Bacharach/to St. Goar/Rheinfels in 1/2 day

we did something similar. stayed at Bacharach, caught the boat to St Goar ,( there is a manned ticket office near the river, very easy) then caught the train back ( from the train station, once again not difficult. there was a ticket machine at the station)
can you leave your luggage at the hostel?
the train stations ( and towns) are only very small etc so don't expect lots of places to leave luggage etc.

hope this helps.

"Does anyone have advice about best way to do this?"

The only hostel in Bacharach is high on the cliffside - Burg Stahleck - around 500 stair-steps from town - so you'd likely need to taxi up there with your bags if you choose to stop there first - then perhaps again when you return after your cruise and Rheinfels.

There is no luggage storage in St. Goar. However, you may be able to leave bags there with the tourist office if they're open when you need them to be.

The other problem is time. You're looking at a train ride of 7-8 hours. If you get off and mess around in Bacharach there won't be much time. You need to go straight to St. Goar before Rheinfels closes (not sure what time that is since you haven't provided a travel date) and get a tour in. Even then, I kinda don't think you'll catch that very last boat of the day (17:20) from St. Goar to Bacharach.

The best way to do this is to stay in St. Goar, not Bacharach. Rheinfels is in St. Goar. The best cruise for spotting castles and general scenery is Bingen - St. Goar (1.5 hours.) So I suggest that from Salzburg you take the train to Bingen (which you pass through anyway on the way north) and catch the cruise boat there (14:30) to St. Goar (15:55; this way, your first view of the valley is from the boat, not from the train tracks.) You will need to leave early from Salzburg. Drop bags at your St. Goar room, see Rheinfels. To see Bacharach once you're done with Rheinfels just board a southbound train to Bacharach ( it's only 10 minutes by train from St. Goar.)

Room options in St. Goar

I stayed at this little apartment right in town for a few days a few years ago. Quite good for €30/night. St. Goar is a nice little town with a cluster of cafes and restaurants on the "main drag" - a pedestrians-only street that is just steps from the boat dock and the train station. It's super-easy to negotiate on foot.

Are you just there for one night?
You could see if the Bacharach tourist office can hold your luggage. email them. they respond quickly to email.

THANK YOU! to all for you thoughts and advice. I need to get my train tickets and then I can make final plans for May. We are only able to carve out 1/2 day there since we are just sneaking in this part of the trip as we are moving from Austria for the first 1/2 to France for the 2nd 1/2. But something is better than nothing.

I do like the idea of taking the train to Bingen and taking boat to St. Goar. Even if we can't find a place to take our luggage so that we could make a quick run through Rhinefels, we could then take a train or boat back to Bacharach. We would of at least seen the river and castles from a far. Then we could enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening in Bacharach where we have already made arrangements for accommodations.

I do wonder if you could help me with train info...I am watching train tickets/routes. It appears that some less expensive routes may not open up until we get a bit closer. We will be traveling through on May 19. The prices are very high when I look now for that date, but there are lower prices in March. So I suspect some of the regional routes will open up as we get closer. Do you have any advice on cheaper train tickets and time frame when routes are open and "bookable"? (We are traveling from Salzburg to the area on May 19 and then to Paris on May 20) Thank you for any advice that you might have.

"It appears that some less expensive routes may not open up until we get a bit closer. "

That's not how it works. Prices for saver fares rise as tickets sell. The closer you get, the more you pay.

"We will be traveling through on May 19. The prices are very high when I look now for that date, but there are lower prices in March. "

The date/time you're looking at in May is selling more quickly than the date/time you're looking at in March.

"Do you have any advice on cheaper train tickets..."

The DB train schedule shows you'll need to leave Salzburg by around 7 am to get to Bingen (14:04) in time for a cruise at 14:30 and then see Rheinfels before closing. The 7:03 departure gets you to Bingen at 14:04 and the current price is €48/2 adults! A full-price ticket would be €208 so while some of the other trips are more expensive, the one you need seems incredibly reasonable.

