Bike and Boat tour - From Berlin to Stralsund, on MS Princess
What could be better than sitting on the sun deck and enjoying the magnificent view of the countryside slowly passing by. From the daily bike rides, you will get close to the local culture and nature, and experience the varied flora and fauna that adorn these unique river landscapes - as well as enjoy the diverse architecture from Baroque castles to North German seaside resorts.
From the big city of Berlin with its vast forests in the north, you'll first sail to Schwedt on the Oder-Havel canal, passing Oranienburg and Eberswalde. The peaceful, unique beauty of the Oder landscape follows you as you sail towards Pomerania and the Polish town of Settin (Szczecin). Here you will find the beautiful 15th century castle of the Dukes of Pomerania. Then the river takes you along the unique Bodden coast through Usedom to Germany's largest island, Rügen, with its famous chalk cliffs. The old port and Hanseatic city of Stralsund is the tour's destination.
More about the route
The tour is a category 1 and you cycle along car-free paths, country roads with little traffic and paved cycle paths. There will also be stretches on dusty farm tracks and gravel roads, with a few short stretches along main roads. These are cycle routes that invite you to enjoy the surroundings at a leisurely pace. The routes are mostly flat with some hilly sections. However, there will be a few steep climbs and descents along the way.
It is always possible to skip a bike leg and stay on the boat instead.
Note: This tour is described from Berlin to Stralsund, but every two weeks the boat sails in the opposite direction.
You can read more specifically about this under our practical information, further down the page.
Highlights of the trip
- A trip via the Oder Canal from Berlin to the Baltic Sea and Stralsund
- Baroque castle in Oranienburg
- The Finow Canal to Eberswalde with the oldest working lock in Germany.
- The green Polish city of Stettin (Szczecin) at the mouth of the Oder
- Cycling on the Baltic island of Usedom
- Cycling on the island of Rügen
- The beautiful circular square in Putbus
- Via the Rügen dam to Stralsund
- Well-chosen cycling routes, balancing culture and nature.
- A cycling tour for the hobby cyclist who enjoys the tranquillity of MS Princess (your floating hotel) accompanying you throughout the tour - and the freedom of choice in participating in the individual cycling stages.
Great things about this tour
MS Princess
MS Princess can accommodate a total of 102 passengers and with its tastefully decorated cabins, it is perfect for bicycle cruises. Alongside the Oder, you will experience a comprehensive service with a spacious restaurant serving delicious meals to passengers. There is also a bar with a viewing lounge and a small shop on board.
Entertaining evenings are guaranteed on board, with cosy after-dinner events.
Cabins
MS Princess has a total of 49 comfortable outside cabins, 42 of which are 2-berth cabins on the main deck. Of these, 4 cabins can also be used by three people on request.
The other seven 2-berth cabins are located on the upper deck.
All cabins are equipped with shower, toilet, hairdryer, satellite TV, safe (extra charge) and centrally controlled air conditioning. The size of the cabins is approximately 10 square metres on both the main and upper decks.
The two separate beds can be turned up to form a small sofa area during the day.
Neither the windows on the main deck nor the upper deck can be opened
Common areas
On the riverboat there is a bright and elegantly decorated restaurant where all passengers are served breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also a cosy viewing lounge with bar on board. In addition, the MS Princess offers a partially covered sundeck for relaxation. This is also where the bicycles are stored when sailing.
All decks, including the sundeck, can be reached by a small lift in addition to the stairs. The stairs on board are very steep and the lift has a maximum capacity of 100 kg.
Technical information
Thanks to its narrow dimensions, the comfortable MS PRINCESS is the ideal boat for cruises on the Oder River
- 102 berths
- 49 double cabins of which 4 have the possibility of a third bed of max 70 kg.
- Crew of 10 persons
- 2 decks + sundeck.
- Length 80 meters
- Beam 9.5 metres
- Depth below waterline 1.3 metres
Photo gallery from the tour
Here you can see more pictures from the boat and beautiful landscape along the Oder.
See more pictures »
Itinerary See all daysClose all days
Individual arrival in Berlin. Boarding will be at 16:00.
Berlin is always worth a trip. Perhaps you have some time and inclination to take a stroll on Kurfürstendamm, or a walk through the Nicolai quarter on the Spree island, or take a look at the Brandenburg Gate. Only your own time limits the possibilities for experiences in Berlin.
The well-marked cycle route winds its way north from Berlin to Oranienburg. A must-see here is the Baroque castle with park, museum and orangery. You board the ship again and sail to Eberswalde. In the heart of the city, in the Finow Canal, is the oldest working lock in Germany, which has been a technical monument since 1978.
