The Rhine Cycle Route. Mike Wells

      Waymarks on EV15 (clockwise from top right): Swiss R2 and Bodensee radweg sign; Dutch Landelijkefiets sign; French EV15 sign; German Rheinradweg sign; German D8 sign

      The route described in this guide is made up from various national waymarked cycle routes that have been adopted by the ECF (European Cyclists’ Federation) as EuroVélo route 15 (EV15), plus some locally signposted stretches to link these together. A programme is in place to incorporate the EV15 logo into national signs and this is more or less complete in Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. In a few places, the route varies from that waymarked where the author believes an alternative route is preferable. In the introduction to each stage an indication is given of the predominant waymarks encountered.

      In Switzerland, waymarking is excellent and ubiquitous with a well-developed national system integrating cycle routes, mountain bike trails and footpaths. The letter R for radweg (cycle way) and colour maroon indicate cycle routes. Full details and maps of all Swiss waymarked routes can be found at www.schweizmobil.ch. Judith and Neil Forsyth’s Cycle Touring in Switzerland (Cicerone Press) describes the nine national routes R1 to R9. In Switzerland, this guide closely follows R2 ‘Rhein route’ from Oberalppass to Basel (stages 1–4 and 6–8) except for some deviations to visit places of interest across the river. This is waymarked R2 and EV15 throughout.

      In Germany, local waymarking is excellent but national waymarking variable. This is influenced by Germany’s federal structure of semi-independent lände (states), each of which has its own system. A national cycle network is in existence, although this often plays second fiddle to regional and local routes, with some signposts carrying the badges of many different routes. National route D8 follows the Rhine, mostly on the eastern (right) bank, and on some stages this is followed. The Rhein Radweg (RR) is waymarked using the Rheinradler symbol, a stylised yellow cyclist on a blue background with the wheels formed from the yellow stars of the European flag. In most lände, generic cycle route signposts have a white background, but the text colour varies (green in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz and Hessen; red in Nordrhein-Westfalen).

      French waymarking originally also used the Rheinradler to identify the Véloroute Rhin (VR), but almost all Rheinradler signposts have been replaced with EV15 waymarks.

      Unsurprisingly, the Netherlands, a country with more cycles than people, has an excellent waymarked national cycle network known as Landelijkefiets routes (LF). Full details can be found at www.nederlandfietsland.nl. This guide uses parts of LF3 (Millingen to Arnhem, Stage 23), LF4 (Arnhem to Amerongen, Stage 24), LF11 (Ablasserdam to Rotterdam, Stage 26) and LF12 (Rotterdam to Hoek van Holland, Stage 27). Signposts include a or b after the route number to indicate direction. Where this guide does not use LF routes (Amerongen to Ablasserdam, stages 24–26), local signposting is excellent. In addition, there is a system of numbered knooppunten (nodal waypoints) with local maps on location boards throughout the country.