Bike & Barge: Germany, Luxembourg & France
DURATION
7 NIGHTS / 8 DAYS
DEPOSIT $500
Per Person
Shared room : $2400
(shared room only)
Bike & Barge: Germany, Luxembourg, France
Come Bike and Barge through 3 countries with us! This trip includes biking through picturesque little towns and beautiful vineyards on a brand new barge!
(Please note you must be able to ride a bike to sign up for this trip. Riding is flat but you will need to be able to ride 15-25 miles per day)
THE EXPERIENCE
Then, of course, there is Trier, once an imperial Roman city. You will see the remnants of this glorious past in Germany’s oldest cathedral, amphitheater, the emperor’s throne hall and famous “black gate”, the remains of the ancient city wall.
After Trier you will follow the river Saar to visit charming Saarburg, with the stunning waterfalls in the city center. Then onto Luxembourg, the only Grand Duchy in Europe. Its strategic position between two super powers (France and Germany) made it a contested area to control over the ages. The last day you cycle in France with her welcoming villages, where the inhabitants are proud of their sweet, smooth wines and golden “Mirabellen” liqueur. The tour end in the city of Metz, with her splendid Gothic cathedral.
Bike & Barge: Germany,
Luxembourg, France
What’s Included:
- 8 days/7 nights
- 7 x breakfast
- Packed lunches
- 6 x 3-course dinner
- Bikes
- Welcome drink
- Use of bed linen and towels
- Daily cleaning of the cabin
- Climate-controlled cabin
- Daily briefngs
- Fully guided cycling tours ( from 22 guests: 2 tour leaders, 2 groups)
- Some short walking tours
- BBT cycling map (1 per cabin)
- GPS tracks
- Use of a helmet
- Use of a waterproof pannier bag
- Biodegradable water bottle
- Fees for ferries
- Entrance Reichsburg Cochem
- Local wine tasting
- Wi-Fi
- Carbon offset payment to the non-proft organization Justdiggit
Not included:
- 1x dinner
- Drinks
- E-bike rental (available to rent for 250 EUR per person)
- Personal insurances
- Gratuities (at your discretion)
- Entrance fees and excursions (not mentioned under included)
- Transfers to/from the docking place
- Parking fees
- SGR Insolvency protection
Travel Insurance:
Trips booked after January 1, 2023 will be required to have medical travel insurance for all You Can’t Steal My Happy trips.
You Can’t Steal My Happy recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer travel protection through Travelex Insurance Services. For more information on the available plans or to enroll, click on the link below or contact Travelex Insurance Services at 800-228-9792 and reference location number 43-0656 “Travel Insurance is underwritten by, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, NAIC #22276. 55Y”
Click on the link below to get a free quote.
Transfers:
- Need a transfer between Metz and Cochem (or v.v.)? Then please contact Taxi Edringer in Bernkastel-Kues. Transfer from 2 persons incl. bike/e-bike, from 185€ p.p. (more persons, lower price). They also speak English. info@taxizentrale-mosel.de or 0049-6531-8149.
- Between Cochem and Metz, there is a good train connection. Please visit one of the following websites for timetables, tickets or more
information www.omio.com or www.trainline.com.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 :
Cochem, Germany
You will make your own way to the barge. Embarkation and check-in is at 2 p.m. in Cochem. After a welcome meeting with the crew, the tour leader will take you for a walk through this cozy and characteristic Moselle town, with steep wine-clad mountains, wooded hills, an impressive castle and a picturesque square with beautiful timber-framed houses and cafes. A visit to Cochem’s majestic Reichsburg Castle is on the program.
Closest Airport: Frankfurt (FRA). Cochem is 25 KM away from FRA Airport.
Day 2 :
Cochem – Zell (39 KM / 24 MI)
Following breakfast, you’ll cycle to Beilstein, one of the best-preserved historical villages on the Moselle. The ruins of Castle Metternich sit towering above the village, and you’ll have the opportunity to explore them. After leaving Beilstein you’ll pass Europe’s steepest vineyard – with slopes inclining up to 60 degrees – at Bremmer Calmont. Today’s tour ends in the wine village of Zell on the Moselle, well known in the industry for the wine Zeller Schwarze Katz. In Zell we recommend taking the opportunity to get to know the good wines of the Moselle valley.
Day 3 :
Zell on the Moselle – Bernkastel – Kues (45 KM / 27 MI)
Today you’ll cycle from Zell to the romantic village of Traben-Trarbach, located on the Moselle’s left bank and famous for its Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) architecture. From there you pass through the wine city of Kröv – well-known for its popular Kröver wine – to Bernkastel-Kues, your destination for the night. The grand half-timbered houses that surround Bernkastel-Kues’s marketplace date back to the Middle Ages, and are a photographer’s delight. You’ll reach the barge in Kues after a tour through town.
