With Bike & Barge from Mainz to Cologne - MS OLYMPIA
By bike & barge through the UNESCO World Heritage from Mainz to Cologne
Arrival to Mainz
Embarkation at 4:00 p.m. There may be time to see the old town of Mainz with its lovely alleys and public squares.
Mainz – Rüdesheim, Cycle tour approx. 32 km
Today we will show you why the river Rhine and its surroundings are part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. Beautiful islands, steep slate rocks and vinyards shape the region around Rüdesheim. By bike you will pass Eltville with its fortress „Kurfürstliche Burg“ and Oestrich-Winkel with its crane for loading wine as a famous landmark and arrive finally in Rüdesheim. Here, the world-famous wine alley „Drosselgasse” is well worth a visit.
Rüdesheim – St. Goar (St. Goarshausen), Cycle tour approx. 32 km
Today you will cycle along the Rhine through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, passing romantic castles and ruins. These buildings include the fortresses Reichenstein and Rheinstein. The famous rock of the Loreley will also be on your way to St. Goar, your destination for today. From the top of the rock you will have a beautiful view of St. Goar and St. Goarshausen.
St. Goar – Koblenz, Cycle tour approx. 38 km
Boppard and the Marksburg are possible destinations today on your way to Koblenz with its famous “Deutsche Eck” (German corner), where the rivers Moselle and Rhine are merging. From the fortress Ehrenbreitstein which you can reach comfortably by cableway you will enjoy a fantastic view over the splendid landscape of the Rhine.
Koblenz - Andernach, Cycle tour approx. 25 km
Your path will lead you past Neuwied with its castle Engers to Andernach, your destination for today. This city is like Koblenz one of the oldest cities of Germany. Here you will find the famous cold-water gush spring, whose water fountain of 50 to 60 meters is said to be the highest in the world. In Andernach you can enjoy sights like the Round Tower or visit the wine village Leutesdorf, which you can reach from Andernach by ferry.
Andernach - Bonn, Cycle tour approx. 45 km
On your way to Bonn it is worthwhile to visit in Königswinter castle Drachenburg on the Drachenfels (steep slope) or the Sea Life with its various marine inhabitants. Finally, you will reach Bonn. The former capital of Germany is both cosy and yet cosmopolitan. Numerous global organisations still have their headquarters here and provide the city of Beethoven with international flair.
Bonn - Cologne, Cycle tour approx. 37 km
Before you reach Cologne by bike, there is the possibility for a nice rest at the leisure island Groov amidst a vast landscape of the Rheinaue wetland in the Cologne suburb Porz-Zündorf. Once you have reached the city centre of Cologne, take your time for a stroll through the Old Town. Also worthwhile are one of the museums as well as the modern parts of Cologne, which can be found at the port of the Rheinaue wetland with its crane houses. The breweries with their famous beer “Kölsch” show a relaxed side of this big city.
Departure from Cologne
Disembarkation after breakfast until 9:00 a.m.
Tour character
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.
| Season 1 22.06.2024 | 20.07.2024 | Saturday | |
|---|---|
| MS OLYMPIA, Mainz-Cologne, Upper deck, DE-RHSKM-08I-O | |
| Base price | 1,399.00 |
| 2-bed cabin for single use | 1,819.00 |
| 2-bed cabin astern | 1,349.00 |
| 1-bed cabin | 1,449.00 |
| MS OLYMPIA, Mainz-Cologne, Main deck, DE-RHSKM-08I-H | |
| Base price | 1,199.00 |
| 2-bed cabin in single use | 1,559.00 |
- 7 nights in outside cabins on MS OLYMPIA with private facilities and air condition
- Programme according itinerary
- Port fees included
- Captains greeting and Welcome drink
- Daily cabin cleaning, changing of towels and bed cloths if wanted
- Full meals: 7x breakfast, 6x light lunch on board (non cyclists) or packed lunch for cyclists, 6x afternoon coffee break, 7x dinner
- Daily informational meeting
- Information pack with route book (one per cabin)
- SE-Tours Tour guide on board (does not cycle with group)
- GPS tracks for cycle tour
Journey to Mainz and from Cologne, shuttles, entrance fees and excursions, bike rental, ferry fares, travel insurances, parking fee, drinks on board, tips
Important remarks:
Car Park facilities in Mainz
Car Park at the central station (unguarded, cannot be booked in advance) in Mainz. Parking fee approx. € 55,- per week.
• Embarkation: at 4.00 p.m. • Disembarkation: from 9.00 a.m. • Bike Hire on Board: smooth-running 7 speed - unisex- city bikes and 8 speed pedelecs from Velo de Ville (custom built for SE-Tours) with hand- and back pedal brakes or with free-wheel hub (limited available, please indicate upon booking) and pannier bags. Please inform us about your body height upon booking. • To bring your own bike: On request only – due to lack of space on sun deck. We exclude any liability for loss, theft and damage - this also applies to damage caused by transportation from shore to ship or vice versa. • Cycle Tours: unguided. You will cycle between 25 and 45 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: We offer a small excursion program that can be booked directly on board at the cruise director only. You will get a brief description together with your travel documents. Depending on the number of participants some excursions could be carried out in 2 languages (German/ English) • 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.
Minimum number of participants: 75 guests (must have been reached within 21 days prior to departure). You may cancel the booking at any time. For cancellation fees, please refer to the booking conditions of Se-tours. The tour operator’s terms and conditions apply: SE-Tours GmbH, Am Grollhamm 12a, 27574 Bremerhaven. We recommend that you take out a travel health insurance with repatriation coverage as well as baggage, accident and travel cancellation insurances.
This tour has 1 more variation
MS OLYMPIA
Comfortable and cosy river ship with family environment. The ship was refurbished in 2015/2016. The panoramic salon with bar in gentlemen club-style and the bright and friendly restaurant are waiting for you to pass relaxing hours here. A spacious, partly shaded sun deck and storage space for bicycles.
