(Summary information and map credit: European Cyclists’ Federation)
“The Rhine Route follows one of the largest rivers in Europe. From the Swiss Alps to the North Sea, this route shows off the beauty of this river landscape and the picturesque towns and villages that line its banks, a number of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. As the first certified EuroVelo route, EuroVelo 15 is open to cyclists of all capabilities and there is plenty to see along the way including Lake Constance and the continentโs largest waterfall (the Rhine Falls) and port (Rotterdam).”
Official Site(s)
Unofficial sites & blogs
Books & maps
Cicerone Guide to the Rhine Cycle Route
Social searches / #EuroVelo15
Hi,
Iโm planning to cycle the Rheine Cycle veloroute15, but realise that the devastating floods in Germany may have damaged some of the route and infrastructure, such that parts of the route may be closed for some while and camp sites closed perhaps.
Do you have any detail/dates for which any parts of the route and campsites may be closed please?
Thank you,
Martin
https://en.eurovelo.com/ev15
Information here.
I think the Ahr valley is where the worst flooding has been, not the Rhine but do check.
We saw a you-tube video of a chap going from Cambridge and then following the EV15 and then onto his hometown in Italy on a Brompton. It looked good and has inspired us to have a go. How busy is this route? it looked pretty quiet on the video.
We flex to Basel and cycled from there to Rotterdam. Took about 2 weeks doing 60km average and most of it was just using the signs on the paths. I had a smart phone with Google maps to help. Weโre planning on doing it again with our daughter once sheโs older. Itโs one if he safest routes Iโve seen for kids.
Hi Joe, I would like to do this with my two grandsons this summer but I’m being challenged with trying to get rental bikes from Rotterdam to Basel to start the ride. Any suggestions?
Hi Jerry, not sure about renting. We took our own bikes on the plane to Basel then basically cycled home to the UK. They are very accommodating at Basel airport for bikes and the route is about a mile from the airport. It might be easier to take your own bikes, depending on where you live. Good Luck!
Hi Joe, please can you advise – did you bin your bike boxes at the airport when you reached Basel? What did you do for the return leg to ship the bikes? This bit of the planning is something we aren’t sure how to solve – as we won’t arrive and leave at the country ? Thanks
Hi Dawn
Yes, they had cardboard recycling for the bike boxes and an air pump to inflate tyres. We cycled from Basel down to Rotterdam and got the ferry back home to the UK so didn’t require any return flights.
Thanks very much for the info!
Hi, weโre planning to cycle EuroVelo 15 next summer with our 2 kids (age 10 and 7, both pretty active). The Eurovelo site says this is the route to do with kids. Can anyone tell me how much of it is on cycle tracks and how much on roads please? Thanks very much.
Hi, I’ve done all of the route as far as Schaffhausen. It’s all off road, as far as I remember. It’s completely flat as far as Basel.
Would also recommend the German and Austrian Danube route (6) – stunning. If the Rhine trip is successful, I’d add it to your list! But I digress!
Hello! I want to do this route next year…and I’m in planning stage. ๐ Do you know how much will I pay to rent a bike for all the way?? And, can I do this in 15 days?
Thank yoou!!!
Hi. I’m sorry I don’t know about the bike rental. I’ve never rented a bike over the long term (or even the short term). 15 days? It depends how far you are capable of cycling in one day. Look at the total length of the route and divide by 15. Can you do it? (The cycling, not the arithmetic…) ๐ Good luck!
No chance at all doing this in 15 days. I took 6 weeks and two days. Admittedly leisurely with a rest or sightseeing day per week. You would be flat out doing it on a motorbike in 15 days. If you were an elite athlete and raced it on a sports bike maybe. But you could not afford to look at the sights or have any breakdowns or delays at all. No side trips or rests. Long hard days in the saddle with your head down. Not fun at all, and not what I would call a holiday.
You would be better off doing a part of the Eurovelo 15, say about half. But even then you would have to set a fair cracking pace. Germany is a big country.
Cycle hire is very common. A decent percentage of people I observed on the trip had hire cycles. Possibly 10 to 20%. Easily recognized by the tour saddle bags with company logos. And groups all on identical bikes.
