Jewels of the Baltic: the islands of Rügen and Usedom

Level 2/5

Easy to moderate
35 to 70km per cycling day. No particular technical difficulties. Mostly on cycle paths, greenways or minor roads. Little elevation gain: a maximum of 100m per day.

You only carry a small bag with your picnic lunch and the things you need for the day. Your luggage is transferred from hotel to hotel: up to 2 bags per person (15 kg maximum per bag). We recommend carrying a change of clothes in your panniers, as your luggage may occasionally arrive late due to rare, unforeseen circumstances, such as traffic jams.

Bookings are available for groups of 2 people or more; solo travellers can also book, but a single room supplement applies.

Depart on a date of your choice, from late April to early October.

8 days / 7 nights

We email you a digital travel pack containing:

• access to our smartphone navigation app,
• a list of your accommodation,
• any vouchers required,
• information about your arrival and how the trip works (practical guide),
• the route guide in French

At your first hotel, you will find:

• your printed vouchers,
• your luggage labels,
• the roadbook in English – useful for the maps it contains.

This is a self-guided holiday, without a guide, so you travel independently throughout your stay.

Accommodation

Category A: 3*+ and 4* hotels or equivalent, in a room for two

Category B: 2* to 3* hotels or guesthouses or equivalent, in a room for two

Rooms

In Germany, double beds with a single large mattress are generally uncommon, as are rooms with 2 twin beds. Usually, there is one bed base with two 90 cm mattresses, and each person has their own duvet. Rooms for 3 usually have an extra bed added; however, the rooms are generally spacious.

Hotel classification

More and more hotels are choosing not to have an official classification, including establishments that were still rated a year or two ago. This does not mean their quality has declined – far from it. If we specify, for example, a comfort level of “3* or equivalent”, this means that the establishment may not have an official rating, but offers a level of comfort comparable to a 3* hotel.

Meals

Breakfast is included. Dinners and lunches are not included, but you will have no trouble finding somewhere to eat along the way. Please note that dinner is often served early. Make sure you keep to the serving times.

Start

On Day 1 in the afternoon in Stralsund.

End

On Day 8 in the early morning on Usedom, in Bansin or Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck.

Bike hire

These are quality German bikes from manufacturers “Kalkhoff” or “Lehmkuhl” (or equivalent, depending on availability), in women’s and men’s models, which should allow you to enjoy your cycling tour without any breakdowns.

The bikes are equipped with a front suspension fork, a soft or gel saddle, a hub dynamo with LED lighting, and a cycle computer (subject to availability).

Equipment:

A 12-litre pannier, a handlebar map holder, a repair kit, a lock and a pump. Electric bikes come with 2 panniers, the battery and charger, and a user manual. FollowMe and trailers are available on request.

Hybrid bike: standard bike: 7 gears, 28 inches, coaster brake. Please let us know if you would like this model.

Hybrid bike without a coaster brake, 7 or 24 gears, 28 inches: this is the model we book for you by default, as French riders are generally less familiar with coaster brakes.

E-bike (on request): an electrically assisted bike. Ideal if you are not entirely confident in your abilities, or if members of your small group have different fitness levels. See below.

Hydraulic brakes. Bosch motor with a 500 Wh, 36 V battery.

Range: up to 140km, assistance up to 25km/h, 7/8 gears, with or without a coaster brake.

Klickfix system on the handlebars.

By plane:

Hamburg Airport

• Connection from Hamburg central station to Stralsund: by train (direct 2h45 or with 1 change 3h30) or by bus (Flixbus)
• Scheduled flights, often direct, or direct low-cost flights; in 2 cases, departing from Paris, Geneva and several regional cities: Lufthansa, Air France, Vueling, Easyjet, Ryanair, etc.

Berlin Airport

• Connection from Berlin central station to Stralsund: by train (direct, 3h10) or by bus (Flixbus)
• Scheduled flights, often direct, or direct low-cost flights; in 2 cases, departing from Paris, Geneva and several regional cities: Lufthansa, Air France, Vueling, Easyjet, Ryanair, etc.

Returning with your own bikes: Transporting your bikes back from Usedom to Stralsund is not included: you will need to make sure you book trains that accept bikes. Please note: connections between trains that accept bikes are not very convenient:

You can bring your own bikes on this tour, but transporting your bikes and personal luggage back makes independent return travel complicated. We accept no responsibility for damage to, theft of, or other incidents involving your own bikes.

RETURN by train from Usedom to Stralsund:
From Bansin Seebad, Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck stations.
Take the regional train towards Züssow; the journey takes approximately 1h10 to 1h30. Get off at Züssow.
Then take the Regional Express towards Stralsund Hbf. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes. Get off at Stralsund central station: Stralsund Hauptbahnhof.