Cycling distance: approx. 38 km
First you cycle through the stunning landscape on the Treidel cycle route along the Finow Canal, past forests, glades and small hills towards Niederfinow to Hohensaaten. Here you board the MS Princess again and sail to Schwedt. If you feel up to it, it is also possible to continue by bike and thus cycle another 32 km.
Cycling distance: approx. 32 - 64 km
Today you'll cycle through part of a unique nature reserve that straddles the border between Germany and Poland: The National Park of the "Lower Oder Valley". Then you cycle on to Gartz and Mescherin, where you board the boat again. You to the Polish city of Stettin (Szczecin), the green city at the mouth of the Oder River and one of the largest ports on the Baltic Sea. Szczecin was bombed during World War II, but the reconstructed castle of the Dukes of Pomerania, located in the city's historic centre, is worth seeing, as is the atmospheric harbour promenade - Waly Chrobrego, on the embankment of the Oder.
Cycling distance: approx. 30 km
This day is a well-deserved rest day, which you spend on board.
After a last narrow passage, the boat sails out into the open water of Szczecin Bay (Oder lagoon). After the crossing you reach Wolgast, which connects the island of Usedom to the mainland. Here the historic medieval centre with the town hall and St. Peter's Church are interesting sights.
In the morning cycling on the island of Usedom, via Zecherin and Karlshagen to Peenemünde. Here, an experience tip is to visit the historical/technical museum in the former power plant. When the weather is good, you can cycle the "beach route" via Trassenheide and Zinnowitz as an alternative. In Peenemünde, you board the ship again and at around 18.00 you sail to Lauterbach, situated on the south-eastern part of the island of Rügen (arrival around 21.00).
Cycling distance: approx. 15km
Today you should not miss a visit to the nearby town of Putbus (about 2 km) with its well-known "circus" of classic white buildings situated along this circular "square" where all the streets meet.
Your cycling tour on Rügen this day also leads through Garz, and the old manor village of Groß Schoritz. You cycle via the villages of Poseritz and Gustow with its famous village church over the Rügen dam to Stralsund, where the boat meets you. As the historic port and trading town Stralsund is, a stroll will take you past many beautiful sights in the historic centre, which is surrounded by water.
Cycling distance: approx. 48 km
After breakfast you will disembark at 9.00.
From there you can go home or continue on your own.
Price includes
- 7 nights in outside cabins with private bathroom in the reserved cabin category
- Full board: 7 x breakfast buffet, 6 x lunch/packed lunch, 6 x afternoon coffee or tea, 7x 3-course dinner
- Welcome drink
- Daily information meeting on the day's cycle stage
- Daily cleaning of cabins
- Bed linen and towels
- Carefully elaborated route descriptions maps and other materials
- Access to the route in our GPS-app which works offline while you walk
- English- and German-speaking guide on board
- All port, lock, bridge and passenger fees
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transportation to/from Germany
- Handling fee (€20)
- Possible entrance to museums etc.
- City maps of the individual cities
- Possible ferry tickets
- Tips
- Drinks on board
- optional: Bike rental, including bike insurance
Practical info
It is possible to travel alone and stay in a double room on this trip. If you wish this, it can be selected on the booking form.
All departures require a minimum of 70 guests to depart. Departures are cancelled at least 21 days before departure (this almost never happens).
This tour runs from Saturday to Saturday, with the first departure on 13 May, and the last departure on 16 September. First and last departure is from Berlin.
NOTE - This description covers the trip from Berlin to Stralsund. However, every other week the trip goes in the opposite direction - from Stralsund to Berlin.
There will be slight variations that make more sense when the trip is arranged in the opposite direction, but for the most part the experiences will be the same, in a different order.
On the booking form there will be a checkbox - indicating which route you are booking.
The days of the trip from Stralsund to Berlin look like this in headlines:
Day 1 - Arrival in Stralsund - boarding at 16.00
Day 2 - Stralsund - Lauterbach - Peenemünde - cycling stage approx. 48km
Day 3 - Peenemünde - Wolgast - cycling stage approx. 16-20km
Day 4 - Wolgast - Szczecin (Settin) - relaxation day on board
Day 5 - Szczecin - Mescherin - Schwedt - cycling stage approx. 30 km
Day 6 - Schwedt - Hohensaaten - Eberswalde - cycling stage approx. 32km
Day 7 - Eberswalde - Oranienburg - Berlin - cycling stage approx. 38 km
Day 8 - Departure from Berlin - disembarkation before 09.00
Overview of the 2024 departures
Departures Stralsund:
May 11th
May 25th
June 08th
June 22nd
July 06th
July 20th
August 03rd
August 17th
August 31st
Departures Berlin:
May 18th
June 01st
June 15th
June 29th
July 13th
July 27th
August 10th
August 24th
September 07th
On all our cycling holidays it is possible bring your own bike but it also possible to rent a bike for the tour. The bikes you can rent are all perfectly suited for the tour and the local terrain and all bikes are perfectly maintained. If you want to rent a bike on your holiday, then you select this on the booking form where you can also see the price. Remember to write your height in the message field when you book so that we know which size bike you need.
