Mosel or Rhine route

Wonkey donkey

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Hiya Chaps,

In a couple of weeks I am travelling to Germany and need some advice please.

After visiting the Nürburgring myself and daughter plan to head to stay in Cochem, which looks very nice.

The following day we need to start heading North to finally end up a couple of days later at Soest.

Now from Cochem we can either follow the Mosel river to Koblenz before we head North OR we could head from Cochem to Bingen and head north following the Rhine. Having never visited I am not sure which we should do however tinternet suggests that the Rhine route is more picturesque.

Any thought appreciated,

Thanks
 
A couple of years ago we stayed in Koblenz and went down the Mosel and up the Rhine. I personally found the Mosel more picturesque and the roads not as busy. But either is a good option
 
Another vote for Mosel rather than Rhine to Koblenz. Less busy, bigger gaps between towns/villages, prettier too. Possibly more to see along the Rhine, so it's really up to you. Neither will be a bad ride!

Cochem gets very busy because it's so picturesque. It's a Mecca for coach trips and on a sunny Sunday every cruiser bike in Germany and Holland has to go there - it's the law. I imagine the accommodation will be slightly more expensive as a result. I've stayed upstream in Klotten and downstream in Ernst where there are plenty of places in slightly less touristy surroundings. It's a five minute ride from each into Cochem, or you can get a bus for next to nothing. (In fact the local tourist authority provided free bus tickets from Ernst in 2016.) Walking up to the castle is fun and if it's hot you'll be so thirsty you won't think twice about the price of a cold coke in the cafeteria.
 
Thanks guys appreciate your comments and trust your judgement.

Wessie can you elaborate why that route is special as it misses both rivers so suspect it has something to make it worthwhile?

Thanks
 
Looks OK

306e08f11fa9c7c47d3df94a1f7b9683.jpg
 
Thanks guys appreciate your comments and trust your judgement.

Wessie can you elaborate why that route is special as it misses both rivers so suspect it has something to make it worthwhile?

Thanks

lots of twisty roads through river valleys and relatively quiet roads - the Mosel & Rhine are pretty but get boring after a while due to traffic and artificial terrain as they are both dammed in multiple places to generate electricity or to make landing stages. You do not have to follow that exact route as you can loop further east if you want to make it longer but that one takes you through some watery bits.
 
lots of twisty roads through river valleys and relatively quiet roads - the Mosel & Rhine are pretty but get boring after a while due to traffic and artificial terrain as they are both dammed in multiple places to generate electricity or to make landing stages. You do not have to follow that exact route as you can loop further east if you want to make it longer but that one takes you through some watery bits.

Thanks :thumb
 
For nearly all of the loops in the river, there is a choice of either following the main road along the river bank - smooth, but quite busy - or taking a "shortcut" over the sticky-out bit of land, which will be smaller roads, less busy, very hilly and take a fair bit longer but be more entertaining. As Wessie says, the scenery from the main road is pretty but once you've done ten miles of river between valleys of tumbling vineyards, you've done them all. If there were no speed limits the roads would be great but the presence of towns every five miles makes it a bit stop-start. There will be plenty of places to stop.

One of my favourite rides ever was from Alf (about 10 miles upstream of Cochem) north-west via Bad Bertrich to Daun. Up there with any Alpine or Spanish mountain rides in my memory.
 
For nearly all of the loops in the river, there is a choice of either following the main road along the river bank - smooth, but quite busy - or taking a "shortcut" over the sticky-out bit of land, which will be smaller roads, less busy, very hilly and take a fair bit longer but be more entertaining. As Wessie says, the scenery from the main road is pretty but once you've done ten miles of river between valleys of tumbling vineyards, you've done them all. If there were no speed limits the roads would be great but the presence of towns every five miles makes it a bit stop-start. There will be plenty of places to stop.

One of my favourite rides ever was from Alf (about 10 miles upstream of Cochem) north-west via Bad Bertrich to Daun. Up there with any Alpine or Spanish mountain rides in my memory.

I stopped in Bad Bertrich for 3 nights last year. Surrounded by great roads. We did not go on the main road along the Mosel very much.

This Panoramablick above Piesport is worth a visit https://goo.gl/maps/goNEVZmwn1C2

The road from Urzig up to Bad Bertrich is pretty good.
 
"From Alf to Bad Bertrich" sounds like an emotional roller coaster of a film. I'd cast Richard E Grant as kind, considerate but slightly boring Alf, Christoph Waltz as the daring but exciting Bad Bertrich, and Elijah Wood as the sensitive and slightly vulnerable young man on a voyage of discovery of his sexuality.
 
Bad Bertrich........great Base for the area.
 
If your heading for Koblenz and have some time spare, Koblenz Army Museum is an interesting place to visit.
 
Thanks for all this guys has really helped and trip out all planned.
 
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