Amsterdam – Cochem *Premium

From: € 1920

8 Days / 7 Nights
Type: Guided
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Imagine Yourself…

Overview

On this cycling holiday, you’ll follow the Rhine and Moselle Rivers from Amsterdam to Cochem, exploring the rich history that dates back over 2,000 years. From Roman times to WW-II and German reunification, you’ll experience the stories these majestic rivers hold.

In the Netherlands, you’ll cycle through peaceful farmland, passing by iconic windmills. As you head into Germany, you’ll follow the Rhine through cities like Ruhrort and Düsseldorf, with a stop in Cologne, home to the famous Dom Cathedral. Then, you’ll bike through the picturesque Rhine Valley, passing castles, mansions, and vineyards. In Koblenz, where the Rhine and Moselle meet, you’ll take in the lively atmosphere before cycling along the Moselle River through charming towns, scenic nature, and endless vineyards.

One thing’s for sure: you’ll never be short of exciting things to do and see along the way!

Daily Itinerary

Dates & Prices

Green = Open | Yellow = Limited | Red = Full

Prices are per person, in Euro’s and includes bike rental

2026

Departure	Barge	Twin	Upper deck Suite	Junior Suite	Single	Twin for Single Use
April 27	Princesse Royal	€ 1920			€ 2470	€ 2820	Full label ;
June 16	Magnifique I	€ 1920		€ 2370		€ 2820	Full label ;
August 18	Magnifique III	€ 1920	€ 2570		€ 2470		Book here label ;

2027

Departure	Barge	Twin	Upper deck Suite	Junior Suite	Single	Twin for Single Use
June 15	Magnifique I	€ 2050		€ 2550		€ 3010	Book here label ;
August 17	Magnifique III	€ 2050			€ 2610		Book here label ;

- 7 nights on board
- 7 x breakfast, packed lunches
- 6 x 3-course dinner
- Coffee and tea on board
- Welcome drink
- Use of bed linen and towels
- Daily cleaning of the cabin
- Climate-controlled cabin
- Daily briefings
- Fully guided cycling tours (from 22 guests: 2 tour leaders, 2 groups)
- Some short walking tours
- GPS tracks
- 7-speed (min) lightweight aluminum frame bike, water bottle, pannier and helmet
- Fees for ferries
- Entrance Museum Remagen
- Entrance Burg Eltz
- Winetasting at a local winery
- Wi-Fi
Our bicycles have a lightweight aluminum frame and are furnished with highly-responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds and a gel seat whose height can be adjusted. Attached to the frame is an easy-to-use lock and the wheels carry puncture-resistant tires.

Electric bikes can be rented for this tour (€ 130 per person). We advise you only to rent an electric bike if you have first tried one at home. They’re heavier than regular bikes and therefore can be difficult to maneuver.

Our e-bikes also have highly-responsive handbrakes and a minimum of seven speeds. The motor runs on a 400Wh battery and offers three levels of power-assistance. The e-bikes include comfortable gel seats that can be adjusted for height, have a lock attached to the frame and special anti-puncture tires.
The cook prepares all meals: a substantial breakfast and a three-course dinner of very high quality. A packed lunch may be prepared after breakfast. Tea and coffee will be ready when you arrive on board in the afternoon. There’s a bar on board with reasonably-priced beer, wine, and soft drinks.

If you have special meal requirements, we ask you to mention this when booking. In the case of a gluten-free or lactose-free diet there’s an additional charge of €70 per week. You’ll need to pay this in cash on board.

If you want to drink a bottle of wine that you didn’t purchase from the ship’s bar, the barge will charge a corkage fee of €5 per bottle.
- Airfare
- Drinks from bar on board or when cycling
- One dinner
- Entrance fees and excursions (not mentioned under included)
- Trip cancellation insurance

Accommodations

The accommodations listed below are examples of those usually used on the tour. Depending on availability, you may be booked in a different accommodation of equal quality.

