Metz, France, Cochem, Germany Depart from Metz outings&adventures Traveler s Info Return to the Moselle The barge will be docked at the lock of Metz, Véloroute Charles le Téméraire Using a cab, tell your driver to go to RUE ROCHAMBEAU. Best to show him this in writing, for your French might not be French enough for the cab driver. At this street there is a parking lot and a small entrance to drive through to the lock/waterside. You are entering the bike-path. The barge will be at your left, docked in front of the lock. Map shows walking directions from Metz Railway Station. You are welcome to drop off your luggage after 9:30AM Saturday Please Note: the crew will be extremely busy preparing the ship for our check-in, we are not permitted to board the vessel until later in the afternoon. Please anticipate minimal interaction with the crew during luggage drop off, they are providing us the option of early baggage drop off as a courtesy. Lunch is not included today.
Boarding & Departure Times Our exact boarding time will be confirmed two weeks prior to departure at which time Outings & Adventures will notify all guests. Anticipate a boarding time of 2PM The Ship Aboard the ship you will be received by the barge s crew with coffee and tea, followed by our Welcome Reception. Iris is a comfortable passenger ship with a charming appearance. The ship is 45 meters long and 6.60 meters wide. The cabins are nice and very practical. Your suitcases will fit under the beds. And there is plenty of space to unpack. Your beds are made and your towels are ready to use. The bathroom has shower lotion and shampoo. In the cabin you will also find a hairdryer and a little safe. The ship has a saloon, a sitting area, and a sun deck. It also has 12 guest cabins for two persons (no bunk beds, detached twins separated by a stationary bedside stand), all with private shower, toilet and fully air conditioned. No Smoking Due to legal safety regulations, smoking is prohibited in all cabins on board: as a result, all rooms/cabins are non-smoking rooms. All other passenger areas inside the barge are also nonsmoking areas. Smoking is not allowed on the sundeck either without the captains consent. Itinerary and Biking You can find the day-by-day program on our website. Please note that alterations are sometimes necessary due to nautical and technical reasons. Daily bike rides range from 40 km to 60 km. It is sometimes possible to do only part of the tour. And it goes without saying that you can stay aboard for the day. Just notify the guide. Two bike guides will be joining us and leading the way to sights and points of interest along the route. They can make repairs to the bikes if necessary. You don t have to bike with the group. You will find detailed maps with cycle routes on board, which enables you to plan your own day tour. And while you are biking, the ship cruises to the next destination. Level of Difficulty: Easy This trip is rated as easy, level 1. That means the trip is appropriate for anyone with a good physical condition and basic cycling skills. The countryside is mostly flat and we use separate bike paths as much as possible, but we will sometimes have to share the road with car traffic and we will have to cross busy intersections. A good physical condition is important, because every day we bike between 40 km and 60 km and it is not always possible to join the ship halfway. Moreover, it is not always sunny and calm weather. Even under poor weather conditions you should feel safe and able to cover the distance.
(cont d) Of course there is always the possibility to stay on board for a day and have some extra rest. In cases of physical and medical issues we recommend you to consult a doctor and inform us if necessary. Museums & Highlights Along our biking journey the guides typically take us for visits to a beer brewery, a museum, a castle, a cheese farm, vineyard and the like. Entrance fees regarding these visits are typically included although you may opt for an alternative highlight. The guide knows exactly what is included and not, and will inform us prior. The Team During our trip the following staff will be at your service: Captain, mate, chef, ship host, O&A host and two bike guides Meals & Drinks An extensive breakfast is served every morning. Onboard dinners are three-courses with the final dinner of the trip being four-courses, there will be two selections for the main course of which each guest will choose the morning of. During breakfast each of us will make a packed lunch from a substantial selection of items to take with us during our morning/afternoon bike tour. Some lunches will be onboard while others we will pack to go. Dinners onboard include a complimentary glad of wine along with soft drinks. Coffee, cappuccino, espresso, tea and hot chocolate are available 24/7 Other drinks, such as wine, beer and soft drinks are available on board at a charge. On board is a well-equipped self-service bar that is monitored on the honor system. During the week you register on a sheet, provided by the crew, listing the drinks you consumed. At the end of the week we close out our tabs, only in cash, euros. You can buy wine by the glass or the bottle which can be kept for more than just that day. If you want to drink a bottle of wine that you did not purchase from the ship s bar, there will be a corkage fee of 6 euro per bottle. You are welcome to bring onboard bottles of wine you may have picked up during our day of exploring. Drink Prices Onboard So you can best budget for your bar tab, we ve listed anticipated onboard drink prices, please note there may be some fluctuation. Bottle of wine ~13-18 euro (House 13, Premium 15, Pre Cru Wine 18) Glass of wine ~3 euro Beers ~2.5-3.5 euro Mixed drinks ~5 euro (example gin and tonic) Liquors 2 cl ~2 euro (rum, cognac, whisky, gin, Bacardi, Vodka) Corkage ~6 euro
