Saar and Moselle Bike & Boat

A bike and boat cycling holiday along the beautiful Saar and Moselle rivers. Disembark each day for pleasant riverside cycle rides through the picturesque Moselle Valley. Visit atmospheric medieval villages, steeped in history and viticulture such as Trier, Bernkastel Kues, Traben-Trarbach and Cochem.

The MS Patria will be your floating hotel for the week and offers small but comfortable cabins, a sun deck as well as a pleasant salon/bar and restaurant. Daily rides lead you along the beautiful Moselle Valley, to historic, handsome towns in Germany’s most famous wine-growing region. Of course, there will be plenty of opportunities to sample the fine Moselle wines during the holiday.

Highlights include Trier’s ancient city centre, the charming river-side wine villages of Piesport, Bernkastel-Kues, Cochem and Zell as well as the simple pleasure of easy cycling through the blissful scenery of the Moselle Valley.

The cycle rides on this trip are very easy-going and cover around 25 miles per day. There are hardly any hills and the vast majority of the riding will be on smooth, paved, riverside cycle paths. If you don’t fancy pedalling one day, you can always stay on-board and let the boat carry you past the majestic scenery to the next night’s stop.

Saar and Moselle Bike & Boat

A bike and boat cycling holiday along the beautiful Saar and Moselle rivers. Disembark each day for pleasant riverside cycle rides through the picturesque Moselle Valley. Visit atmospheric medieval villages, steeped in history and viticulture such as Trier, Bernkastel Kues, Traben-Trarbach and Cochem.

The MS Patria will be your floating hotel for the week and offers small but comfortable cabins, a sun deck as well as a pleasant salon/bar and restaurant. Daily rides lead you along the beautiful Moselle Valley, to historic, handsome towns in Germany’s most famous wine-growing region. Of course, there will be plenty of opportunities to sample the fine Moselle wines during the holiday.

Highlights include Trier’s ancient city centre, the charming river-side wine villages of Piesport, Bernkastel-Kues, Cochem and Zell as well as the simple pleasure of easy cycling through the blissful scenery of the Moselle Valley.

The cycle rides on this trip are very easy-going and cover around 25 miles per day. There are hardly any hills and the vast majority of the riding will be on smooth, paved, riverside cycle paths. If you don’t fancy pedalling one day, you can always stay on-board and let the boat carry you past the majestic scenery to the next night’s stop.

Itinerary

This holiday also operates in reverse, see the Moselle and Saar route.

The captain reserves the right to make changes to the planned route due to changing wind, tide and weather conditions, and where required by organizational necessities.

View route on the map Click to show map | Flexitreks
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Day 1 : Arrive Saarburg

Arrive in Saarburg and step onboard the MS Olympia. Embarkation is at 4pm. After you’re settled in your cabin you’ll have time to explore this lovely town on the banks of the Saar. A branch of the river forms a 20-metre-high waterfall right in the centre of the charming old town. The boat remains moored in Saarburg for the night.

Day 2 : Saarburg – Wasserbillig – Trier
23 miles/38 kms

Your cycling adventure starts in earnest today as you pedal through an idyllic nature reserve that was once a large meander in the river itself. From here you cycle briefly into Luxembourg to visit the town of Wasserbillig on the banks of the Moselle River. You will also pass Igeler Säule before cycling on to Trier, Germany’s oldest city, where the boat is waiting for you. Step ashore after dinner for an evening stroll around the beautiful old city centre. Be sure to visit the lovely old market square and the Porta Nigra, the famous old Roman Gate. The boat remains moored in Trier for the night.

Day 3 : Trier – Mehring
17 to 19 miles/26 to 29 kms

There’s time to have a further look around Trier this morning before enjoying a relaxing bike ride into the heart of Germany’s prestigious Mosel Wine Region. The river-side route is lined with vineyards and you might be tempted to stop for an impromptu tasting session before cycling on to the wine-town of Mehring, where the MS Olympia is waiting for you.

Day 4 : Mehring – Piesport – Bernkastel-Kues
29 miles/47 kms

Today’s relaxing river-side ride is a real delight. Gentle vineyard-clad hillsides give way to pretty riverside villages such as Piesport, the oldest wine growing community in the Moselle Valley, and Bernkastel-Kues, a medieval market town of half-timbered houses and bustling squares. Make sure you take the time to enjoy the popular wines on your route today.

Day 5 : Bernkastel-Kues – Traben-Trarbach – Zell on the Moselle
26 miles/43 kms

Your cycling adventure continues today with more, idyllic, Moselle Valley scenery to keep you company. The cycle path leads you along the meandering river to Traben-Trarbach, a town known for its elegant ‘Jugendstil’ Art Nouveau buildings. After a break you’ll continue to the idyllic wine village of Zell an der Mosel where you’ll have the option to visit a local winery to sample some crisp, white Mosel wines (optional and bookable on board). The MS Olympia moors for the night in Zell an der Mosel.

Day 6 : Zell an der Mosel – Beilstein – Cochem
24 miles/39 kms

It’s hard to believe the scenery could get even better but today it does. Beilstein is one of the Moselle Valley’s most picturesque old towns, nestled on a beautiful stretch of the river. From here the route leads you on to the gorgeous, perfectly preserved village of Cochem, overseen by a grand castle perched on the hillside above. There’s plenty of time to explore this charming little place as the MS Olympia remains moored here for the evening.

Day 7 : Cochem – Alken – Koblenz
32 miles/50 kms

Today is a free day to relax on board and enjoy the wonderful Moselle scenery en route to Koblenz. Alternatively, for the more ‘accomplished cyclists’ you can cycle the route. Visit Burg Eltz and its medieval castle and then on to Alken, one of the Moselle’s oldest cities. Finally cycle on to Koblenz. The city marks the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine rivers and is a pleasant place to spend the last night of your cycling adventure.

Day 8 : Koblenz - end of trip

After breakfast it’s time to disembark, by 9am, and head for home or your next adventure.

Bikes

Regular bikes provided are modern alloy framed models with 7 speeds. The bikes come equipped with pannier, lock and a repair kit with pump.

Electric bikes are also available.

Helmets are not provided so you will need to bring your own.

Accommodation

MS Olympia (comfort)

The MS Olympia is a well-appointed river cruiser offering a cosy atmosphere, comfortable cabins and a friendly welcoming crew, she can accommodate up to 96 guests. 21 of her 49 cabins are located on the lower deck with the remainder are on the upper deck. Each cabin occupies 11 m².

All cabins have a window but only the upper deck cabins feature windows that can be opened. All cabins feature ensuite shower/wc, hair dryer, TV, fridge and individually regulated air conditioning.

Occupants of the upper deck cabins towards the stern of the ship will notice perceptive engine and generator noise when the ship is in motion - therefore these cabins (eco cabins) are offered at a slightly lower price. There are two, slightly smaller, single cabins located on the upper deck and we also offer twin cabins for sole occupancy on both decks.

Other facilities include a pleasant lounge bar with large panoramic windows on the upper deck and a comfortable restaurant on the lower deck. In addition, the partially covered sun deck offers comfortable seating ideal for watching the scenery drift by.

Getting there

Fly to Luxembourg, Frankfurt Hahn or Cologne Airport and take the train to Saarburg.

Research flights from the UK here

Research trains here

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