Please sign in to post.

First Stop After Frankfurt: Is Mainz a Good Base for Exploring the Rhine Valley Before Alsace?

Posted by on

Hi everyone!

I’ll be arriving in Germany via Frankfurt with wife and daughter, with the main goal of visiting the Black Forest and Alsace. Before hitting the road toward Alsace, I’m thinking of spending the first 2–3 nights somewhere near Frankfurt to recover from the flight and do some sightseeing.

I’d really like to take advantage of this time to explore the Rhine Valley area, especially around Koblenz. I was wondering if it would make sense to set up a base in Mainz for those first nights — both in terms of location and ease of day trips (Rhine cruise, castles, nearby towns, etc.).

Does Mainz work well as a base for this plan, or would you recommend another town in the region instead?

Thanks in advance for any tips or suggestions!

Posted by
2510 posts

I like Mainz as a base. It's easy to day trip from there; Koblenz, and all the mid-Rhine towns are just a short train ride from Mainz. But best of all, there's a lot to see right there. And there's a lot more choice than anywhere downstream until you get to Cologne.

You have the Roman Isis Temple, the Amphitheater, the fort, the museums (Gutenburg, Landes, etc.), the Dom, the Chagall windows at St Stephens. The Old Town center is a rebuild, but very photogenic, the walk along the river is great, and there's a really good chance you'll have some event going on in the city.

A lot of folks will steer you down the river to one of the smaller towns. Don't do it. You'll just have to backtrack to Mainz to head south for the rest of your planned trip, and that's wasted time.

Posted by
7945 posts

People who are interested in Mainz should stay in Mainz. The Dom, the Stephanskirche, the Gutenberg Museum, the Temple of Isis Mater, etc. are the draws there.

You were specific about wanting to "explore the Rhine Valley area, especially around Koblenz." So KGC is correct... others (like me!) will send you into the scenic Rhine Gorge area instead. And you have 2-3 nights. (Hopefully 3 nights if you are serious about seeing the area.) Staying in Mainz is a complete non-starter when you can get on a train from FRA airport to Koblenz, or to a nicer old-world Rhine town near Koblenz like Boppard. The DIRECT RE train from FRA gets you there in 1 hr. 10 minutes. And Boppard offers a free Guest Card good for free train travel around the Koblenz area as well - the VRM Guest Ticket

Mainz lies in the flat plain well to the south of the scenic part of the Rhine. It was a popular target in WW II and now a mostly modern city with a few blocks of attractive old town zone near the Dom. I like Mainz very much, especially as a place to spend a final day/night before flying home from FRA (it's 25 minutes from the airport.) But the Mainz > Koblenz "commute" will take at least 50 minutes one way... Rhine-cruising from/to Mainz is out of the question... and seeing things around Koblenz (lke Burg Eltz, Marksburg Castle in Braubach, Ehrenbreitstein fortress, the WW II Museum in Remagen, or Rheinfels Castle in St Goar) and taking a river cruise will be much easier from a Boppard base.

Maps of the Rhine Gorge (Koblenz > Bingen)
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/walking-hiking.php
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/walking-hiking.php

Posted by
1601 posts

Since you referenced "hitting the road," I assume you'll have a car? When my friend and I flew into FRA in July 2024, we rented a car and went to Wiesbaden to do our recovery in the heated pools there. Then we headed north along the Rhine and across it and down the Mosel, where we spent two nights in Enkirch. We had a fabulous time. I loved the Mosel Valley and am trying to figure out when I can get back there. I do wish I had gone into Mainz to see the Chagall windows, though.

Posted by
4 posts

Thank you, G3rryCee for the advice!
Yes, we will be traveling with a 4-year old, so we will definitely rent a car...

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.