CYCLING ALONG THE RHINE RIVER WITH KIDS – Our Family’s Quick Guide

We’re on a family trip in Germany, and like most places we visit, I really wanted to include cycling in our itinerary. My boys love riding bikes, and so do my parents.

We’re spending a few days on the Rhine River, and the flat terrain and plentiful cycling paths make it a perfect place to go for a spin!

We’re a group of 4 – me (mamma), my mother, and two of my boys (ages 8 & 12).

If you’re thinking about cycling with your kids in this part of Germany, check out:

Whether or not what we did would work for your family
The bicycle rental shop we used
The timeline of our ride
The route we took, including the distance
How long it took and what we did along the way
Our advice (like what to bring)
If we’d do it again

Let’s go!

Table of Contents

Cycling Along the Rhine as a Family – Yay or Nay?

First off, cycling here isn’t for all families. Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether or not you want to ride here as a family:

Do your kids ride at home? Can you trust they’ll stay on the path?
Do they know basic cycling etiquette (staying to the right, how to pass a pedestrian or another cyclist)?
Are you comfortable with some sections next to the road, that don’t have a guardrail or barrier? Some areas had cars going 100kph next to the cycling path. I felt fine with my 8-year-old riding here, as he’s a confident, competent rider. I would have been a nervous wreck with my wild-riding 5-year-old on those sections of bike path.

Where We Rented Our Bicycles

Boy in orange shirt rides his bicycle on a cobblestone square past people sitting on benches and playing in a small fountain. A few trees in the square, and German buildings on the opposite side of the square. — *The Rhein Bike Rental Shop is on the opposite side of this square in Boppard*

I did an embarrassing amount of research on where to rent our bikes and which bicycle rental shop to use. I even emailed a few places and ultimately went with Rhein Bike in Boppard.

I really wanted to rent from Oberwesel (where we’re staying), but I found the best bicycle options for our group were at Rhein Bike. The online reservation process was also really simple (and in English), and the guy in charge was very responsive to my emails and questions (danke!).

I was drawn to Boppard because there’s plenty to see/do in town for kids pre- or post-ride, and there are also easy parking options in town. It’s on train and K-D ferry lines, so you can ride somewhere from Boppard and take public transportation back to the rental shop.

We rented a cruiser bicycle (me), an e-bike cruiser (my mom), and two kids mountain bikes (my boys). The owner changed my mountain bike out for a cruiser, and I was happy to have the more comfortable seat and position. I’m still not a big fan of pedal brakes, though (there were also hand brakes on the bike).

They have plenty of bikes and many sizes available. Still, I’d reserve bikes if you know you for sure want to ride.

Rhein Bike also has helmets, bike baskets, locks, patch kits, etc. The only thing to keep in mind is that if you have a flat, no one will come to ‘save’ you – you need to fix the tire with a patch kit or new tube, or you can make your way back to Boppard on a train or boat (but you may be a ways from one of those options).

Rhein Bike is just off the main square in Boppard. You can find all of the bike options, hours, prices, etc on the Rhein Bike website.

Good To Know: Rhein Bike also has a location in Koblenz, about 20 kilometers north of Boppard. You can pick up your bicycles in one location and return to the other. A great option.

Our Timeline for Cycling Along the Rhine

Boys ride on cobblestones toward the river (Rhine). White road signs are behind them, and some are pointing toward the bicycle paths. — *Starting off from Boppard*

Boys sit on a wooden bench with the Rhine River in front of them. Their bicycles and another bicycle are next to them. Rocky, green hillside on the other side of the river. — *A break along the route*

Two boys and their mother cycle toward the camera on a paved path along the Rhine River in Germany. The river is to the left and a paved road is on the right. — *It doesn’t look like it, but I was having fun here. I was just nursing my throat, sore from yelling ‘stay to the right.’*

10:00 – left Oberwesel after fueling up with a hearty breakfast; drove to Boppard

10:45 – arrived in Boppard, parked in the Karmeliterstrasse parking garage (here) and walked 5 minutes to the bike rental shop.

