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The dilemma: Too much popularity threatens trail centres due to too much traffic
Recently, another MTB trail centre of sorts was opened in Germany. A legal trail network in the middle of Baden-Württemberg, in the land of the two-metre rule - that doesn't happen that often. That's why we would have liked to announce the opening date with a ceremony. But we were explicitly asked not to do so. Why?
For years, members of the association fought for this project on a voluntary basis, persuaded opponents and applied for funding until they were finally allowed to go into the forest with shovels and realise their project. And now this dilemma: if the newly built mountain bike trails are not used enough, the project opponents will say: "Great, so much municipal money wasted, and now no one is riding there. The promised benefit for the catering industry is zero!"
If, on the other hand, the advertising drum is already being beaten for the opening, those responsible must fear an onslaught of bikers. And the fear is not about the new trails that could be damaged - they would be repaired quickly. No, what is feared is the avalanche of cars travelling to the trail entrance, which could park up all the residents' streets and thus further antagonise previously neutral people against the new project. A dilemma that not only German trail builders face.
Even in the trail mecca of Lake Garda, people are now desperately looking for car-free transport concepts. The hotels there are struggling to manoeuvre the ever-increasing number of guests' cars back and forth in the limited parking spaces. And anyone who has ever been stuck in a traffic jam for an hour on the short journey from Riva to Torbole at the weekend can imagine that local residents are now also taking to the barricades. Especially if they don't earn their money from tourists.
Traffic turnaround: Time to rethink for bikers too
Mountain bikers would therefore have every reason to rethink if they not only want to protect the environment and climate, but also want to preserve their trail areas. But what about the alternatives, i.e. public transport? In terms of price, the 49-euro ticket in Germany is already moving in the right direction. However, it is still not possible to book bike transport on regional trains in advance. If the few spaces in the bike compartments are already occupied, you are left behind at the station despite having a ticket and weekend plans. On international long-distance rail services, on the other hand, it is possible to reserve parking spaces for bikes. But how easy is it to reach bike spots such as Lake Garda and Finale Ligure by public transport? At the end of May, we looked at the timetables for July in five top areas. Train prices change daily and you have to book early for super bargains. But our enquiry shows: For some destinations, switching to bus and train is worthwhile in financial terms alone.
By train to northern Lake Garda
Munich - Riva del Garda: 380 km
Northern Lake Garda has no rail connection and is also not a direct long-distance coach destination. However, the bus and train option from/to Rovereto is a favourable option, especially for those crossing the Alps with little luggage. For the Rovereto - Riva section, you can take the public bus or book one of the tour shuttles from Torbole (with bike trailer!).
Tip for groups: Transalp shuttle companies often travel empty from Germany to Lake Garda (return) and also have free seats in the direction of Germany (approx. 70 euros, e.g. at Fahrtwind).
By car
Journey time 4:23 h / Cost: 94 Euro one way
The costs per car relate to fuel (45 euros, based on a petrol price of 1.60 euros and a consumption of 7 litres/100 km), wear and tear (19 euros, according to www.finanz-tools.de/fahrtkostenrechner) and tolls in Austria (10-day toll sticker), on the Brenner Pass and in Italy (including an increase of 1.34 percent from July!).
By train (to Rovereto)
Journey time 4:43 h / costs 65.90 Euro one way
Nearest railway station: Rovereto. From there, take the hourly bus (4 seats for bikes) to Riva del Garda (22 km, additional time: 40 min., ticket price incl. bike: 5 euros).
By coach (to Rovereto)
Journey time 5:25 h / one-way costs: 50 euros
Flixbus only goes as far as Rovereto and has space for 5 bikes on the rear rack (9 euros). Otherwise: dismantle the bike and stow it in the luggage compartment as special luggage. E-bikes are not (yet?) allowed!
