Merzig to Cologne
Germany Bike + Boat Tours
Three River Bike & Boat tour featuring the Rhine, Moselle, & Saar Rivers
- Tour Type
- Skill Level
- Length8 days
- Prices from€1695 Rates
- Book This Trip
Overview
Cycle along the Saar and Moselle rivers on this bike and barge tour in Germany through charming cities and villages.
You begin in Merzig, not far from the French border, and pedal through the Saarland, a small and somewhat mysterious region of Germany that possesses some of the most beautiful forests in the entire country.
Mountains laced with vineyards will be your backdrop as you travel this beautiful river landscape. The entire Mosel area is simply enchanting, synonymous with magnificent landscapes, romantic wine villages, and lovely biking and boating!
Highlights
- Ever romantic Moselle River
- Saar River surrounded by mountains
- The splendor of the Rhine
- Roman cities of Andernach and Trier
- "Black Cat" town of Zell
- Famous Bernkastel
- Little Venice Saarburg
- Wine-tasting session at the famous ‘Storck’ winery.
We offer many more bike & boat tours in Germany, be sure to look at our comprehensive list!
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Merzig. Merzig - Schwemlingen
Day 2: Schwemlingen - Saarburg, 20 mi. (29 km)
Day 3: Saarburg – Trier, 12 mi. (20 km) or extend to 34 mi. (55 km)
Day 4: Trier – Mehring - Bernkastel - Traben Trarbach, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 5: Traben Trarbach - Zell - Cochem, 22 mi. (35 km)
Day 6: Cochem - Koblenz, 25 mi. 40 km
Day 7: Koblenz - Andernach - Bonn - Cologne, 45 km
Day 8: Cologne*All distances are approximate. The itinerary is subject to change sometimes without prior notice. Some waterways may be subject to occasional closures due to drought, storms, floods, canal or lock repairs, or other unforeseen circumstances that make navigation unsafe or impossible. The captain reserves the right to make any changes deemed necessary.
Day 1: Arrival in Merzig. Merzig - Schwemlingen
Check-in begins at 3:30 pm. The crew will welcome you on board and while you enjoy a welcome drink you will get information about the ship, the tours, and the bicycle. At 5 pm, the Merlijn will sail to Schwemlingen, a beautiful dock within natural surroundings. Dinner is enjoyed during the cruise, with an opportunity for a stroll in the natural area around the tiny town of Schwemlingen.Day 2: Schwemlingen - Saarburg, 20 mi. (29 km)
Breakfast will be served on board, after which you will receive your bike. The cycling route takes you through the wonderful Saarland region. More than any other region, it symbolizes the "rendezvous in Saarland", of water and land. From Schwemlingen, it’s about 5 km to the excellent viewpoint over the surrounding landscape and the Saar loop at the Cloef. From here, you will bike further on to Saarburg, passing the village of Mettlach, well known for the products manufactured by Villeroy & Boch. The cityscape of Saarburg is characterized by narrow alleys, framework houses, and Baroque structures, as well as colorful fishing cottages and seafarers’ houses. The master architect of Berlin, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, already named the collection of romantic houses and small bridges on the Buttermarkt "Little Venice" in the 19th century.Day 3: Saarburg – Trier, 12 mi. (20 km) or extend to 34 mi. (55 km)
After breakfast, you will start your bike trip to Trier, by following the Saar River ‘downstream’. At Konz, the Saar meets the Moselle river. In the afternoon, there will be enough time for a visit around the city and a guided tour. Trier was the capital of the Western Roman Empire, a Roman government seat, and is well known for its enormous city gateway, Porta Nigra, and the Roman Baths.Day 4: Trier – Mehring - Bernkastel - Traben Trarbach, 28 mi. (45 km)
In the morning, the Merlijn will sail from Trier to the holiday resort of Mehring, where the biking begins. The Romans fell in love with this landscape more than 2000 years ago and built splendid country villas here. After visiting Neumagen-Drohn, you will cycle on to Bernkastel-Kues, where magnificent framework houses
line the oldest market place in Europe. After a visit to this charming city, you will board the Merlijn, and together we’ll sail to Traben Trarbach. Tonight you will be
offered a wine-tasting session at the Winery of Storck.Day 5: Traben Trarbach - Zell - Cochem, 22 mi. (35 km)
Following a cruise to Zell, famous for its vineyard "Zeller Schwarze Katz", you will bike along the meandering Moselle and visit many charming villages, such as Alf, Sankt Aldegund (where you can visit a cellar with lots of liquors, wines, and Mosel mustards), Bremm, and finally Beilstein. After exploring this interesting medieval village, it is onward to Cochem where the boat is moored.Day 6: Cochem - Koblenz, 25 mi. (40 km)
You bike directly from Cochem into the Eltztal and after a hike of approx. 40 minutes, you will visit the beautiful castle of Eltz. With its romantic cliff-top location, the castle is one of the very few that has remained intact throughout its long history. After a visit, you will bike to Koblenz, where the Merlijn will be docked. Tonight, you’ll have the possibility to try the local German cuisine on your own as the evening is free for you to explore.Day 7: Koblenz - Andernach - Bonn - Cologne, 28 mi. (45 km)
Whilst sailing, another delicious breakfast will be served on board. Your bike tour will start at Andernach, but first pay a short visit to this ancient Roman town, before you cycle on to Bonn. You will cycle along the
Siebengebirge (lit. ‘seven mountains’ in German), which is a range of hills to the east of the Rhine, south-east of Bonn, comprising over 40 mountains and hills. Your bike tour will end in Bonn, the city of Beethoven, where you will meet the Merlijn again. Your last afternoon on board Merlijn will be spent navigating the magnificent Rhine River, relaxing on one of the outer decks, or in the cozy lounge, and enjoying the scenery as
you pass by. As you arrive to Cologne, you can enjoy the stunning skyline of this bustling city. Once docked the Captain’s dinner will be served on board.Day 8: Cologne
Disembarkation after breakfast.Looking for more? View all of our featured bike & boat tours, or our full list of biking, hiking, & other trips.
