Geierlay: Germany’s Longest Suspension Bridge
Opened in only October 2015, Geierlay is Germany’s longest suspension bridge and it a makes for a wonderful day out in the stunning German countryside! The suspension bridge is 360m long and 100m high… do you dare to cross it?!
When I added the town of Mörsdorf into my GPS I felt like I was about to journey through Middle Earth to destroy Frodo’s ring. After a beautiful drive through Rheinland-Pfalz we arrived at the Geierlay visitors center. There is a designated parking area that they want everyone to park in and not find your own spot in the small town. The visitor center is in a modern wood building which inside has a café and bathrooms. There are no bathrooms by the bridge so it would be suggested to use the bathroom before you depart! There is no cost to go on the bridge, the only fee you pay is for your parking which is only 2 euro for the day.
Other requests from the visitors center is that you do not try to drive to the bridge, and only reach it on the paths by walking or bicycle. Also to respect the beautiful landscape and picking up any trash you may make.
Time to head to the bridge! When you walk out to the road there is a sign post pointing to where you start the walk to the bridge.
You turn right on the main road, then you turn on a side road on the left which brings you out to the field. The walk to the bridge is 1,7km and the walkway is paved. I would suggest to bring a stroller or wagon for tiny legs that might get tired or else you will end up like me and have a child on your shoulders on the journey back! Strollers might not fit on the actual bridge but there is an area where you can leave it. The way to the bridge is actually a really beautiful walk!
When you turn the final corner of the path the bridge will be there and it is an amazing site! There is an area where you can sit and enjoy the view or just take a rest.
After we admired the scenery for a little bit, we were ready to walk across. We went on a weekday and there were not many people there that day, so the bridge was pretty much to ourselves!
The only thing surrounding the bridge is untouched, breathtaking forest. Chicken soup for the soul!
Walking on the bridge was very thrilling and I felt safe walking on it. The view was amazing and since we weren’t rushed we had time to take it all in.
They say it takes 6 minutes walking briskly to reach the other side, but with the snow and taking photos it took much longer.
For anyone looking to expand the walk home and make it into a hike in the woods, they have a trail map with all of the routes. There is one hike that you cross the bridge then walk down under the bridge then up to the other side. Sounds fun and we will definitely return to Geierlay this spring!
Address:
Geierlay Visitor Center
Kastellauner Straße 23Kastellaun Straße 23
56290 Mörsdorf56290 Mörsdorf
Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.
6 Down and Dirty Tips on How to Book a Cheap Ryanair Flight
Being a thrifty traveler, I always price out different planes, trains and automobiles. So many of the times you just can’t beat the price of the Ryanair flight. If you are willing to give up a little comfort, then you will save! And to me, saving means more money for more trips!
What comforts are you losing?
You have to walk further to the terminal. But hey, this burns some of the calories that you are about to stuff yer face with on vacation.
You are not called into board the airplane in any order. Have you ever seen a Rugby Scrum?
The seats are harder than normal and they do not recline.
Don’t plan on sleeping unless you can sit through the attendants selling stuff the whole time. Scratch cards, food, duty free and little baggies of hard alcohol.
Nothing is for free. Here you will have to buy your peanuts and tomato juice.
You will walk up and down the attachable stairs to the plane. Also you will either have to walk on the tarmac to the plane or take the bus out to the plane. (Perhaps packed like sardines, but that is normal on those buses.)
The baggage crew throws you your bags from the belly of the plane and you have to scream, "Mine! Mine!" to catch the right one. (Okay that one was a joke people!)
Here are 6 tips how to book a cheap Ryanair flight:
1. Parking: To save money, come very early and park at the parking lot as far away as possible then use their shuttle bus to get to the terminal. The farther away the spot, the cheaper the parking costs.
2. Early Flights: Some flight are ungodly early and then when you add the 2 hours of being there before the flight it is now considered in the middle of the night to some. However these are normally really cheap! For example, out of the 3 flights that they have each day to London, the earliest one is the cheapest. Also to catch these flights and actually catch some zzz's before the flight you can stay right by the airport. Either stay at the airport directly at the terminal at B&B Hotel and roll out of bed into the check-in line. Know that the rooms are small, clean, very basic and the breakfast is expensive. Or you can stay right in town at a guest house and most let you leave your car there and they will drive you to the terminal in the morning. Bless their early waking hearts.
3. Fare Finder: The Fare Finder is a semi-new search option with Ryanair. A few years ago you had to manually check each variable of destinations and dates to find the cheapest flight. I am guessing due to the increasing amount of great flight searching websites like skyscanner, Ryanair had to step up their game. Here you can add your starting point and either chosen destination, or just check out whatever the cheapest flight is. When I had a free weekend, I use to just go to where the cheapest destination was. This is exciting because you really discover new places that you normally wouldn't have chosen.
4. Debit Card: Once you found your cheap flight and you click "book", there are still ways to save. First you receive a discount for selecting to use your debit card vs. your credit card. You save about 1 euro a person. It may not sound like a lot but it all will add up in the end, especially booking for a larger group.
5. Extras: These are options you do not need: Reserved Seats, Checked Baggage and SMS Flight Details. They may look interesting but you will be charged for it. You will be assigned a seat at the airport, so you do not need to reserve one. Pack all of your items into your 10 kilo carry-on and then print your information instead of receiving a SMS. Adding those extras would have made my 33,36 euro roundtrip flight to 95,85 euro. A 62,49 euro difference!
6. Follow the Rules: If you do not read the fine print you will be charged at the airport. Print out your boarding pass after you check-in from home! They will charge you for each page they print. Be there early! You cannot and will not be able to check into your flight any later than 40 mins before your flight is scheduled to take off. Even if it is delayed by an hour and you can see the people waiting on the other side.. you will not get on. Finally, you have to pack light. To save you from throwing away your stuff (seen it/done it) or missing your flight, please pack very light. Think of this Ryanair journey as the new way to 'backpack through Europe'!
To learn more about this airline that we love to hate and then still always fly with them, check out the book: Ryanair: How a Small Irish Airline Conquered Europe.
About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.