Long-distance bus direct to Vienna
Munich - Vienna: 400 km
Vienna is of course very easy to reach by train and long-distance bus. But is it also a worthwhile mountain bike destination? Yes! Firstly, the city itself is easy to explore by bike, and then there are the permitted trails in the neighbouring Vienna Woods and the sensational Hohe Wand Wiese trail centre in the west of the city. You can get there from Vienna in no time at all by underground (ticket price: 2.40 euros).
By car
Journey time approx. 6 h/ costs 74,70 Euro one way
Fuel: 44.80 euros (calculated with a petrol price of 1.60 euros and a consumption of 7 litres/100 km), toll sticker in Austria for 10 days (9.90 euros), wear and tear: 20 euros. These travelling costs refer to one car. If there are two people in the car, you can of course divide the costs by two.
By train
Journey time approx. 4 h/ costs 50 Euro one way
The prices of the daily connections vary. With ÖBB, you can book bike transport online up to 6 months in advance using the app. Cost: 12 euros. With Deutsche Bahn, the ticket for the bike costs 9 euros.
By long-distance coach
Journey time 6 h / costs 29 Euro one way
5 spaces for bikes on the rear rack (9 euros). Otherwise: Bike dismantled as special luggage in the luggage compartment. Problem: E-bikes are not (yet?) permitted!
Bus and train: a clever combination to the island of Elba
Munich - Piombino Marittima: 798 km
Long toll route through Italy, ferry by car - the train can only be cheaper, you might think. But from June, the Nightjet will no longer be travelling to Florence (construction work until September). This makes the train journey a transfer disaster. Better: take the Flixbus to Pisa and from there continue by regional train to Piombino Marittima. The ferry journey from Piombino to Elba takes an hour and costs around 90 euros per person with bike in mid-July. Car transport on the ferry costs from 126 euros one way.
By car to Elba including ferry
Journey time 11:40 h / costs 336,52 Euro one way
Petrol approx. 89 euros (7-litre consumption/1.60 euro petrol price), toll: 81.24 euros (Austria vignette 2 months: 29 euros). Ferry in July: approx. 126 euros one way.
By train including ferry
Journey time 13:48 h / costs 187.20 Euro one way
As the Nightjet is not running this summer, you have to resort to more complicated train connections: The Munich-Bologna route (change in Verona): from 73 euros and from Bologna with Trenitalia onwards to Piombino Marittima (at least 1 change): 24.20 euros.
By long-distance coach including ferry
Journey time 12 h / costs 175,70 Euro one way
The most direct route is by Flixbus to Pisa and from there by regional train to Piombino (1:24 h, approx. 10 euros), ferry per person with bike: 90 euros.
Davos with change
Munich - Davos: 305 km
Switzerland is a railway country: no valley is without a railway station. Nevertheless, there is no direct connection from Germany to the highest city in Europe. You have to expect to change trains at least twice. It is therefore cheaper to take the Flixbus to Chur and from there continue by Rhaetian Railway or Postbus to Davos. The cheapest option, however, is still travelling by car via Landeck and the Flüela Pass (304 km/3:25 h/59 euros), as you don't have to pay a vignette for Switzerland, but only 9.90 euros for the 10-day vignette in Austria.
By car
Journey time 3:30 h / costs 91.41 Euro one way
Fastest connection: via the Bregenz motorway (Austrian section is toll-free). Switzerland: annual vignette 42 euros, petrol: 34.16 euros, wear and tear: 15.25 euros.
By train
Journey time 6.5 h / costs 103 Euro one way
This is the connection (see above) with only two changes including bike ticket (9 euros). The fastest and cheapest route is via Zurich, costs 59 euros and takes 5 hours, but: 4 changes!
By bus + Rhaetian Railway or Postbus
Journey time 5:10 h / costs 70.50 euros one way
Flixbus only goes as far as Chur (3:40 h/26 euros incl. bike). From there, take the Rhaetian Railway or the Postbus to Davos (1:30 h/14.50 euros + 14 euros bike).
