Mosel River Valley near Bernkastel-Kues, Germany. Photo via Flickr:Megan Mallen

Architecture galore in Bernkastel-Keus, Germany. Photo via Flickr:Bert Kaufmann
4.3/5 (3 ratings)

Mosel Bike Tour

Germany, France Bike Tours

Bike in France and Germany in the footsteps of the Romans!

  • This Mosel bike route leads along the border triangle of France, Luxembourg, and Germany. Your route through the Mosel River Valley will feature medieval castles, historic cities, vineyards, and romantic wineries. Wine has long been a part of the Mosel’s history due to the favorable wine-growing climate here.

    Highlights:

    • Metz with its Gothic Cathedral adorned with massive stained glass windows
    • Vineyards of the Mosel Valley
    • Trier, the "second Rome", the oldest city in Germany.
    • Porta Nigra
    • Wine tasting
    • Mosel Bike Path cycling
    • Cochem and its fairytale 12th century castle perched atop a vineyard lined hill
    • Altstadt (old town) of Cochem
    • Koblenz

    Want to see more bike tours in France?

  • Season 1: April 10 to April 30 and October 1 to October 20, 2020
    Season 2: May 1 to August 14, 2020
    Season 3: August 15 to September 30, 2020

     Category ACategory B
    Twin/double:  $ 1189 £ 619 $ 1,069 € 719 $ 1234 kr 7733 $ 813 $ 1034 £ 538 $ 929 € 625 $ 1073 kr 6722 $ 707
    Single: $ 1544 £ 804 $ 1,389 € 934 $ 1603 kr 10046 $ 1,056 $ 1308 £ 681 $ 1,176 € 791 $ 1358 kr 8508 $ 894
    Season 2 supplement (May 1 to August 14 $ 60 £ 31 $ 54 € 36 $ 62 kr 387 $ 41 $ 64 £ 34 $ 58 € 39 $ 67 kr 419 $ 44
    Season 3 supplement (August 15 to Sept. 30) $ 111 £ 58 $ 100 € 67 $ 115 kr 721 $ 76 $ 106 £ 55 $ 95 € 64 $ 110 kr 688 $ 72

    extra options

    Electric bike: $ 182 £ 95 $ 164 € 110 $ 189 kr 1183 $ 124

    Guided city walking tour for Trier (daily at 1 pm in English): $ 21 £ 11 $ 19 € 13 $ 22 kr 140 $ 15

    Transfers
    Return transfer, Metz (Saturdays only, 9 am): $ 124 £ 65 $ 112 € 75 $ 129 kr 807 $ 85  

    Return transfer, Trier, (daily, 9 am): $ 91 £ 47 $ 82 € 55 $ 94 kr 592 $ 62

    Extra nights

     Category ACategory B
    Metz, twin/double $ 99 £ 52 $ 89 € 60 $ 103 kr 645 $ 68 $ 99 £ 52 $ 89 € 60 $ 103 kr 645 $ 68
    Single $ 147 £ 77 $ 132 € 89 $ 153 kr 957 $ 101 $ 147 £ 77 $ 132 € 89 $ 153 kr 957 $ 101
    Koblenz, twin/double $ 99 £ 52 $ 89 € 60 $ 103 kr 645 $ 68 $ 79 £ 41 $ 71 € 48 $ 82 kr 516 $ 54
    Single $ 134 £ 70 $ 120 € 81 $ 139 kr 871 $ 92 $ 129 £ 67 $ 116 € 78 $ 134 kr 839 $ 88

    please note

    Rates are per person based on double occupancy.

    Information to read before you book.

    We recommend purchasing bike trip insurance.

    Please see our FAQ.

