In Europe, bike & barge tours exclusively for tandem riders are a challenging proposition for tour operators. One has to consider the availability of tandem rentals and the space constraints on the ship’s decks where the bikes are stored overnight. Most ships that host bike & barge tours maintain their own fleet of hybrid touring bicycles (for solo riders), better suited for the terrain than the road bikes most of us ride at home. In order to offer an all-tandem tour, the crew would need to switch out a couple dozen hybrids for a dozen tandems, which they’d likely need to rent locally. And at the end of that tour, switch all of those bikes out again, in addition to all the usual tasks to ready the ship to welcome a new group of travelers!
I’ve hosted several bike & barge tours over the last five years but it didn’t occurred to me to offer an all-tandem tour until I had the pleasure of traveling with a fun tandem-riding couple on one of my recent tours. Tom and Diane (pictured above) lobbied me daily on behalf of tandem enthusiasts everywhere for an all-tandem tour. They were so convincing that after the tour ended, I tapped into my expert bike & barge network for a recommended itinerary that could cater to tandem riders, with enough proper tandem rentals. The network’s unanimous vote: embark from the city where there are more bikes than citizens: Amsterdam. It so happens to be one of my favorite cities on the planet, so let’s do it!
I’m excited to announce a historic 2020 tour: Tandem Ramble through Holland’s Hansa Towns with 11 fabulous tandem bikes already on reserve!
From Amsterdam, this tour will take you on a scenic journey through the central region of the Netherlands, its landscape shaped by the many rivers and streams that crisscross it. This region flourished during the Middle Ages when the Ijssel River was one of the most important Hanseatic trade routes in Europe. This relatively undiscovered area is a favorite among Dutch cyclists and we’re confident it will become a favorite of yours!
For more details on this fine voyage, please check out the complete itinerary and contact us for pricing and availability! 2020 Tandem Ramble Thru Holland’s Hansa Towns
There 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.
This 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.
To 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?!
elers 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.
Other 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.
Join 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.