By public transport to your destination: Finale Ligure
Munich - Finale Ligure: 670 km
It's a shame that the cheapest Flixbus by far does not yet transport e-MTBs (like the Postbus in Switzerland). Because in Finale Ligure itself, you could do without shuttles to the trail entrances in an environmentally and traffic-friendly way. In Italy, it has become much easier to take bikes on regional trains because there are now bike compartments on many connections and transport is cheap (3.50 euros per journey). However, reservations for bikes are not possible here either.
By car
Journey time approx. 9 h/ costs 172,84 Euro one way
Via Austria (10-day toll sticker 9.90 euros) and the Brenner Pass (11 euros) there is an additional 43.40 euros toll in Italy. Petrol: 75 euros, costs for wear and tear: 33.50 euros.
By train
Journey time 11 h / costs 132 Euro one way
The most direct connection: with ÖBB and Frecciarossa (two changes: Verona and Milan). The ÖBB bike ticket costs 12 euros (included in the price above).
By long-distance coach
Journey time 10 h / costs 90.50 Euro one way
With Flixbus to Genoa (9 h/79 euros incl. bike) and with Trenitalia onwards to Finale Ligure (1 h/11.50 euros incl. bike). Please note: Flixbus does not (yet) take e-MTBs.
Things to know when travelling by bus and train
Seefeld pays for the train journey
This summer, bikers can get to the Tyrolean high plateau of Seefeld completely free of charge. From 1 June to 30 November, the Seefeld region's mobility campaign will cover the travel costs of up to 150 euros per person if you travel by bus or train. The offer applies to all bookings of five nights or more and until the budget totalling 60,000 euros has been used up. During the stay, public transport in the region is free of charge for tourists. This sustainability concept also includes new bus routes into the mountains from July 2023 - an exemplary initiative for environmentally friendly bike holidays in the Alps! Information is available from the Seefeld Tourist Office.
Steineggerhof free shuttle
The Bio & Bike Hotel Steinegger Hof offers its guests a free shuttle from/to Bolzano train station for holidays of one week or more. There is also the Guestcard, which allows you to use all public transport in South Tyrol free of charge. This also greatly expands the tour radius during your stay, as you can hop on the bus or train back to the hotel at any time.
ÖBB Nightjet cancelled
From 10 June to 9 September, the popular Nightjet of the Austrian Federal Railways will not run to Florence and Rome. This is due to major construction work. As an alternative, the NJ 40233 will run from Vienna via Bruck/Mur, Klagenfurt, Tarvisio, Bologna, Rimini, Riccione, Cattolica and Pesaro to Ancona. The NJ 295 runs from Munich via Salzburg and from Villach together with the NJ 40233 to Ancona. Rome and Florence can be reached from Bologna with Trenitalia. Curious: Although ÖBB allows you to book your bike at the same time via the app, bike transport is officially only permitted for bikes with wheel sizes up to 28 inches. But will anyone check this at the station?
South Tyrol Express
A very convenient bus service has been introduced between Switzerland and South Tyrol. Adapted to the Swiss train timetable, this long-distance bus travels to various South Tyrolean destinations every Saturday in summer. With bicycle transport and luggage service right to the door of the booked hotel.
Bike as hand luggage
You can be completely independent on European trains and buses if you pack your bike as hand luggage. All you need to do is remove the front and rear tyres and stow the whole thing in a large bag (although a sturdier bag is recommended). This means you don't have to rely on trains with bike compartments, you don't have to make reservations and your bike is transported free of charge.
Our readers' experiences with bus and train
We asked readers on our social media channels about their experiences of travelling by train and bike. A small extract of the answers:
We have even put together an Alpine cross with railway sections. But that only works if the trains run on time and the bikes can be taken along at any time of day.
With the 49-euro ticket, you can extend your home trail area with fork journeys: take the train to the mountains, do a trail tour to another station and get on the train home there.
I was even asked to leave the regional train once because it was too full. After that, I cancelled my Bahncard.
>> In the article Taking bikes on the train: environmentally conscious travelling with an E-MTB we focus specifically on travelling with e-bikes on public transport. <<
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