  • Travel

    For this tour, the closest large international airport to Metz is Luxembourg (LUX). From the LUX airport you can take a bus to city center and continue by train to Metz. Travel time is approximately 1.5 hrs. From Koblenz back to LUX is approximately 4 hours.
    Alternatively, you can also look at flying into one airport and out for another. You can opt to fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). From Paris CDG to Metz is approximately 3 to 3.5 hrs via train. The closest airport to the end of your tour in Koblenz is Frankfurt International Airport (FRA). From Koblenz to FRA is approximately 1 to 1.5 hrs via train.

    Local Travel

    Paris de Gaulle:
    From the airport Paris CDG you can take a train to Metz Ville. The (fast) TGV train is recommended. The train ride takes approximately 2½ hours. Advanced reservations for the TGV are required and can be made here: www.raileurope.com. Upon your arrival at train station in Metz, it is recommended to take a taxi to the first hotel.
    At the end of your tour in Koblenz, your train travel time to the Frankfurt Airport will be about 2 hours.

    Climate

    Please check local conditions before arrival. The Mosel wine region has a northernly continental climate. A good website to research average high/low temperatures, average rainfall, and other weather related facts is weatherbase.com.

    Remarks

    Boat trips on the river Moselle
    You can add to your biking experience by booking an extra night on any night and taking a day trip on one of the many passenger ships along the Moselle. From April to October there are many options as docks are located in almost all places in both directions. Often additional tours are offered off the boat. You can find more information here.

    Documents:

    Before you travel, please check your country's passport and visa requirements and the passport and visa requirements of the country/countries you plan to visit. Be sure your passport has sufficient blank pages and is not due for renewal. For US citizens, the U.S. Passports & International Travel website is a good source of information. The Country Information Tab provides details about passport validity, blank passport pages required, etc.

    It is you responsibility to insure that you have obtained all necessary documentation.

    We recommend that you make copies of your important documents and papers (insurance cards, etc.). Leave a copy at home and have a copy with you. In the unfortunate situation that you lose your original documents, having copies facilitates the replacement process.

     

Skill Level

This self-guided bike tour in France and Germany that meanders the Mosel river valley is considered easy and tranverses mainly flat terrain. Daily average distance is about 25 miles. Overall the bike paths along the Mosel are perfectly developed and the quality of the bike trail is superb. You can expect a perfectly signposted route on both sides of the Mosel. Do note that the Moselle bicycle route on the French side of Metz and Thionville (35 km) does lead onto roads with occassional heavy traffic. Therefore, it is recommended to bridge this section by the train. Then from Thionville onward, the path is once again well signposted. From Germany you can expect a perfectly signposted cycle path often both right-hand side of the Moselle. In the detailed travel documents, recommendations on the most beautiful stretches are given.

Where You’ll Stay

Category A: Centrally located 3 and 4 hotels
Category B: Centrally located small family inns and hotels. Please note, in Trier, the hotel is located 5 km outside of city.

What’s Included

  • Hotel accommodations for 7 nights
  • Breakfasts
  • 27 speed touring bicycle (high handlebars and more upright riding position) equipped with waterproof pannier, optional map holder (please request), repair kit with tools and spare tube)
  • Luggage transfer
  • Tour information packet
  • Route descriptions & maps
  • GPS tracks available upon request
  • Service hotline

What’s Not Included

Extra Stay

Extra nights available in any of the overnight towns on your tour.

Mosel Bike Tour Map

TourBike
TypeSelf Guided
SkillEasy–Moderate
Length8 days
From€625 Rates
Tour Reviews

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Tour Dates

2020

Daily from April 10 to October 20, 2020

Season 1: April 10 to April 30 and October 1 to October 20, 2020
Season 2: May 1 to August 14, 2020
Season 3: August 15 to September 30, 2020

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Mosel Bike Tour Map

Day 1: Arrival
Day 2: Metz - Perl, 17 to 39 mi. (27 to 63 km)
Day 3: Perl - Trier, 32 mi. (52 km)
Day 4: Trier - Piesport, 29 mi. (46 km)
Day 5: Piesport - Traben-Trarbach, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 6: Traben-Trarbach - Cochem, 35 mi. (55 km)
Day 7: Cochem - Koblenz, 31 mi. (49 km)
Day 8: Departure 

All distances are approximate. Due to circumstances beyond control, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, therefore the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during your holiday. For example, along the way you may find temporary deviations/detours caused by roadwork, In this case please follow the directions posted on site.

