an up and over climb from Reims to Epernay. With no established cycling route available we followed the bike path parallel to the D951 to outskirts of Reims. From there we went on the D22 and 26 to Sermiers where the road paths took us through the grapevines and a forest to join the quite busy D951. We stayed on the D951 until descending through hills covered in vines with their associated winery’s from Champillon to Epernay. The vine covered landscapes on the slopes of the Parc naturel régional de la Montagne are very impressive.
From Epernay we have followed the Marne river valley to Chateau Thierry. The day also marked a milestone as we kicked over 3000 kms since we began our trip in Paris, and once again Paris lurks on the horizon only 100 kms further down the Marne valley.
What was supposed to be a very welcome flat day, ended up with a couple of small climbs as we found the V50 cycle from Epernay path ended in the nice village of Domans. Following a route replan, we navigated to the D1003 on a mix of farm tracks and half roads. Approaching Chateau Thierry, the WW1 past is still very evident with the American Monument Memorial Park perched on a ‘Hill 204’ over-looking the town.
Leaving Chateau Thierry, we embarked on our final 100 kms to Paris. We split this into 2 days of 50km each, with a stop in Meaux. Meaux is interesting as it is where the French stopped the initial German advance in 1914, and did so again but this time with American support in 1918. This latter second battle of The Marne led to an armistice a few months later. Outside Chateau Thierry there is a path that follows the Marne, however we decided to follow the D-roads when the path became a rough dirt track. The D-roads continue through grape vines and you pass many boutique Champagne houses in the villages. The road provides plenty of undulations as it wanders along the valley floor and there was one climb for about 2 km climb on the busy D603 just before Meaux. In Meaux we again stayed at an IBIS hotel given they have proven we reliable with bike storage.
Our last day of riding was the 50 Kms to Paris, where we were meeting family who had travelled from the UK to join us in Bastille weekend celebrations. The route from Meaux to Paris predominately followed dedicated cycle and canal paths. The first 10kms took us through the rolling wheat and produce fields of the Voie Communale Numerau 3 De Vignely a Meaux before we joined the Canal de l’Ourcq at Trilbardou. Our plan was to enter Paris from a side we have not seen, and so we stayed on this canal until it joined the EV3 near Gressy. The EV3 runs all the way to the St Martin Canal in the northeast of Paris via a nice green space called the Parc Forrestier De La Poudrene near Sevran. We arrived on a Saturday and it was great to see all the preparations for the Olympics, which next week, while we weaved our way between people on the very well-used St Martin’s canal paths. We were greeted by our family members for a celebratory beer at The Bastille and it was a perfect way to celebrate what has been an amazing adventure.
We made our way back to the Hotel Notre Dame and Henri welcomed us with our bike bags and a smile.
Where to next?
