The Rhine Cycle Route. Mike Wells
are no longer regarded as a threatened species.
Preparation
When to go
Apart from the higher parts of Stage 1, where snow often lingers on the ground until May and fresh snow can fall at any time, the route is generally cyclable from April to October. Indeed, much of the route can be cycled at any time of year. The river is at its highest in winter, after heavy snowfalls, when snow melt coming down from the Alps can cause localised flooding of the route in a few places where it drops down below the flood dyke.
During July and August (the school holiday season) some of the more touristic stages can become very busy, particularly stages 5 and 6 around Bodensee and stages 16 and 17 through the Rhine Gorge. Although these stages have many places to stay, it is sometimes difficult to find accommodation, especially at weekends.
How long will it take?
The route has been broken into 27 stages averaging 51km per stage. Cycling 100km per day would enable you to complete the route in two weeks. Allowing time for sightseeing and averaging 80km per day would stretch this time to 17 days. At a leisurely pace of one stage (50km) per day, it would take four weeks to complete the ride. On most stages, there are many places to stay and it is easy to tailor daily distances to your requirements.
What kind of cycle is suitable?
While most of the route is on surfaced cycle tracks or roads (usually asphalt, but some concrete and in northern Germany and the Netherlands long stretches of brick-block), there are some stretches of all-weather dirt, cinder or gravel track. As a result, this is not a route for narrow-tyred racing cycles. The ideal cycle is a hybrid (a lightweight but strong cross between a touring cycle and a mountain bike with at least 21 gears), although apart from Disentis/Mustér to Ilanz (Stage 1) a touring cycle would be quite suitable (an alternative route along local roads can be used between Disentis/Mustér and Ilanz to avoid the rough gravel tracks). Front suspension is beneficial as it absorbs much of the vibration. Straight handlebars, with bar-ends enabling you to vary your position regularly, are recommended. Make sure your cycle is serviced and lubricated before you start, particularly the brakes, gears and chain.
As important as the cycle is your choice of tyres. Slick road tyres are not suitable and knobbly mountain bike tyres not necessary. What you need is something in-between with good tread and a slightly wider profile than you would use for everyday cycling at home. To reduce the chance of punctures, choose tyres with puncture resistant armouring, such as a Kevlar™ band.
Bad Säckingen has the longest covered bridge over the Rhine (Stage 8)
Getting there and back
By rail
The start of the route at Oberalppass station is served by hourly MGB narrow gauge trains between Andermatt and Disentis/Mustér. The most convenient approach is via Andermatt, which can be reached by hourly SBB (Swiss Railways) services from Basel or Zürich, changing at Göschenen. Most trains on these routes (except CIS) have cycle space. Swiss trains do not require seat reservations, although cycle reservation is mandatory (for a fee of CHF5) on ICN intercity trains which operate about 50 per cent of the services between Basel or Zürich and Milan via Göschenen. In Switzerland a ticket is required for your cycle. This costs CHF18 (or the same price as a passenger ticket if this is lower) and covers all journeys within a day. Tickets can be purchased and reservations made at www.sbb.ch.
If travelling from the UK, you can take your cycle on Eurostar from London St Pancras (not Ebbsfleet nor Ashford) to Paris (Gare du Nord) or Brussels (Midi). Trains between London and Paris run approximately hourly throughout the day, taking under two and a half hours. Cycles booked in advance travel in dedicated cycle spaces in the baggage compartment of the same train as you. Bookings, which open six months in advance and cost £30 single, can be made through Eurostar baggage (tel 0844 822 5822). Cycles must be checked in at St Pancras Eurostar luggage office (beside the bus drop-off point at the back of the station) at least one hour before departure. There are two dedicated places per train for fully assembled cycles and four more places for dis-assembled cycles packed in a special fibre-glass box. These boxes are provided by Eurostar at the despatch counter, along with tools and packing advice. Leave yourself plenty of time to dismantle and pack your bike. In Paris, cycles can be collected from the Geoparts luggage office at Gare du Nord by following a path L of platform 3. More information can be found at www.eurostar.com.
GARE DU NORD TO GARE DE LYON
After arriving in Paris you need to cycle from the Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon following a series of grands boulevards (wide avenues) on an almost straight 4km route. Go ahead opposite the main entrance to Gare du Nord along semi-pedestrianised Bvd de Denain. At the end turn left (Bvd de Magenta) and follow this to reach Place de la République. Continue round this square and leave on the opposite side by Bvd du Temple, becoming Bvd des Filles du Calvaire then Bvd Beaumarchais, to reach Place de la Bastille. Bear L (past memorial column to 1830 revolution) and R (passing Opera Bastille L) into Rue de Lyon to reach Gare de Lyon station.
Franco-Swiss TGV Lyria high-speed trains operate every two hours between Paris (Gare de Lyon) and Basel (three hours), with some continuing to Zürich (four hours). These have four cycle spaces per train with mandatory reservation (€10). Details can be found and bookings made on SNCF (French Railways) website www.voyages-sncf.com.
Loading a cycle onto a Swiss train
From northern England, an alternative is to use Stena Line ferries to reach Hoek van Holland from Harwich or P&O to Rotterdam (Europoort) from Hull, then Dutch NS trains to Rotterdam. Here you can connect via Venlo and Düsseldorf with DB (German Railways) services, with cycle provision, that will take you on to Basel. To book German trains go to www.bahn.com. Provision of cycle space on European trains changes frequently and up-to-date advice on travelling by train with a bicycle can be found on a website dedicated to worldwide rail travel ‘The man in seat 61’ (www.seat61.com)
By air
Airports at Zürich (two hours 30 minutes by train to Andermatt), Basel (three hours but you need to cycle from the airport to Basel station), Milan Malpensa (four hours 30 minutes) and Geneva (five hours), all served by a variety of international airlines, can be used to reach the start point. Airlines have different requirements regarding how cycles are presented and some, but not all, make a charge – which you should pay when booking as it is usually higher if you pay at the airport. All airlines require tyres to be partially deflated, handlebars turned and pedals removed (loosen pedals beforehand to make them easier to remove at the airport). Most will accept your cycle in a transparent polythene bike-bag, but some insist on use of a cardboard bike-box. Excess Baggage Company counters in all terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick sell bike boxes (www.left-baggage.co.uk). Away from the airports, boxes can be obtained from cycle shops, sometimes for free, although you do have the problem of how to transport the box to the airport.
By road
If you are lucky to have someone willing to drop you off at the start, it is between 850km and 950km (depending upon the route taken) from Calais to Oberalppass which is on Swiss Route 19 between Andermatt and Chur. With your own vehicle, the most convenient place to leave it is Basel, from where trains can be used to reach Oberalppass on the outward journey and which can be reached by train from Rotterdam on the return. Basel is between 675km and 850m from the Channel ports.
European Bike Express operates a coach service from northern England, picking up en-route across England to the Mediterranean. Cycles travel in a dedicated cycle trailer and handlebars need turning, but otherwise cycles remain intact. There are drop-off