Hello again!
Looking for a bit more help as I plan our Rhein Valley stay. After rewatching the Rick Steves Rhein and Mosel Valleys episode I realized I’m equally interested in both regions and I think I had sort of conflated the two. Current plan is to have St Goar be our home base and day trip from there. A few questions:
1) Does it make sense to day trip to the Mosel from the Rhein? We WILL have a car (unless anyone here thinks we should ditch the car entirely.). For example I’m very interested in the mustard mill and we want to hike from Moselkern to Berg Eltz. Is it reasonable to do these activities in a day and go back to St Goar to sleep? Or better to find accommodations closer to Cochem? Also does doing both Mustard Mill and Berg Eltz in a day make sense or would that be a two-day venture? If we were to adjust our plans we could stay in the Mosel that first night, explore the Mosel the following day and then head to St. Goar...thoughts?
2) We are renting a car in Frankfurt - my husband enjoys driving and we've had a lot of fun roadtripping around Europe in the past. That said, I'm starting to wonder if it's truly a waste to have a car in this area given the emphasis on river cruises and ample train service. Any thoughts here are welcome. We tend to enjoy the flexibility a car allows but don't want to waste our money on a rental if it's truly not neccessary.
3) Rhein en Flamen in Oberwesel - worth attending?
Posted by
Greeley, co, usa
2824 posts
I did the Rhine in Flames in St. Goar a few years ago. I enjoyed it. I have done the Mosel as a day trip from Bacharach a couple of times. It’s very doable. I’ve not driven in Germany, only used a bicycle and the train. If your husband enjoys driving, I’d do ir. However for the Rhine in Flames, use the train
Posted by
Paradise
7614 posts
I’m very interested in the mustard mill and we want to hike from Moselkern to Berg Eltz. Is it reasonable to do these activities in a day and go back to St Goar to sleep? Or better to find accommodations closer to Cochem?
With 5 nights I'd want to have 2 nights on the Mosel. It's a nice place to linger. The chairlift and Reichsburg castle in Cochem are both worthwhile (Ignore comments from Rick to the contrary, IMHO.) You may also want to take a 2-hr Mosel River cruise from Cochem to Beilstein and back (1 hr each way.)
As you probably know, your hike to Eltz begins in MOSELKERN. So it could be wise to book in that town. Then just ride the train into Cochem for your time there.
I don't see a compelling reason for renting a car. It could be handy for Eltz, but you plan to walk there.
Alternatively, book in HATZENPORT (DOWNstream from Moselkern; train to Moselkern takes only 4 minutes) or in TREIS-KARDEN (upstream from Moselkern, 7 minutes from Moselkern.) COCHEM is also an option, though the train ride to Moselkern is a little further, probably 20 minutes or so.
Note also that you do not HAVE to walk to Eltz (if it's rainy or too hot) and that HATZENPORT has a direct bus connection to Eltz. Or perhaps you'd walk one way and take the bus back to Hatzenport... if so, then if staying elsewhere, you'd transfer to the train in Hatzenport.
There are day passes that cover trains + buses locally. Also, some of the hosts in these towns offer a Guest card for free train/bus travel (yay for free.)
Where are you staying in St Goar? What are your dates? Hard to help with transport info without this detail... The Hotel Loreley offers the Guest Card there.
List of towns/establishments with Guest card: https://www.vrminfo.de/fileadmin/data_vrminfo/PDF/Gaesteticket/Uebersicht_Gaesteticket_Apr_2025.pdf
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7926 posts
As part of a longer trip we came from Luxembourg and spent a night in Saarburg then drove up the Moselle and spent a night in Senheim. From there we drove up towards Koblenz then down the Rhine and spent a couple nights in Bacharach stopping at Marksburg and Rheinfels castles en route.
On a different trip we came from Trier, spent a night in Cochem, then visited Burg Eltz. From it we drove to Wiesbaden. The Burg Eltz to Wiesbaden day was a long day.
Posted by
Bellingham, WA
1269 posts
I favor a car in Mosel. The driving is easy and fun and gives you flexibility. And unless you're getting something fancy, car rental is inexpensive, bordering on cheap. I was in that area for three nights after arriving SEA-FRA. I couldn't figure out the river/train combos, and I can't say I regret that on such a short trip. With a car, you can stay anywhere, so don't limit yourself to places you've heard of like Cochem. You don't say how long your stay is, so it's hard to advise, but I found the Mosel much more scenic than the Rhein and would prioritize that area. FWIW, we listened along to Rick's audio guide while driving along the Rhein. It's not a GPS-triggered tour (which would have been GREAT to have, so you if you find that, use it!), but it helped. Have a great trip!
Posted by
OP
4 posts
G3rryCee, thank you that's so helpful! We currently have 5 nights in the Rhein but I am thinking we'll change the first two nights to the Mosel.
Posted by
Paradise
7614 posts
The Mosel is very scenic indeed.
https://www.zughalt.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DB11321.jpg
The train is actually an outstanding way to tour the Mosel, IMO, for any who wishes to travel that way. I've done so often. Railway Map of Trier > Koblenz line:
https://i1.wp.com/cityscape-travel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/RPBahn2.png?fit=1024%2C1171&ssl=1
The wine towns along the river are small, so no matter where you stay in town, you will likely be near a station. And wine tasting is always much safer when hopping around from town to town by train.
The only train issue is that lockers along this route are a rarity. Sightseeing in towns as you move from one base to the next is inconvenient. The same is true on the Rhine, which is why I do day trips; my bags stay in my room when I'm out sightseeing/hiking, etc.