Following the Rhine gently upstream, Rotterdam to Basel, a Cycle Tourist's Guide

This guide takes the hard work out of planning a holiday cycling up the Rhine, 1100 km (700 miles) from Hook of Holland to Basle in Switzerland. The tour starts from the Rhine estuary in the Netherlands, twists around, under and over Rotterdam’s bustling harbour to reach Dordrecht. The next days are spent crossing peaceful Dutch countryside on Long Distance Route 12, before climbing, just the once, over a hill in the Netherlands. The way is along the Rheinradweg/Vélo Rhin Route through Kleve, associated with Anne of Cleves; through Xanten with its new Roman buildings; past Duisburg with the biggest inland harbour in Europe; along the elegant promenade in Düsseldorf; to Cologne and its cathedral to reach Bonn, the former capital of Germany. The route passes Remagen and the ruins of its famous bridge, through Koblenz at the confluence of the Rhine and the Mosel; through the castle strewn Rhine Gorge; into Mainz with its cathedral and Gutenberg Museum; along the edge of the Rheinhessen hills famous for their Riesling wine, to Worms with yet another cathedral, connections to Luther and the Reformation, its Jewish synagogue and cemetery, through Ludwigshafen past the gleaming spires of BASF; Mannheim where the bicycle was invented; to Heidelberg and its ruined castle perched above the narrow streets packed with quaint pubs; to Schwetzingen, the summer residence of the ducal family where Mozart played harpsichord and to Speyer with its cathedral. The route crosses into Alsace. The route winds its way to Strasbourg, with its cathedral, European Parliament, half-timbered houses and its German quarter. Our favourite stretch of the route follows: along the level, straight Canal Rhône au Rhin with lime trees shading the towpath. The route then wanders through quiet little Alsatian villages to Neuf-Brisach and Breisach. Farther south the route passes Neuenburg and rejoins the Rhône au Rhin canal to run into Huningue. The route crosses the Rhine to Weil am Rhein. Basel in Switzerland is a few hundred metres away.
The guide advises when to tour, what to do in case of an accident or illness, discusses road safety, suggests local food to eat and public transport back up, what to pack and describes the route in detail when necessary and sketchily when the signposting is good. It offers information on: accommodation in hotels, B&Bs, Youth Hostels and on campsites, on bike shops and on bike hire.