The Moselle Cycle Route. Mike Wells

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      Bett+Bike sign

      Youth hostels

      There are 13 official youth hostels, many in historic buildings, on or near the route (three French, eight German and two in Luxembourg). These are listed in Appendix E. To use a youth hostel you need to be a member of an association affiliated to Hostelling International. If you are not a member you will be required to join the local association. Rules vary from country to country but generally all hostels accept guests of any age, although visitors over 27 may face a small surcharge (€3 in Germany). Rooms vary from single-sex dormitories to family rooms of two to six beds. Unlike British hostels, most continental European hostels do not have self-catering facilities but do provide good-value hot meals. Hostels can get very busy, particularly during school holidays, and booking is advised through www.hihostels.com.

      Camping

      If you are prepared to carry camping equipment this may appear the cheapest way of cycling the Moselle. However, good-quality campsites with all facilities are often only a little cheaper than B&Bs or hostels. The stage descriptions identify many official campsites, but the list is by no means exhaustive. Camping may be possible in other locations with the permission of local landowners.

Food and drink

      Where to eat

      There are thousands of places where cyclists can eat and drink, varying from snack bars, hotdog stands and local inns to Michelin-starred restaurants. The locations of many places to eat are identified in the stage descriptions below, but the list is by no means exhaustive. Days and opening times vary. Try to be flexible when planning your day, as a number of inns and small restaurants do not open at lunchtime and may observe one day a week, known in German as ruhetag, on which they remain closed. A local inn offering food and drink is typically known as auberge in France and gaststätte in Germany. A weinstube is a winebar, often attached to a vineyard. Some restaurants in big cities and tourist areas may have English-language menus, but these are less common in smaller towns and rural locations.

      When to eat

      Breakfast in France is usually continental: breads, jam and a hot drink; in Germany it is the same but with the addition of cold meats, cheese and a boiled egg. In Germany lunch was traditionally the main meal of the day, but this is slowly changing, and a large lunch is unlikely to prove suitable if you plan an afternoon in the saddle. The most common lunchtime snacks everywhere are soups or sandwiches. In France croque monsieur (toasted ham and cheese sandwich) and quiche Lorraine are widely available, while in Germany wurst mit senf und brot (sausages with mustard and bread) and wurst salat (thin strips of slicing sausage served with sauerkraut – pickled cabbage) are popular.

      For dinner, a wide variety of cuisine is available. In France cooking is treated almost as a religion, with even the smallest restaurant offering a variety of good-quality dishes cooked on the premises, often using locally sourced ingredients. German cuisine is less varied, but quality is always good and portions are generally large. There are many restaurants offering other options including Italian, Greek, Turkish and Chinese. Much of what is available is pan-European and will be easily recognisable. There are, however, national and regional dishes you may wish to try.