Travel to Germany in Corona situation

[Indurain99]

Hello all, first of all sorry for my post in english, but my Dutch is not fine to be completely comprehensible.

I have planned a travel to Germany in June. I know that the border with the Netherlands is not closed because of Corona, but exist a orange code that only allow necessary travels. Me, my self I was in Germany in some bike routes that I did in May from the Netherlands and I haven't seen any control, at least for bicycles.
I read on this website that German campings open this month of May: https://www.jetcamp.com/en/blog/camping ... us-update/
So, I hope to find the Campings open.
My intention is to arrive to the Alps in Switzerland, but if I have problems because of Corona or any another, I would doing a smaller route. Really I search mountains and wild nature, since in the Netherlands almost don't exist and I really miss the mountains and wild nature of Spain. I read something about the region-state Rhineland Palatinate , it has some hiking trails and bike paths, but I had a look and it seem me small mountains, and I looking for high mountains like Pyrenees or 'Picos de Europe' in Spain, and also combine cyclism and mountaineering.

Anyone know a region with high mountains in Germany more nearby that the Alps?
and Anyone know if is possible doing cycle tourism for Germany without problems the next month of June?
My fear is that police could fine you if you travel to Germany , or return you to the Netherlans if you are caught doing cycletourism in Germany during Corona.

Thank you for any help.
Indurain99.

[Bert van Sprang]

In Duitsland zijn alleen de Alpen hoog genoeg voor jou, denk ik. Buiten de Alpen vind je de hoogste bergen in het Zwarte Woud en het Beierse Woud.

[math]

A few comments :
- Several German Länder (comparable to Spain's Autonomeous Communities) have opened up to Dutch citizens for tourism from May 11. You should check first whether this applies to Spanish citizens too. Each Land is allowed to set its own tourist policy. For NRW, check at https://www.nrw-tourism.com/coronavirus ... oronavirus .
- Overnight stay in hotels is often limited to German citizens. This may apply to campsites too.
- Germany doesn't have high mountains comparable to the Alps. You can find several middle-range mountains, comparable to the Ardennes in Belgium and the Vosges mountains in France, near the Rhein river and in Bavaria. There are a few challenging climbs, but nothing 'wild'.
- For cycling and climbing in high mountains I would look primarily to Austria, e.g. Tyrol, which is bordering Bavaria and is opening up for tourism. See https://www.tyrol.com/information-coronavirus . It is less expensive than Switserland.

[Indurain99]

A few comments :
- Several German Länder (comparable to Spain's Autonomeous Communities) have opened up to Dutch citizens for tourism from May 11. You should check first whether this applies to Spanish citizens too. Each Land is allowed to set its own tourist policy. For NRW, check at https://www.nrw-tourism.com/coronavirus ... oronavirus .
- Overnight stay in hotels is often limited to German citizens. This may apply to campsites too.
- Germany doesn't have high mountains comparable to the Alps. You can find several middle-range mountains, comparable to the Ardennes in Belgium and the Vosges mountains in France, near the Rhein river and in Bavaria. There are a few challenging climbs, but nothing 'wild'.
- For cycling and climbing in high mountains I would look primarily to Austria, e.g. Tyrol, which is bordering Bavaria and is opening up for tourism. See https://www.tyrol.com/information-coronavirus . It is less expensive than Switserland.

Thank you very much for all the information.
Hmm, I had a look a several websites like this: https://www.jetcamp.com/en/blog/camping ... us-update/

It shows updated information about campings open during Corona in all European countries.
About Germany it says: "The map below shows the date on which accommodations (hotels, campsites, holiday parks) may reopen per federal state (Bundesland):
-North Rhine-Westphalia open from 21/5; 
-Rhineland-Palatinate open from 18/5; 
-Saarland open from 17/5; 
-Baden-Württemberg open from 30/5;

They are just the "lands" that I want to cross during my route, the rest of lands in Germany also open all campings in May.
This website talks about campings open for everybody, but it says nothing about restrictions in German campings according nationalities(only Dutch or Germans).
Where did you find this information? On the contrary I have read that this restriction is applicable in France "Travel to France for holiday is not permitted until 15 June." Moreover there are a quarantine of 14 days for non-european citizens arriving to France, one similar restriction is also applicable for all tourists arriving to Spain. But I don't find these kind of restrictions in Germany.
Anyway I will check the website of some German Campings before. When I arrive to Germany it will be around 10-14th June, so I suppose there will be less restrictions than now.

Austria is a little far of my planned route, but Black forest in Baden-Württemberg is a nice place and it is just on the way that I want to doing, so it is a good alternative if I find any kind of problems to arrive to the Alps.

Anyone has been in Germany recently?
Is there any problem to doing cycle tourism there at this moment?

Thank you,
Regards.

[mrboot]

Hi, nice to read this. I'm having the exact same plans. I "need" to go on holiday in June as otherwise I'll lose the holidays i carried over from last year. Though life eh I had arranged OBB Nightjet tickets for an Austria trip in May but was forced to postpone that idea.

I don't have personal experience with cycling in Germany in last months however I have been hearing about people who passed the border by car and bike without issues.

Like you I have also been reading about campings in Germany opening up from May or June. Allegedly there was even some provincial chief who explicitly welcomed Dutch people to visit.

