The Rhine Cycle Route. Mike Wells
Your cycle should be fitted with mudguards and a bell, and be capable of carrying water bottles, pump and lights. Many cyclists fit an odometer to measure distances. A basic tool-kit should consist of puncture repair kit, spanners, Allen keys, adjustable spanner, screwdriver, spoke key and chain repair tool. The only essential spares that need to be carried are two spare tubes. On a long cycle ride, sometimes on dusty tracks, your chain will need regular lubrication and you should either carry a can of spray-lube or make regular visits to cycle shops. A good strong lock is advisable.
Safety and emergencies
Weather
Oberalppass closed by snow in April (Stage 1)
Most of the route is subject to a continental climate typified by warm, dry summers interspersed with short periods of heavy rain, and cold winters. However, the further you progress the greater the influence of Atlantic weather systems, with cooler summers, milder winters and more frequent but lighter periods of precipitation carried by a prevailing westerly wind. The first few stages are exposed to mountain weather with heavy winter snowfall. At lower altitudes this will have melted by April, but on the Oberalppass (Stage 1) snow may remain until May. Fresh snow may fall here at any time of year, although it is unusual in July and August. In the unlikely event that this stage is impassable, a train service connects Oberalppass with Disentis/Mustér, Ilanz and Chur.
Road safety
Throughout the route, cycling is on the right side of the road. Even if you have never cycled on the right before you will quickly adapt, but roundabouts may prove challenging. You are most prone to mistakes when setting off in the morning. In France the general rule is to allow priority to traffic coming from your right, unless otherwise indicated. One-way streets often have signs permitting contra-flow cycling.
Contra-flow cycling allowed in a one-way street
Much of the route is on dedicated cycle paths, although care is necessary as these are sometimes shared with pedestrians. Use your bell, politely, when approaching pedestrians from behind. In the Netherlands, where there are often cycle paths on both sides of the road, you should use the path on the right. If you do otherwise, you will soon generate frantic gesticulations from on-coming cyclists. Where you are required to cycle on the road there is usually a dedicated cycle lane, often in different coloured asphalt.
Many city and town centres have pedestrian-only zones. In Germany such zones are only loosely enforced and you may find locals cycling within them – indeed many zones have signs allowing cycling. In the Netherlands, such restrictions are rigidly followed and you will receive angry looks and comments if you cycle in pedestrianised areas.
In none of the countries passed through is it compulsory to wear a cycle helmet, although their use is recommended. Modern lightweight helmets with improved ventilation have made wearing them more comfortable.
In Switzerland, cycling after drinking alcohol has the same 50mg/100ml limit as drink-driving (the UK drink-driving limit is 80mg/100ml). If you choose to cycle after drinking and are caught you could be fined and banned from cycling, and driving, in Switzerland.
Emergencies
In the unlikely event of an accident, the standardised EU emergency phone number is 112. The entire route has mobile phone coverage. Provided you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by your home country, medical costs for EU citizens are covered under reciprocal health insurance agreements, although you may have to pay for an ambulance and claim the cost back through insurance. Although not EU countries, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are incorporated within these arrangements.
Theft
In general, the route is safe and the risk of theft very low. However, you should always lock your cycle and watch your belongings, especially in cities.
Insurance
Travel insurance policies usually cover you when cycle touring but they do not normally cover damage to, or theft of, your bicycle. If you have a household contents policy, this may cover cycle theft, but limits may be less than the real cost of your cycle. The Cycle Touring Club (CTC) offer a policy tailored for your needs when cycle touring (www.ctc.org.uk)
If you live in Switzerland and own a bicycle, you need to purchase an annual velo vignette, a registration sticker that includes compulsory third-party insurance. However this is not a requirement for short-term visitors.
About this guide
Paddleship Goethe operates through the Rhine Gorge between Rüdesheim and Koblenz (Stages 16/17)
Language
Throughout this guide the English spelling of Rhine is used, except for proper nouns such as Rheinquelle, Canal du Rhône au Rhin and Neder Rijn, where the appropriate national spelling is used. On the maps, Rhein is used in German-speaking areas, Rhin in France and Rijn in the Netherlands.
Place names, street names and points of interest are given in appropriate local languages. In German, nouns and their descriptive adjectives are often run together to form longer words, while ß (known as an eszett) is expressed as double ss. Occasionally this results in triple sss appearing if ß is followed by s.
Appendix F lists some words that might be encountered along the route.
Text and maps
There are 27 stages, each covered by maps drawn to a scale of 1:100,000. These maps have been produced specially for this guide and combined with the detailed stage descriptions and high standard of waymarking it is possible to follow the route without the expense or weight of carrying a large number of other maps. Take care however as the route described here does not always exactly follow the waymarked route.
All places on the maps are shown in bold in the text. The abbreviation ‘sp’ in the text indicates a signpost. Distances shown are cumulative within each stage. For each city, town or village passed an indication is given of the facilities available (accommodation, refreshments, YH, camping, tourist office, cycle shop, station) when the guide was written. This information is also summarised in Appendix B. This list is neither exhaustive nor does it guarantee that establishments are still in business. No attempt has been made to list all such facilities as this would require another book the same size as this one. For a full listing of accommodation, contact local tourist offices or look online. Tourist offices are listed in Appendix C.
While the route descriptions were accurate at the time of writing, things do change. Washouts from mountain streams can occur between Disentis/Mustér and Ilanz (Stage 1), sometimes requiring substantial deviations. On the Higher Rhine north of Karlsruhe (Stage 13) and between Worms and Oppenheim (Stage 15) and on the Lower Rhine between Duisburg and Millingen aan de Rijn (stages 22 and 23), major works to create holding polders for flood water, to open up areas for sand and gravel extraction or to raise flood dykes have resulted in alterations to the route. Such works are expected to continue with other, as yet unknown, deviations in the future. Watch out for signs (often only in local languages) showing such alterations.
The Dutch system of numbered knooppunten (waypoints) are shown as 00 in stage descriptions and on the route maps.
Dutch knooppunt (waymark)
Some alternative routes exist. Where these offer a reasonable variant (for instance are shorter, scenically superior or have a better surface) they are mentioned in the