2023-08-03 07:34:40
Germany mini caravan
This is how cycling holidaymakers camp rain-proof – and in style
Camping holidays by bike are becoming more and more popular. This is possible with a tent, which is not for everyone. Folding out mini caravans for e-bikes are more comfortable. Some German holiday regions already offer such camping trailers for rent.
Status: 09:01 a.m. | Reading time: 4 minutes
By Kira Hanser
responsible editor travel/style/motor
On the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn you can rent bicycle campers for e-bikes
Source: Tourismus-Service Fehmarn/Sina Schweyer
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Biking and camping are forms of travel that have been growing in popularity for years. Both trends together result in a new trend: camping holidays by bike. According to the current cycle tour analysis of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC), a good 4.6 million people decided to travel by bike in 2022. Almost a third of them (29 percent) stayed at campsites.
For the current year, the bicycle club expects a further increase. ADFC spokeswoman Stephanie Krone: “We expect 2023 to be another really strong year for cycling. In the cycle tour analysis, 74 percent of those surveyed said that they would go on holiday by bike again this year. 56 percent of them are planning a cycle tour in Germany.”
The bicycle club has put together 47 so-called quality cycle routes for cycling campers. There is currently a particularly good range of camping along the Danube, Diemel, Ilmtal and Fulda cycle paths.
Mini caravan as an alternative to the tent
Particularly bike-friendly campsites are certified with the “Bett + Bike” label. If you are looking for accommodation away from campsites, there are also classic bed and bike accommodations such as hotels and inns that offer a meadow where spontaneous overnight guests can pitch their tent for the night (route tips: adfc-radtourismus.de).
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But not everyone likes an overnight stay in a tent. When it’s hot, it can get muggy inside like in the greenhouse, when it rains it can be clammy, and then even ants or earwigs can crawl through the smallest gap.
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A bicycle camping trailer is recommended as an alternative for tent phobics. These are mini fold-out caravans specially designed for e-bikes. They could also be described as whimsical hard-shell sleeping boxes with plywood floors and windows.
Bicycle caravans do not need a TÜV
The market leader is the Danish manufacturer Wide Path Camper. When on the move, the Bicycle Camper is 1.50 meters long, when unfolded it is 2.85 meters long and offers a veritable place to stay overnight. With a floor area of 2.8 square meters, there is room for a seating group that can be converted into a 200 x 90 cm bed.
Other providers of bicycle caravans are Crea-Contruct from Bremerhaven with the Scout 970, the manufacturer Maxmess-Design from Wernigerode in the Harz Mountains with the Martha model or the manufacturer’s micro caravan B-Turtle from Austria.
Their prices range from 3500 to 7000 euros. With the camper trailer you can ride both on cycle paths and on roads – just like with a normal bicycle. It does not need a TÜV or permit to be allowed on the road.
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“An unusual new idea as an alternative to the tent,” says ADFC spokeswoman Stephanie Krone. “Anyone who likes to try something new, is traveling alone and has a slightly larger budget could enjoy it. However, you have to start at home and you cannot transport the trailer to your desired destination by train.”
Bicycle camper for rent on the Baltic Sea
But here, too, the first German holiday regions have already reacted. They offer bicycle campers for rent on site, so there is no need to travel with a trailer.
Trendsetter is the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn. The tourism service rents out a mini e-bike caravan that guests and locals can book from May to September.
Small but cozy: In the bicycle camper on Fehmarn you are well protected from the rain
Source: Tourismus-Service Fehmarn/Sina Schweyer
Fehmarn tourism spokeswoman Lina Rotte: “As far as we know, Fehmarn is the only holiday region on the Baltic Sea that has bicycle campers. We are cooperating with the local bike rental company E-Ride, which also provides e-bikes.”
The response from guests to Fehmarn is consistently positive, says Rotte. Depending on the weather, interested parties would often decide to spend the night in a bicycle camper at short notice.
With 300 kilometers of well-developed bike paths, 21 e-bike charging stations and 15 bike rental stations, the island can be easily explored by bike (fehmarn.de).
Campers for rent – or to build
Inland, too, there are the first providers who rent out such bicycle campers. For example in North Rhine-Westphalia in the Münsterland region, a model cycling region with 4,500 kilometers of signposted cycle paths.
The town of Gescher is considered a hub for cyclists; many cycle paths meet here, such as the Flamingo Route or the river cycle paths along the Berkel, Aa and Slinge. Stadtmarketing Gescher has been offering the “Berkel Bed Box” for rent in spring and summer since 2022, a three square meter camp trailer for e-bikes. It has space for a bed. The micro-adventure can be on gescher.app/berkelbedbox be booked, it costs 150 euros for three days.
More tips for cycling tours in Germany:
In the Odenwald you can rent a mini caravan for bikes, with which you can explore the Bergstrasse Nature Park along the Neckar. What makes it so special is that it is one-of-a-kind, made of wood and built on tyres. The rental costs from 43 euros per day in Neckargemünd (bergstrasse-odenwald.de).
Anyone who wants to recreate it can now also book workshops with the inventor Erich Zeller (lebens-pilgern.de).
Tent trailer – WELT is testing the new way of camping
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