The second part of my big cycling journey took me along the Rhine River, the Canal du Rhône au Rhin, and the EuroVelo route. The EuroVelo network connects major cycling routes across Europe. It is quite amazing, and most long-distance cyclists have probably heard of it. Here you find the perfect EuroVelo map.
After crossing Germany along the Main River, I was ready for the next stage. This time, I was cycling the Rhine River and heading south. Suddenly, I felt like I was flying. For once, the wind was actually behind me. Was that why I managed to cycle more than 100 km for three days in a row? Or was it simply because I really wanted breakfast in Strasbourg?
Either way, after leaving Frankfurt, I was moving fast cycling the Rhein River. And I loved it.
Read my blog post about the first part here: Cycling the Main River Path – off to Spain on my 2600km ride
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The Rhine River & Canal du Rhône
To be honest, I wasn’t always following the official Rhine River cycling path. Instead, I often chose to cycle along the road. As I quickly learned, cycling along a river doesn’t necessarily mean you always follow the river itself. While parts of the cycle path were amazing, other sections required quite a few detours. And when you cycle 2600km, too many detours can be frustrating.
So, I chose the road.
Luckily, the smaller roads felt very safe for cycling. The bike lanes were also great, and I enjoyed riding from village to village. Along the way, I discovered plenty of small towns that I might otherwise have missed. More importantly, my route south became much more straightforward. Instead of cycling the Rhine River directly, I simply kept heading south.
Finally, after a stop in beautiful Speyer and a quick ride through Mannheim, I reached the French border.
Seven days. 700 km done. What a great feeling! Surely, I deserved a French croissant now. Or maybe two?
France – my cycling continues
It was great to be back in Strasbourg. After all, I had visited the city the year before and was happy to return. First, I enjoyed a proper breakfast at a French café. Then, it was time to get back on my bicycle.
Another 125 km of cycling was waiting for me. This time, I followed the Canal du Rhône au Rhin. Parts of the route also joined EuroVelo 15, which I had already followed while cycling the Rhine River.
My destination for the day was Mulhouse. Once there, I planned to take a well-deserved day off. And after 125 km, I certainly needed it.
Read here about my first time in Strasbourg: Parlez-vous Français? – Driving through Southern France?
From Mulhouse to Basel
After more cycling I needed a break and decided to stop in Mulhouse. But what do you do on a day off from cycling? Visit another country, of course!
So, I jumped on a train and travelled 20 minutes to Basel in Switzerland. No cycling. Remember, this was my day off. And it was awesome!
Basel is a gorgeous city along the Rhine River. However, Switzerland can also be quite expensive. A day here can quickly destroy my daily travel budget. Maybe that’s why I haven’t explored much of Switzerland yet. Still, this was already my second visit to the country and I still loved it. The first time, I quickly drove through Switzerland during my four-countries-in-one-day adventure last year. Read here – How to do 4 countries in one day.
Nevertheless, it was great to have a break from cycling the Rhine River and the EuroVelo routes. Now, I was ready for more cycling!
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Well rested, I left Mulhouse and headed west. This time, I followed the Canal du Rhône au Rhin and parts of the EuroVelo route. The cycling path along the canal was beautiful. In addition, the peaceful scenery made the kilometres pass surprisingly quickly.
Unlike Germany and the first part of my cycling journey, following rivers in France still seemed to be the best option. After all, if there isn’t a river, there are usually cliffs or mountains waiting for you.
So, what would you prefer?
I chose the river.
The Eurovelo
I had almost completed two weeks of my cycling journey. My daily rides continued along rivers and the EuroVelo routes. After Montbéliard, it was easy to follow EuroVelo 6 along the Doubs River. The route was mostly flat. Unless, of course, the cycling path sent me up a hill as a detour to see a small village. Oh well. What had to be done, had to be done.
Luckily, the signage was great. The paths were also well maintained. After Besançon, I continued towards Dole. I was still following the river and EuroVelo 6. Dole looked beautiful and made a great lunch stop. Once I left the mountain range behind, it was time to leave the EuroVelo route as well. From there, I cut across to Chalon-sur-Saône.
It turned into a 130 km ride. So, a glass of French wine was definitely well deserved. By this point, I had cycled around 1,200 km in total.
Wow. What an amazing few weeks!
And so…
Luckily, the weather continued to hold up. So, I headed south again and followed the Saône River for a little longer.
Eventually, I would have to turn west and cycle across France. But there was no need to think too far ahead. After all, this cycling journey was very much a day-by-day adventure.
For now, I simply kept cycling. More importantly, my body was slowly adjusting to this crazy adventure as well. After cycling the Rhine River, following the EuroVelo, and covering around 1,200 km, I was feeling surprisingly good!
Let’s see how long that lasts. xx
Read more about my long-distance cycling journey in Part 3, as I continue across France to the sea – Cycling to the Mediterranean Sea on EuroVelo 17
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