mountain bike tyres not necessary. What you need is something in-between, with good tread and a slightly wider profile than would be used for everyday cycling. To reduce the chance of punctures choose tyres with puncture-resistant armouring, such as a Kevlar™ band.
Ehrenbreitstein fortress, opposite Koblenz (Stage 14)
Getting there and back
By rail
The start of the route at Col de Bussang (715m) is not directly accessible by train. However, Fellering station (442m) (reached from Mulhouse by regular local trains, which carry cycles) is only 10km east of the pass, and the ascent is fairly easy. From the west, provided you are happy to double Stage 1, Remiremont station (388m) is 36km away, and the ascent is very gentle. Both of these stations can be reached by connections across the SNCF (French railway) network.
People travelling from the UK can take cycles on Eurostar from London St Pancras (not Ebbsfleet or Ashford) to Paris (Gare du Nord) or Brussels (Midi). Cycles booked in advance travel in dedicated cycle spaces in the baggage compartment of the same train as you. Bookings, which cost £30 for a single journey, can be made through Eurostar baggage (0844 822 5822). Cycles must be checked in at St Pancras Eurostar luggage office (beside the bus drop-off point) at least 40mins before departure. Numbers are limited and if no spaces are available your cycle can be sent as registered baggage (£25). In this case it will travel on the next available train and is guaranteed to arrive within 24hrs. In practice, 80 per cent of the time it will travel on the same train as you. There is no requirement to package or dismantle your cycle. More information may be found at www.eurostar.com.
In Continental Europe, people travelling with cycles face the problem that many of the most convenient long-distance services are operated by high-speed trains that have either limited provision for cycles (French TGV) or no space at all (Thalys service from Paris and Brussels to Köln, and German ICE services). Trains from Paris to Nancy, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Épinal and Remiremont depart from Gare de l’Est, a short ride from Gare du Nord. Services on this route are operated by TGV or ICE high-speed trains, but there are some trains with reserveable space for cycles. To find out which departures these are, look on the SNCF (French Railways) website (www.voyages-sncf.com). Less complete information is available at www.bikes.sncf.com. Booking for French trains is through the SNCF website or via Rail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk). From Brussels, conventional EuroCity services with cycle space run three times daily to Mulhouse via Luxembourg and Strasbourg.
Alternative access from the UK is to use Stena Line ferries to reach Hoek van Holland from Harwich or the P&O service to Rotterdam from Hull, then Dutch NS (Dutch Railways) trains to Rotterdam. Here you can connect via Venlo and Dusseldorf with DB (German Railways) services, with cycle provision, that will take you on to Karlsruhe. From Karlsruhe there are trains to Strasbourg (France) for connections to Mulhouse. On Hoek van Holland ferries, through tickets allow UK travellers leaving from London (or any station in East Anglia) to reach any station in the Netherlands. Booking for German trains can be done at www.bahn.com. Up-to-date information on travelling by train with a bicycle can be found on a website dedicated to worldwide rail travel, ‘The man in seat 61’, www.seat61.com.
By air
The most convenient airport for the start is Basle–Freiburg–Mulhouse, 6km north-west of Basle, which is served by direct flights from many UK and European airports. Airlines have different requirements regarding how cycles are presented and some, but not all, make a charge – this should be paid when booking, as it is usually greater at the airport. All airlines require tyres to be partially deflated, handlebars turned and pedals removed (loosen pedals beforehand to make them easier to remove at the airport). Most will accept your cycle in a transparent polythene bike-bag, although some insist on the use of a cardboard bike-box. These can be obtained from cycle shops, often for free. You do, however, have the problem of how you get the box to the airport!
FROM BASLE AIRPORT
From Basle–Freiburg–Mulhouse airport, it is a short (2km) ride to St-Louis-la-Chausée station, from which local trains run to Mulhouse. Leave the airport terminal building by the exit to France. Follow the service road ahead with car parks L. Pass under a road bridge and turn L at the first roundabout. Continue with car parks L and motorway R and go straight ahead at the next roundabout. Turn R and immediately R again (D12bis), crossing the motorway and entering St-Louis. Follow the road bearing R, pass under a railway bridge and turn immediately L (Rue de la Barrière) to reach the station entrance L.
By road
The start and finish points at Mulhouse (for Col de Bussang) and Koblenz are sufficiently close to be able to leave a vehicle at one end and return by train with your cycle to collect it after completing the ride. If driving from the UK, the distance from the Channel to Mulhouse is approximately 650km; from the Channel to Koblenz is 500km.
European Bike Express operates a coach service with a dedicated cycle trailer from northern England, picking up en route across England to the Mediterranean, with a drop-off point at Nancy in eastern France. Details and booking are through www.bike-express.co.uk. Trains link Nancy and Strasbourg, with connections on to Mulhouse.
Intermediate access
There are international airports at Metz–Nancy–Lorraine (17km north-east of Pont-à-Mousson; Stage 6), Luxembourg (Stage 9A) and Frankfurt Hahn (which is nowhere near Frankfurt, but is in the Hunsrück Mountains 18km south-east of Enkirch on Stage 12).
Much of the route is closely followed by railway lines. Stations en route are listed in the text and shown on the stage maps.
A novel use of an old bike in Archettes (Stage 2)
Onward travel
From Koblenz, DB trains with bicycle accommodation run to stations all over Germany, with international connections available through Frankfurt and Köln. For those traveling to the UK the most direct route would involve using Thalys trains from Köln to Brussels and then Eurostar to London. Unfortunately, as Thalys trains do not carry cycles, this route is not practicable. A better route is to take a train from Koblenz to Trier, then to continue on to Luxembourg and Brussels to connect with Eurostar. Most trains on this route carry cycles.
Alternatively, those bound for the UK can travel via Köln and Venlo (Netherlands) to Rotterdam and Hoek van Holland, from where Stena Line (www.stenaline.co.uk) runs two ferries daily (afternoon and overnight) to Harwich. On overnight sailings, passengers must reserve cabins. From Harwich, trains with cycle provision run to London (Liverpool St) and to Cambridge, where connections to the rest of the UK can be made. In addition, P&O ferries (www.poferries.com) sail every night from Rotterdam (Europoort) to Hull. Reaching the terminal involves travelling by train from Rotterdam station to Maassluis, then crossing the Rhine on the Maassluis–Rozenburg ferry. From the Rozenburg ferry ramp, cyclists can follow LF1 signs through Rozenburg for 2.5km, then turn right and follow a cycle track on the left of the Europaweg for 9km, which leads to the P&O terminal at berth 5805.
Frequent trains from Koblenz run to Frankfurt International airport (often via a connection at Mainz or Wiesbaden), where there are flights to worldwide destinations. Köln–Bonn airport, which has a wide variety of flights, can also be reached by train from Koblenz.
Navigation
Waymarking
The route described is made up from a number of waymarked cycle