Cycling along the Vennbahn Cycle Route

Trip Report: cYCLING ALONG THE vENNBAHN – SEPTEMBER 2025

It started, as many of my cycling trips do, with a cheap flight. I spotted Ryanair advertising seats from Manchester to Cologne for just £16.99. The catch? A late-night arrival. Where could I squeeze in a short but memorable cycling adventure? The answer was obvious. I had wanted to ride the Vennbahn for years and this was a good opportunity to do so.

The Vennbahn is a scenic 125 km cycle route that threads its way through Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg along a former railway line about an hour away from Cologne Airport. The route is ideal for a short cycle tour in mid-September.

An unexpected Late night flixbus to aachen

My 22:10 flight landed in Cologne just before 1am. Passport control took the best part of an hour—a reminder of the post-Brexit ridiculousness, but I wasn’t in a rush. My plan was to get to Aachen, the starting point of the Vennbahn. At 3am, the slow, suburban train felt a little risky, so I opted for a cramped but reliable Flixbus straight to Aachen for €12 from the airport.

By 4am, I was wandering through a deserted Aachen city centre from the Flixbus stop on the outskirts of the city centre, I finally reached my budget hotel (A&O) near the train station.

Collecting my bike in Aachen

The next morning, it was time to collect my bike. I rented a hybrid bike from the Radstation at Aachen Hbf for the bargain price of €5 (plus 50 euros deposit). With the shop not opening until 10am, I strolled through the historic city first. Aachen has serious history. The city was once Emperor Charlemagne’s capital and its cathedral alone is worth the trip which has crowned the Kings of Germany for over 600 years.

By 10:15, I was cycling past Aachen’s industrial outskirts toward the unassuming entrance of the Vennbahn. The start is hardly glamorous, tucked near Rothe Erde station, but soon the city gave way to rolling countryside.

Riding the Vennbahn Cycle Route towards Belgium

The route was smooth, flat, and well-marked, with plenty of reminders of its railway heritage: abandoned carriages, signal boxes, and snippets of track that run alongside the cycle track.

Crossing into Belgium from Germany

Cycling the Vennbahn feels like pedalling through history and geography at the same time. This path has swapped hands between Germany and Belgium many times over the years due to war and the redrawing of borders, yet today it is a symbol of cross-border unity. You know you’ve crossed into Belgium not through fences or checkpoints, but because the road and cycle signage changes from one style to another.

My original goal was Monschau, a pretty German town about 50 km away from Aachen, but time was against me. The practical downside of cycling along an old railway is that while it’s wonderfully flat for bikes, you can’t help thinking it might have served nicely as a tram line too to get back to Aachen .

Exploring Eastern Belgium

So instead of pushing further south, I peeled off at Raeren in Belgium and headed to Eupen, the capital of Belgium’s German-speaking community in Wallonia. Cycling into Eupen, I noticed the difference immediately: the houses, the irregular styles and the Belgian architectural quirks.

A Change of plans. Onwards to Welkenraedt

My plan was to catch a train back to Aachen, but engineering works forced me to ride another 5 km to Welkenraedt along a busy main road past American style retail parks (thankfully with a cycle path). A quick train journey later and I was back in Aachen ready for the next part of my challenge.

The beauty of Aachen for cyclists is its location. Within an afternoon, you can ride into three countries. So after Belgium, I pointed my wheels towards the Netherlands.

Ticking off Three countries in one day

Cycling through Aachen’s suburbs, I passed the university, the Lindt chocolate factory, and a rather fortress-like hospital complex. Soon enough, I was rolling into Vaals, a small Dutch town that felt different from Aachen despite essentially being a Dutch-speaking suburb of the city.

Cycling between borders brings these contrasts into sharp focus. You’ll see different architecture, hear the change in language, even supermarkets. I stopped at the excellent Dutch chain, Albert Heijn for supplies before heading back to Germany, ticking off my third country of the day.

Relaxing after the cycle ride

After a solid day of cycling of roughly 70 km, not bad for a hybrid bike and a late-night arrival, I returned the bike by 4pm. I wasn’t quite finished with the city though. Aachen rewarded me with two great experiences. I had a relaxing evening at the Carolus Thermen spa then a hearty plate of Nuremberg sausages, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes in a traditional brewery pub.

The weather finally turned, unleashing a biblical downpour and thunderstorm that made me thankful to be off the bike. The next morning, I caught an ICE International train to Cologne, passed through the airport, and flew home to Manchester with Ryanair.

Why you should ride the Vennbahn Cycle Route?

The Vennbahn works well as a day trip or weekend tour, but it truly shines as a week-long cycling holiday. My advice? If you have more time, ride all the way to Luxembourg, or at least plan your day so you can catch the Bike+Bus service back from Monschau. And if you’re detouring to Eupen to the only train station in the area, check those engineering works in advance, especially at weekends!

For me, this was more than just a cheap Ryanair getaway. It was proof of how cycling can turn a short trip into a cross-border adventure.

You can book the full 8 day Vennbahn cycling holiday starting in Maastricht (NL) with Freewheel Holidays here.