Touring in Germany

[Bowak]

I'm at the earliest planning stages of a 10ish day tour for next summer from Amsterdam to Berlin. I'm currently aiming to pretty much follow Eurovelo Route 2 and I was wondering what recommendations people have regarding hostels/camping in Germany. Principally, is wild camping allowed? and particularly with regard to EV2, is there a fair amount of campsites along the route that it'd be possible to just turn up at on the day or is it the sort of route where booking ahead would be adviseable?

This trip is likely to be somewhere around about mid June to late July 2014.

All advice welcome particularly relating to any destinations close to the route that are worth detouring to. I can't detour very far off the main route as I'll have a fortnight for the tour with the aim of 2-3 nights n Berlin at the end when I'll be meeting up with some friends for a city break before catching a train and ferry back to England.

[smith4188]

I did Amsterdam to Berlin in 2011. It's flat and the towns and countryside in Germany are not particularly interesting, although the towns improve closer to Berlin and Berlin itself is magnificent. Actually, Hanover might have been worth a proper look but I had to race through it. There are plenty of camp sites on the way. Or at least I don't remember struggling to find any. Wild camping is illegal but I wouldn't have thought it was impossible.

[foxyrider]

I wouldn't bother with Hannover but there are actually quite a few nice cities on the route or just a short deviation from it. As usual its worth checking out something like the ACSI camping website and there's useful info on the ADFC web site too.

[slowpeddler]

Loads of camp-sites in the Netherlands, fewer in Germany and even fewer in the old East Germany but magnificent camp-sites in Potsdam/Berlin. It is well sign posted all the way.

Use one of the bike maps. The most common is the Bikeline range. In one or two places the sites of the camp-site positions are not quite accurate but otherwise they are good. I prefer the maps of Public Press which are really accurate.
http://www.publicpress.de http://www.bikeline.de/

If you want to avoid camping then check out Bed and Bike. The German Travel website is great for cyclists. I went to the local tourist office and got booked in at bike hotels, they are quite superb.

Visit http://www.germany.travel/en/travel-inf ... -bike.html

I think Germany is cycling heaven.
John

[slowpeddler]

Oooops, Sorry

I forgot to say that you can order on the German Tourist website a free book of German camp-sites AND there is a free book about cycle touring in Germany.
http://www.germany.travel/en/ebrochures.html

The UK is so far behind the Germans in bike touring it is embarrassing.

http://www.germany.travel/en/search-res ... g&x=10&y=7

Even better

http://www.germany.travel/en/leisure-an ... cling.html

John

[jamesgilbert]

I agree that cycling maps in Germany can be very useful. There is an incredible network of cycle routes, but if you don't know which one you're meant to be following it can make things difficult. It would probably be easier if they numbered the routes like in the Czech Republic - instead you have to look carefully at the signs for the appropriate pictogram.

[slowpeddler]

yes, each long distance route has its own Logo and you follow those.

Radweg 1 to Berlin (and St Petersburg) is sometimes labelled as that. I don't have a photo though but the photo above is very typical of the number of routes that might share a section.

John

[Sweep]

Oooops, Sorry

I forgot to say that you can order on the German Tourist website a free book of German camp-sites AND there is a free book about cycle touring in Germany.
http://www.germany.travel/en/ebrochures.html

You mean printed books?

Very impressive site but a wealth of info - do you have the exact link/page for the ordeing of these?

[Galloper]

With regard to German hostels, they are generally excellent with good meals at reasonable prices.

http://www.jugendherberge.de/en/

[slowpeddler]

Hello Portland

Yes the camp site book is very good (and thick) and the cycling guide is a booklet A4 sized

John

[Barrenfluffit]

Re Jungendherberge.
"they are generally excellent with good meals at reasonable prices."

I don't really agree. They often seem to charge 25-35 euros for a bed in dorm and a buffet breakfast. The hostels are all about school parties and have almost no soft furnishings and meagre facilities. Member kitchens were unusual and there are lots of rules. In 2013 they are just rolling out wifi in bavaria. One "leisure" room was a rectangular concrete room in a basement. There were bars on the windows and solid wooden benches along the walls. A pension with your own room can be as little as e5-10 more. The meals were standard canteen fare at fairly high prices.

The independent hostels were generally great, cheaper to stay at, nicer facilities and a better atmosphere. But not as widespread and that's the problem.
http://www.backpacker-network.de/en/

[Sweep]

Hello Portland

Yes the camp site book is very good (and thick) and the cycling guide is a booklet A4 sized

John

Thanks - sorry to be a pain - do you have the link - I had trouble finding the exact place in that wealth of info.

If not, no probs - thanks for the info.

[Furious]

You might find some useful info in Auntie Helen's blog.
http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk/

[Ron]

Re Jungendherberge.
"they are generally excellent with good meals at reasonable prices."

I don't really agree.

Interesting findings you decribe and certainly not typical of my experience. With only one exception, I have been unaware of any rules that caused any inconvenience and I'm inclined to think that was due to one staff member rather than the organisation in general.
There were certainly lots of young folk, probably school parties, but that has never caused me a problem.
Perhaps there are regional variations, one I visted in the old east Germany was a bit basic but nevertheless adequate.

[tucker]

Bed and bike was mentioned, be aware, although the name sounds "hostel-ish "it is actually a normal hotel with facilities for safe storage of your bike,with normal hotel prices, we paid about E85,also be aware of other guests moving your bike about,not good if you have a rear wheel lock.