The Black Forest has become a honeypot for British riders – especially the B500. Facing the German mountains from the other side of the Rhine are the Vosges, one of France’s best riding areas. Using the best roads in both regions – and many more – this is an ideal first European trip.

 

What’s included on the route? Each day’s route has recommended places to stop for coffee in the morning and afternoon, a suggested lunch stop and planned fuel stops.

 

How long is each day’s ride? Each leg of the tour is planned to be a full day in the saddle: check-out and get on the road at 9am, getting to the next hotel at 5:30-6pm. That's with coffee stops and lunch - it's not a hardcore slog but a relaxed riding holiday. Saddle-time rating: six out of 10.

 

What are the highlights? For many riders, it’s still the northern stretch of the famous B500, between Freudenstadt and Baden-Baden. This is the Schwartzwaldhochstraße – the Black Forest High Road, created to attract tourists to the mountains. On the French side of the Rhine, the equivalent is the Route des Cretes, running along the spine of the mountains and over Grand Ballon, the highest peak in the Vosges. As well as these two mountainous areas, the tour goes through the Pfalzerwald forest, hugs the Moselle River, crosses the Eifel mountains and finishes in the Ardennes. 

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Why six days? The tour fits in easily with one week off work, allowing time for rest days at any of the overnight stops that takes your fancy… whether you want to ride more in the Vosges, the Black Forest or elsewhere (daytrips are available), or just have a day off the bike, strolling around and sightseeing. It's designed to be flexible and relaxing... as well as packed with brilliant riding.

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How is it supplied? You can simply download the GPX files and install them in your sat nav. Garmin or BMW Navigator users should download the complete file; TomTom users (or riders using a GPX compatible phone app like Calimoto, Scenic or MyRouteApp Navigator) should download the individual files. However, I strongly recommend getting the tour pack of day-by-day route notes and marked-up maps (not sold separately).