Bike and Barge through the Saar and Moselle river valleys from Saarburg to Koblenz

Day 1: Individual arrival in Saarburg

Embarkation between 4 and 5 p.m. Spend the evening and first night in Saarburg. Take time to explore town, in the centre of which is a small 20 meters deep waterfall as well as many baroque buildings and fishermens houses.

Day 2: Cycle tour from Saarburg to Trier via Wasserbillig in Luxemburg.

Leave Saarburg along the idyllic nature reserve of the quiet meander of the River Saar. Continue on to Wasserbillig in Luxemburg and from here to the Igeler Säule (a multi-storeyed Roman sandstone column which is the burial monument of the Secundinii cloth merchant family). Cycle on to Trier where MS PATRIA will be waiting.

Cycle tour distance approx. 24 miles (38 km)

Day 3: Cycle tour from Trier to Mehring.

After breakfast cycle via Pfalzel to Mehring, the largest winegrowers community in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region.

Cycle tour distance approx. 16-18 miles (26-29 km)

Day 4: Cycle tour from Mehring to Bernkastel-Kues via Piesport.

Cycle to Neumagen-Dhron, the oldest wine city in Germany before riding to Piesport, the oldest wine growing community along the Moselle, a good place to take the time and enjoy some popular wines.  Next it's on to Bernkastel-Kues, a market town dating back to the Middle Ages with many wood timbered houses.  

Cycle tour distance approx. 29 miles (47 km)

Day 5: Cycle tour from Bernkastel-Kues to Zell on the Moselle via Traben-Trarbach.

Today’s bike tour takes you to the romantic Traben-Trarbach with its Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) architecture before continuing to Zell, well known on the Moselle for its wine. In the evening there is an opportunity to visit a local winery and enjoy a wine tasting with the famous Moselle wines (optional, bookable on board).

Cycle tour distance approx. 27 miles (43 km)

Day 6: Cycle tour from Zell on the Moselle to Cochem via Beilstein.

Set off for Beilstein, “the Sleeping Beauty of the Mosel” with its perfectly maintained historic centre. Cycle on to Cochem which is dominated by Reichsburg, the Imperial Castle. Cochem is a pretty little town with historic half-timbered houses and a picturesque Old town.

Cycle tour distance approx. 24 miles (39 km)

Day 7: Restful Cruise Cochem to Koblenz or as an Alternative Cycle tour from Cochem to Koblenze via Alken.

Today you can spend a restful day on board the MS Patria.  Relax on the sundeck and enjoy the beautiful Moselle landscape as it passes slowly by.  In the afternoon you can stroll along the Deutsche Eck” where the Moselle  and Rhine join.  The more adventurous can cycle to Alken, one of the oldest cities along the Moselle.  Pay a visit to Eltz Castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle before heading on to Koblenze.

Cycle tour distance approx. 31 miles (50 km)

 Day 8:Departure from Koblenz

Disembarkation after breakfast until 9:00 am. Individual journey home.

Train journey back to Saarburg takes about 2 hours or optional minibus (min 4 persons, limited space) booked in advance payable locally.

The 68 metre long MS PATRIA, can accommodate a maximum of 68 guests. The ship is modernized for boat bike tours and provides 15 cabins on the main deck and 19 cabins on the upper deck. All cabins are small and practical (approx. 7 m²), with two beds standing in a right angle. Windows can be opened on the upper deck, but for safety reasons they are fixed on the main deck.  Cabins have a shower and toilet with individually regulated air conditioning in all cabins on the main deck.  This authentic ship has a lovely salon with bar and large windows in front of the top deck and a separate restaurant on the main deck. On the partially covered sun deck there is a seating area for all guests and a cycle shed. The ship sails under Dutch Flag and management.

Technical details:
Length: 68m, Width 7.7m, Depth 1,85m

Max. 68 passengers, Languages on board: German, English, Currency on board: Euro
Flag: Netherlands.

Embarkation: from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. • Disembarkation: until 9:00 a.m. • Bike Hire on Board: smooth-running 7 speed - unisex- city bikes with hand and back pedal brakes or with free-wheel hub (please indicate upon booking) and pannier bags. Electric bikes (limited availability – timely booking required) Please inform us about your height upon booking. • To bring your own bike: on request only – due to lack of space on sundeck. Storage of bikes inside the ship is not possible. • Cycle Tours: unguided. You will cycle between 17 and 46 km per day. The kilometres indicated for the suggested cycle tours are approximate. • Cycle routes/ level of difficulty: The quality of the cycle ways along the route is excellent. Most of the stretches are paved or asphalted, and lead alongside the Rhine dikes without any gradients of note. This makes the trip suitable even for unpractised cyclist. • Optional Excursions: tour legs and the ship‘s time in port permitting, an optional excursion programme will be organised. Excursions can only be booked and paid (in cash) aboard the ship. • Luggage on board: We recommend waterproof rain gear, bike helmet, sun hat and sports shoes. We would like to ask you to do without hard-side luggage, as storage space in the cabin is very limited! • Alterations of schedule or programme:  Subject to change. If a route cannot be shipped as a result of low or high water or bad weather, the captain reserves the right to change the route in view of your safety (this will not be accepted as a reason for free withdrawal). • Travel documents: EU-citizens (without special situations like dual citizenship, main residence abroad or a limited-validity passport) are required to have a valid passport or ID-card, not expiring within six (6) months of the return of your cruise. We kindly ask non-EU citizens, EU-nationals with multiple citizenship or anybody who has to respect special legal entry requirements for the country to visit, to inform about visa and entry documents at the competent embassy. • This trip is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility.

Beautiful river valleys

Vineyards

Picturesque towns

Timbered houses

Baroque buildings in Saarburg

Igeler Säule

Moselle wines

Getting to Germany:

By Rail/Bus – By train Saarburg can be reached using Eurostar and local trains. https://www.thetrainline.com › Train times.  By coach, there are  several options between London and Saarburg https://www.busradar.com/

By Car – Germany can be reached by car via ferry or Eurotunnel and well-maintained motorways.

By Air – The Luxembourg airport Findel is the closest airport to Saarburg (ca. 37 Kilometers away, 35-40 minutes drive). However, it does not accommodate transatlantic flights or direct flights from Far East. The next closest International airport,which accept flights from all over the world, is Frankfurt-Main Airport (ca. 64 km away).

For more information on getting to Germany please visit the German Tourism website.