Enjoy breakfast while sailing. Today your cycling tour will start in Wageningen. You follow a route over the high Veluwe nature reserve. You cycle through heathland and forest. The Netherlands is known for being flat but here you will find some slight natural height difference in the landscape (by Dutch standards). This was formed in the last Ice Age. In this period the “Hoge Veluwe” area was right on the edge of the ice. In the afternoon we ride to Arnhem where we meet the barge. During dinner, the ship will sail upstream into Germany. Destination for the night is Rees.
The barge departs early this morning and over breakfast we sail to Wesel, where we disembark. Today we focus on the Ruhr area where Germany, and possibly Europe’s, largest industries are located. Cities like Essen, Duisburg, Oberhausen and Dortmund are intertwined together through a maze of highways, railways and waterways. This region was once very prosperous and therefore a target in 1923, when French and Belgian troops tried to occupy it to enforce Prussia’s WWI reparation payments. From 1944-45 the Ruhr was also a top target for the Allies. After so much conflict and industry it’s hard to imagine that you can cycle here, but you can! The German government put a lot of effort into redeveloping the area after the closure of many factories. It may not always be scenic, but it’s an impressive and evolving post-industrial landscape not to be missed when visiting the Rhine. However, as we don’t want to cycle too long past factories, the ship picks us up at Duisburg and takes us on to Düsseldorf. We dine while sailing. In the evening there’s time to visit the Altstadt, where you can try the famous local dark beer, Altbier. You’ll be amazed what an international city Düsseldorf is, with foreigners comprising almost a fifth of the population.
The bike tour starts from Düsseldorf. There is also the option to start biking a bit later in the morning from Zons. We leave the Ruhr behind as we cycle towards Cologne. Today we follow the Rhine closely in order to arrive in Cologne early enough for some afternoon exploring. Founded by the Romans, Cologne is the oldest of Germany’s larger cities. In 50 AD it was already granted city status as a gift from the Roman empress Agrippina. Later, Cologne became one of the most important centers of the Holy Roman Empire. Its landmark is, of course, the Dom cathedral, located right next to the central station and railway bridge crossing the Rhine. Construction on the cathedral began in 1248 and was only completed in 1880! The city was almost completely destroyed in Allied bombings of 1944-1945. The city hall however, dating from 1330, has been beautifully restored. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants of Cologne.
Today we follow the river again by bike in order to reach Bonn in time to explore West Germany’s capital from 1945 until 1990. Berlin was re-established as capital after Germany’s reunification, but Bonn continues to house six governmental departments. Like Cologne, Bonn was founded by the Romans, around the year 10 BC, as it was a good site to bridge the Rhine. Worth visiting are the old City Hall, the Münster Basilica, and the house where Beethoven was born. After dinner you can join a city walk through Bonn.
During breakfast we sail to Remagen. Your cycling tour starts here, but first there’s time to explore this town’s rich historical past. Nowadays it’s best known for its once-famous Ludendorff Bridge, the only functional Rhine bridge captured by Americans in Operation Lumberjack in March 1945. After Remagen, a more romantic section of the Rhine valley begins with castle keeps, mansions and the first vineyards at the foothills of central Germany. We pass the beloved bathing resort of Bad Breisig and also Burg Rheineck. This stronghold, set in stunning scenery, dates back to 1100. We visit Andernach, once a Roman settlement. It’s still a wonderful town with many historical sites. Shortly after Andernach we arrive in Koblenz. Its name comes from the Latin confluentes, meaning the merging of two rivers (the Rhine and Moselle). The statue of Emperor Wilhelm of Prussia at the intersection of the two rivers is an impressive landmark. Koblenz is a city cozily rebuilt after the damages of the Second World War.
We start the day by sailing to Alken where you’ll set out by bike to Moselkern. The village of Moselkern is famous for its castle Burg Eltz. This stronghold is one of the most impressive medieval buildings of Western Europe. It’s not easy to reach though, you need to hike the last section to reach the castle. After visiting Burg Eltz, you continue the bike tour to Cochem, one of the Moselle region’s most frequently visited wine towns. Cochem is a cozy traditional town full of wine cellars and half-timbered houses.