PHOTOS OF THE BIKES ARE BELOW THIS TEXT
On this tour it is possible to rent the following bikes:
- Unisex 7-gear bike – with free wheel
- Unisex 7-gear bike – with back pedal breaks
- Unisex ebike – with backpedal breaks
Equipment included in the bike rental:
- Saddle bag (water repellent)
- Handlebar bag (water repellent)
- Service-set with tools and extra bicycle tube
- Combination lock
Roadside assistance
All bikes are equipped with puncture resistant tyres which means that it is virtually impossible to puncture. No rule without exceptions, so should you experience a punctured tyre then you can quickly fix it by using the tools in the service-set. If the damage is greater than a simply puncture then you simply call us and we make sure that your bike is fixed or you will be supplied with a new bike as quickly as possible.
Insurance is included
Insurance against theft and damages are included in the bike rental. Should you have any problems of this nature then all you have to do is to let us know and we will supply a new bike as quickly as possible. Naturally, careless or mischievous behavior is exempt from this.
Unisex 7-gear bike – with free wheel / Unisex 7-gear bike – with back pedal breaks
Unisex ebike – with backpedal breaks
Due to the limited storage space on the sundeck, it is only possible to bring your own bike on request and only limited space is available.
It is also important to be aware that your bikes will be packed tightly with the rental bikes during sailing, with no possibility of extraordinary gentle handling.
It is not compulsory to wear a helmet in Germany and Poland, but at Bering Travel we ALWAYS recommend that you wear a helmet and that you bring your own - so you know it fits. (no onboard selling).
Transportation to/from Berlin is not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
It works like this:
- You book your chosen holiday with us
- We confirm your holiday (usually within 2-5 working days)
- You arrange your transportation
Getting there
Here is a link for the perfect tool which will help you get an overview of how to get to the starting point of the tour: Rome2Rio
On this trip you stay overnight on the boat. The price on this page is based on cabins on the main deck, but on the booking form you can choose to upgrade to cabins on the upper deck. Cabins are approximately 10 square metres and have en-suite facilities.
All meals are included in the price of the trip. This means:
7x Breakfast
6x lunch packed lunch
6x Afternoon coffee or tea
7x Evening meals (3-course menus)
Special requests for meals, e.g. dietary or vegetarian food can be accommodated by arrangement.
All drinks must be paid for on board.
- For a stress-free start to your trip, it is recommended to arrive at the starting point early in the evening of the day before. The individual return journey will take place on the last day of the trip.
- The indicated cycling distance is an approximation and may differ from the actual distance.
- This journey is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
- Further important information about your trip by bike and boat:
- There is always the possibility of changes to the schedule and programme. In the event of extremely high or low water levels, the shipping company reserves the right to bridge parts of the route with a bus or to cancel the trip at short notice without liability (water level is force majeure). The same applies in the case of officially arranged lock and/or bridge repairs not previously announced or in the case of engine damage not caused by the fault of the ship.
- Also be aware that your riverboat is both your "holiday hotel" and a working machine, constantly moving with engine power, even at night (sometimes with lock and bridge passengers and consequent ejection and retraction of structures). Particularly noise-sensitive guests are advised to bring earplugs. Lock passages are particularly associated with noise nuisance - it is the same on all boat trips - and unfortunately cannot be changed!
- Please note that storage space in the cabin is very limited. In your luggage you should pack good rainwear (jacket and trousers), a helmet, sun hat and sun cream and sports shoes.
Tips are not included in the price.
It is customary to tip the crew of the riverboat at the end of the trip. The level is about 5€ from each participant. per day. On a trip like this of 7 days duration, about 35€ per person would be appropriate.
There will typically be an envelope in the cabin for this purpose, or information will be provided to this effect at the end of the trip.
It can be hard to plan your trip according to the weather, but to give an idea of the local climate, you can see the data below:
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We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. This covers you regardless of your nationality. Read more about that here.
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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