tour reports » Germany: A blast to the B500. Advice?

What time are you off the ferry? 8am and the 400+ miles will be easy. 2pm, not so much. Google maps says 357 by Autobahn.

If you want to break the journey then Koblenz is about half way. Go a few km west to one of the villages on the Mosel. Cochem is popular. Maybe pick a route through some scenery such as the Saarland and Northern Vosges through Bitche? It's a holiday not a schlep on motorways.

Baden Baden is a pretty expensive, spa town so budget accordingly. I'm near there in a couple of weeks but staying in Buhlertal, very close to the B500 and suits my wallet better.

As for the B500, much of it has a low speed limit so admire the views but go on other roads to get a few more thrills. There are so many of them. In September, it might be wet so be flexible. Often, you can cross the Rhine into the Vosges mountains in Alsace and find a totally different weather system. Alsace is much drier than the Black Forest, in fact, possibly the driest region in France.

Some roads in the Black forest are closed to motorcycles at weekends so plan to be there from Monday. I'm there for 3 nights Tues PM to Fri AM. The road from Freiberg im Breisgau to Todtnau over Shauinsland is fantastic but one of those closed at weekends.

Rothenburg is 150 miles from Baden Baden - are you including it on the way to or from the ferry as it would be a long day trip?

Covid: You will need to have had a booster jab to get into the EU. Best to print the NHS certificate. Check this page closer to the date https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany - currently masks to be worn in shops etc. Note, Germany is Federal so different rules might apply in different regions, just like the UK.

Just back from Buhlertal near Baden Baden. About 15km from the B500.

Our hotel, Gasthaus Adler http://hotel-adler-buehlertal.de/ was great. Family run and very welcoming. Rooms were spotless and great. Food was plentiful and of a high standard. We stayed 3 nights and had one night out away from the hotel in an excellent Greek restaurant serving gyros.

We rode up to the B500 just south of Baden Baden, through vineyards, to find the road had a 50kph (31mph) speed limit all the way to Mummelsee. Really rather tiresome and it did not feel safe taking the bends at such slow speeds. There was a police speed trap between Mummelsee and the B28 junction. They were all over a large truck. We turned off at this junction and rode back via lesser L roads. The following day we went east of the B500 trying to stick with L roads that largely have 100kph limits except in villages.

The Black Forest is a lovely, very scenic area. Ride to enjoy the views and not take the piss with local laws and you will have a nice time.