We decided to have a big day today – but via train. As mentioned, we decided to swap our remaining riding days in Germany for Holland, given we recalled how great the cycling was in the low country. So, we leisurely cycled the 5km to the Baden Baden train station in order to make our way north. 

Also, as it turns out, a good childhood friend of Caitlin’s was temporarily stationed in Stuttgart, so we were able to meet up for coffee and lunch at the Karlsruhe train station (30min ride from Baden Baden). It was a fantastic coincidence and we had a great time catching up. We are glad she’s now back home in the States!

After lunch, we learned that we could only have our bikes on the regional trains. This meant a lot of stops and a lot of transfers. A little annoying, but better than biking the whole way! We had five different connections on the day: Baden Baden Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe to Mainz, Mainz to Koblenz, Koblenz to Düsseldorf, and Düsseldorf to Arnhem, Holland. Despite the long day, we enjoyed the train rides and also liked that the route mostly followed our bike path up the Rhine, so we still saw the same things. We also started recognizing sites from our prior (non-cycling) trip down the Rhine.

We arrived to our hotel in Arnhem, Holland around 10pm and planned to bike the next day to Utrecht, before the final day arriving in Amsterdam. 

Along the Rhine