Ride Rhineland from your Base
the Mosel, Rhine, other rivers and more...
This part of the world is a cyclist's dream.
From Zell you can ride the Mosel Radweg 200 km between Trier and Koblenz - and many other bike trails around Rhineland.
Buses, trains and ferries carry bikes, usually for free. RegioRadler RR buses specially carry cyclists and bikes to access popular rides.
On longer days out, the VRM (Koblenz Region), VRT (Trier Region) and Rhineland rail/bus day passes are ideal and excellent value. Even better, for 58 Euros (in 2025), the Deutschland Ticket for travel across the whole of Germany. https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket
River bike paths, vineyard terraces, cross country tracks and minor roads invite you to explore in all directions.
With an active MTB club, Zell has forest and downhill courses.
My Europe Base has 5 tourer bikes and 2 light cyclo-cross bikes. We also have some pairs of pannier bags.
These are exclusively for guests staying at least a week, are experienced cyclists and agree to keep them safe and servicable.
Several places in Zell hire good bikes for around 10 Euro a day.
The 'heat map' is sourced from RideWithGPS.com with several place names added and a red star to show where we are. If you go to the website, you can zoom in and out anywhere in the world to discover what roads and trails are popular for cycling. The more red, the more riders. https://ridewithgps.com/heatmap
Mosel Bike Path / Radweg
4 days + rest days
Enjoy one of the world's most popular bike rides. Combine cruises, buses and trains to conveniently ride the stages while basing in Zell, the midway point. Tackling the Mosel this way, you get the best of all worlds and flexibility.
Itinerary:
1. Koblenz to Cochem 60 km. Train from nearby Bullay to Koblenz, ride to Cochem, river cruise to Zell or train to Bullay.
2. Cochem to Zell 40 km. Ride one way, either side of the Mosel and combine with a cruise or train to return. Consider riding both ways on alternate sides of the Mosel.
3. Zell to Bernkastel-Kues. Take the RR333 RegioRadler bus or cruise to Bernkastel. Then ride back via Trabern Trabach. Again consider riding both ways on alternate sides of the Mosel.
4. Bernkastel to Trier 60km. Take the RR333 bus or cruise to Bernkastel. Ride on to Trier and return by train to Bullay.
Rhine River Gorges
day ride
Ride to nearby Bullay Station and buy a Koblenz-VRM day pass. Take the train to Koblenz, ride or walk 2 km through the city or along the Mosel bank to the Deutsche Eck where the Mosel meets the Rhine - and start riding south. It is 45 km to Bacharach and another 20 km on to Bingen on the west bank where you can (a) cruise back to Koblenz (eg departing 4.30pm, takes 3h40m, Apr-Oct) - or take a ferry over to Rudesheim and ride the east bank 20 km back to Kaub from where your VRM pass is valid for the train back to Koblenz and Bullay. For a shorter version, ride only as far as Bacharach.
The Rhine of course can be ridden much further, south to Mainz, Speyer, Strasbourg etc or north to Bonn, Koln, Dusseldorf etc.
Ruwer-Hochwald Radweg
day ride
Take the train to Trier and the RegioRadler RR200 (bus with bike trailer) up to Hermeskeil on the Hunsruck Plateau, then ride 48 km downhill back to Trier along the Ruwer River. Use a VRT day pass.
BTW, the aviation museum just to the east of Hermeskeil is awesome! www.flugausstellung.de
Saar River Radweg
day ride
Train to Trier, Saarbrucken and Saargemund on French border. Ride back to Trier 120 km along the scenic Saar River via Saarbrucken, Merzig, Saarburg and Konz. Shorter options possible.
Travel with the Rhineland der-takt day pass.
Lahn River Radweg
day ride
Train via Koblenz then east to the medieval cathedral city of Limburg. Ride back to the Rhine at Lahnstein (near Koblenz), 60 km via the castle town of Dietz, Nassau and Bad Ems, a grand spa town once a favourite of Russian czars. It is also possible to start further upstream, eg Marburg. Use the VRM (Koblenz Region) day pass.
Maare River Radweg
day ride
Bike to Bernkastel 40 km and RegioRadler RR300 to Daun (or train or bike to Cochem and take the RegioRadler RR500 to Daun).
Ride downhill 58 km to Bernkastel-Kues following the Maare, Lieser and Mosel Rivers. Cruise, bus RR330 or ride the 40 km back to Zell.
Schinderhannes Rail Trail
day ride
The Schinderhannes Cycle Route is a panoramic trail running along a disused section of the Hunsrück railway for 38km from Emmelshausen to Simmern (a ride of 30-35km on quiet roads to/from Zell).
To get to Emmelshausen:
1. Rail to Koblenz, then Boppard on the Rhine, then the spectacular Hunsruck Branch Railway to the terminus at Emmelshausen.
2. Rail to Treis-Karden and catch the Regioradler 'Untermosel' bus + bike service to Emmelshausen. www.regioradler.de
Use the VRM (Koblenz Region) day pass
Ride the Rivers (DIY)
Cycling program of 11 days riding - including 2 x 3 day tours
Ride the bike trails beside the rivers and canal paths of Germany and France. Encounter little traffic and few hills! Our suggested program is to ride the Rivers Mosel, Rhine, Saar, Lahn, Main, Tauber and France's Marne-Rhine Canal. Mild pace with time for the sights. Over two weekends (Fri-Sun), you're 'on tour' with 2 nights away: Saarbrucken to Strasbourg 180 km in 3 days, and Frankfurt to Rothenberg 230 km in 3 days.
During the weekdays are 6 x one day rides - averaging 50-60 km.
Vennbahn Rail Trail
3 day ride Aachen to Troisvierges (LUX)
The 125km Vennbahn is one of Europe's longest and most scenic rail trails, following the path of a historic rail line bordering Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. Take a few days as it is a good chance to see the cities of Aachen, Koln and Luxembourg enroute.
Access from our local station Bullay:
- Rail to/from Aachen via Koblenz and Koln (3hrs, 2 changes).
- Rail to/from Troisverges via Luxembourg (3.5hrs, 1 change).
See www.vennbahn.eu
More rivers
Nahe, Ahr, Kyll, Sauer, Main etc.
All within reach by rail for day rides along their bike trails.
More riding
countless possibilities
Research before you go, or just hop on a bike with a map.
Signposted bike routes abound and back roads go everywhere.
There's also many rail trails in the surrounding Hunsruck and Eifel countryside.
Many websites can help you plan rides, such as
Mosel bike touring www.moselland-radtouren.de
Public buses for cyclists www.regioradler.de
Zell MTB Club www.mtbclub-zell.justarius.de
Trier region transport www.vrt-info.de
Koblenz region transport www.vrminfo.de
Rhineland transport www.der-takt.de (Rhineland pass)
Mosel tourism www.mosellandtouristik.de
Ruwer River Ride www.ruwer-hochwald-radweg.de
Maare River Ride www.maare-moselradweg.de
Trailtouren www.trailtouren.de
Bikemap www.bikemap.net
Vennbahn Rail Trail (Aachen-Luxembourg) www.vennbahn.eu
KD Ferries www.k-d.de (ferries lower Mosel & Rhine)
Middle Mosel ferries www.moselrundfahrten.de/en (ferries Middle Mosel)
Zell Tourism www.zell-mosel.com
Zellerland Tourism www.zellerland.de
Mosel Tourism www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de
Local bike shop