Day 11 – Trun 🇨🇭 to Rankweil 🇦🇹 (via Liechtenstein 🇱🇮)

Countries: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria – 114km

Today promises an intriguing day in prospect as we reverse direction to follow The Rhine downriver from its source in the Swiss Alps through Liechtenstein and towards Lake Constance in the North East. This means reacquainting with Eurovelo 15 (The Rhine Route), which we previously followed upriver from Strasbourg to Basle.

Fabulous night’s sleep. To keep costs down I’ve been booking the most reasonable accommodation available and enjoyed the cosy single bed on offer in this traditional family run guesthouse. The restaurant was closed last night (I suspect I’m the only visitor), so I made do with the assorted protein bars, fruit and snacks I had stashed in my bag. Consequently I’m ravenous come the morning and am cheered to hear that the third generation family owner used to work as a chef with Gordon Ramsey. While boiled eggs fall a long way short of his gastronomic ability, it’s a good spread with thoughtful touches such as homemade jam and granola.

It’s a day for the rain jacket as continue the long descent towards Chur. After an unremarkable start the cycle path soon peels away from the main road and winds back up into the mountains, bringing further spectacular landscapes.

Don’t look down!

While harder, I’ve always found that it is elevation that makes any form of exercise (be it a hike, cycle or otherwise) interesting. Without exception a view is always more enjoyable when it has been earned. This road is remarkable and climbs a thousand feet before trading back the height through a series of switchbacks.

Stunning views (and still climbing!)

As has been the case throughout Switzerland, the cycle paths have been excellent today and amid darkening skies soon lead back to the riverside. Along this section The Rhine forms the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein and I, a country-counting obsessed Millennial, cross the river to explore the Liechtensteinian countryside and capital Vaduz.

Cross the river and see a new country or stick to this excellent path…? An easy decision!

Sadly the weather doesn’t allow for this diminutive country to shine, and I spend the majority of the time taking cover under bridges, trees or wherever else I can escape the torrent. I am able, however, to pass Rheinpark Stadium, a place that commentators never tire of pointing can host nearly 20% of Liechtenstein’s population (despite having a capacity of just 7,500).

Having now pedalled through the whole country (it runs just 25km from South to North), I make a quick roadside supermarket pit-stop for dinner and cross the border into Austria to find my Airbnb. Time to dry off and rest before journeying into Germany tomorrow.

Day 7 – Sarrebourg to Mulhouse, via Strasbourg 🇫🇷

Countries: France, 197 Kilometers

Rapid progress towards my date in The Alps

Despite my protestations, I lucked out last night, and the hotel was comfortable – unquestionably an improvement on the uninspiring budget option I had selected on the road.

This morning my usual plan of sorting lunch at breakfast has been thwarted by a raft of measures designed to enforce social distancing over breakfast. Picking up a pre-bagged continental breakfast leaves little scope for gratuitous pocket loading, but it’s pleasant sitting on the terrace soaking up the early morning sunshine. The plan today is a fairly simple one, cycle towards Strasbourg and then decide on a preferred route South towards Basle.

Option A – stick to Eurovelo 5, which winds its way through French wine country and D-roads. Probably more picturesque but some 80 kilometers further than;
Option B – join Eurovelo 15 from Strasbourg and blitzkrieg directly down The Rhine on riverside cycle paths

After an incredibly brief daily dose of Google Maps trail roulette, (it’s a wonder the wheels are still in true) I pick up Eurovelo 5 and find it to be an absolutely stunning section of route. Well signposted, silky smooth and fully segregated tarmac running through woodland and along the riverside.

Eurovelo 5 – near Sarrebourg

After a pleasant morning listening to albums I’ve neglected for years and clipping off the kilometres I arrive in Strasbourg – a grand and impressive city. Home to: florid hanging baskets, Amsterdam-esque bridges and waterways, the former EU parliament, and the jewel in the crown: Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg. Unbeknownst to me, I learn that this stunning Gothic cathedral was in fact the world’s tallest building for over 200 years (and even now remains the sixth tallest church in the world). To shameless quote Wikipedia, it has been “described by Victor Hugo as a “gigantic and delicate marvel”, and by Goethe as a “sublimely towering, wide-spreading tree of God””. Suffice to say, it’s an impressive and imposing spot!

As I’m struggling to fit it’s impressive spires, domes and towers into a half decent photograph (I’m no David Bailey), I end up in conversation with Joeri and his wife, a charming couple living in London who recognised the Tailfin pannier system on my bike. Joeri supported the original Kickstarter campaign a few years back, and with an eye for adventure of his own, is considering adding it to his set up (incidentally – I would heartily recommend the kit, and will write up a full review in the coming days). It’s heartening to me that the three of us are in Strasbourg, discussing a Bristol based start-up, but I guess liked minded-folk will tend to find one another, particularly if it offers the opportunity to discuss cycling kit!

