It’s hard to pack for a trip and know what to take. As a rule I take too much with the idea that I never know what color I’m in the mood for, what the weather is like or what event may happen that may require elegant attire. After returning I unpack thirty to fifty percent unused, clean but rumpled items that need washing again. It isn’t a big deal to carry too much when one travels in cars to a hotel and fills a wardrobe until departure. But this year, we’ll ride bikes along the Mosel in Germany and we must transport everything on the back of a bicycle.

This type of travel requires careful planning and packing:

1. Bike rental: since we’ll arrive by train we have to reserve bicycles near the train station to avoid lengthy searches and lugging our gear through town. Confirmwhat types of bikes are offered, what they cost and how they are equipped. Contact bike rental place via e-mail and reserve bicycles – no payment needed until we get there.

2. Route planning: getting a decent map and understanding distances between villages. Plan the route to last four to five days, catch historical buildings, festivals, worthwhile restaurants and beer gardens, castles and shopping (small and light is the motto).

3. Train reservations: Germany’s train system is amazing and booking ahead provides high cost savings. As example, traveling from Solingen to Trier with up to five people costs 39 Euros, about fifty dollars. If booked on the day of, the price may double.

4. Accommodations: consider what day of the week you go where. Weekends are typically busy and may require booking ahead. Review hotels, pensions and Gasthoefe, read comments and contact for best prices. Confirm room price and breakfast (almost always included), make reservation for weekend rooms – in most cases no payment needed until you get there.

5. Gear: Collect essentials for bike riding, including helmet, gloves, tire repair kit, ear protection, sunglasses, lip balm, panniers or other bike suitable luggage, bike pants (something comfortable, pliable, with narrow legs – like Capri length pants), shirts long enough to cover the back, rain jackets and pants, sunscreen and waist bag to carry valuables.

6. Training: Oh, aah, let’s not forget to ride regularly before embarking on the trip. Nothing worse than to get sore the first day and suffer through the remainder of the trip. Your backside and legs need conditioning and you will be thankful for it. Besides, you’ll burn more calories and get to eat delicious food.

7. Other stuff: One pair of comfortable walking shoes, wind/rain jacket, t-shirts, vest, one warm sweater, toiletries including shampoo and soap (many B&B’s don’t offer them), camera, net book, pen and paper, one pair long pants (jeans), one pair of capris and one pair of shorts. The amount of long/warm clothes depends on the time of year you go. Mai in Germany may be in the fifties and rainy or in the eighties and baking. Not knowing is part of the adventure.

Don’t sweat it
Traveling in Europe is relatively easy. So what you forgot your toothbrush. Big deal, grocery stores are close, people are nice and the wildest animals you’ll see are deer and fox — if you’re lucky. So enjoy and have fun!

Getting Ready

Europe awaits. Excitement is growing as we are prepping our trip to Germany. On the agenda is a bicycling trip along the Mosel, a visit at a vegetarian/vegan bio hotel in the Black Forest and assorted city tours.

Our bike trip will lead us from Trier, Germany’s oldest city, downriver to Koblenz where the Mosel flows into the Rhine. Trier is officially about two thousand years old, unofficially, some records speak of the town as far as four thousand years ago. Like shiny pearls, villages and towns string along the river, each offering a glimpse into the past. Castles in various states of ruin watch from above the mountains through which the Mosel meanders in lazy loops in a perfect bed of volcanic Midwestern valleys. To wine lovers the Mosel holds a special place in their hearts and cellars. Riesling, Mueller-Thurgau and pinots are the most common grapes grown here. The past ten years have yielded exceptional wines and we are planning to confirm it through regular tastings. We look forward to visiting many of the family-owned and operated vineyards, often tiny enclaves whose perfect grapevines cling to steep hills in exact patterns.

Bicycling

The Mosel bike trail is an ideal path along the river, mostly flat and sometimes available on both sides. From Trier it is about a 130 mile trip, not a great daily distance but perfect to visit towns and landmarks, take photos and taste wines. We will rent bikes at the train station – Radstation Buergerservice – in Trier which offers eight and twenty-seven gear road bikes with lights and racks to attach luggage. Prices range from 40-55 Euros per week per bike.

Maps

A map is a advisable to plan routes, distances and learn the lay of the land. Since the Mosel is well-known for biking, many guides and maps exist. We ordered the bike map from bikeline through Amazon, a selection of maps portioned into manageable daytrips, its pages coated against a surprise shower. Since this guide doesn’t include a lot of historic information we plan to buy a local guide on arrival in Trier.

Trier

The city offers daily city tours in German and English, a perfect opportunity to learn more about the old Romans who settled here two thousand years ago. I will know a lot more after our visit.

Accommodations

While you can find Hiltons and Best Westerns in some of the larger cities, most German accommodations are offered by private and small businesses. Families, sometimes for generations, operate bed and breakfasts, pensions and guest houses, rental houses and apartments. Almost always will you find better prices than in the U.S. — the quality of the rooms equal if not better and including a generous breakfast.

But first let me talk about what to expect in your room. Let’s take the bed, for example. If you reserve a room you want to make sure to confirm if the price is per room or per person. It is often per person. Typical double beds – Doppelzimmer – are king-size but you’ll find two mattresses side-by-side and two comforters, one for each person. As a result, you will sleep better, no wrestling with your partner for the sheets, no plastic hotel blankets that have been used by thousands before you. Instead, a cotton-wrapped comforter that is light and warm. How about the heat? No blowing air from a noisy room furnace, instead a radiator and windows you can actually open. Bathrooms are mostly white and tiled from floor to ceiling. Bring your own toiletries.

Most rooms come with a typical German breakfast. No, it’s not continental. German breakfasts are large and tasty. While many now offer cereals, the majority of foods include a smorgasbord of fresh breads and rolls, butter, cheeses and lunch meats, jams and boiled eggs. That’s right, no scrambled eggs and bacon, no porridge. You are in Germany.

We will not book ahead this time but ride every day and see what we find in the afternoon. Most villages have several pensions or Gasthoefe and since we aren’t there during the main season we are confident to find a bed. In a pinch, one has to ride into one of the side valleys that are less busy. Here, rooms are more reasonable and just as good.

The National Drink of Germans

Yes, it’s beer but there is another liquid that is equally if not more important — the mineral water. Only Italians drink more water per capita. Harvested from one of the thousands of natural mineral springs in the country, it is harvested pure and contains healthy minerals such as calcium and magnesium. It is not like the carbonated water you get at the grocery store. You can often choose the amount of carbonation from “still” which means low to full-throttle bubbles. Either way, you may find it tasty and refreshing. On the bike, it is a great treat. Buy a bottle or two at a kiosk or grocery store and carry in on your bike for a refreshing cool down.

But you say you want tab water with lots of ice like in the U.S. Sorry, but plain water is not available nor is it free. You will rarely find ice in your drinks and glasses will seem like thimbles to you but you’ll get used to it. Relax, live a little, you’re experiencing a new culture.