Eurovelo 15 Advice

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Ronno57
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Joined: 5 Jul 2017, 9:20am
Location: Fife Scotland and Jockgrim Germany

Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Ronno57 »

I suffered a serious brain trauma injury (not bike related) over 2 years ago and after a long recovery road, I reckon I'm about 90% or more back to full fitness (for me). I bought an eBike to help me on my recovery road and can now do regular runs in the Highlands of Perthshire covering 20 to 40 miles with no problems at all.

I'm planning to do part of the Eurovelo 15 next year from Rotterdam to my family roots in a German village between Germersheim and Karlsruhe which is only a few kms away from the velo 15 route

I'm looking for a bit of advice if I may. The route is roughly 530 kms so wonder what daily mileage I should be looking to do without overdoing it? My plan would be to cycle every day with a day's rest day in Koln. I'd only cycle one way and get the train back to the ferry with my bike after a week or so visiting my family in Germany. I don't intend pre booking accommodation and get BnB when I stop each day.

I've a mate who is coming along for support and company

I plan to get the train from my home in Fife to the DFDS ferry in Newcastle. Not sure of the best way to get to the ferry from the train station but im sure that wont be too much of a problem.

I wonder if cycling from the Ijmuiden ferry terminal to the beginning of the Rhein route 15 at Rotterdam is the better option than taking a train to Rotterdam to begin the route.

Any help and advce would be greatly appreciated
Jdsk
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Jdsk »

Good to hear about the recovery.

There's a very useful thread abut EV15 somewhere, I'll dig it out later.

We did the whole route the other way in 2019. The sections that you intend to ride are about as easy as it gets: few hills and lots of segregated paths.

How many hours do you want to be on the bike each day?

(We drove through France to start in Switzerland and returned by ferry from Hook of Holland to Harwich.)

Jonathan
Ronno57
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Joined: 5 Jul 2017, 9:20am
Location: Fife Scotland and Jockgrim Germany

Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Ronno57 »

Hi Jonathan thanks for the info. I was thinking 4 or 5 hours a day riding wouldn't be too taxing
Psamathe
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Psamathe »

Camping or hotels or what accommodation?

A few weeks ago I did a little of the NL Coast route - only 25 miles into Hoek (Rotterdam) and I was surprised and how up and down it was. Plus, a lot of the accommodation close to the coast is targeted at families with kids wanting 1+ week(s) on the beach. But there are easy flatter routes slightly inland (e.g. via Leiden, Delft) with more appropriate accomodation.

Ian
bohrsatom
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by bohrsatom »

One aspect of deciding how far to cycle every day is how much tourist stuff do you enjoy?

EV15 offers plenty for those happy to get off the saddle for a while, which will have an impact on daily mileage. In my view ‘heads down’ cycling, ignoring the country you’re riding through, would defeat the object of the trip. So on an average day I might leave my accommodation at 9am and arrive at the next around 5, but only be moving for four hours or so.
Ronno57
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Joined: 5 Jul 2017, 9:20am
Location: Fife Scotland and Jockgrim Germany

Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Ronno57 »

Hi Ian, not planning on taking camping gear so BnB/hotel accommodation as we go. I wasn't planning on pre-booking so that we don't have definite mileages to meet
Thehairs1970
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Thehairs1970 »

Not sure how much help I can be as mileage is very personal.

We came down the EV 15 before heading up the Mosel at Koblenz. That was 440miles over 10 days. We were camping and carrying all our kit on non e bikes. We averaged 10.8mph. We were generally leaving the campsites around 9:30 and finishing by 4ish with stops for coffee and lunch on route. And it was very pleasant indeed.

Our average speed is not really different at home in Devon, but we don’t stop much either. I would say 30miles will probably be a good starting point but be prepared to up it if you have a non tourist day. Pack lighter than you think.

Good luck with it and I hope your recovery continues.
Steve
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Joined: 2 Apr 2007, 1:42pm

Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Steve »

I'd say don't underestimate the time & inconvenience that might arise if you're hunting for suitable accommodation every day, even if booking online, as well as unexpected costs (if those are relevant to you), and it might be worth booking at least some nights before you go. Having a fixed schedule might also keep a lid on your daily kilometerage, and stop the temptation to overdo it, if that's a concern for you.

