A German Bike and Barge holiday has been on my bucket list for quite some time.
Last month, Rhonda and I finally had the opportunity to take a Bike and Barge tour from Saarburg on the Saar River to Alken on the Mosel River.
For me, the beauty of a Bike and Barge holiday is that it’s somewhat like caravanning. You don’t have to worry about moving luggage and in the evening you come back to your own cabin.
After breakfast each day we cycled to the next destination, where our barge would be waiting for us. Over 6 days we pedalled 248 kilometres down the Saar and Mosel River bike paths.
Our Barge
We met our barge at Saarburg on the Saar River.
The MS Patria takes sixty cyclists every week for seven months of the year. It’s by no means a luxury ship, but was perfectly adequate for our needs.
Our Cabin
Despite being pre-warned, we were initially shocked at the small size of our cabin. However, we quickly got used to it, taking turns to stand up or pull our luggage out.
We paid a bit extra to be on the main deck and get a window which you could open. Otherwise you get a cabin below with fixed portholes and air-conditioning.
The Food
The food on our German Bike and Barge Tour was excellent. Also, having all our meals included in the price made it easy to budget.
Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea
For breakfast it was buffet style with hot and cold options. We also made our own lunches from what was available on the buffet. Most days I packed a bread roll with cheese or meat and salad, a boiled egg and a piece of fruit.
Afternoon tea, which was available on board when we reached our daily destination, was delicious with a range of wonderful German cakes and biscuits.
Dinner
Dinner was a sit-down meal in the dining room served at 6pm. While the food was excellent, for me it was just too much, with four courses being served every night. The dining room was also quite densely packed so I was relieved when one night we had a bar-b-que on the top deck instead.
Our Bikes
Our German Bike and Barge hire bikes had seven gears but were heavy. Luckily most of the ride was flat.
The bikes had no suspension. Although most of the river paths were good, there were definitely a few rough bits. If you didn’t see the bumps coming, it was painful.
The bicycle lock was quite convenient, disabling the back wheel when you removed the key. You could leave the key in while you were riding along.
A pannier on the back carried your raincoat and extra layers, while the handlebar box had a plastic sleeve where you could slot in the map for the daily ride. We also kept our lunches in there.
The upright position of the hire bike was good for sightseeing and easy on the shoulders and neck.
However, as we were used to a more forward position, the saddle pressured different areas. After six days our bottoms really were very sore. Chamois cream was my friend, but I think if ever I were to try this again I would probably also bring a gel and/or lambswool seat cover.
Public Toilets in Germany
I am famous in the Uncool Cycling Club for (almost) always starting and ending my rides near public toilets. While there are many jokes about this and my use of the National Public Toilet Map (sadly applicable only in Australia), access to toilets is a matter of concern to many riders, especially women.
On our German Bike and Barge holiday, we found that public toilets were extremely few and far between. Also, because there were many cyclists on the bike path, it was almost impossible to discreetly duck behind a tree.
This meant that at least twice each day we had to stop at a coffee shop (having made sure they had toilets first!) so that we could use the conveniences. Of course, stopping at a German coffee shop, hotel or bakery is no great hardship and a break is always welcome anyway.
In my next post, I’ll tell you more about the cycling journey and the highlights of our first three days of riding.
