Train Commute to Trier from Cochen (Moselle)

That's perfectly doable. The railway heading west from Cochem (note spelling) is much less scenic than the other direction as it doesn't follow the river. Don't bother buying tickets in advance as there will be little discount available.

Yes, I agree too that it makes sense to stay in Cochem and take the train to Trier for a day trip. It is about an hour, and you can buy the ticket at the Cochem train station. From the train station in Trier, it is an easy walk to most of the sites. Don't miss the Roman baths! They were a highlight of Trier for me.

Yes, catching the train in the morning to Trier is easy. About an hour sounds right. When you get off the train, the first sight is Porto Negro. It's a great example of a Roman city gate, the best I've seen anywhere. From there you can walk to the other Roman ruins (some of the best outside of Italy), then wander the town and find some food before heading back to Cochem in the afternoon. Trier is a nice little city but most people come for the ruins.

Check out the bahn day pass for groups (laender or schoenes wochende). Your local train (regional bahn) won't be expensive but the pass may still make sense. It's unlimited hop-on and off all day.

The train would be great for an easy daytrip from Cochem to Trier. But you cannot explore much of the Mosel by train, especially the most scenic stretch. For that, you really need a car. However, buses will reach some towns along there and you might be able to cover a long stretch of the river by boat, as some friends did.

Thank you, everyone, for the good confirmation that a day trip is easy. Typo noted. We'll check out the day pass option. We're very interested in the seeing the Roman ruins. BTW, we do have a car and that's what we'll be using along the Rhine and Mosel. Given that we have a car, is it just as easy to drive as it is to take the train? We're not fond of taking a car anywhere near a large city, but if it is easy to locate parking in Trier, perhaps we should go that route. Input?

We found a street space in Trier, but it was just dumb luck. It was clearly painted, halfway-on-the-sidewalk, and a bit scary from Credit-Card Collision Waiver point of view. The streets are parked up like the US, and mostly narrow as a result. There are also time limits for street parking. I may have gone back to pay again or move the cardboard clock-I forget. I think I saw "Spaces Left" numbers for the town lots, but those are probably underground and also narrow-aisled, and more expensive. The drive from Mulheim, relying on the GPS rather rural route, was scenic.

We used the Trier town busses to get back from the Amphitheater, a worthwhile hike. There is plenty to see in Trier, but it was a slight letdown from its' major historical reputation. I mean, in a way, even Cologne has more Roman ruins. And a ruined city, like Italica in Spain or like you see in Portugal or Croatia was more evocative for me.

The car was helpful for seeing Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel-Kues in one day, also from Mulheim. After spending most of the day in T-T, B-K wasn't nearly as much of a draw, so it didn't take long to ignore the souvenier shops in the half-timbered square. The winery turned us away without an appointment.

If you have a car, I wouldn't ditch it to see Trier - unless you just want at least one chance to ride the train.

I generally follow the signs to the Center of town, when I get there I follow signs to Parking rather than worry about finding something on the street.

In Trier, there is a large, parking deck a short walk from the historic center and, ironically, next to the train station.

Thanks again for the additional replies. We'll park the car and train to Trier. Less hassle but good to know there's a good car park.