Day 1: Arrival 
Today you arrive in Metz, the capital of the Lorraine region. Strategically located between the Mosel river and the plateau of Lorraine, Metz is a lively university city. It also has a medieval center and a beautiful Gothic cathedral, Saint-Etienne Cathedral.  The poet Verlaine wrote that the cathedral was “the lantern of God”. In fact, the building contains the largest surface area of stained glass of all French cathedrals (almost 6,500 square meters). The 14th century stained-glass windows by Hermann de Münster rival the contemporary products of Marc Chagall and Jacques Villon. It is a living monument to the history of stained glass.

Day 2: Metz - Perl, 17 to 39 mi. (27 to 63 km)
Almost the entire day will be spent in France. It is recommended to take a train (direct connection) to Thionville. From here, the path is very good as you cycle along the water to the Franco-German Border. Just over the border, lies Perl. You might like to take the ferry to Schengen or cycle to the Roman Villa Borg (5 km east of Perl.) You will marvel at the excavations designed to present an authentic representation of the buildings as they originally stood. The current buildings are made up of the baths which are fully functional consisting of a frigidarium (cold bath), caldarium (hot bath) and tepidarium (tempered bath) latrines, a dressing room, and a relaxation area. The manor or main building has a large reception hall and a number of adjacent rooms in which the most important finds from the site are displayed. There is also a Roman kitchen (recently completed), a residential building, and a tavern, which was not part of the original villa but which serves meals based on ancient Roman recipes.

*Overall, the bike paths along the Mosel are perfectly developed with high quality routes. However, the Mosel bicycle route on the French side of Metz and Thionville (35 km) is mostly on streets with  heavy traffic. Therefore, it is recommended to bridge the journey  (Metz to Thionville) by the train. Then from Thionville onward, the path is well signposted. In the detailed travel documents, recommendations on the most beautiful stretches are given.

Day 3: Perl - Trier, 32 mi. (52 km)
The day begins cycling through the vast vineyards of the Mosel valley and you will want to take some time in Remich, a place the Romans called, Remacum. You will feel the Mediterranean flair in many cafes and bistros along the 3 km long Mosel promenade. On the right bank of the Mosel, you continue your journey to Konz where you cross the mouth of the Saar and Mosel. From here it is not far to Trier. Trier, which stands on the Mosel River, was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and then a great trading center beginning in the next century. At one time this city was know as the 'second Rome' and is said to be the oldest city in Germany. The number and quality of the surviving monuments, such as the magnificent Porta Nigra, Constatine's Basilica, the amphitheater, as well as the Roman Spa, Kaisertherme, all give testimony to Roman civilization.

Day 4: Trier - Piesport, 30 mi. (48 km)
Today, Roman past and contemporary viniculture will meet. The Mosel bike trail leads to Mehring, where the Villa Rustica awaits. 'Villa Rustica’ is the designation for a manor in the Roman Empire. Today, the reconstructed walls and foundations can be visited again. Afterwards you will cycle to Trittenheim, where a nature trail educates on the local variety of grape and the process of vine-growing. Just before reaching today’s destination, you will pass Neumagen-Dhron, Germany’s oldest wine-growing place! You should stop here to taste some of that wine!

Day 5: Piesport - Traben-Trarbach, 25 mi. (40 km)
The two famous towns Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach and the well-known wine growing resort "Kröver Nacktarsch" are today’s highlights. Marvel at the colorful and manifold half-timbered constructions seaming the market place of Bernkastel-Kues. In Traben-Trarbach, there is an opportunity to take a boat trip.

