Day cruise from Koblenz to Mainz

My suggestion is that this particular journey would be a waste of your valuable time. Koblenz - Mainz takes nearly 12 hours (this direction forces you to cruise against the current) and includes some dull parts that do not need to be cruised. Standard fare would be about €57 each (KD cruises.)

If you are waking up in Koblenz and want to end up in Mainz that day, try this instead...

• train to Bingen (about 40 minutes)

• cruise boat north to St. Goar (1.5 hours through the most scenic part of the river.) The KD cruise is €16 each w/ a special discount you receive for taking the train to the Bingen. Buy the ticket dockside in Bingen. HERE is a map of this part of the river, where you can catch one of 5 daily Bingen departures.

• train to Mainz (about 60 minutes.)

Altogether this might require about 5 hours including walking and waiting time.

Train ticket - a Rheinland-Pfalz ticket day pass works for the train to Bingen and also for the train to Mainz - buy for €29/2 at Koblenz station:

http://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets/tickets/ticket-offers/rheinland-pfalz-ticket/

With the extra hours you have in your day, you can spend some time in St. Goar (Rheinfels Castle?) or stop over in Bacharach on the way to Mainz for a look around, or spend it in Mainz.

I agree with Russ that you don't want to do the entire Koblenz to Mainz trip by boat. However, you could

train from Koblenz to St Goar - hourly, 25 min, get to St Goar at 55 min after the hour,

take a few hours at Rheinfels,

take the KD from St Goar to Bingen Stadtbahnhof - takes 2:40, boats leave St Goar at 10:20, 12:20, 14:20, 15:20, & 17:20, arr 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 18:00, 20;00, then

train from Bingen Stadt to Mainz - hourly, 28 min, dep at 27 min past the hour. You'll have 27 min for a 10 min walk.

By the way, there is no single boat making the trip from Koblenz to Mainz. And for most of the week and most of the year, there is only one boat going the last bit from Bingen (or Rüdesheim) to Mainz, and that boat starts from Boppard, not Koblenz.

I have almost the exact question. The last day of the KD cruise is 10/22. We only have that one day to get it right. We are staying in Bacharach. Should we drive to Koblenz and get on there? Should we buy our tickets ahead? The price online seems to be twice what i am seeing quoted in the RS Germany guide and from you all as well. The book says the cruises usually have some empty seats.(There are 3 of us). Your experience and advice is really appreciated.

If you read the previous posts you'll see that the recommendations are that you NOT go to Koblenz to get the boat. You could get the boat at Bacharach and go north, which is down stream. Or if you want the whole show, take a train to Bingen Stadtbahnhof and board the boat there and ride it to Boppard, then take the train back to Bacharach. The Rheinland-Pfalz Ticket (34 EUR for 3 people) will make it inexpensive for both the train trip to Bingen as well as the return trip from Boppard, and the ability to hop on and hop off on the way back to visit other towns on the river. A bonus is that the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket also gives a discount for the boat. The boats are large, and for the last day of the season, I don't think there is anything to worry about getting on the boat.

Thank you for the reply to my add-on questions! We are only planning on a portion of the cruise and the information you have given us is very valuable. Thank you!

"I have almost the exact question. The last day of the KD cruise is 10/22. We only have that one day to get it right. "

Not so, KD is not the only cruise company. Bingen-Rüdesheimer operates 3 boats per day at 9:30, 11:15, and 14:30 through the most scenic part (Bingen-St. Goar) through November 5.

http://www.bingen-ruedesheimer.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Loreleyfahrten.png

"We are only planning on a portion of the cruise..."

If you are in Bacharach, getting on the boat there means you miss half of the best part; instead, take the train south to Bingen (€4.40 each from a ticket machine) and take the 1.5 hr. cruise to St. Goar. This particular segment is the one most in demand. Map of this cruise zone:

https://gruppentouristik.com/sites/default/files/anbieter%202/Bingen-R%C3%BCdesheimer%20F%C3%A4hr-%20und%20Schiffahrtsgesellschaft/Rheinlauf.jpg

"Should we drive to Koblenz and get on there?"