It is POSSIBLE that a German rail pass would suit your needs better - cost conscious and very flexible - and it's valid for train trips from/to Salzburg - and it's valid on some routes outside Germany as well - but I have no information on the OTHER train trips you're taking during your stay in Europe. I did read one of your other posts saying you'll be in Rothenburg. So I'm guessing you have at least 2 major trips within Germany... If you care to post your other plans, we could help you consider this option instead of the above saver fare.

Russ- Thank you so much for explaining to me about the train tickets. Rothenberg was last year - we are not going to Germany this year except for this part of the trip - Going from Salzburg on May 19 and from Bacharach to Paris on May 20. We have all other transportation, but I need to get these booked... and it is more urgent now that I understand about the train prices.

I was slightly confused when you said the price for "€48/2 adults"- Is that the price for the boat to St. Goar or for the train? For the train, I see the 7:03 (with 5 transfers) that arrives at 14:26 on DB website for 29€ per person. Am I missing something? Am I looking at the wrong thing? If there are train tickets for €48/2 adults, I would be very grateful if you could give me more details on how to find that ticket. I will get immediately!

I was thinking I could just buy my boat ticket at the pier.

I am very appreciative of your help!

Russ - one more question... Which train stop in Bingen is most convenient to the boat dock? I believe Bingen-Rudesheimer Boat connection is the one I want. Looks like it is nearest to Bingen (Rhein)Stadt in stead of Bingen Hpf?

"For the train, I see the 7:03 (with 5 transfers) that arrives at 14:26 on DB website for 29€ per person. Am I missing something? Am I looking at the wrong thing? If there are train tickets for €48/2 adults, I would be very grateful if you could give me more details on how to find that ticket. I will get immediately!"

The 7:03 I'm looking at right now to Bingen Rhein Hbf has 4 transfers (Freilassing, Munich, Mühldorf, and Stuttgart) and arrives in Bacharach at 14:04. Make sure you haven't entered any stopover stations. You should get the same. You can walk to the KD dock from either station within 10-20 minutes. Your train schedule is for Bingen Rhein Stadt - that adds a train and would make you LATE for the 14:30 boat.

To get the €48 price, enter TWO ADULTS traveling.

Buy thoughtfully, not hastily. You are squeezing your time like crazy. There's a chance one of your trains will be late. If so, perhaps you would need to use to reach the train to reach St. Goar for Rheinfels and do the cruise the next morning. What's your time like the next morning? Would that even be possible?

OR... There's a €48 trip the day before leaving Salzburg 17:15 and arriving Bingen Hbf 00:06. Could you do that? You'd cancel your last night in Salzburg, stay in Bingen 1 night (then in Bacharach as scheduled a 2nd night...) stay at the NH Bingen, right on the waterfront near the KD dock? It's an awesome location with a great buffet breakfast. Then you'd have a decent amount of time on the Rhine - a full day.

OR one additional option... Buy a Salzburg-Bingen saver fare ticket for 5/18 and schedule a 9-hour stopover in Mainz... Leave Munich 17:15, just one change of train in Munich, arrive Mainz 23:30. Sleep there, then travel (9:03) to Bingen (9:34) the next day for your cruise (10:30), eventually overnighting in Bacharach as scheduled. Ticket for two is €48 currently and gets you all the way to Bingen.

Russ-Thanks again for your extremely helpful response. You have given me some great advice and thoughts. I really like the idea of leaving the night before as you suggested. I was worried about all the connections running late as well on Friday am. I am very grateful for the time and effort you have given me with this info. I wanted to squeeze this in because I have always wanted to see this. I'll have to plan a future trip to do it justice, but it will give us a taste of the region. Blessings to you!

nchill: No problem. Salzburg's main station has lockers for bags on 5/18 if that's more convenient for you.

I like this last plan for sleeping in Mainz better than the one in Bingen. Only one change of train to reach Mainz... But for you to find that schedule I gave you at DB, you will have to go into the connections option - more means of transport - and DESELECT the IC, ICE, EC trains for the Mainz-Bingen segment only. That will bring up the 9:03 train to Bingen.

I have used this overnight-stopover strategy myself a few times. The trick is that to get the saver fare, you must reach your final destination - Bingen in your case - prior to 10:00 am.

Mainz has several good hotel options right near the station including the Königshof.