I don't expect many serious problems with a multi day cycling trip there in June. However I may be a bit more flexible than you as I intend on wildcamping.

For mountains, go more south. Black Forest is beautiful, also Eiffel and Vosges areas. Towards the Swiss border, you'll reach the foot of the Alps.

I plan on leaving from Amsterdam, keep going down south as long as my work holiday allows, then take my bike in German trains back to NL.

Let me know if you have more questions, you could also send me a personal message

Ps I am reading now that face masks are compulsory in Germany so that's to prepare for https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... oronavirus

[Indurain99]

Nice to hear your answer.
Yes, I was cycling in Germany a few weeks ago, even in April, and there was no problem to cross the border, but I only did some little routes of 20 kms and after I came back to Netherlands.

And yes, I also will doing wildcamping, but since I planned a long route, sometimes will have to use campings or similars.
The campings open all in May, but I am worried if there is any restriction, in the sense that they are only open for "national tourism", only for Germans, I have still to check on the websites of campings.

That article on The Guardian newspaper is from 1 month ago, and it talks about the obligation of wear masks only on public transports or some public places, in the same way in the Netherlands now, as far as I know there is not obligation in other places.

I would like to shorter my route crossing by France through Vosges mountains and Strasbourg, but French borders are closed until 15 June, and there are much more restrictions for tourism in France than in Germany, maybe it changes the next month.

Regards,
Indurain99.

[math]

I did a brief check on current regulations for tourism in Germany.
There are no border controls between Netherlands and Germany. However, being in Germany as a foreigner you need an important reason ('triftigen Einreisegrund') for being there. There is a list of accepted important reasons, e.g. job, family visit, medical cause, education, visit to property.
See https://www.bundespolizei.de/Web/DE/04A ... 7_faq.html
Tourism is currently not a triftigen Grund : "Insbesondere Einreisen aus touristischen Gründen oder zum Einkaufen sind weiterhin nicht gestattet".
It is expected that these general regulations stay until June 15.

Some Länder, such as Nordrhein Westfalia, are more liberal and tolerate tourism and shopping.
Also in Baden Würtemberg tourist services are opening up. See https://www.kehl.de/stadt/verwaltung/st ... 200307.php.

In the coming weeks regulations are expected to be relaxed step by step, but because of the many authorities involved they may stay confusing or incoherent.

Be aware that German authorities are more strict on rules than in our country. For example, French cross-border workers in Baden Würtemberg were fined for tanking in Germany in April because foreigners were not allowed to enter shops..

[Indurain99]

Sad to hear this.
I checked the official website of German Government: https://www.germany.info/us-en/-/2320738

It seems that there is the same travel restriction in all european countries, until 15 June only necessary travels are allowed, the exceptions are approximately the same that you tell: -travel in Germany to return at your homeland in Europe,
-healthcare workers,
-cross-border workers, etc.

Well, I suppose that I can wait until 15 June, or going slowly and asking in different Campings in North Rhine-Westphalia, the land together Netherlands in order to check if is possible to continue to the South of Germany or come back to the Netherlands.

Doing a smaller route is alway possible. Moreover In my case I could argue the 'valid reason' that I am returning to my homeland in Spain and I cannot to come back through Belgium, because of the big roadblocks and stones in Belgium border (sarcasm).
I still have to ask in German Campings and waiting for your answers/recommendations.

Regards.

[Jurr]

Screenshot_20200528-194215_Gallery.jpg

Niks te beleven in Duitsland. Gewoon weg blijven.

[veldfiets]

You could go to camping in Pfronten, shop in town. Nearby Zugspitze Arena, Fernpass. In this Algau region you can go ahead, come back to this camping every day. Füssen, Schwanstein etc., beautiful. Save for corona because you stay were you are and can find out the save manners. www.veldfiets.nl/blog2019. I don'nt know yet if you can go into the trains, DB, local with bikes 'limited space' available, 5 euro's, Schönes Wochenende Ticket, also exists a ticket for day in the week, cheap, forgot the name, visible as reduction on de DB site. Have a nice and save trip!

[Indurain99]

Thank you @veldfiets for yor recommendations.

Well, at the end, I only did a route until the Black Forest in Germany, the reason was that I carried a lot of weight in my bike, and I really felt me very tired when I arrived until the South of Germany.
It is incredible the big amount of uphills that you find in Germany, between 10-18% of slope average !!. I started my route in the morning and I found 3 or 4 very sloping uphills of 12% average or more. It broke my rhythm for the rest of the day. I am accustomed to cycling with uphills everywhere in Spain but not with this terrible slope above 10% average everywhere! .

I did a surround for Germany in order of not cross France thorough the Vosges, because of the harder Corona restristions at that moment in France comparing with Germany, and that was an error, I did 130 kms more for Germany.
Moreover of the terrible uphills, you can realize that the cycle paths are really only a few and in bad conditions, enter in some big German cities is also an extreme laberint of streets, roads and cycle paths that forced you to lost 2 or 3 hours to exit of there.

On the other hand the Black Forest was very nice, I left the bike in a Camping and did several hikes by the mountains and all was fine.

At the return I went crossing France and it was way better and comfortable! There is a bike path that almost crossing all the Vosges from Strasbourg to Sarreguemines very comfortable and easy to cycling, at least better than Germany. I will try go to the Alps other year with a bycicle of bikepacking and much less weight. hahaha