Europe IS within your reach when you book your tour & airfare together!

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We’re sooooo excited to announce this special offer for our summer bike & barge tour…

Meander Thru the Magical Mosel Valley Bike & Barge ~ Aug 17-24, 2019

BIKE & BARGE + AIR = $3395* per person, double occupancy

Offer includes ALL of the following:

  • AIRFARE: Roundtrip Economy Class from SFO – FRA**
  • RAIL TRANSFERS: FRA – Cochem, Germany, and Metz, France – FRA
  • HOTEL STAY: Marriott MOXY @ FRA Aug 24, 2019
  • LODGING ON-BOARD: 7 nights on a Comfort Plus Hotel Barge
  • MEALS: 19, plus tasting events
  • HYBRID TOURING BIKE and HELMET RENTAL
  • and MORE!

*conditions apply, subject to availability, ** contact us for pricing for flights from other departure cities.

We love single travelers! NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT with our roommate matching program.

DON’T MISS THE BOAT! Let us take the worry out of planning your summer cycling holiday. View our complete itinerary HERE and contact us today at StephanieVentures@Gmail.com

Magical Mosel Valley ~ Bike & Barge Tour ITINERARY SPOTLIGHT: Trier

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Thanks for taking a closer look at another fascinating stop on our Magical Mosel Valley tour…TRIER!

The Roman bridge in Trier

Germany’s oldest city, which the Romans founded c. 16 BC, boasts nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, including several architectural and engineering marvels that those ingenious Romans constructed a couple of millenia ago.

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Perhaps the most significant of the Roman sites is the imposing Porta Nigra, the black gate. The three-story stone structure was erected around 170 AD, a relatively peaceful time in history. It’s likely that this gate, while massive by ancient standards, was built to impress visitors, not to intimidate them. When you visit the gate, climb up and peer out the windows for a view of the city and nearby Hauptmarkt (market square).

TRIER ROMAN RUINS dreamstime_xxl_57205109 smallThere are several other well-preserved Roman sites to check out while we’re in Trier, including the Roman Amphitheater, Imperial Baths, and the oldest bridge in Germany, a stone stunner which crosses the Mosel River.

 

On our last visit to Trier, while wandering the streets in search of a laundromat, we stumbled upon the neighborhood where Karl Marx was born in 1818. You may remember him as the father of modern socialism and communism. His Geburtshaus (birthplace) is now a museum that features exhibits about his life and works. If you join us on the tour, it will be your call: catch up on your laundry or brush up on the history of communism!

Laundry Marx

 

 

Magical Mosel Valley ~ Bike & Barge Tour ITINERARY SPOTLIGHT: Eifel Valley & Maars!

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Happy New Year Cycle-nauts! 

Have you resolved to explore the planet on your bike in 2019?!

We still have space on our Meander Through the Magical Mosel Valley tour, and this week, we’re casting the itinerary spotlight on the other-worldly landscape of Maars in the Mosel Valley’s neighbor, the Eifel region. Read on to learn more about our exhilarating bicycle ride from Daun to Bernkastel-Kues.

Day 3 of our Meander Through the Magical Mosel Valley Tour will be no ordinary Monday – we are going to Maars! Not that far-away planet, my friends, but a fabulous UNESCO site known as Vulkaneifel Nature Park via the Maare-Moselle Cycle Path.

maars view smallThis Maars is a region of lakes created by volcanoes (350 to be exact!) that are over 12,000 years old. We’re pretty sure they’re extinct now…but once-upon-a-time, they spewed forth lava and rocks and created a landscape that begs to be explored on two wheels.

 

maars tunnelTo get there from Bernkastel Kues, we’ll load our bikes and ourselves onto a bus for a short drive up to the town of Daun. We’ll jump on our bikes and ride down the Maars-Moselle Cycle Path, a scenic Rail Trail that will gradually descend past volcanoes and Maars, the Lava Bombe that’s way bigger than you, through forests, illuminated tunnels, over viaducts and bridges and eventually to the vineyards on the Mosel. Doesn’t THAT sound like F-U-N?!

Check out our itinerary: 2019 MEANDER THROUGH THE MAGICAL MOSEL VALLEY Itinerary

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Magical Mosel Valley ~ Bike & Barge Tour ITINERARY SPOTLIGHT: Cochem

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We can’t think of a more charming town to begin our 2019 Meander Through the Magical Mosel Valley bike & barge adventure than in Cochem! We encourage guests to arrive in town the day before the barge tour begins to allow for some extra exploring time on your own. Here’s the scoop on our first stop on the tour that begins on August 17, 2019.

Cochem is nestled beneath the splendid Reichsburg Castle. Built in the 12th century, trashed in the 14th century, and rebuilt in the romantic neo-Gothic style in the 19th century; the castle is open daily for tours of its impressive collections of period furniture and art. It’s situated on a 300 ft high crag above the Mosel River, and a 15 min walk up a cobblestone path will also reward you with a panoramic view of hillside vineyards and the town below. Consider a splurge for the Knight’s Dinner, a traditional medieval dining experience, on Friday evening.

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During the Cold War, the Federal Republic of Germany set up secret currency reserves around the country to guard against inflation that would have resulted if war broke out between NATO and the Warsaw Pact States.

One such hiding place was the Bundesbank Bunker, a subterranean vault in Cochem. For over two decades, the citizens of Cochem had no idea there were 15 billion Deutschmarks “in their own backyard!” Of course, as a bunker, it needed to be cleverly disguised, but, fear not, we know where it is, and can tell you exactly how to find it if you’d like to explore it on your own. 