11:25 – left the bike shop, and stopped at the toilets on the other side of the square (here) before starting our ride (see the route info below).

12:45 – arrived in St. Goar, explored town, and sat down for gelato

13:20 – got back on our bikes and started the return trip to Boppard

14:30 – back in Boppard!

Good To Know: Eiscafé Italia is an excellent stop for gelato. It’s run by an Italian and there’s plenty of outdoor seating in a pedestrian, prime people-watching spot.

Our Route – Boppard to St. Goar & Back

Boy in orange shirt rides his bicycle one-handed along a cycling path on the Rhine River (on the left). Others cycle ahead of him. The road with a couple of cars is to the right of the path. Green hills on the other side of the river.

We rode a 28 kilometer out and back route from Boppard to St. Goard and back (14 km each way).

Good To Know: Christian at the bike rental shop told us to stick to the paved part of the path, and to avoid the grassy areas that are tempting to ride in, especially for kids. Those sections have stickers that lead to flat tires. Whomp, whomp…

How Long the Ride Took

Boy in dark blue shirt rides on a cycling path along the Rhine River in Germany. Road and car to the left of the path. River to the right and castle on a hill ahead in the distance.

With stops for snacks, views, photos, and window-shopping in both towns (Boppard & St. Goar), our ride took us about 3 hours.

Kid-Friendly Stops Along the Route

Child's hand holds a cup of lemon and strawberry gelato in front of outdoor seating at the shop in the pedestrian area of St. Goar in Germany.

An enormous cuckoo clock hangs from the side of a building. A sign next to it states it's the 'largest freestanding handcarved cuckoo clock in the world!' It's in St. Goar, on the Rhine River in Germany.

Two boys ride bicycles at a skate park in Boppard, Germany. Graffiti on metal wall on left and leafy trees surrounding the park.

There’s not much to do between Boppard and St. Goar, but each of the towns offer places for kids to play. We preferred this playground in Boppard to the one in St. Goar.

Our highlights were gelato and seeing the enormous cuckoo clock in St. Goar. My boys also took a few laps at the skate park in Boppard (hope that was ok!).

You can also check out the shops in both towns, and again, we preferred the slightly larger and livelier Boppard. There were also more kids around, which was fun for the boys.

Advice & More Things to Know About the Ride

Boys cycle down pedestrian area of the center of St. Goar in Germany. Ice cream cone marks an ice cream shop on the right and other eateries are open with outdoor seating on either side. Castle in the distance on a hill. — *St. Goar*

There’s no shade along the route. There are multiple stops with benches, but the young trees aren’t providing any shade yet. Make sure you’re covered in sunscreen!

There aren’t any toilets along the route. And nowhere to use the great green latrine. Use the free, clean public toilets in Boppard (mentioned earlier) and in St. Goar (here).

Bring a bike lock if you want to walk up to the castle in St. Goar. We were ‘castled out,’ so we stuck to the pedestrian area of the town.

Bring plenty of water. There aren’t any refill options along the route, so make sure you have plenty with you. We filled up our water bottles at our hotel and a lovely shop owner gifted us water in St. Goar.

Stop at the little benches along the route. Have a snack, soak up the views, take photos! There’s no reward for finishing the ride quickly.

Don’t be shy about asking the bike shop for help with bicycle adjustments. Christian at Rhein Bike was so helpful with seat and handlebar adjustments and setting us up with baskets.

Would I Cycle Along the Rhine with Kids Again?

Boy in orange shirt and blue helmet cycles on a paved path next to the Rhine River in Germany. The opposite side of the river has green hillsides and a small village with a church and its large white steeple. — *Family memory – check!*

Definitely! We actually reserved the bicycles for the following day, but a 38° C day kept us out of the saddle. We had planned to ride north toward or to Koblenz.

We all decided we’d pack a full on picnic the next time and stop for lunch at one of the little benches.

I hope this helps you decide whether or not to cycle with your family on the Rhine! If you do, enjoy your time with your family! And say hello to Christian at Rhein Bike!