Day 6: Traben-Trarbach - Cochem, 35 mi. (56 km)
You will discover Enkirch today, a jewel of the Moselle region’s traditional half-timbered architecture. Then it is on to Zell, the wine-growing resort know for its "Zeller Schwarzen Katz" (The Black cat of Zell’). Take a relaxing break in the small town of Beilstein, proud of its nickname "Rothenburg an der Mosel".  Your final destination is Cochem with its picturesque center and the ancient realm dating from the 11th century.

Day 7: Cochem - Koblenz, 31 mi. (49 km)
The Mosel bike trail leads to the quaint wine-growing villages like Koben Gondorf or Winningen and then to the Deutsche Eck, but first there is the opportunity to visit the medieval castle of Burg Eltz. Enjoy the wide view over the magnificent valley of the Rhine and be looking forward to a wonderful evening in Koblenz. 

Day 8: Individual departure 

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Tour Reviews

  • Peter V. 3 years ago     Verified Reviewer

    The Route Guide that we received was in German. We called Velociped and they said that they ran out of English guide - Basically we were SOL and not getting the Route Guide in English. They knew it way before hand that they did not have any English Route Guide - they should have let you or us know and maybe sent us written instructions for the route. We had difficulty in the first 3 days of the trip. We did not even get any instructions of how the electric bikes worked or how to operate it. The first day - my wife struggled on the ebike because it was not working right- we had to call. Instructions on what to do and how to start it would have been good. Very poor customer service. In addition, we signed up for CLASS A hotels, which was supposed to be 3 or 4 stars - not one of the hotels provided was a 4 star. The scenery along the Mosel River was spectacular, the luggage transfers between hotels was great.

     Reply

    • Carla 1 month ago     Staff

      Hi Peter - Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I am sorry our local partner could not provide the English route book. Fortunately, the German version has very good maps and we still always have the English route descriptions available. I do highly encourage any rider to elect the GPS tracks for this tour. These provide flawless directions. You can use them on your own GPS device or smartphone GPS application. We'd be happy to help you with this option.
      We do not provide a welcome meeting for this tour but we can try to arrange one, on request. I am sorry you could not operate the electric bicycle. With that said, I do not recommend renting an electric bicycle if you have never ridden one before. Lastly, we are happy to send a hotel list before the tour start so you can be satisfied before you leave.
      We hope you still enjoyed the tour and were able to bring home fond memories!

       Reply

  • Kevin from Trailsnet 4 years ago     Verified Reviewer

    This bike tour had it all: great scenery, wonderful food, delicious wine and the perfect itinerary. The rental bike was fantastic, the accommodations were comfortable, the luggage shuttle was reliable & the guidebook was helpful/informative.

    I was surprised at how much there was to do and see along the way. Each town was interesting & historically fascinating. Touring this region by bicycle is the only way to go. It allows you to stop in each village/town along the way to sample the food & explore the sites. The guidebook that is provided with your tour is quite helpful; but I encourage you to stop in as many towns as possible, even if they aren't listed in the book. You'll be surprised at the hidden charms you will discover on some of the side roads.

    The bicycle route (mostly bike paths) can be found on either side of the Mosel River. And, in most cases, you can't go wrong. Once again, the guidebook provides suggestions for which side to choose. Read more… But either side is fascinating. And since the vast majority of the route is car-free, you feel safe and free to watch the scenery rather than the traffic. I hope to go back sometime and explore the places I missed on my first tour.

     Reply

  • Sharon Robers 4 years ago     Verified Reviewer

    Mosel trip was excellent. Danube trip, the map and instructions were worse than useless because they were actually wrong in places.

     Reply

  • Stephen Roberts 8 years ago     Verified Reviewer

    Great trip...We did the 7 day but wish we would have done the five days however. We are planning on booking for the third time this year just looking for a 5 day and it seems most are much longer.

    Thanks

     Reply

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