Koblenz to Freiburg - where to stop?

I'm planning a trip with a mate at the beginning of April which will go something like:

Le Havre > Sedan > Trier > Koblenz > ??? > Freiburg (2 days) > ??? > Le Havre and home

We'll be leaving Koblenz on Mon 6 April - Easter Monday - and I'm conscious Germany closes down a bit for Easter, so we'll need somewhere that can provide food and beer. We're both chaps who like to wander round town and try a bar or two, so a pub in the middle of nowhere wouldn't be my first choice.

Karlsruhe is smack in the middle, but doesn't look terribly exciting. I was thinking of riding from Koblenz down through the Rhine valley, then moving westwards through the Pfalzer Wald and maybe a bit of the northern Jura before stopping for the night, then heading down through the BF to Freiburg on 7 April. Dahn would have been ideal, but looks a one horse town in which the horse is currently at the vets. So, any recommendations for a stopping point on 6 April?

Also, we'll be heading back from Freiburg over 2 days on 9 & 10 April. I'm looking at stopping at Soissons or similar on 9 April - any thoughts on alternatives, or the route?

Thanks for any advice / experiences! I have lived in Germany for a couple of years and speak good Kraut, so happy to try new things.

Personally I'd sub Freiburg with Freudenstadt, you can do that easily in a day from Koblenz. Nice wee town but most importantly surrounded by great biking roads.

Baden Baden is a nice town for a stopover or base to tour for a few days - I don't have a hotel to recommend as I've only been a day visitor and have it on my list of places to explore more one day.

In France, I prefer Reims as a stopover for the last night before returning home. Doing it this year staying here

Reims has a nice cafe culture on Rue Drouet d'Erlon or Place du Forum. Loads of hotels in the city centre, some with underground parking if you are worried about this. Just explore the options at booking.com

I like Heidelburg as it has a lovely castle and old town, and the superb museums in Speyer and Sinsheim are nearby - yes, that is a real Concorde and Tu-144 on the roof

Thanks guys. I'd considered Freudenstadt, but a mate of mine lives near Freiburg and I'd like to go for beers with him on one of the evenings so it seems like a sensible base for a couple of nights. Anyone ever been to the Hotel Bischofslinde?

Speyer or Heidelberg look good as an intermediate stop, although we'd miss out on the Pfalzer Wald and northern Jura. Worth it?

Booked Hotel zum Pfalzgrafen in Heidelberg and Central Hotel in Freiburg.

Will report back...

If your not totally committed to Koblenz, really nice town nearby - Limberg on the Lahn. Greta town in a beautiful spot with a mixture of medieval and new town, great food etc.

Lots of nice looking guest houses and a very nice camp site.

sharkojoints said:

Booked Hotel zum Pfalzgrafen in Heidelberg and Central Hotel in Freiburg.

Will report back...

Click to expand...

Both hotels were good, with excellent secure parking, especially at the Pfalzgrafen. The Central in Freiburg has an underground car park, which works well too.

rjsmith26 said:

If your not totally committed to Koblenz, really nice town nearby - Limberg on the Lahn. Greta town in a beautiful spot with a mixture of medieval and new town, great food etc.

Lots of nice looking guest houses and a very nice camp site.

Click to expand...

Agreed

Stayed there in the campsite on top of the hill and dead easy to get the bus into Koblenz. Lovely area.

mspenz said:

Agreed

Stayed there in the campsite on top of the hill and dead easy to get the bus into Koblenz. Lovely area.

Click to expand...

There's a great military museum in koblenze, it's not widely known about and locals don't tend to mention it, it's worthy of a visit.

You said you're partial to a wander and a couple of beers, sod the parking, did it satisfy these requirements?