Mustard Mill

In a country where pretzels are practically a national treasure, mustard is a most revered condiment. You’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about it at the Historische Senfmühle, Cochem’s mustard mill, where they’ve been churning out Cochem’s favorites since 1810. Free tastings are available daily, mustards of every kind await your discriminating palate. Time your visit right and, for 2.50 Euros, you can join a guided tour and watch the miller in action as he prepares mustard according to a 200 year old family recipe.

If you arrive prior to August 17 by train, you can easily hop into a taxi for a short ride to your hotel. If you arrive on Saturday, August 17, of course you may go directly to the barge. Check-in time is 3 PM but you’re welcome to drop off your luggage before you head out to wander the medieval alleyways of the old town. Don’t worry, when you sign up for your tour, we’ll tell you exactly how to find the Quo Vadis, from Frankfurt airport, to the train, and to the dock. We can even assist with train tickets if you’d like.

Click here for a peek at our full itinerary: 2019 Meander Thru the Magical Mosel Valley

Contact us at StephanieVentures@gmail.com to inquire about a booking before this tour sells out.

Register now for our 2019 Bike & Barge Tour: Meander Through the Magical Mosel Valley

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If you missed the boat on our 2018 tours (both sell outs!) then get a jump on this exciting  new itinerary for 2019!

Bernkasel

Join us for a journey through the splendid countryside of the Mosel River Valley, a region renowned for its quaint, picturesque towns, rich history, and sprightly white wines. The wide paved bicycle paths make for excellent cycling along the rivers Mosel and Saar, partly in Germany, partly in Luxembourg, partly in France.

You and your fellow travLux Vineyardelers will enjoy leisurely rides, past tranquil vineyards, with stops along the way to visit castles, ruins, medieval town squares, and more. You’ll sample local wines, many of which are only available in this region. Among them are excellent dry Rieslings and Roter-Weinbergs-Pfirsich Likör -a cordial made from the small, tart “red peaches” grown only in the Mosel Valley.

Nature Valley and GERMANY 217Other enchanting cities on the itinerary include Cochem, Bernkastel, and Trier, the oldest city in Germany, whose three-story Roman gate, the Porta Nigra, dates back to the first century AD. From Trier, the tour will follow the river Saar to visit charming Saarburg and its splendid midtown waterfalls.

 

We’ll continue into the welcoming villages of Luxembourg and then on to France where we’ll sip on the renowned Mirabellen plum liqueur, a specialty of this corner of Alsace. Our final port will be the city of Metz with her magnificent gothic cathedral, the third largest in France.

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Check out the full itinerary here: 2019 Meander Thru the Magical Mosel Valley 

Contact us at StephanieVentures@gmail.com for pricing and availability.

Travel Insurance – protecting yourself and your travel investment

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If you’re planning a trip, at some point you should give some thought to travel insurance. There are more than a few scenarios that might prevent or interrupt your trip, and most tour operators, airlines, and many online booking sites won’t issue you a refund if you or someone close to you becomes ill or dies, forcing you to stay home. Of course you want to protect your travel investment, but just how much insurance is necessary?

Before you buy more insurance than you need, check your homeowner, auto, life, and health insurance policies to see what coverage you already have. Then consider your risks, and shop accordingly to fill in the gaps. Keep in mind that you should purchase  travel insurance as soon as you make your initial deposit because some carriers may offer you additional coverage such as Cancellation for Any Reason, at no additional cost. At the least, you’ll be covered for any of life’s unexpected calamities that may railroad your travel plans. You should expect to spend 5-7% of the total cost of your trip on an insurance policy, depending on your age, health, and the level of coverage you want.

Here are the basic types of coverage and where to shop for it:

  • Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption. Check for a policy that protects you in the event you have a medical emergency or a death in the family that will prevent you from taking the trip. Some policies will allow you to cancel for any reason, others will compensate you for travel delays that include reimbursement for expenses related to flight delays (for any reason) such as lost or stolen luggage, and missed connections.
  • Emergency Medical Care. It’s wise to have coverage for this on any trip but particularly if you are taking an active vacation. You’re probably at greater risk of injury on a bicycle tour than on an over-the-road motor coach tour but you could trip and fall on the walk from the rest stop to the bus so, protect yourself no matter what you’re doing on your trip! If you are covered at home through a HMO or a network provider plan, you may not be covered if you become sick or injured in another state or country and receive medical care outside your network.
  • Medical Evacuation. If you sustain a serious injury that requires transport to a hospital by ambulance (or helicopter) and eventual evacuation back home, that can cost upwards of $100,000. It may be worth it to insure yourself and have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you are covered for the worst case scenario.

Stephanie is now a licensed home-based travel agent who can assist you with travel insurance. Contact her at StephanieVentures.com to discuss your situation and she will be happy to prepare a quote that meets your particular needs.

SOLD OUT! 2018 Bike & Barge Tour: Castles & Charms… Contact us to join the waiting list or mailing list for future tours

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dreamstimeextralarge_77323306Join us for this journey along three magnificent German rivers, The Main, Rhine and Mosel. We will cycle, cruise, and stop along the way to enjoy the surroundings and experience the specialties of the region: quaint villages of half-timbered houses, ancient castles, hillside vineyards, local wines and hearty regional cuisine.

You’ll only have to unpack your bags once because while you bike during the day, the barge, your floating hotel, accompanies you along the river and her crew will eagerly welcome you back on board at the end of each day’s ride. If you decide on any day that you don’t want to ride a bike, you can admire the passing scenery from the comfort of a deck chair.

Click here to view out itinerary: 2018 Castles and Charms on 3 German Rivers

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