Rhine, Moselle & Saar 3-river tour in Germany
Juni 29 - Juli 07 / 2025
Vertrekdatum: 29 juni 2025
Gemiddelde fietsafstand per dag 35 to 60 km / Level: Easy
Hoogtepunten
Bike, Barge & Cruise the Mighty ‘father’ Rhine, the ever-romantic Moselle, and beautiful rivers of the Saar. Explore the city of Cologne, as well as the historic Roman cities of Andernach & Trier. You will then head to the charming ‘black cat’ town of Zell, explore the famous Bernkastel and Little Venice Saarburg. The journey continues as you survey the splendour of the Rhine, the Moselle with its swathes of vineyards, and the Saar, surrounded by mountains. Bike along these rivers and enjoy a wine-tasting session at the famous ‘Storck’ winery.
Dagprogramma
Day 1: Cologne
Check in: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, Merlijn departs. We will pour you a welcome drink and introduce the crew. We will also inform you about the tour and the ship, and give you a safety briefing. After cruising the Rhine for a few hours we will drop anchor for a first relaxing night on board.
Day 2: Bonn - Andernach. Bike tour: 40-45 km
Enjoy your breakfast while the Merlijn continues further upstream on the river Rhine. Your bike tour will start in Bonn, the city of Beethoven. You will cycle along the Siebengebirge (lit. "seven mountains" in German), which is a range of hills to the East of the Rhine, south-east of Bonn, comprising over 40 mountains and hills. Your bike tour will end at Andernach, where you will meet the Merlijn again, which will be docked overnight. Our guide will take you on an after-dinner walk through this interesting city along the Rhine.
Day 3: Andernach – Koblenz - Alken. Bike tour: 35-40 km
After breakfast, your bike tour will start from Andernach, and leads you to Koblenz. Here, the guide will show you around this magnificent city and take you on a ride with the cable car across the Rhine to Ehrenbreitstein Castle, from where you’ll have a fabulous view over the city of Koblenz and the ‘Deutsche Eck’, where the Moselle merges with the Rhine. Afterwards you will cycle on to the next dock, where you board Merlijn and cruise the afternoon.
Day 4: Alken – Cochem. Bike tour: 40-45 km + Hike: 3 km
An interesting day awaits! You will start biking into the Eltztal, where you will park the bikes and put your hiking shoes on. After a hike of approx. 40 minutes, you will reach the beautiful castle of Eltz. Romantically situated atop a cliff, the castle is one of only a few that has never suffered destruction throughout its long history. Although you won’t be the only visitor, it’s worth it. Afterwards, hike back and you’ll cycle to Cochem, where the Merlijn awaits. In Cochem, you might want to visit the famous Reichsburg, or stroll through the cosy streets of this romantic city.
Day 5: Cochem – Zell – Traben Trarbach. Bike tour 35-40 km or extend to 55-60 km
In the morning, you will start biking from Cochem, with the small village of Beilstein as the first stop. It’s well worth a visit, so enjoy a stroll through this medieval village, which is still completely intact. Along the meandering Moselle River, you will cycle on to Zell, which is famous for its ‘Zeller Schwarze Katz’ (black cat) vineyard. From Zell we offer you 2 options:
- Board the Merlijn and together we will cruise on to Traben-Trarbach.
- Extend your bike tour and cycle on to Traben-Trarbach.
After dinner you will be offered a wine-tasting session at the Winery of Storck.
Day 6: Traben-Trarbach - Trier. Bike tour: 35-40 km or extend to 50-55 km
After a cruising breakfast, today’s cycling tour will start. You will bike along the Moselle, with a first stop in Bernkastel-Kues. Here you can walk through the town and visit Germany’s oldest marketplace. After your visit, you will cycle on to the next dock, from where we offer you 2 options:
- Board the Merlijn and enjoy a relaxing cruising afternoon.
- Extend your bike tour and cycle on to Mehring.
Mehring is the spot where the Romans first set foot, travelling from the Rhine to the Moselle river. The Romans fell in love with this landscape more than 2000 years ago, and built splendid rural villas here. In Mehring, you will board the Merlijn again, and together we will cruise towards Trier. Tonight you will enjoy another delicious dinner on board.