Bikes on trains in the Netherlands aren't as straightforward as you might imagine, they aren't generally allowed at all between 4pm & 6m on weekdays for example.
hamster
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by hamster »

I rode the opposite way Worms-Koblenz with family a few years ago. 40-ish miles daily was comfortable and gave time for exploring and lunch etc. There is plenty to see and do, rushing through would be a mistake. Most of it is dedicated paths or super-light on traffic.

There are a couple of pinch points where accommodation is scarcer so booking is advisable in my view.
pal
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by pal »

Ronno57 wrote: 27 Sep 2022, 7:21pm I plan to get the train from my home in Fife to the DFDS ferry in Newcastle. Not sure of the best way to get to the ferry from the train station but im sure that wont be too much of a problem.

I wonder if cycling from the Ijmuiden ferry terminal to the beginning of the Rhein route 15 at Rotterdam is the better option than taking a train to Rotterdam to begin the route.

Any help and advce would be greatly appreciated
On the ferry links:

Cycling from Newcastle Central station to the ferry port is very straightforward: just freewheel down the (steep!) hill from the station to the river, and you can pick up NCN72 which takes you right up to the port entrance: it's fairly flat, and mostly well-signposted; it's a little bit industrial-wasteland-ish in parts, but perfectly safe (mostly traffic-free). There's nothing much at the port by way of facilities, but if you have time to kill then you could carry on a little bit further to the Fish Quay at North Shields, where there are plenty of cafes etc. (There's also the metro out to North Shields, but you can't take a bike on the Metro from Central Station; unfolded bikes are only allowed (outside peak times) from Manors (two stops down the line). Cycling the whole way would be much simpler, I think.)

At the other end: you would need to cycle at least to Haarlem (there's no train station in IJmuiden, as far as I know): that's 10 very flat, very pleasant kilometres. I'd be inclined to cycle the whole way, but if the weather's bad (or the wind isn't co-operating), then you should be in Haarlem in good time to get a train before the afternoon peak time restrictions kick in. (Getting off that ferry tends to be a little bit slow -- cyclists are usually towards the back -- but I was out and riding by 10.30am when I travelled that way this summer.)
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MrsHJ
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by MrsHJ »

I think I’d aim for about 10 days including your rest day for a relaxed pace with sightseeing and food stops. There’s no perfect answer. If it’s not quite right you can add on some sight seeing trips or reduce miles by getting the train. And adjust your mileage for the next trip.

I do quite a lot of these river routes at a gentle pace and i aim for around 65km a day but inevitably it varies between about 50 and 80km. I treat a 50km day as a half day with time to do other stuff. Be warned hotels often don’t open until 3pm, sometimes 5pm so take a book/find a bar/something to go and see if you are planning on some short days. Also when choosing a place to stay look at their checkin times. I prebooked on booking.com. The bikeline map I think has accommodation lists that might be helpful too.
Jdsk
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Jdsk »

I can't now find a single strong previous thread on EV15, sorry.

Do you need anything on information resources... maps, guidebooks, GPX routes?

Thanks

Jonathan
Ronno57
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Joined: 5 Jul 2017, 9:20am
Location: Fife Scotland and Jockgrim Germany

Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Ronno57 »

Thanks for the offer Jonathan. I might well contact you nearer the time and take you up on some of that. Much obliged.
Ronno57
Posts: 28
Joined: 5 Jul 2017, 9:20am
Location: Fife Scotland and Jockgrim Germany

Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by Ronno57 »

Thanks everyone for the much appreciated help and great info. Cheers
st599_uk
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Re: Eurovelo 15 Advice

Post by st599_uk »

Newcastle Central to the Ferry Terminal is easy - just follow Hadrian's Cycleway. It's relatively flat - it runs along the old Riverside line past the shipyards on the Tyne (so yes, it's industrial) but it does pass within feet of the end of Hadrian's Wall (at Wallsend) where there's a bit of archaeology and a bath-house to look at.

IJmuiden to Haarlem is an easy ride. Haarlem market square is worth a look for lunch, then you can jump on the train to Den Haag. From there you can get to the start of the Rhine easily.

The Rhine route is great. Don't forget that some of the ferries only run once an hour and start late morning. The bit from Karlsruhe to Mainz is the most scenic. I know you don't want to pre-book, but I stayed at: https://www.diejugendherbergen.de/jugen ... bacharach/ A Fairytale castle on a hill for 45 Euros.
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