(As previously advised don't go to Koblenz.) Driving means you have to go back to pick up the car by train (or boat.) So take the train first - to Bingen.

Bacharach is right in the middle of the target cruise zone. So just catch a second train from St. Goar back to Bingen when you're done there (€3.90 each.)

The two train rides add up to €8.30 each (so you'll pay about €10 less altogether this way than if you buy that Rheinland-Pfalz ticket for 3 suggested by Sam.)

"The price online seems to be twice what i am seeing quoted in the RS Germany guide and from you all as well."

It's hard to read the charts. But I'm guessing that you are reading the WRONG information, probably that stupid KDRhine website again, which tells you you need a KDRhine PASS for €32 (which btw is no good on the Bingen-Rüdesheimer boats.) Ignore that.

Prices are roughly the same for both KD and Bingen-Rüdesheimer.

KD point-to-point fares: Look on the last page below. Bingen-St. Goar is priced at €20; get 20% off by showing your train ticket... any train ticket should work, not only the Rheinland-Pfalz day pass.)
https://www.k-d.com/fileadmin/kataloge/KD_Timetable_intern_2017.pdf

Bingen-Rüdesheimer point-to-point fare for the same trip: €18.90. No train ticked discount. Seniors 60+ get 30% off. I'd give you a link but it's in German and I can't find the English one right now.

To add to Russ' excellent replies, note that the train, local stops included, is many times faster than the boat, in either direction. In any case, you should never ride the KD boat "upstream", or on the Middle Rhine, southward. It wastes time. Depending on your boarding location, be prepared for an unattended rail station, with ticket machines.

If I were sleeping in Bacharach, I would do the boat ride earlier, with no luggage, and end up back at the hotel. But there are too many things to see in the area (all of them accessible by train) to ride the river upstream, back from Boppard to Bachrach. Boppard is a very attractive town, and has a lovely wine cafe across the street from the train station.

Although not everyone agrees, I like Koblenz fine. But I would get there on the train, not the boat. I would coordinate Koblenz with your next destination, whether it's the Mosel valley or Cologne or whatever. We took a car from the Koblenz area to the Mosel.

I like Boppard very much as well - a place I've used as a base town for Rhine and Mosel on separate occasions. You can get there by train from St. Goar in about 12 minutes if you wish to do so after your cruise. As for cruising there from St. Goar... well, that part is a little repetitive of what you've already seen south of St. Goar, and it takes a lot longer than the train, and only the KD boats go there - not the B-R boats.

Another very worthwhile old-world town just 4 train minutes from Bacharach is Oberwesel, just to the north. Lots of nice places to walk there, and the old-town wall is substantial.

http://www.oberwesel.de/en/wandern0/stadtmauerrundweg/

https://www.tourenplaner-rheinland-pfalz.de/en/tour/graded-long-distance-hiking-trail/rheinburgenweg-04.-etappe-oberwesel--st.-goar-sued-nord-/1526949/

Günderodehaus terrace, just north of Oberwesel above the vineyards:
http://www.christiane-geldmacher.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rhein2014-003.jpg

"I like Koblenz fine. But I would get there on the train, not the boat."

Right - and the same applies to Boppard and Oberwesel, IMO, as the boat schedule is skimpy and hopping off your Bingen-St. Goar cruise in Oberwesel - and then back on the boat - is a bit tricky.

Thanks very much for the replies. It's appreciated!

Thanks so much for the help! And thank you, lindirin3251, for asking the original question. This is going to make it so much easier to understand and plan! We will have a car. Does anyone know if there is parking at the train stations?

Bingen-Rüdesheimer point-to-point fare for the same trip: €18.90. No train ticked discount. Seniors 60+ get 30% off.

Seniors also get 30% off on KD (last page of broshure, where it shows fares.