Day 7: Trier. Bike tour: 55-60 KM
Today we have a different day (than the average bike and barge day) in store for you. The Merlijn will stay docked in Trier for another full day and we offer several choices today. Those who came 100% for the cycling can get ready to enjoy one of the cycling highlights on this trip! Where most routes lead along the river, today's route is entirely through the hilly countryside and free nature, and yet mostly on a gradually descending bike path! To achieve this, you go in the morning, together with your bicycle, by bus into the mountains and then follow an old railroad line, which has recently been transformed into a bicycle path, towards the Mosel. This ride will take most of the day…
Those who also deserve some rest during this vacation, want to go shopping or see more culture, will also find something to their liking. Leave the bike onboard for the day and walk into Trier to enjoy everything this city has to offer. A rich history, nice stores and plenty of terraces. Our guide can be helpful with your plans for the day.
Day 8: Trier – Saarburg. Bike tour: 30-35 km
In the morning, you can do some more exploring in Trier. We will arrange a local city guide to teach you all about this fascinating city, which was the capital of the Western Roman Empire, a Roman seat of government, and is well-known for its impressive city gate, the Porta Nigra. In the afternoon you will cycle to Saarburg.
The cityscape of Saarburg is characterised by narrow alleys, framework houses, and Baroque structures, as well as colourful fishing cottages and seafarers’ houses. The master architect of Berlin, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, already named the collection of romantic houses and small bridges on the Buttermarkt ‘Little Venice’ in the 19th century.
Day 9: Saarburg
After breakfast, it is time to say goodbye and continue your European trip, or leave for the airport.
Included in your tour:
- 8 nights onboard Merlijn
- Individual climate control and private bathroom with shower, sink and toilet in all cabins
- Supply of bedding, towels, facial tissues, hand soap, shampoo, sewing kit, vanity kit, bathrobe & slippers
- Full service of staff, daily cleaning of the cabins, manned bar (no self-service)
- Porterage of luggage upon arrival and departure
- Daily loading and unloading of your bicycle to and from the ship
- Use of lightweight state-of-the-art bicycle
- Use of a waterproof bike bag, universal sized helmet, towel and a personal water bottle
- English speaking-tour guide (experienced guide who knows the route like the back of their hand)
- Brochures of the area available on board
- Harbour, lock and canal fees
Included culinary care:
- Welcome drink with bubbles
- All day unlimited coffee, tea, hot chocolate and potable ice water (self-service)
- Extensive breakfast buffet daily with at least; 2 warm dishes, freshly baked croissants or similar pastries, various types of bread, toaster, yoghurt, cereals, fresh fruit and various beverages.
- Packed lunch prepared by the staff in a special lunch bag with at least a lavish sandwich, snack and drink.
- 7 three-course dinners
- Dinners are based on ‘plate service’, meals are served in the dining area.
- Meals are perceived by our guests as “luxurious” or even “gourmet style”.
Included beverages during bar opening hours:
- Several sodas served from a small bottle
- Wide variety of wines (also non-alcoholic wine)
- Beer on tap and various beers from the bottle (also non-alcoholic beer)
Included excursions:
- Ferry costs on the bicycle route
- Cable car ride in Koblenz
- Entrance to the castle of Eltz
- Wine tasting session
- Guided city tour of Trier
Not included in your tour:
- 1 dinner
- Excursions, entrance fees and guided tours other than mentioned
- Beverages other than those mentioned (such as spirits and cocktails)
- City maps, bike maps, etc. (we have a lot available however we can’t guarantee every destination)
- Inbound and outbound journeys, such as flights, trains, bus or other type of transfers
- Insurances
- Gratuities (cash only)
- Electronic payments of your onboard expenses (cash only)
For your comfort, we rent out electric bikes at € 30,- each per day, reservations in advance are advisable.
The Cancellation policy also applies to pre-booked and reserved use of e-bike or any other extra requested services.
The general terms and conditions of Merlijn de magie van water B.V. apply to all bookings, offers and agreements. Please find them on our website under ‘Terms & Conditions’.
Merlijn complies the General Data Protection Regulation to protect your privacy. Please find them on our website under ‘Privacy statement’.
We reserve the right to modify schedule and/or program. If (part of) the route is not navigable due to weather conditions and/or other nautical reasons and/or is closed off due to circumstances and/or for safety reasons, the operator and/or the captain has the right to change the schedule. This includes changing the location of departure and/or arrival and temporarily suspending departure. Nautical and/or meteorological reasons are understood to mean, among others, weather conditions, the tide, obstruction of waterways/shipping lanes, and the condition of the ship. Closed off due to circumstances and/or safety reasons are understood to mean, among others, terrorism, diseases, natural disasters. Changes in schedule and/or program do not give the customer the right on free cancellation.