Amsterdam - Germany - Luxembourg - Metz, France

This tour starts in Amsterdam and follows the river valleys of Rhine and Moselle upstream until Metz in France. We cycle in 4 European countries, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, with the majority being in Germany. We pass a variety in rural river landscapes through the industrial heritage of the Ruhr-area until the wine slopes of both rivers further south. Interesting cities like Amsterdam; Arnhem; Düsseldorf; Cologne; Bonn (capital of former West-Germany); Koblenz; Trier and Metz are on our road as well as century old villages. Trier is the oldest town of Germany, founded by the Romans whose traces are still there. It has a stunning cathedral, as have Cologne and Metz - the medieval capital of Lorraine - where we end this trip. Large sections of the rivers are accessible for bikers by special bikes paths.

The distance the Zwaantje travels is much longer than on a regular Bike & Barge tour in the Netherlands, Belgium or France. As a result of that the ship sails longer hours than usual. It means that we sometimes sail during breakfast or dinner; that we might arrive in a town or in a place to be picked up before the ship or that we have only a part of the evening to visit a town or city where we are docked.

On the Rhine and Moselle the possibilities of the Zwaantje for pick-ups of the group are limited. Due to that, in combination with the longer distances we cover, the daily biking distances can be longer than usual. The short group bikes between 25-40 miles and the long group between 30-50 miles. Of course you have daily the option to stay on board to view the river-scenery from the sun deck on the Zwaantje. Occasionally the daily rides can be shorter than the mentioned distances. For the short group almost every day (except for the last day to Metz) we ride in more or less flat landscape. On a scale 1 (flat) to 7 (mountains) the short group is rated 1 – 2 (half of the days 1, the other half 2). The long group will, especially in the second week, encounter some hills of which some are challenging. The long group is rated 1 – 3 (half of the days 1, the other half 2 or 3). Of course we inform you daily about what to expect on your ride so you can make the choice that suits you the best.

The itinerary and program are subject to change due to weather conditions; sailing challenges for the Zwaantje or changes in the opening times of the places to visit. The Zwaantje is air conditioned and has 12 guest cabins.

Tours begin on Saturday in Europe; you must leave the USA on Friday to arrive on Saturday. Guests need to arrive at the barge by noon the day the tour starts. On the last day of the tour guests debark by 9:00 am.