The one guide you need if you want to explore Tübingen by e-bike on a weekend — with a season calendar, train ticket info and an honest take on every route.
Tübingen is one of Germany's best e-bike cities — not just because the town spends EUR 35M on cycling infrastructure (more than double Copenhagen per capita, see our Cycling Report 2026), but because three completely different landscapes are within an hour of the Neckar valley: Black Forest, Swabian Alb and Schönbuch forest. This hub guide sorts the eight most popular weekend routes by difficulty and distance, explains three one-way day trips with train return, and sketches two multi-day tours — one to the Danube and Lake Constance, one along the eastern edge of the Black Forest.
If you only have time for one ride: Neckar valley to Rottenburg (24 km, flat, car-free). If you want the castle view: Hohenzollern route (55 km, 700 m climb, castle visit possible). If you want the forest: Schönbuch tower loop (48 km, 400 m climb, sandy ground).
All eight routes start at the Neckar bridge or the main station — no need to load anything on a roof rack or drive out of town first. We've ridden every tour ourselves, re-measured distances on Komoot, and visited the cafés. Café prices are from June 2026.
One-way riding is the best thing about an e-bike weekend: twice the ground without having to think about the trip back. Baden-Württemberg has a solid train network with bike carriage for it. We picked the three routes below for train comfort and ride quality.
Out: Hohenzollern cycle route with castle visit (see Route 2 above). Back: Hohenzollerische Landesbahn (HzL) from Hechingen station. Journey time 35 minutes, bikes go in the dedicated bike compartment (no reservation needed). Ticket: Regio-Ticket BW single EUR 12.40 + EUR 6.50 bike = EUR 18.90. With a Deutschlandticket, only the bike ticket is required.
Out: Neckar valley cycle path south (Route 8). Back: RE/RB to Tübingen Hbf, journey time 35 min, every 30 minutes. Very relaxed — the route is flat and Horb station sits down by the river. In summer holidays expect full bike compartments at peak times. Note: Mon–Fri 6–9 am bike carriage is restricted in regional trains.
Out: Achalm tour (Route 5) or a more direct ride along the future rapid-cycle corridor via Kirchentellinsfurt. Back: RB to Tübingen, 15 min, half-hourly. Once the planned RS 19 rapid cycle route (see our Cycling Report) is finished, you'll likely skip the train entirely — until then, it's the fastest return option.
| Ticket | Price | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Deutschlandticket | EUR 58/month | All regional trains nationwide, no bike |
| Bike day ticket BW | EUR 6.50 | One bike, one day, all of BW |
| Regio-Ticket BW (1 pers.) | EUR 27.40 | Day ticket person, BW, no bike |
| Regio-Ticket BW + bike | EUR 33.90 | Both combined for 1 person |
Prices June 2026. Source: bwegt.de
If you have two or three days, it's worth crossing the city border. Both tours below are designed around Bett+Bike hotels, which guarantee tools, pumps and power outlets in the room. With an e-bike, 60–80 km per day is comfortable.
Day 1 (75 km): Tübingen → Reutlingen → Münsingen → Riedlingen. Over the Swabian Alb onto the Danube cycle path. Overnight at Hotel Brücke Riedlingen (Bett+Bike, from EUR 89). Day 2 (90 km): Riedlingen → Sigmaringen → Beuron → Tuttlingen. The Danube valley with rock outcrops and monasteries. Overnight in Tuttlingen or push on to Stockach. Day 3 (55 km): Stockach → Lake Constance → Konstanz, then train back to Tübingen (3 h, one change in Singen, bike carriage on the IRE).
Day 1 (75 km): Tübingen → Horb → Freudenstadt. Neckar valley first, then the climb to the Black Forest plateau. +700 m elev. — definitely e-bike territory. Overnight at Hotel Adler Freudenstadt (Bett+Bike, from EUR 95). Day 2 (65 km): Freudenstadt → Bad Wildbad → Calw → Herrenberg station, then the RB back to Tübingen. Short version: take the Black Forest Railway from Freudenstadt straight back on Sunday morning.