Strasbourg’s hanging basket excellence

So Option A or Option B. It wasn’t really ever a question was it? While I appreciate cycle touring is about the journey, an 80 kilometre detour wasn’t ever going to fly. This afternoon we’ll be picking up Eurovelo 15 for a blitz down The Rhine. Eurovelo 15, I understand, has recently been re-certified as “a high quality route”, so hopefully there will be minimal opportunity to either get lost or end up on undesirable surfaces.

I find it to be: beautiful, pan flat, slightly rough under wheel, but easily navigable on a road bike. Plenty of nature on show – a couple of kingfishers and hundreds of herons. With the predictable nature of the route and complete lack of traffic, I spend the afternoon accompanied by Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus audiobook, which is both enlightening and depressing in equal manner.

Imagine this x 100km

Before long the water bottles are empty and I divert inland to find snacks and work out where to lay my head this evening. A quick check of booking.com reveals a complete lack of hotels in the immediate vicinity, so I open my trusty IHG app and commit to the Holiday Inn Mulhouse, a further 75 kilometres almost due South. It’s going to be a latey!

With a gentle tailwind and perfect evening sunshine the miles pass uneventfully and before long I’m pulling into the lobby. Smiling staff, a decent meal and another 123 miles in the bag. All in all an excellent day.

All going well, I should arrive in Switzerland mid-morning tomorrow, which I’ve been looking forward to since Day 1. The Alps are drawing ominously ever closer.

Day 6 – Luxembourg City 🇱🇺 to Sarrebourg 🇫🇷 (via Saarbrucken 🇩🇪)

200 kilometers, 3 countries: Luxembourg, France and Germany

Big day! I did not expect to be writing this 200km down the road from Luxembourg City, but sometimes everything comes together.

Anna’s (Airbnb) flat was warm, so I found myself waking up super early. As opposed trying to get more sleep, I start riding in the hope of finishing early. I’ve pre-booked accommodation in Saarbrucken, just 100km down the road from Luxembourg in anticipation of easing back into this touring lark. The planned route sweeps through Luxembourgian vineyards to Schengen, past the Schengen monument (memorialising the signing of the Schengen open borders agreement some 30 years ago), before flowing through a hilly series of French towns and into Germany. The conditions are superb, with a fierce tailwind blowing me East, and it seems to be shaping up to be an easy day.

Luxembourg Bike Wash (didn’t see another one all trip!)

A final note on Luxembourg and her wonderful cycling infrastructure – some 10km outside Luxembourg City I happen upon a bike washing station adjacent to the Eurovelo. It’s this kind of thoughtful touch that really allows Luxembourg to stand out as an incredibly cycle friendly country. I make use of the facilities, ignoring the fact that I spent a good hour the day before wiping the bike down with stacks of baby wipes – Doh!

A very sleepy looking hello from the border

Before long, the vineyards are behind me and I’m at Schengen. I snap a few photos, record a few videos and am on my way. Of course, in each of these videos I mistakenly identify the river separating Luxembourg from Germany as The Rhine, so all the videos are useless. However, if this question ever arises in a pub quiz, I will confidently reply that it’s, in fact, The Mosel that separates the two! (The Rhine is in fact a long way East from here, with the Saar coming before The Rhine). Don’t you worry, we’ll be seeing plenty of The Rhine over the coming days.

The topography changes sharply across The Mosel, with the hills coming thick and fast. However, it’s not hard for long and this graft is rewarded with a wonderful descent down to the Saar valley. Now a problem (a welcome problem!) – the morning’s progress has been sensational and by 1pm I’m already in the industrial town of Saarbrucken. As opposed to calling it a day and hanging up my shoes, I decide to make the most of the favourable conditions and pedal on. Who knows where I’ll end up.

Lunch is fabulously, Germanically beige (Wurst and potato salad). The hours tick by and come 5pm I’ve not chosen any accommodation. I still feel fresh but there’s no reasonable accommodation for miles. I opt for a branded budget hotel, despite the fact it’ll require a 200km day to reach and pedal on. At least this shortens the next day! Upon arrival, maddeningly and with 200km in the legs, there’s a sign on the door saying it’s closed due to Coronavirus and that I should head into town (5km) to stay in their sister hotel. Character building stuff.

Upon arrival it’s rather nice, I’m proud of a 200km day and am pleased to see progress on the map. That blue line is slowly closing in on The Alps!