Map
Boats & Bikes
- Merlijn
Deluxe Class Barge
"The Divine Miss M" as we lovingly call the Merlijn is a diva, for sure. What can we say? Is it the luxurious cabins with the most comfortable beds you have ever slept in? Is it the lovely dining area with the large windows and skylight that let the air, light, and sun pour in? Or perhaps it is the sun deck, where you can relax with newfound friends, sharing good wine and good conversation. We think you will find it is the entire divine package! Step on board and discover for yourself! Read More
Inclusions
What’s Included
- Accommodations for 7 nights on board the deluxe vessel, the Merlijn
- Complimentary welcome drink
- 7 breakfast buffets, 6 packed lunches, & 6 x 3-course dinners
- Coffee, tea, & iced water
- Daily cleaning of your cabin
- Complimentary bathrobe and slippers
- Daily tour briefing
- Tour guide
- 27-speed bicycle, including a waterproof pannier, towel, & universal helmet
- Complimentary water bottle
- GPS-tracks on most routes
- Canal, bridge & harbor fees.
- All ferry fares en route
- Entrance to the castle of Eltz
- Wine-tasting session at the Storck winery
- Guided city tour of Trier
What’s Not Included
- 1 dinner
- Drinks & alcoholic beverages other than those mentioned as included
- City maps
- Bike maps
- Bike Protection
- Travel Insurance
Dates & Pricing
Dates
Not running in 2023
Please Note
- Rates are per person, based on double occupancy
- Tour prices are based on the fuel costs at time prices are set, often months or years in advance. In rare cases, additional fees may apply for fuel cost increases.
- Information to read before you book
- We recommend purchasing trip insurance
- Please see our FAQ
Pricing
This route is not running in 2023 - see the boat's schedule on the Merlijn Boat Page
Extra Options
Electric bike rental (payable onboard): $ 304 £ 157 $ 268 € 180 kr 27597 ₪ 726 ¥ 30005 Mex$ 3291 NZ$ 332 NOK 2150 kr 2120 $ 198
If the price of fuel increases unexpectedly the excess costs must be passed on to the client. The same holds true for port fees.
Extra Info
Skill Level — Easy
This is an easy, guided bike and boat tour with average daily distances between 20 and 40 km. The route is mostly flat on asphalted roads or bike paths.
Airport Info
Fly to Frankfurt International Airport (FRA).
Local Travel
Frankfurt Airport is well connected by public transportation. Frankfurt Airport Train Station, located next to Terminal 1, offers connections to popular German cities via Deutsche Bahn, the national railway company of Germany. There are local S-Bahn lines (lines S8 and S9) that take travelers into central Frankfurt in about 10-15 minutes and to other cities in Germany. Train travel from the airport to Merzig is about 3 hours and will entail one or two transfers depending on the time of departure and type of train. At the end of your tour, train travel from Cologne back to Frankfurt is generally less than an hour.
Climate
Please check local conditions before your arrival. For those tours starting in October, this time of year is known as “Golden October” for good reason. If the weather cooperates, you will enjoy the colors of autumn. Cooler temperatures mean lovely brisk riding and fewer tourists as well! Do check local conditions prior to arrival. In most of Germany, the climate is moderately continental, with cold winters and warm summers
Important to know
Travel Documents
It is each traveler's responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with the country or countries you plan to visit. This includes and is not limited to passport validity, visa requirements and acquisition, blank passport pages required for your destination (s), etc.
US citizens: A good website to research the requirements of the Schengen Agreement and entry into other countries is travel.state.gov.
Non-EU and EU residents: Please research the requirements of your country of residence for international travel and your destination country or countries.
*Important note: Please check on the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) status as once implemented, this will be required to visit any of the 26 Schengen-member countries for tourism, business, medical, or transit. This is an additional check on security rather than a visa.Tour Operator
This tour is run by Coen van der Vlies.
We value the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
We are not a broker.
We do not inflate tour prices.
We are simply travelers helping travelers.Would you like to learn more About Us? How about What Makes Us Different than other companies?
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