3 Great Bike Routes in Germany

Mannheim to Bingen loop

Using the Rhine River as your constant companion, this loop takes you through some beautiful scenery on the Rhine Rift Valley including the Black Forest, the Palatime forest and Rhine-Hessian Hills to the west.  As well as scenic beauty you will also get a great view of the historical cities and towns such as Worms, which is one of the oldest cities in Germany.  Additional sites on this route include the world-famous Speyer Cathedral, which was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage monument in 1982, and the castles of Johannisberg and Biebricher.

To find the route simply follow ‘theRhine’ signposts and route logo, which is well integrated into local signposts.  Additionally all along the Rhine Cycle route, you can park your bike safely at any of the ‘Fahrradstationen’ or cycle centres.  Further details about this route can be found on the Rheinradweg website.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/avoyali/

Lake Constance Circuit

Again using water as a constant guide, biking around Lake Constance allows you to make your way through Germany, Austria and Switzerland on a picturesque 270km bike ride.  The route runs past vineyards and through medieval towns whilst always sticking close to the beautiful lake and it’s often steep shoreline alongside pebble beaches.

The route is very well signposted and you can challenge yourself to complete the whole route or, if time is limited, there are obviously a variety of smaller routes along the way.  One of the most enjoyable parts of the route is around the picture-perfect meadows leading into Altenrhein in Switzerland.

You can get a guided tour from Lake Constance Cycle Path Service, who offer a great variety of routes.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcdemoura/

Mountain biking in St. Ingbert

Originally intended only for mountain biking marathons, the circuits are now open to mountain bikers at all times.  The town has two mountain bike routes which are well signposted, one 40km and one 50km.  The route itself runs through the countryside of St Ingbert and varies in difficulty.  Just under half the trail runs along single-passage trails which run alongside scenic forests in one of Germany’s most densely wooded town.

More information about this route and countless others in Germany are available on Germany.travel/EN.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/timothep/

Our Favourite 3 Winter City Breaks

Read on for our 3 alternative European winter city breaks!

We asked the trusty team to come up with three great options for a city break this Winter.  However, none of the options were allowed to cover the more obvious winter city break destinations like Paris, Prague or our very own London. We wanted our staff’s top recommendations for somewhere a bit different, but  equally as fantastic for a short break.

There were lots of great ideas but we have condensed it down to our three best suggestions.  We have also included the lowdown on where to stay and eat.   And the best thing about this article? We have included a beautiful video of Bern, which rocks out to an ‘interesting soundtrack’ – enjoy.

Malaga, Spain
Tips from Sara H
I went to Malaga last winter after reading a recommendation in the Guardian.  And I wasn’t dissapointed. I flew in on the Friday after work and stayed in the lovely Hotel Zenit Malaga, which was located in the city centre and looked after me very well. The city was made up beautifully for Christmas, with a real festive colours everywhere.  We also went to a free concert which I think they do every year.  Every restaurant I went to also had great food – my favourite was El Pimpi, which was a popular tapas restaurant that gives you a real feeling of going back in time.

Hotel I stayed in: Hotel Zenit Malaga
Favourite Restaurant: El Pimpi
Top Tip:  Go to the Tetería El Harén, which plays music and from Thursday to Saturday!

Christmas in Malaga

Juanpol

Stockholm, Sweden
Tips from Marisa P
I have been to Stockholm a few times and it is a beautiful city, especially in winter. The last time I went it was covered by snow and, although it felt freezing, walking the streets gives you a real Christmas traditional atmosphere.   We walked for hours and also went on a lovely boat ride.  We didn’t catch this last year but on the morning of Lucia Day (December 13) a mythical figure called ‘Lucia and her maidens come early in the morning, before dawn, bringing light in the darkness’  – I have heard that is is a beautiful spectacle. Last time I went I stayed in the Berns Hotel, which is located in the Berzelii Park, and I thought it was great – very cool.  My favourite restaurant was definitely Gondolen, which served local food and it felt like a nice place to hang out.

Hotel I stayed in: Berns Hotel
Favourite Restaurant: Gondolen
Top Tip:  Just walk around the Christmas markets if it’s not too cold – so beautiful!

A Christmas market in Stockholm

Michael Cavén

Bern, Switzerland
Tips by Mathieu B
To be honest when I first invited to Bern I wasn’t that interested – I had never heard of it as a tourist destination and the few people I asked about it where of the same opinion.  So, after eventually being persuaded of it’s merits I headed out in December 2010 for a 3 day trip.  What a place – I loved it.  It’s everything you could want in a cosy Christmas trip – it has so much character (it’s actually a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site).  The most interesting area is the old town, which has lots of well-maintained  historic buildings in amongst charming cobbled streets.  We also went to see the Bear Pits, which although it was cold, was a nice walk and are a throwback to Bern’s past.

