July 2001 - Nr. 7
"Discovering Germany By Bike"
Launch of New Full Colour Guide to Bike Path Network of 40,000 Kilometres
Toronto - Called Discovering Germany by Bike and now available in English, an 83-page magazine-size publication recently issued by the German National Tourist Office presents biking as a means to explore Germany's varied countryside. A bike path network of some 40,000 kilometres allows cyclists to savour the country's many regional flavours from the height of a saddle, safely away from heavy-duty traffic, along meandering riverbanks, coastlines or lakeshores, through lush meadows, quiet villages and romantic small towns. More than 200 clearly marked long-distance trails form the network, and the new guide shows 48 of the most attractive routes and regions, organized from north to south from Germany's shores of the North and Baltic Seas to the picture-perfect peaks of the Bavarian Alps.
The guide's pages abound with colour photographs, detailed route maps and capsule descriptions of the featured regions and routes, including sights and excursions. They also tell the routes' lengths, whether they are suited for family biking and biking with trailer carts, and whether bikers need much or little muscle power to overcome hills en route. Some even tell you about regional foods and drinks not to be missed after a good day's cycling.
Sample tour packages are also included, ranging from two to seven days in duration, mostly offering bed & breakfast accommodation, bag lunches and some dinners. Group tours come with a guide and luggage transfer; individual packages are self-guided, provisioned with a good supply of tour maps. Prices for the packages throughout the guide average approximately $50 per person per day, double occupancy, including all taxes and service charges. Average bike rental rates come to $10 per day.
Cyclists who want to venture out on the spur of the moment or compose their own itinerary get support from the last pages of Discovering Germany by Bike, with special suggestions, tips and listings of a variety of publications, including accommodation directories. They also explain the train & bike programme that's been highly successful for many years, allowing for easy transportation of bikes in dedicated train compartments or for bike rentals on the spot at 220 train stations across Germany (reservations recommended in peak season and particularly popular areas.)
For more information on exploring Germany by bike, contact a travel agent and ask for packages offered by Canadian tour operators Active Journeys, Butterfield & Robinson (both of Toronto) and Cycle Ventures (of Ottawa). Or visit the Web site www.fahrradreisen.de , a database site offering 3000 different packages that can be searched by region, length of stay, type of accommodation, budget range, and more.
For a copy of Discovering Germany by Bike, please call the German National Tourist Office's toll-free number, 1-877-315-6237, or contact the office by e-mail, gntony@aol.com . An interactive version of the manual is also available on GNTO’s Web site at www.germany-tourism.de .
