Human Powered Transport – Skatepacking from Cologne to Cote D'Azur

Moving freely to enable others to move freely

The Route

From Cologne to Cote D’Azur

1.300+ km pls on Wheels

The route

I’ll be starting in Cologne, a place I like to call home, and will continue my journey alongside the Rhine and the Rhone on Skates until Avignon. In Avignon, I’ll choose to either continue to Montpellier oder Marseille to dip my probably dying feet into the blue water of the Cote D’Azur.

So far, I’m planning to spend around 35 days on the road, rolling for about 30 – 50 km per day. We’ll see how that will go and where it will lead me 🙂

from cologne to cote D’azur

The Itinery

From Cologne to Cote D’Azur – A brief shedule

Finding the right route

It was hard to find a route which properly fits Skatepacking. Mainly, cause, there is none. Even Komoot believes, Inlineskating does not exist. Not even speaking about Skatepacking.

I do love Komoot, but the love doesn’t seem to be bidirectional – yet. I could go hiking, running and choose any kind of bicycle, but Inline Skating still seems to be too niche to be added to the elitist choice of transport. For planning my route, I have decided to orientate myself with racing cyclists, since they suffer to a similar level of uneven roads and pebble stones.

For the route and destination itself though, it was clear, I needed to go somewhere rather dry. I can’t do Scotland or England, the risks are too high to slip and fall and only make around 10km a day instead of the planned 30-50km. For the same reasons, Northern Germany or the Baltics dropped out for the first attempt of Long distance Inline Skating. So, going South it is.

Finding the right destination

I’ve lived in Barcelona about 15 years ago and still love the city a lot. Back then, I flew down cheaply with GermanWings. Now I thought, I could just return to Barcelona – on Skates. Barcelona is meant to be a capital for Skating anyways and I’ve let ChatGPT design a route for me.

Start = SignCafé Cologne, Destination = Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.

I’m not sure yet, but I have a suspicion that ChatGPT adjusts its tone and language to the user. In my case, it’s soft, but enthusiastic. ChatGPT was sure, the idea is great and in one month, I’ll be slurping my Tinto de Verano in the sun right next to Sagrada Familia.

Finding a realistic destination

However, the more concrete I got about my plans, the closer I got to mapping out my route, and, the more absurd it seemed to me to go straight to Barcelona. Placing the route into Komoot instead of ChatGPT, opened my eyes about taking 30 days to mid/south France and by far not having had a single Spanish tapas yet at that stage. I have adapted my plans and aim to go to Cote D’Azur instead.

“From Cologne to Cote D’Azur” – I’ve liked the tone of the idea while, at the same time, the route seems chill. It will lead me alongside rivers and seems to be rather flat. I’ve managed to surpass Switzerland – being scared of the mountains for obvious reasons.

And that’s how the dream has started – Skating from Cologne to Cote D’Azur:

Itinerary

First Stage – Going down the Rhine

  • Day 1 – Köln to Bonn (52km)
  • Day 2 – Bonn to Koblenz (52km)
  • Day 3 – Koblenz to Lorelystadt (39km)
  • Day 4 – Lorelystadt to Rüdesheim (30km)
  • Day 5 – Rüdesheim to Mainz (30km)
  • Day 6 – Mainz to Worms (57km)
  • Day 7 – Worms to Au (32km)

After going down the Rhine, I think, I’ll deserve a break.

Second Stage – Crossing Boarder to France

  • Day 9 – Au to Rülzheim (42km)
  • Day 10 – Rülzheim to Karlsruhe (28km)
  • Day 11 – Karlsruhe to Söllingen (40km)
  • Day 12 – Söllingen to Straßburg (36km)

2 Day Break in Straßbourg

Third Stage – Long, heavy days in France

  • Day 15 – Straßburg to Schönau (46km)
  • Day 16 – Schönau to Colmar (31 km)
  • Day 17 – Colmar to Mulhouse (60 km)
  • Day 18 – Mulhouse to XX (56 km)
  • Day 19 – XXX to Montbéliard (40 km)
  • Day 20 – Montbéliard to XX (60 km)
  • Day 21 – XX to Besancon (45 km)

Taking a well deserved break in Besancon

Fourth Stage – Getting close to Pont Du Gard

  • Day 22 – Besancon to Dole
  • Day 23 – Dole to Seurre
  • Day 24 – Seurre to Chalon-sur-Saone
  • Day 25 – Chalor-sur-Saone to Tournus
  • Day 26 – Tournus to Macon
  • Day 27 – Macon to Villefranche-sur-Saone

Fifth Stage – To be kept open (Another 100+ km to the sea)

Having spent a month preplanned is already quite an achievement for an adventure. I’ve decided to let the past few 100 kms open and then either dip my feet into the Cote D’Azur in Marseille or Montpellier.