By train:
Stralsund station (from Paris, via Cologne or Mannheim and Berlin).
See the German railways DB website

For any journeys on regional trains and public transport in Germany, consider the Deutschland Ticket, which allows you to travel throughout Germany for 63€ per month. Detailed information here and book here.

By car:
See the ViaMichelin website

Car parking options:

• The InterCity hotel in Stralsund offers a weekly parking pass for 35€ (subject to change, spaces subject to availability on arrival, advance booking not possible, payable on site)
• In the streets around our partner’s office in Stralsund (subject to availability, limited spaces, advance booking not possible, payable on site).
• In the hotel car park (5 to 17€/day; unattended; booking not possible: subject to availability; payable on site).
• Other parking options (free or paid) at: https://www.parkopedia.de/

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, either during a day’s route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame not to make the most of them. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; you therefore swim under your own responsibility and at your own risk. On the German section, there are numerous opportunities to swim at seaside resorts along the Baltic Sea. Remember to bring your swimwear and a towel. The temperature generally ranges between 19°C and 35°C during the proposed travel period.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As members of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector adopt more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we focus on:

• Transparency in our practices and prices
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every one of our trips

We also share the values of the Traveller’s Ethical Charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and make meaningful connections with the people they meet.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has been recognised as a Travelife Partner, an international label that certifies our responsible practices in environmental protection, ethics and sustainable management, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our concrete actions in support of responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainable development policy

Equipment

For cycling

• Short or long cycling shorts, depending on the season
• Cycling gloves
• A helmet
• Sunglasses (to protect against the sun, wind and small flies)
• A windproof jacket
• T-shirts or cycling jerseys
• A handlebar smartphone mount & a power bank
• A water bottle

Note: technical clothing made from synthetic fabrics performs very well. New merino wool clothing is also available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of not retaining perspiration odours (brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.)!
As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you cold when wet.

For protection against the sun and rain

• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat (helmet)
• A windproof jacket
• A rain cape or a Gore-Tex jacket

After exercise

• A jumper or fleece
• Comfortable trousers for walking
• A pair of shorts
• A tracksuit or a change of clothes
• A lightweight, long-sleeved cotton shirt
• A pair of running-style trainers for the evening
• Spare clothes and underwear
• A toiletry bag
• Swimwear
• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, adhesive strapping, paraffin gauze or “2nd skin”, gauze, antiseptic, arnica granules and aspirin for minor aches and injuries …

• - If your bike does not have a pannier, bring a comfortable, small 40l backpack with a waist belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic during the day. If you have a luggage rack, you can secure your bag to it with bungee cords. Rental bikes come with a pannier for your belongings. Bring a small backpack as well; this makes it easy to carry your belongings when you stop to visit somewhere along the way.
  • Luggage to be transported for you: a backpack or travel bag in good condition

Germany
Capital: Berlin

Travel documents

Travellers, including minors, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Health

Bring your European Health Insurance Card, which you should request from your health insurance provider at least 15 days before departure. Health conditions are similar to those in France.

Dialling code for calling France from abroad: 0033

Dialling code for calling Germany: 0049

No time difference from France. GMT +1

A few legends from the Baltic islands…

Klaus Störtebeker (pronounced shtur-teh-bay-ker): Known as the Red Privateer, Klaus Störtebeker was a famous pirate from northern Germany who lived in the 14th century. His name, which means “knock back the tankard” in Low German, deserves a story of its own. The city of Hamburg is said to have tasked Simon Utrecht with capturing him, which he reportedly managed despite the pirate’s attempts to bribe him. According to the accounts, he was either burned or beheaded in 1401. According to the latter version, he was promised that any pirates he could walk past after being beheaded would be pardoned. 11 pirates should therefore have been saved, but the mayor of Hamburg broke his promise. Legend also has it that his ghost still roams the shores of the Baltic Sea, searching for the treasure he is said to have buried on Rügen…

The Königsstuhl : Seen from the sea, it rises 118metres in crumbly rock, battered by sea spray and almost smooth in places. It is said that anyone who dared to climb the cliff and then sit on the stone shaped like a seat would become king of Rügen… (Attempting to climb the cliff is strictly forbidden, as it would prove fatal).

The woman of Watch Rock: At the foot of the Königsstuhl lies an enormous granite boulder, smoothed by erosion, known as Watch Rock. Every 7 years, a beautiful young woman is said to appear at the first light of dawn on 24 June (St John’s Day). Anyone who greets her with the words “Guten Tag, Gott helfe” (“Good day, may God be with you”) would free her from an evil spell. To thank them, she would reveal the location of a treasure. Although less risky than climbing the Königsstuhl, this legend still calls for some practice with your German pronunciation…