The hire bikes looked excellent, but the tools and repair kits were hopeless.
I stopped probably three or four times to help people with flat tires (all on hire bikes). Crummy pumps and some only had patch kits, unbelievably no spare inner tubes.
Always best strategy is a circular route and returning to the same depot. That may not suit your strategy. But honestly all Europe is quite scenic. There are not too many boring bits, it is all pretty nice country in spring, summer and autumn. I would more than happy to do a big circle route for a couple of weeks.
I travel with a small Brompton, an excellent folding tourer. They are expensive, but I have flown with it half a dozen times. No problems with most airlines. So I don’t have to hire.
Good luck, and regards Greg
we bought bikes for $150 euro at Decathalon in Milan, and sold in Holland at other end.
there are many Decathalon or other bike shops on route.
Hi Beck how and where did you sell them in Holland? Thanks Kim
Sorry that should read Greg!
Hi Andrew – did you sell your route 15 maps, as I might be interested in buying them from you. I did a degree in German so the lang wouldn’t be a problem.
No, not sold at all. I have a really good collection of maps, the Bikeline waterproof ones and other guidebooks. While you could theoretically do the lot without maps but the planning and confidence it gives is great. Signposting is impressive along the whole route and consistent but nothing beats a map. Particularly making your way through cities and towns and locating landmarks they really come into their own. My email is greg.hill@iinet.net.au. I live in Perth WA and my phone number (locally) is 0428 673 734.Kindest regards if you want to drop me a line.
Cycling from next Monday from Bodensee to Koblenz. Using Road Bike. Should I expect to detour?
Hi, Greg.
I was just wondering how much of the Eurovelo 15 route from holland was uphill? I have heard it’s best to start it from Swiss as it’s more downhill? Did you find this to be the case?
Also, were there good opportunities for wild camping along the route? And how long did your trip take?
Thanks,
Jack.
Not uphill at all from Holland. Dead flat all the way to Switzerland effectively. Holland is the logical start point.You will notice wind tend to blow westerly, so it will be at your back most of the way. The winds were not that strong, but it did help. After riding in East Anglia, a relatively flat part of England(Norfolk etc) I found the Rhine route a doddle by comparison. Anything following a river is bound to be pretty flat, and so it turned out to be. Wild camping would be possible in many area. I preferred youth hostel and cheap bed and breakfasts. I did have a small tent and tented it a few times. It rained about every third or fourth day and some hostels were only 7 to 9 euros for a bunk bed, so no comparison. My trip took six weeks and two days. But I had one or two rest days per week and traveled slow on a Brompton folder. Averaging 50 kilometers per day. You could easily do it in under four weeks not hanging around. It would not be leisurely, but you would see all the essentials and still not rush. Just not a of leeway for sidetrips or contingencies, like breakdowns or illness etc. But it would still be a great trip. Mine was super leisurely. Kindest regards, Greg
Hi from Greg in Perth. I just returned from cycling the whole of Eurovelo 15, starting in Holland. I could not get any proper maps in English at all. And I have heaps. Really the local German ones or Bikeline which I used were OK. My German is very basic, but I got by fine. I might put all my maps on Ebay as I can’t see me using them again in a hurry. I also used Google Earth maps on my Android phone as a GPS. Outstanding coverage. Just remember to scan the whole of the route you wish to travel beforehand while in Wifi range. This will give all the details, otherwise you will just get the base fairly crude map. Minus many helpful street names etc. Also mark in waypoints, hotel or hostels you are heading for,with the little gold google map star. This is also immensely helpful in a large strange city. Bodensee is a great area I enjoyed tremendously. A climb out of Ludwigshafen is very long but steady and OK. It was raining steadily in southern Germany when I was there and like many other cyclist we crossed over to the French path which is hard standing. The German paths immediately along the Rhine are dirt and deteriorated to mud. They like their “natural” tracks in the South but there are drawbacks. Once you pass Karslruhe heading North all is OK. Good luck and hope the advice is OK.
Hi, in August/September I’m cycling from Bodensee to Bonn is that the EUROVELO 15 and is there a map in English