Weser-Radweg - info?

[sjkidd2002]

This route goes from (roughly) Kassel, via Hameln up to the North Sea in Germany

http://www.germany-tourism.co.uk/EGB/ou ... 0eaff96e8e

Has anyone done this route, have any suggestions where to stay, what to look out for en route ?

thanks

Simon

[pal]

Haven't done that route, so I don't have any specific advice, but a useful site for cycle-friendly accommodation in Germany is http://www.bettundbike.de/ -- you can search by place or by bike route.

[JJF]

I cycled part of that route in Sept last year. I joined it at Bremen. Made the mistake of going into the city centre. I always find the route out of cities the most difficult to follow.
From Bremen I went to Cuxhaven with a couple of overnight stops on the way. It was the easiest imaginable cycling. Flat with a following wind!
As you can see from the map, the route from Bremerhaven to Cuxhaven is by the sea. It's on the landward side of the massive dyke. To get a view of the sea you have to cycle up occasional paths to the top. Altogether it was rather uninteresting cycling.
I found accommodation in rural areas fairly easily. One small hotel reduced the price when they realised I was a cyclist.
Cuxhaven is a seaside town full of hotels. Yet I had great difficulty finding accom. Everything was full because it was a Saturday in early Sept. One B&B refused me a room because they specified 3 nights minimum. That's a problem I have come across elsewhere in Germany.

[Gotte]

I've got a book somewhere I bought off Ebay (I think), by some chap who cycled around Luneburg Heath. I seem to remember Kassel was in there. I've had a quick scout around Amazon and Ebay, but can't find it. I seem to remember it was self-published. It was okay, no great travel journel, but had a lot of info on the places around there. I'll see if I can did it out and get a link for you.

[jamesofyorkshire]

I finished it a couple of weeks ago on my way to Sweden.........first 100 kms north from Kasel is the best, then it's quite mundane. You'll see nowt of the river because there's a big dike between it and the cycle route/path.
I was hoping to cross the Elbe at Cuxhaven - got there on a Friday - ferry only runs Thursday and Monday (or Tues?). Anyway, I peddled another 50kms towards Hamburg to the first available ferry.
I too couldn't find reasonable-priced accommodation in Cuxhaven. It was very busy.

The Fulda Radweg is even more boring.

The Kiel Kanal is interesting with the ocean-going ships passing by, and the path is right next to it. About 100kms long if you pick it up opposite Cuxhaven and take it to Kiel.

German trains can be good value. Each state has a day ticket ranging from 21 to 41 euros and you can travel all day................or on a Sunday I think it's 39 euros and you can travel all over Germany. You can't take the fast trains, but all other trains you can take your pushbike. The Germans are well geared up for cyclists.

[andy_scot_uk]

I just bought the guide to the wesser radweg isbn-13 978-3-87073-124-3

Researching this ride too. Bike hire shop in Bremen said wind mainly from NW so was thinking of starting in Cuxhaven.

[patrick9]

i completed it a week ago; had no problem with accommodation, which was brilliant, really high quality at between 40 and 50 per night for 2 including breakfast in guest houses and private rooms (equivalent without exception to 4 star b and bs in england (which would cost 60 to 80 pounds (not euros) I had a german book on the route from bike-line or something similar sold in all bookshop, one of a series of about 50 books covering various routes in germany and austria, and they covered accommoedation along the route (more choice i think than bikeandbett or bettandbike,) and just rang up at midday or thereabouts on the day of my arrival;
I did not look for accommodation in Cuxhaven as heading up from the south my last nighs stay was 20k short of Cuxhaven but yes, Cuxhaven itself looked full of holiday makers.
one tip is that the various states have different holidays, this cycle route is in Niedersachse, which finished its school holidays this year in mid august, so was quiter after that;
but yes, it was rather boring, that is the route itself, as was pointed out there is a dyke aloost all of the way and I agree the bit up to 60 miles north of hameln is the best bit; but the towns and cyclng culture are out of this world, cycling conditions in germany are far superior to even holland;

[MikeL]

i completed it a week ago..[snip].. cycling conditions in germany are far superior to even holland;

How did you get on with the compulsory cyclepaths? Increase or decrease feeling of security? Increase or decrease ability to make good time? Well engineered or a bodge? Numerous or just here and there?

