Has anyone done this? I read about this in Rick Steve's book but don't know which cruise line to check with on this. Also, should we reserve ahead of time since we have a particular day in mind? Also, we aqre going to stay at a hotel in Mainz that evening of the cruise - so we will need to bring our luggage with.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19273 posts
First thing you should realize is that, although Koblenz to Mainz is down on the map, it is actually up the river, against the current, and very slow.
KD ship line is probably the major carrier in that area. You can find schedules at www.k-d.de. There is only one complete Koblenz-to-Mainz cruise daily. It leaves Koblenz at 11 AM and gets to Mainz at 7:30 PM (8½ hrs). On Mon., Wed., and Sat., you can also leave Koblenz at 9 AM, change to a boat of the Primus Line in Rudesheim at 3:15-3:30, and arrive in Mainz at 6 PM.
I don't think you can reserve trips on K-D.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
I only did the Bacharach to St. Goar section, which is roughly one hour (a little more if you're going up river). I took a local train from Koblenz, caught the boat, then spent the night at a pension in St. Goar.
The boat I've taken is KD line. There are others but they aren't as big or nice as KD.
I haven't done a reservation, just bought my ticket and jumped on. I did miss a boat one day because one of KD's wasn't working and the next boat was full (I got a refund after waiting for the second boat). I don't think that's a common occurance.
Posted by
OP
Antioch, Illinois, United States
29 posts
Brad and Lee:
Thank you. So, can I assume that the K-D Line serves food and drink? Can you bring luggage on board?
Thanks
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
27 posts
If you have a rail pass, just show them the pass and your river cruise will be free. We did use the KD-line downstream from Mainz to St. Goar. And yes, you can bring your luggage and leave them on the deck when you board the boat. Just keep an eye on it from time to time, but it should be safe. Also, you can order food on the boat.
Posted by
Paradise
7050 posts
Susan: I would advise against spending so much time on the boat. Two hours of cruising is about right, maybe a little more or less, but the boats can be hot and crowded. It's MUCH more pleasant to enjoy a short cruise through the best section (maybe between Bingen and St. Goar, which is 2.5 hours north to south or 1.5 hours south to north, and to spend the rest of your time in one or more of the villages. In St. Goar you can tour Rheinfels Castle (ruins); in Braubach, a real medieval castle tour will astound you - Marksburg: www.marksburg.de . From Koblenz, it's only a few minutes by train to Braubach to see this castle. The tourist offices in St. Goar and Braubach will hold your bags for you while you visit their towns (no lockers in the train stations of these smaller towns.)
Posted by
Centennial, CO
189 posts
My wife and I did the KD boat trip two weeks ago between Bacharach and St Goar without a reservation. We rushed to the front and got two chairs on the top- deck. Dorsey
Posted by
OP
Antioch, Illinois, United States
29 posts
Dorsey - I trust you enjoyed it?
Posted by
Eager to return!
37 posts
Susan, my family was on the cruise on Thursday. It was lovely. Our original intention was to ride from Bacharach to St. Goar (40 minutes) but we were enjoying ourselves so much that we continued to Braubach (a little more than 2 hours). The belief that the Rhine between Bacharach and St. Goar is the "best part" means that the deck is more crowded during that portion. If a particular seat is important to you, you might consider getting on at Bingen (I'm not sure how you're traveling, but if you are traveling by train, please note that there are three Bingen stops - ask to see which is best for the boat).
In the end, we cruised from Bacharach (10:15, the earliest, west side of the Rhine) to Braubach (12:20, east side of the Rhine).
At Braubach, we hiked up to see Marksburg Castle(English tours are given at noon and 16:00 - staying on the boat meant that we missed the English tour so we took the German tour instead - for a 5 Euro deposit, we borrowed the English guidebook). The hike is a 20-30 minute moderate hike - if that worries you, take a cab up.
After Braubach, we took a train north to Koblenz (necessary to get on the west side of the river again) and then connected to a train south to St. Goar. We took a cab up to Rheinfels Castle (ruins), arriving just before the 17:00 last entrance. We used Rick's self-guided tour.
I'm not sure that I would advise anyone else to follow our lead - we barely made it to Rheinfels in time, and the climb to Marksburg was difficult for me (but not for my teenagers - I'll admit I'm not in the greatest shape). But it was an incredible day. Incredible.
One more word of advice. Food and drink are available on the boat. Ours had a Subway. When we bought our sandwiches at about 11:30, they were out of every type of meat and cheese except one. I'd suggest you buy early in your trip!