Germany

2 Wheels to China Facts

We were in Germany from June to 4th July. We cycled a total of 863 kilometres.

2 Wheels to China Ratings

Food & Drink: 7/10

Kat absolutely loved the food in Germany, Richard was reasonably impressed. Pork is king, and dominates every menu. We did not see much chicken or beef. The traditional restaurants in the east was where we found the best food.

The beer was great, and there are more breweries than we could wave a stick at.

Road conditions: 6/10

We tended to use the cycle path network, which is incredibly extensive in Germany. Having said that, the quality of the surfaces are not top class - they may be okay for leisure riding, but we found the gravel and bumps a bit jarring over long distances. We could of course have used the roads instead. The roads were in great condition, but rarely had cycle lanes, even when they were part of an official cycle route. Kat had her accident here, so perhaps that has marred our memories of them.

Traffic: 6/10

Lots in the big cites, obviously, but the roads were not too bad. Drivers were very considerate of cyclists, but took unbelievable risks going at unbelievable speeds when faced with slower cars. 

Scenery: 7/10

The Eiffel area, including the nature reserve, was spectacular, as were some parts of the Danube route after Passau. There were parts along the Rhine which were very scenic.  

People: 8/10

We were pleasantly surprised by the warmth and friendliness of the Germans, across the board. The small kindnesses are too numerous to mention, but I hope we have highlighted the main incidents in our diary page.

Bureaucracy: N/A

Miscellaneous

Campsites were pretty good, but not always signposted very well. You tend to have to pay extra for a hot shower, which is not a problem, except if you don't know about it!