It seems that they are controversial in D for the same reasons as here, and a petition was raised to try and
get the compulsion element removed. According to the wiki page below it's before parliament for consideration.

There is a nice little diagram of relative risk and also a picture worthy of entry in the cycle lane pin up calendar here
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radverkehrsanlage#Kritik_wegen_stark_erh.C3.B6hter_Unfallgefahr

Another question; muppet count?

(Interested because we're eyeing up a trip to the Saar/Mosel next spring)

[patrick9]

i completed it a week ago..[snip].. cycling conditions in germany are far superior to even holland;

How did you get on with the compulsory cyclepaths? Increase or decrease feeling of security? Increase or decrease ability to make good time? Well engineered or a bodge? Numerous or just here and there?

It seems that they are controversial in D for the same reasons as here, and a petition was raised to try and
get the compulsion element removed. According to the wiki page below it's before parliament for consideration.

There is a nice little diagram of relative risk and also a picture worthy of entry in the cycle lane pin up calendar here
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radverkehrsanlage#Kritik_wegen_stark_erh.C3.B6hter_Unfallgefahr

Another question; muppet count?

(Interested because we're eyeing up a trip to the Saar/Mosel next spring)

On quitea lot of the lanes of course there are no cycle tracks so there of course you go on the roads, but german country lanes are much much quieter and slower than English lanes, as cars go on the numerous autobahns. I went on the road adjacent to pavements where cyclist were supporsed to cycle several times (mainly by mistake) and only once did a motorist show any reaction. The cycle paths takes two forms, paths as such (variable but easily good enough for anything other than narow section tyres) or a section of the pavement, certainly the lattter are very well engineered. And I felt incredibly safe coming up to junctions etc as cars stops 10 yards BEFORE the junction to check no cyclists are coming (and even HGVs, way ahead lookbehind to check they can safely turn right). But the point is the different cycling culture in germany. In the UK, you see a cyclist ahead of you and think, I have got to take him/her (even if they are twice your age or size). In germany there is none of that approach, for germany cyling is a means of seeing the countryside or simply getting around. Hence 99percent of the bikes being heavy with flat bars, and numerous cyclist you just don’t see in Engalnd on bikes eg, young ladies/late teenagesers cycling with high heels, women in the 60s and 70s in ordinary clothes. In town you just go with the flow on the pavements, theres no point trying to ‘beat them’, almostautomatically despite about 40 years of going everyone where as fast as I can, you just go at their pace. In the villages it can slow you down, but on the other hand I tried to respect the rule recognising that in return cyclists have ben given so much more priority, it would be abusing the generosity of the powers that be/motorists to then go on roads when so much provision has been made for cyclints and in particular giving them so much priority. So whilst in the UK I would not dreeam of cycling with straight bar, in Germany I would only cycle with flats.
Muppet count - hard to answer on the weser radweg about what you would expect - whatever that might be until the last 10 miles into cushaven when its heaving.

[Gotte]

The first time I cycled in Germany, from Stuttgart to the Black Forest and back, about five minutes into the ride, at our first junction, my friend and I were dithering, trying to work out which way to go. After a couple of minutes, I happened to look over my shoulder to see about five cars in a line behind us, just waiting patiently for us to decide which way to go.
No honking, no swearing, nothing.
I've driven in Germany also, and, apart from the autobahn, which seems the only place your average driver lets rip, the most reassuring thing is the lack of speed and urgency from the other traffic on the road. There's no sense that you have someone breathing down your neck trying to get you to go as fast as they want you to go.