PS... Deselecting the high-speed trains for Mainz-Bingen on 5/19 will allow you to leave on the 9:03 for Bingen Rhein Stadt also (9:31) for the slightly shorter walk to the dock. AND... if you want to leave at 9:32 from Mainz instead, that should be OK as long as you're using the Bingen Rhein Stadt station (9:59) to get off at. No matter whether your ticket says 9:03 or 9:32, DB doesn't care WHICH local/regional train you use - you just have to travel the same route as ticketed and use it within the period of validity (before 10 am.)

Russ-
Where is connections options? I can't seem to find that.

When I go into the website and select super saver fares, there is a search screen where I put in Salzburg and Bingen into and date, passenger etc. Is there something on that screen?

After I search with this criteria, I see the options and the one you are suggesting. Just not sure how to reset connections for that leg of the trip.

You are a pro at this!

Start here:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

Enter from/to stations (for the overnight stop in Mainz your trip is "to Bingen Rhein Stadt") then dates, hour leaving Salzburg, persons traveling...

Click on "Add intermediate stops" (for the overnight in Mainz) - Via 1 is Mainz. stopover is 9:00 hours

Now to deselect the trains in the case of the Mainz overnight stop... Click on "more means of transport" - under "outward journey"... deselect the high speed trains only for the Mainz-Bingen segment.

Russ,
You have been so much help. I hate to ask you anything else, but here is my issue.

When I used the link you gave me, I could make it work perfectly as you described, except for the fare was 78€ for 2. When I used this link https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml and clicked on "Saver Fare Finder" then proceed through the process, i can get the 48€ for 2 price... but I can't make the change in connection through Mainz. Any advice?

Thanks so much!

With my link, 5/18 at 17:00, 2 adult passengers, stopover of 9 hours in Mainz, I just now got the €48 price again for Salzburg (17:15 - Bingen Rhein Stadt (9:31 on 5/19.) Double check to make sure you have the same information.

Also... this journey begins in Salzburg at 17:15 but because of the tight 8-min. connection in Munich you MIGHT want to leave on the 16:15 from Salzburg instead. Then you have time in Munich for a quick bit to eat as well. You can still book the 17:15 ticket and use the 16:15 train. Like I said, DB won't care because both trains are regional "M" trains.

Russ- Thanks again. I really appreciate all your help. Got my train, hotel and boat tickets and we are set. I feel like we are getting a "bonus" day now. Happy Trails!

nchill: Sorry we didn't get to the cruise in our chat... What you have purchased (I believe) is a 1-way KD cruise boat ticket for St. Goar - Bingen on your travel date, correct? Should be about €20 each online... Note that what you have (I think) is a voucher of sorts for your travel date, not a seat reservation or a schedule guarantee, which I don't think has appeared yet for 2017; you need to re-check the schedule closer to your travel date.

Other readers of this thread should note that pre-purchasing the KD ticket often costs you more. That's because a 20% discount is available on any KD fare at the KD kiosk in Bingen (or wherever you board) for passengers arriving by train for the cruise. When you step up to buy your ticket there, just show the KD agent the train ticket you used to get there with.

The other online-purchase most visitors should avoid is the "KDRhine" day pass at €32, sold by a travel agency online. This pass MIGHT be worthwhile for those who plan to cruise 4 hours or longer - like from Bingen all the way to Braubach or Koblenz (€38.40 full fare at the KD dock.) But even then, if you arrive by train in Bingen, the 20% discount you get when you buy right at the KD kiosk means that same Bingen-Braubach-Koblenz trip costs only €30.70. (BTW, a Bingen-Koblenz cruise passes through some genuinely uninspiring scenery; much better to stick with Bingen-St. Goar at 1.5 hours or Bingen-Boppard at 2.3 hours IMHO.)

Russ- Yes, the ticket price was 20€ and it is for the 10:30 boat. I think it is a ticket for that time. (Hope so!) I was able to get discounts for my daughter and niece as they are both college students. And I am turning 60 and received a 30% discount. So we got our 3 tickets for 34€. I think we are good, but you have given a good warning about the other pass. THANKS again for all of your help. Hopefully your efforts will help other people that look at this thread.