France vs Germany? No, this is not a football (soccer) match, just some thoughts on these back-to-back tours in neighboring countries. How would I compare them, is this even possible?
The bike rides: France was more difficult (hilly) because it was near the Pyrenees. But the rides were shorter in distance. Germany was flatter going along the rivers but the distances were longer.
There was a difference in the road surfaces. In France, we were almost exclusively on small country roads with good surfaces. Most of the riding in Germany was on bike paths instead of roads. The paths could be concrete, asphalt, pavers, cobblestones, gravel or dirt. The last three of these surfaces are not desirable for cycling, especially when it's raining. And it rained quite a bit in Germany. So France was certainly better in this respect.
The scenery: Mountains or rivers? Which do you prefer? The French scenery was consistent. In Germany our route started on the industrial part of the Rhine which we could have skipped. But the Mosel was the prettiest of all.
Price/value: This is uncanny; both cost $183 per person per day. In France, we had dinner provided 13 of the 15 nights; in Germany, no dinners were provided. However, we had larger and nicer hotel rooms in Germany.
Food: Both very good but I might give preference to the French since I’m not particularly fond of German food. I preferred the French breakfasts (e.g. chocolate croissants) but Brenda is on a gluten-free diet and preferred the German breakfasts.
Technology: I’ve always considered Germany a high-tech country with Deutsche-telecom, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, etc. compared with France’s Peugeot. But the last four German hotels had incredibly terrible internet service. I don’t remember any problems with internet service in France. So Germany is the sure loser here.
WC: Many German toilets charged 0.50 Euro per flush. I don't remember having to pay to pee in France.
Many French hotel rooms had bath tubs, which I prefer and which are better for hand-washing laundry. Not one German hotel room had a tub; some had the smallest shower imaginable.
All in all, I'd go cycling in either country again. And we've discovered a couple of towns we'd like to re-visit, Strasbourg and Trier.
Very insightful commentary on the comparisons, John. Germany's still on our bucket list! Good to get your views. You know, I did have to pay once to pee in a WC in the Dordoyne. A whopping .50E!
ReplyDeleteI wonder, do you have to pay to park in public parking lots in Germany??? We did a lot of that in France. Glad you and Brenda had a great time!