(November is also a good time to go as they have the The Onion Market, which takes place on the fourth Monday in November with visitors ‘pour in’ for their onion’.)

Hotel I stayed in: Novotel Bern Expo
Favourite Restaurant: Metzgerstuebli
Top Tip:  I think the centre is just great to walk around and I found everyone I spoke to very friendly and there is a really a nice atmosphere in the old town.

Staff picks: 5 favourite hostels of the world

We asked some of the Not Just a Holiday team to come up with their personal favourite hostels they have had the pleasure of staying in.

We wanted to list hostels that gave us a warm, fuzzy feeling; whether that be an unbelievable location and price combination, or like any fantastic place you find on your travels, make you want to tell everyone you know about it…

So, if you happen to fancy a trip to Argentina, Greece, Italy, Costa Rica or Switzerland, we recommend spending some time in one of these great hostels.

Maria’s Favourite
Milhouse Hostel – Buenos Aires, Argentina

I stayed in 6 hostels in Buenos Aires and this was by far the best.  It had everything I was looking for – a central location, it felt secure (which hadn’t been the case in a few of the others), the prices were good and, most importantly, it was the perfect place to meet fellow travellers and party.  The hostel seemed to attract the right kind of crowd and I had a great time there meeting some really fun people.  The staff were friendly, breakfast was fine and the hostel was clean.

Tom’s Favourite
Funny Farm – Interlaken, Switzerland

I stayed in this hostel when I went inter-railing around Europe and it was by far one of the best! Firstly, the hostel is situated in Interlaken, a quaint Swiss town surrounded by mountains and stunning lakes.  Funny Farm hostel is geared towards the active crowd with basketball, tennis, beach volleyball and swimming all available within the grounds. Also, there is an in-house extreme sports centre that runs trips for climbing, abseiling, canyoning, white-water rafting and sky-diving! The hostel also has a nice bar and outdoor café by the poolside. Though only at the hostel for four nights for me it was a place you could relax and feel at home. The extreme sports trips are well run and very professional and the staff generally gave us a great stay. I would love to go back.

Paul’s Favourite
Arenal Backpackers Resort in La Fortuna– Arenal, Costa Rica

The self proclaimed 5* hostel of Costa Rica, I was expecting big things when I arrived from the scenic ‘jeep-boat-jeep’ ride from Monteverde to the adventure hub of Arenal.  And I wasn’t disappointed. With a stunning, smoking volcano as the backdrop, the Arenal Backpackers was just one those hostels that puts a smile on your face whenever you think about it.  The best thing about it was the lush swimming pool, which was really clean and had one of those bars that you can swim up to and enjoy your drink whilst sitting on a underwater stool – a very easy way to waste a day!.  As well as that the staff were super friendly, the prices were reasonable and the beds were very comfortable for a hostel.  I spent a week there and would recommend it to anyone.

A room with a view - Arenal Backpackers

Emily’s Favourite
Academy Hostel – Florence, Italy

Recently voted 4th in the 2010 ‘Hoscars’, I stayed at this hostel for 6 days. I have stayed in a lot of quality hostels around Europe but this was definitely a step up from the rest – it was perfect in every way I could reasonably hope for.  The location was great because it was central but not too loud.  It felt really homely and almost cosy and there was never too many people using the facilities.  The rooms were very light and everything, including the washrooms, were immaculate.  The staff were unbelievably friendly with me – I had lost one of my bags on my second day there and they helped me get through that.  There was also unlimited internet (which worked!) and a great little kitchen.  Just a great place to stay and well run.

Sara’s Favourite
Annys Hotel* Santorini, Greece

I have checked reviews on other website on this one and I must admit they aren’t great.  But after camping my way around the Greek islands in the peak of summer if felt like heaven. The fully air conditioned rooms were an extremely welcome break from the 40 degree summer heat, and the outdoor pool and poolside bar made this place feel like a little paradise.  The reason I say it’s my favourite is because it of it’s amazing location – no more than 10 steps from the beautiful black beaches of Santorini and sandwiched between bars and restaurants, I would recommend Annie’s hotel to anyone. Included in the price of the room is a private bathroom, kitchen, balcony and WiFi.

The beach outside Anny Hotel, Greece

Let us know your favourite hostel and what makes it special – we would love to hear from you and find out where we should go next!

* Sara’s choice of Anny’s Hotel was allowed because, even though it isn’t listed as a hostel, she swears that is listed in a hostel guide she found and… well, she really wanted to include it.