Another great review!
Brigitte and Jake took our Metz-Cochem tour recently and loved it!
They wrote about it on their blog, in a post called 7 Days Cycling From France to Germany On Boat Bike Tours, and they also sent us their top ten reasons to travel with Boat Bike Tours:
1. Sailing on the cozy premium ship Magnifique I
When you think of a traditional river cruise, you might imagine a large ship with hundreds of other passengers. Well, this wasn’t the case at all on the Magnifique I! Our cozy boat had a capacity of just 32 passengers. We loved having our morning coffees outside, overlooking the town we were docked in, and preparing for the day of cycling ahead. Most importantly, the size of the boat we were on led to a more intimate experience. It was easy to make friends with other couples, and we had some great conversations over dinner and drinks.
2. A route through 3 countries
So where did our Boat Bike Tour actually take us?
For this trip, we decided to jump on the Metz to Cochem route in early July. One of the biggest draws to this ride was that it took us to three different European countries. Interestingly enough, we even biked through all of them in one day!
Starting off in Metz, France, we made our way to Remich to stay in Luxembourg for the night. This was such a special portion of the route as neither of us had ever been there before. We even made a stop at Domaines Vinsmoselle to try the famous Crémant sparkling wine.
After Luxembourg, we spent the rest of the time cycling through some of the prettiest German towns of the Moselle. Boat Bike offers many great routes that stay in one country. However, it was truly spectacular crossing multiple borders on our excursion.
3. Beautiful small towns
We may have started off our tour in the city of Metz, France, but with the exception of Trier, Germany, that would be the only bustling metropolis we’d see on our entire tour! This route featured so many picturesque villages along the Moselle, with each one seeming more beautiful than the last. It felt like a fairy tale, and it was pretty clear we weren’t the only ones thinking that!
Every night, we would return to the ship and hear from other passengers who were also blown away by the scenery. It’s hard to explain the feeling of sitting in a beer garden in Saarburg, looking out at the small canal with pink and red flowers in full bloom.
Our evening in Bernkastel-Kues featured a steep climb up to the historic castle which sits atop the town. These castles would become a theme of our Boat Bike Tour, as most days we would have the chance to hike to them.
The views of the Moselle River were captivating, with rolling green hills and vineyards as far as you could see. From strolling through the streets of Traben-Trarbach to wine-tasting in Zell, these small towns along the ride really made our trip!
4. Cycling through endless vineyards
We can’t go any further without highlighting the magical vineyards of the Moselle Valley. If you didn’t know, this is one of thirteen fantastic wine regions of Germany. It’s also recognized as the steepest wine-growing region in Europe, which certainly makes for some spectacular photos. The staggering height and vertical nature of these vineyards are remarkable. You can tell they really use up every possible inch of the landscape to grow wine here!
Once we got into the Germany section of the tour, it felt like we were cycling through vineyard after vineyard. Picture yourself cruising on an electric bicycle, with the sun shining and grape vines all around you. Some days you’ll be riding straight through the vineyards, while others you’ll have the Moselle River flowing elegantly to one side. This part of Germany is famous for its Riesling, which you can try in dry, semi dry, sparkling, and sweet.
One of our most memorable experiences was the wine-tasting Boat Bike Tours set up for our group. We visited a family-run winery and learned so much about the area we had been cycling in for days.
5. Excellent meals aboard the ship
Now, onto one of the best parts about our Boat Bike trip! The food can make or break any vacation, and we absolutely loved all our meals on board. It was always exciting after every long bike ride to see what our Dutch chef Michel was going to cook for us. Each night, he prepared a delicious three-course dinner. The food was a mix of several European cuisines with a different surprise every evening.
The breakfast was another daily treat, as there was a full layout of breads, cheese, jams, salad, and pastries. The yogurt bar was particularly delicious, and we enjoyed the fresh orange juice and coffee available all day. As for lunch, we were able to make sandwiches from the breakfast buffet, which we would bring with us on our day of cycling.
Everything we were served on the boat was both healthy and super filling. It’s always nice to have this style of cooking on an active holiday! The Magnifique I has a full bar as well, stocked with local wines and beers. Enjoying the happy hour after our ride was definitely one of our favorite parts of the day.
6. Castles & history
This region of Europe was dominated by the Romans who left their imprint on the Moselle. Along the tour, we saw a 2nd-century mosaic at the Roman Villa in Nennig. One of the best stops was also the night we spent in Germany’s oldest city of Trier. Walking through the 1,800-year-old Porta Nigra Roman city gate here was quite the experience!
As we mentioned, many of the towns had their own castle sitting high above. Some of the most jaw-dropping were in Saarburg, Bernkastel, and Beilstein. We even had a fully guided tour of the Cochem Castle, which is one of the most famous on the Moselle. While it’s most known for its wine making, this region has so many historic treasures to discover.
7. Easy riding
A pleasant surprise on our tour was how nice and smooth the riding was. Of course, we should mention we picked a level 1 route, which is the easiest Boat Bike Tours offers. Nevertheless, it was evident from the beginning that we would be coasting on the nicest paths possible. We chose to use electric bikes, which really made it feel like we were gliding along the Moselle. They give you the ability to change between the different settings when you need to rest, or simply use it as a normal bicycle. Even though we were pedaling anywhere from 15 to 30 miles per day (and over 200 in total), it barely felt like it on our e-bikes.
8. Tour leaders & crew
You now know about delicious food, our floating hotel, and the glorious cycling route we went on. However, what really made our trip spectacular was the people running it! From the very first moment we stepped on the ship, we felt incredibly welcomed. The staff couldn’t have been more friendly and were able to answer any questions we had on the journey.
We had two fantastic tour leaders named Hans and Frans who were in charge of leading the bike routes each day. Not only were they super knowledgeable about each town, but they did a great job keeping us all together on the rides. Some days we were split into two groups with a longer and shorter cycling option. This was ideal, as some people preferred to relax on the boat for a little longer and not bike the full route. If you need a rest, it’s perfectly fine to take a day off and sail with the ship instead of cycling.
9. Picking the right Boat Bike Tour
We chose the Moselle for our route as it was an area of Europe we had never been to. Well, it ended up being the perfect choice and blend of nature, history, and wine! The rolling hills and vineyards of the Moselle are breathtaking and captivated us at every turn. When you combine that with the castles and colorful German architecture, it really made for a one-of-a-kind trip!
10. Freedom to explore
One last thing you should know about Boat Bike Tours is you do have the option to venture off on your own. By using the self-guided app, you can find the exact route for the day and see where to meet the boat. Don’t get us wrong. We loved riding with the group and enjoying a nice leisurely pace. Yet, there were some afternoons where we wanted to stay a little longer in a town or detour off to a winery or viewpoint.
If you’re interested in this style of trip, know that Boat Bike does run completely self-guided tours! This way, you can just use the boat as a place to sleep and take on the biking yourself.
Until next time!
We absolutely loved cycling with Boat Bike Tours and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an active holiday. The carefully constructed route from Metz to Cochem really encompassed all the best parts of the Moselle. After talking with some of the other passengers, it’s easy to see why they have such a high return rate. Many of them had already booked their next Boat Bike Tour before we departed!
How can we help you?
If you would like to receive more information about our trips or need support from our travel experts to help you choose your trip, please feel free to contact us. Write an email to [email protected] or by calling +1 (203) 814-1249.
We look forward to hearing from you!