Special Meal Requirements If you have special meal requirements (vegetarian meals, vegan, or if you are on a lactose- or gluten-free diet), please notify Outings & Adventures at time of booking or as soon as possible. Vegetarian meals are easily arranged. For other requirements (e.g. lactose- or gluten-free) there is an additional charge of 25 euro per week to be paid on board to accommodate those needs. Trip Includes - 8 days / 7 nights onboard deluxe barge Iris - Breakfasts - 7 - Dinners onboard - 5 - Packed lunches for bike trips - 3 - Lunches onboard - 2 - Coffee, tea, cappuccino, espresso, and hot chocolate onboard - Bike/travel guides - 2 - Bike (4 sizes, please provide your height at time of booking) pannier, and helmet - Crew of Captain, Mate, Chef, Ship Host and O&A Host - Daily cleaning of the cabin - Welcome Reception - Entrance maintower - Beer / wine tasting on board - Climate controlled cabins - Excursions and entrances fees as noted by guides Not included & Options - Personal insurances, we recommend Freedom Travel for assistance (954) 565-2345 - Gratuities for the guides and the crew are expected (at your discretion) - Drinks and expenses on excursions (not mentioned under included) - Meal accommodations for gluten free, diary free or vegan, 25 euro fee - ebikes are an available option, 90 euro for the week
Gratuity Guidelines Although gratuity is at one s discretion it certainly helps having some type of guidance. First, gratuities must be paid in cash/euros just like the bar tab. The ship does not have the capabilities to accept credit cards. There are ATM s that the staff will point out during the last day should you need to access one and bike guides can direct us during tours. At the end of the trip each guest will be provided with three (3) envelopes to place their gratuity for (1) for each bike guide and (1) for the ship s crew: Captain, Mate, Chef and Ship Host. The ship operator asks that we do not tip crew members individually as they share the gratuity and tips on the side will be added to their pool. Ship s Crew: ~7-10 euro per day per person Each Bike Guide: ~5-7 euro per day per person Bikes & Helmets Our bikes have 11 gears (Alfine) and hydraulic breaks. Pannier and helmets are included. Wearing a bicycle helmet is not required by law in Europe; however we do recommend you wear one. Bicycle Insurance All our bicycles are fitted with proper locks. You are not liable for damage or theft of the bicycle, unless the bicycle was stolen during an excursion due to the fact that it was not locked properly. Packing List Tips and tricks as provided by our ship operator: Bring comfortable clothes that you can wear in layers Rain gear Windbreaker or light shell for cool mornings and days that are a bit chilly. Padded cycling shorts will add considerably to your comfort, cycling shirts and pants dry up a lot faster than cotton. You can dry your cloths on the towel dryer in the bathroom. Just bring a bit of instant soap and you re fine. Cycling gloves can be useful Sunscreen Sunglasses Sneakers, (flats, no heels, let s see if you ve actually read this!) no special cycle shoes required as we ll be cycling and walking. You ll want an active shoe aka sneaker. Dining is informal, no dress code other than shirts, shoes and shorts
Internet There is a WiFi system onboard our barge. It is free to use and unlimited. The barge crew will provide information on how to access WiFi. However, due to the nature of the barge s varied docking points, internet access may not always be available. As such, if stable internet access is critical to you we recommend you purchase your own bundle before leaving your home country. Flights & Transfers Inbound Flying into Paris or Luxembourg are the most convenient. There are TGV (fast trains) taking you to Metz. Train line transfer information: https://www.trainline.eu/train-times/charles-de-gaulle-airport-to-metz From: CDG Charles de Gaulle To: Metz Railway Station Average travel time is 2 hrs 29 mins with 2 changes Outbound On Saturday August 3rd breakfast is served at 8AM and we depart the vessel by 9AM For the flight home Frankfurt International Airport would be the best option, you can get there by train from Cochem (stopover in Koblenz) straight to the Airport. Germany rail pass information: https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml From Station: Cochem (M) To Airport Station: Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf Assistance with flights and/or Traveler s Insurance we recommend our travel agent partner Rich Safaty owner of Freedom Travel, he can be contacted directly at (954) 565-2345 Outings & Adventures strives to provide as accurate information as possible. Information contained within this brochure is subject to change. (updated 9.25.18)