Rick's Germany guidebook suggests 2-day stay in Bacharach after landing in Frankfurt. Makes great sense.
Read in detail of the related section, it seems that the 2-day hotel base is not necessarily in Bacharach. It could be St Goar, or in Koblenz if the 2nd day is for Mosel Valley.
Any advice which city is the easiest base location if day-1 for Rhine Valley and day-2 for Mosel?
Thanks.
Rong
Posted by
San Diego, California
6899 posts
I'd suggest Boppard. It has a nice energy, right on the river, with a KD boat stop, and great rail connections . RS likes Bacharach , but it's tiny and sleepy, good for half a day.
We loved the Hotel Bellevue in Boppard.
Have a great trip!
Posted by
Paradise
7997 posts
Boppard is my recommendation. It's the largest small old-world town in the most scenic part of the Rhine with a wide variety of dining and lodging options, including some on the waterfront, and it shortens the longish daytrip journey up the Mosel River Valley, which would only be longer from Bacharach. All Boppard guests receive a Guest Card for use of the local trains - so your outing up the Mosel is not only shorter but free of charge.
Direct train rides from FRA's Regionalbahnhof station to Boppard are possible with travel time at roughly 1.3 hour on the Regional Express trains.
A Koblenz stay would work fine, but it's a mostly modern city that is short on atmosphere.
https://www.boppard-tourismus.de/media/was-ist-wo-broschu__re_en_190219.pdf
https://www.boppard-tourismus.de/en/accommodation/
With your first day being compromised by travel from the airport, jet lag, etc. I suggest adding a day to your stay in order to have time for a Rhine Cruise, Burg Eltz Castle, Marksburg Castle, a visit to Bacharach/Oberwesel/St Goar (all just south of Boppard) as well as whatever you have planned for the Mosel River.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thanks for the detailed suggestions.
I definitely will follow the leads.
Posted by
Greeley, co, usa
2997 posts
Any of the towns you mentioned will do fine. i’ve stayed in Koblenz twice and Bacharach 6 times ( #7 coming up soon ). I would concentrate on finding an accommodation that meets your requirements.
Posted by
West Michigan
599 posts
We were very happy with the Rhein Hotel in St. Goar. Our room overlooked the river, and very short walk to boat docks.
Posted by
Gator Country
182 posts
I concur with all of the Boppard recommendations and comments. I’ll add a recommendation for the Hotel Gunther Garni ( hotelguenther.de ) located next to the Bellevue Rheinhotel on the riverfront. Hotel Gunther also has riverfront balcony rooms. I’ll be staying there this summer for the 4th time since 2018.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
9226 posts
My first thought is that I would not take the "two days" as a good recommendation for you, especially if you want to include some time on the Mosel. Figure our what is important to see, and allow enough time. For example, If you want a cruise on the Rhine, a visit to a castle or two, explore a few towns along the Rhine, then a couple towns on the Mosel and Burg Eltz, that is more than 2 days
My impression of the three towns:
Boppard is a bit bigger than the others, more restaurants to choose from, and better train connections (as some trains stop in Boppard, but not the other two).
St Goar, I too like the Rhein Hotel, but when I was there in September in 2024, The town looked a bit worn from what I remembered, not many restaurants to choose from, lots of things closed, I decided that another trip would likely be another town.
Bacharach certainly has a charming town center and a few things to see, but it can get quiet in the evening.
Koblenz is functional, more of a regular German city, some charm, but not much. Decent restaurants, good connections.