The German Cyclists' Federation (ADFC) certifies hotels and guesthouses that offer cyclists secure bike storage, tools and a drying room. Southern Germany has over 1,000 certified properties. Tip: when booking, ask directly whether the room has an e-bike charging socket — many smaller houses only have them at reception.
Which route shines when — based on vegetation, weather statistics (DWD Tübingen, 30-year mean) and our own observations 2024–2026.
| Month | Best routes | Note |
|---|---|---|
| April | Wurmlinger Chapel, Spitzberg | Almond blossom, mild 15 °C |
| May | Spitzberg, Neckar South | Cherry blossom, longest days |
| June | Danube to Lake Constance | 16 h daylight, warm evenings |
| July | Achalm, Hohenzollern | Highland rides — cooler up top |
| August | Kirnbach valley, Schönbuch | Shaded forest, swim stops |
| September | Steinlach valley, Neckar | Orchard harvest, vineyards |
| October | Schönbuch tower loop | Beech leaves turn gold |
| November | Neckar valley only | Other tracks muddy |
A day ride over 30 km needs slightly more prep than a quick old-town shop. What we always carry on weekend rides:
If you ride one or two weekends a year, renting is cheaper and lower-stress — no maintenance, no theft risk, no battery worries after three years. If you commute daily or plan a longer ride every weekend, buying pays off financially from about year three. We do both, honestly: Localinar rents; our sister brand vanmoofer.com sells certified used e-bikes with a warranty.
| Model | Rent (Localinar) | Buy (vanmoofer.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | EUR 0 | from EUR 890 |
| Monthly | from EUR 79 | EUR 0 (after purchase) |
| Maintenance | included | DIY |
| Insurance | included | ~EUR 7/month |
| Theft protection | included | via insurance |
| Battery swap | included | ~EUR 400 after 4 years |
| Cancellable | monthly | — |
Pedelecs (motor to 25 km/h) are bicycles under German law — no licence, no plate, no helmet requirement. S-pedelecs (to 45 km/h) are motor vehicles and banned on most cycle paths. All Localinar rentals are regular pedelecs.
The Neckar valley to Rottenburg, the Schönbuch tower loop and the Steinlach valley are family-friendly (mostly car-free, moderate gradients). Hohenzollern and Achalm include road sections and gradients over 8 % — better from teenage years.
Yes, on all RB/RE/IRE trains in Baden-Württemberg with the Fahrrad-Tagesticket BW (EUR 6.50). On weekdays 6–9 am, S-Bahn carriage is restricted. On IC/ICE: reservation required, only on specific trains.
At Bett+Bike hotels, at Hohenzollern Castle (official e-bike charging point), in many cafés along the Neckar valley and at tourism info points. A full charge takes 3–5 hours.
Neckar valley and Hohenzollern routes are officially signed (red route badges). Local loops aren't always — we recommend Komoot or the Radroutenplaner-BW app.
Not compulsory in Germany — but we strongly recommend one for every tour. Helmet rental is free with the Localinar subscription.
Regio-Ticket BW: EUR 27.40 (person) + EUR 6.50 (bike) = EUR 33.90 for one day. With the Deutschlandticket: only EUR 6.50 for the bike. As of June 2026.
May (cherry blossom), June–July (long days), September (orchards, mild temperatures) and October (beech leaves in the Schönbuch). November–March: only the Neckar valley; other trails are muddy.
With moderate support (Eco/Tour mode) a 500 Wh battery covers 70–100 km on flat ground, 50–70 km with 500 m climbing. The highest setting (Turbo) halves the range. Plan to charge at lunch.
Strongly recommended — decent bikes start at EUR 3,000. The Localinar subscription includes it (theft, vandalism, battery). For your own bike: dedicated bicycle insurance from around EUR 7/month.
Pick a route, rent an e-bike — we handle the rest.
E-bike subscription from EUR 79/month →We don't recommend Tübingen by accident. The town invests EUR 79 per capita in cycling infrastructure — more than double Copenhagen. We wrote up the details in two reports: Radverkehrs-Report 2026 (DE) and Cycling Report 2026 (EN). The heated bridge, the passive-house bike station at the main station, ten bicycle streets — that's the infrastructure our eight routes ride on.