Driving from Frankfurt airport to Marksburg to Burg Eltz

First question... are you arriving from overseas or somewhere within Europe?

For road directions, routes, times and distances see www.viamichelin.com

I have printed out the Via Michelin trip directions, as suggested. I was hoping for a simplified version, but that may not
exist? (The KISS theory aptly applies to me; my head begins to ache when the directions get longer than a page!) We will come
from the USA, the start of a 3-week journey through Germany and northern Italy, including a Rhine River cruise. Thanks again!

OK, I asked because getting on the road immediately after an international flight is the equivalent of driving drunk. I used to live just south of the airport, and the intersection of A5 and A3 nearby was one of the most dangerous on the Autobahn network. Partially because it's the merger of two of the most heavily traveled routes in the country, but there was a significant contributor from overseas travelers who were too jet-lagged to safely drive a car (there was an article in the Frankfurter Allegemein Zeitung about this a few years ago). I would seriously reconsider driving immediately after your flight.

But since you asked, the easiest way to get to Marksburg from the airport is to take A3 towards Köln, then A66 towards Wiesbaden, and to drive along the right bank of the Rhine through Rüdesheim to Braubach. Traffic usually moves pretty swiftly on this side of the river.

Getting to Burg Eltz depends on if you wanted to drive to the parking lot, or make up to the castle from Moselkern. For the latter, continue along the Rhine to Koblenz, and cross the river at one of the bridges. Take B416 along the left bank of the Mosel to Moselkern. For the parking lot approach, from Koblenz, take A48 towards Luxembourg City. Look for the exit for Münstermaifeld, and follow the signs to Burg Eltz.

Hey John,

We did nearly the same thing in Oct. 2007. We arrived at Frankfurt at 6:30am from NYC, we drove to Bacharach for a quick look around, then a stop in St. Goar, then off to Boppard (or it may have been St. Goar) where we took the car ferry across the Rhine to visit Marksburg castle. Back to the ferry to Boppard and on to Cochem, close to Burg Eltz. Personally, I'd leave the visit to Burg Eltz for the following morning. By the time we arrived in Cochem, it was nearly 3pm. Long day, but I don't really get "jet lag" and am good for the day we arrive after an overnight flight. Everyone is different, so plan alternatives in case you're not up to all you'd like to do.

Paul

Unless you're really experienced driving 120+ miles per hour with constant changes of lanes - on an Autobahn thru the hills with steep inclines and declines don't take A3. You probably want to stay on the Western bank of the Rhine river and drive along the regular highways...

Sincere thanks to all of you who responded to my question. Your answers provided not only directions but
also reflected a genuine concern for our well being and that is admirable. We are planning to follow the directions
through Rüdesheim, then B42 to Marksburg. It may take a little longer, but it seems to be less frenetic than A3 and
also more picturesque.

You'll still have to drive on A3 for a short portion, but not the twisting, winding roller coaster of an Autobahn section through the Taunus mountains and Westerwald that Andreas described. That's a little further to the NW.