Day 4 :
Bernkastel – Kues – Neumagen – Schweich (28 KM / 18 MI or 54 KM / 34 MI) Schweich – Trier
From Bernkastel, the valley opens up and vineyards expand as far as the eye can see. Today we cruise past the heavy-hitters in the wine world: Brauneberg, Piesport, Trittenheim. Piesport is beloved by the Brits for the “little golden droplets.” Trittenheim lies in a sharp hairpin turn on the river surrounded by mountains coated with grapes. Around lunchtime you will arrive in Neumagen, already in Roman times an important center of wine production. You can decide to join the barge from here or continue by bicycle to Schweich, where again the barge will be waiting for you. Once on board you will cruise to Trier, the oldest city in Germany. Trier was founded around 15 before Christ by Caesar Augustus under the name of Augusta Trevorum. As a trading town and administrative center, Trier flourished during the late imperial age. This Roman golden age has left us with a respectable number of monuments. Most authentic is the city gate Porta Nigra, which was built around 18 after Christ.
Day 5 :
Trier – Saarburg (28 KM / 18 MI)
In the morning your tour leader will take you into Trier and walk you around in Roman history. There is also time to discover and enjoy Trier on your own.
After lunch you will hop on your bicycles and follow the Mosel and Saar river to our next destination, Saarburg. Saarburg is an interesting old town situated in the most beautiful part of the Saar valley. Here the banks of the river are densely forested. The castle of Saarburg was built here in the middle of the 10th century. In the middle of town you come across a waterfall of 20 meters high. At the foot of this waterfall there is an old mill, which is driven by the small river. In this part of town most of the old houses from the 17th and 18th century, which give Saarburg such a picturesque look, are still intact. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants of Saarburg.
Day 6 :
Saarburg – Remich (45 km/27 mi. or 53 km/32 mi.)
Today there are 2 cycling options. One is easy, but a bit longer along the rivers. The shorter option is a bit more challenging, through the hills. Whatever your choice is, the cycling will lead you into the Grand Duchy Luxembourg. Here the Moselle forms the border between Germany and Luxembourg. Luxembourg is a small country, but her capital (also called Luxembourg) is an important finance center and EU administrative city. On the way, at the Luxembourg side, we visit a wine cooperative, specialized in the so called “Cremant”, say the Champagne of the Moselle. Close to Remich you can admire a Roman mosaic floor. The tile floor which lies in its original place, was once the centerpiece in a palatial Roman villa. The scene (in 3 million individual tile pieces) reveals scenes from gladiator games in the amphitheater.
Day 7 :
Remich – Schengen | Schengen – Thionville (30 km/18 mi.) | Thionville – Metz
While having breakfast you will cruise to Schengen, where your cycling tour will start. The “Schengen agreement” is something everybody in Europe has heard of, whereas almost nobody knows that it is named after this little town in Luxembourg at the 3-country border. Soon we will cross the Luxembourg- French border and experience the outcome of this agreement: no border controls. We pass the fortress of Sierck-les-Bains, one of the palaces inhabited by the powerful Dukes of Lorraine. The route is lovely through French countryside, and friendly villages. Around lunchtime you will arrive in Thionville, the center of the steel industry until the 1980s. That might sound modern and industrial, but the city is ancient. The historic center shows us the medieval ramparts, lovely gardens, old streets and St.Maximin basilica. Here the ship is waiting to pick you up to cruise to Metz, another ancient city strategically situated on a Roman trading route. St.Etienne Cathedral is the 3rd largest gothic church in France with flying buttresses and Marc Chagall stained glass windows. Metz is full of stunning architecture, flowers and great cafes.
Day 8 :
Metz, France
End of tour. Disembarkation after breakfast, till 9:30 a.m.
Closest Airport: Metz/Nancy (ETZ)
Terms and Conditions
Group Trip Cancellations.
If YCSMH has to cancel a group trip because a country has closed its borders, everyone will have a choice of receiving a refund or being rolled over to another group trip. The decision to cancel a group trip will be determined by myself and our local guides.
DEPOSITS PAID- CANCEL WITH NO REPLACEMENT
If you cancel a booking and cannot find a replacement the FULL deposit amount will be lost from the original person making the reservation.
DEPOSITS PAID- CANCEL WITH A REPLACEMENT – $100 Penalty
If YOU cancel and find your own replacement that “helps” but it doesn’t alleviate the time and effort I must spend to get your replacement up to speed (answer questions and send previous emails). A $100 fee will be charged if you cancel and find your own replacement.
FULL PAYMENTS PAID- CANCEL WITH NO REPLACEMENT- 90 DAYS BEFORE TRIP DEPARTURE
Full payments for all Happy trips are due 90 days before departure. If you cancel the trip you will not be eligible to receive a refund. You will need to file a claim with your insurance provider. As a rule most tour vendors, charter companies and hotels require full payment 90 days before arrival. Once we have made reservations MOST resorts, Charter companies, rental shops, etc hold YCSMH financially responsible (i.e. we have to pay them, hence we expect YOU to pay us).
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FULL PAYMENTS PAID- CANCEL WITH A REPLACEMENT- 90 DAYS BEFORE TRIP DEPARTURE
In the event of a cancellation, YCSMH will gladly help find a replacement but the responsibility to find the replacement is that of the person canceling. If you find a replacement to fill your spot you will be eligible for a full refund minus a $100 fee.
If YCSMH finds you a replacement you will receive a refund minus the trip deposit. As I mentioned there is a considerable amount of time and effort spent to send out emails to your replacement to get them up to speed.
I hope this helps clarify our terms as we all navigate through this post pandemic world. For those of us who are passionate travelers the small inconveniences of testing, insurance and entry requirements are well worth it.
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