a week on the Romantishe Strasse

[jpc1003]

Hello

I've been wanting to do the Romantishe Strasse ever since somebody bought me a Cicerone guidebook a few years ago but I can only ever get 1 week max per year for cycling holidays.

Has anybody ever done this in a week hit, I'm not thinking of doing all of it but a representitive section, which seems to be about half of it. I'm thinking of driving from UK to the end point, getting some form of public transport to about a weeks cycling away and then cycling back to the car. South to north appeals but don't really know why.

Has anybody attempted this? Any suggestions on the best bit for a week, and the current transport opportunities available with a bike. The Cicerone guide is quite old (everything is in marks and nobody has a website) so things have probably changed since. Any Bike Express equivalents that might cover the route fro m the UK?

Danke Shoen

Jason

[Gearoidmuar]

I've twice done it from Wurzburg to Fussen. Started in Munich, 4hr train journey (slow train) to WB, then head off.
It's very nice. Try to get a GPS track of it. It'd be a great help.
Towns are fab.
The only disappointment is Newschwannstein. You're right up against it when you climb the hill to it and you don't get the postcard view, but it's a nice tour. You could do it in a week, easily.

[jpc1003]

thanks for the reply.

Did you fly to Munich and back? Did you camp along the way?

thanks for the gps thought, I'm more of the old fashioned map type, can't really get into all this GPS stuff, just seems to take all of the fun out of it.

J

[Vorpal]

I've twice done it from Wurzburg to Fussen. Started in Munich, 4hr train journey (slow train) to WB, then head off.
It's very nice. Try to get a GPS track of it. It'd be a great help.
Towns are fab.
The only disappointment is Newschwannstein. You're right up against it when you climb the hill to it and you don't get the postcard view, but it's a nice tour. You could do it in a week, easily.

Leave some time to wander around at Hohenschwanngau & Neuschwannstein if you like such things.

I might even suggest an overnight stop nearby, or at least parking the bike (but don't leave any belongings unsecured) near Hohenschwanngau & using the tourist path up. That's what my brother & I did. We toured both castles and had a nice lunch there.

There is also a cable car you can take up the mountain to get the postcard view of Neuschwannstein. IMO, it's worth a few hours in the area if you can manage it. There are hotels and camping nearby. We didn't stay there, so I can't recommend something specific.

[foxyrider]

I did it easily in a weeks riding - its not hard riding as it mostly follows rivers. I camped at Rothenburg ab Tauber, Dinkelsbuhl, Donauworth (the Kanu Club!) and Landsberg - there are plenty of campsites around Fussen but you might struggle at Wurzburg. If you'd like specifics just ask.

The Romantische Strasse bus carries bikes and can be joined at Frankfurt/Main railway station as well as Augsburg and Munich connections.

If you want to see Neuchwanstein at its best you need to take the mountain path over the gorge and up the hillside overlooking the castle. You can get a combined ticket for both castles - you have to be part of a guided tour, there are plenty of English tours!

I first did the ride in 2004 after seeing the Cicerone guide which is useful but i'd get hold of the Bikeline book which has better maps, accomodation and sightseeing information - you don't need any German to understand most of it! I shall be returning late summer to do the northern part again as part of a much longer north Baden/ north Bavaria tour!

[johnonhisbike]

This is one of the 'Bikeline' series, covering the Romantishe Strasse. I dont think they do an English translation, but it's good for the map and positions of campsites etc. http://www.esterbauer.co.uk/db_detail.php?buecher_code=ROM You can probably find one on Amazon or from Stanfords.
I second the recommendation of the Kanu-Club site at Donauworth, and there's another lovely little site, right beside the Tauber just outside Reicholzheim if you are sticking with the river to/from Wertheim (am Main).
Hope this helps,
Cheers John

[Gearoidmuar]

I stayed in hotels of which there were plenty.
You can get maps of the route but they can be hard enough to follow. A GPS track is ideal, REALLY!

[MarkW]

The whole point of doing the Romantic Road is (IMHO) spending time admiring and enjoying the wonderfully scenic historic towns that the route passes through. Therefore doing it in a week, whilst entirely possible, would allow little time to explore. I found the northern half contained most of the best bits so a trip from Wurzburg to Donauworth would seem ideal if time were limited. Don't miss the castles at Harburg and Weikersheim and walking the city walls of Nordlingen and Dinkelsbuhl - apologies for the lack of 'umlauts' - whilst the best place of all is Rothenburg: try to visit on the first weekend of September when the whole town goes all medieval - it's amazing!

Anyone reading this who wants to do the trip (including Rothenburg on 'that weekend'!) might like to consider joining the CTC tour doing the whole route starting on 27 August. Four spaces remaining. More info here: http://www.cyclingholidays.org/tours/solo.php?Tour=1450

For a feast of photos of what you'll see, check out https://www.flickr.com/photos/markw48/sets/72157622442030220/

Mark