Germany itinerary

What are you planning to see/do during your stay in Koblenz? I don't wish to send you to places close by that you might already be planning to travel to.

There are many good places - better places than Koblenz IMHO - that are nearby. You probably won't have to go very far... Maybe you could provide a little more focus so that we can pick places that are right for you. Are you interested in outdoor activities (hiking, biking) or museums (what kind) or specific periods in history (which?) ??

Heidelberg

What are your interests or like-sees?
Inspiration by top 100 list.

Is Koblenz a must-destination, e. g. event?

It would help to know what your interests are, but have you thought about the Black Forest? It's a wonderful area and there is a lot to see and do there. Plus it's not that far from Koblenz and it would be easy to get to Frankfurt for the trip home.

I stayed in Gengenbach in the Black Forest for 4 nights in 2022 and absolutely loved it. The town is very charming with beautiful half-timbered houses (it's frequently called a "chocolate box" village) and has a beautiful Altstadt, with quite a few restaurants and cafes to choose from. Gengenbach makes a good base as it is right on the main train line, and gives you the options of some interesting day trips, including taking a day trip to Strasbourg, France, which is a quick 40 minute train ride away.

One nice benefit if you stay there is that you receive a KONUS card, which entitles you to free public transport throughout the Black Forest region. There are many charming villages in the region that you can visit along the Black Forest Railway, and there is also the Vogtsbauernhof (open-air museum) that is a joy to visit and easily accessible by train.

The town church (Saint Marion) is quite beautiful, and the medieval gates to the city are really interesting. The Benedictine Abbey is also worth a visit, and behind it are some cloistered gardens that were a joy to wander through. This was one of my favorite places. It was peaceful and inviting and I could have stayed for hours. There were little signs of inspiration scattered around, and some children from a nearby kindergarten playing on one side.

Also don't miss a walk through Engelgasse and Höllengasse streets (near the TIC). Here you will find cobblestones and half-timbered houses, flower pots and cats resting on doormats and quaint dolls in the window. I felt like I had walked back in time when I strolled through these quaint and narrow streets. There is also a nice hike you can take that will get you above the town with some absolutely beautiful views of below. The hike ends up at a church called St. Jakob auf dem Bergle that sits above town. The TIC in town will have maps showing you how to get there. it was a really nice hike and as I said, the views are just lovely!

Hi,

Koblenz itself has interesting historical sites and museums if you're into that, especially if you're into war history museums.

If you're thinking about doing a day / afternoon trip from Koblenz, I would suggest Limburg and Bad Ems, the latter if your historical interest includes Prussian-German history.

Koblenz is worth a visit, but I would not stay there. Even when we were attending a flower show some years ago, we could not find an acceptable hotel. As noted, you haven't said enough about your objectives. Because this is your very first post on the newsboard, we have no "history" of you! 8 nights is a short vacation, if you flew from the USA (?) That requires careful planning, so we need to know why you already picked Koblenz.

It is unusual that you did not mention the scenic Middle-Rhine valley in your question. Koblenz happens to have nice views, but it's not worth boating on the Rhine near Koblenz.

Thank you for responding. My husband belongs to an international motorcycle club of police and corrections officers. The Euro run is in Germany specifically Koblenz which is why we are going to Germany. His club activities are only 2 days but we are making a little vacation out of it. We are in the USA and flying into and out of Frankfurt. I have no idea how to plan this trip. We are only staying 5 extra days because we have a dog to get home to. . A spoiled one I should add.
All help is greatly appreciated as neither of us has been to Germany.
We are not huge history or museum buffs.
We would like to see notable sights and get a bit of taste for the culture.
Thank you

Thank you very much for that helpful addendum!

It's not very much for your needs, but because we stayed near Frankfurt, you can skim this LONG trip-report to see what we did there. However, we did have a car, which is probably not necessary for such a short visit. It depends on how many things you want to DO in ONE day. Start with the second post of mine, Fachwerkstraße.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/baltic-germany-fachwerke-landesgartenschau

Germany is a HUGE country, and you are not going to see that much of it in 5 nights. I have visited many times, and have still not seen some areas. But every visit has been rewarding. I happen to be a big fan of Cologne and Dusseldorf, which you would reach by train, not by boat. But I like museums. Cologne is an especially walkable city.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/can-i-see-enough-of-cologne

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/best-way-down-rhine-from-dusseldorf-to-frankfort-in-1-or-2-days

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/mosel-valley-cochem-or-trier-or-west-rhine-valley-mainz-for-3-4-nights

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/sleep-in-bacharach-st-goar-or-boppard-in-the-rhine-valley

"We would like to see notable sights and get a bit of taste for the culture."

It sounds like you might have 1-2 days available for sightseeing in/near Koblenz. You arrive on a Friday. So perhaps Saturday and Sunday are given over to MC club actiities?

Friday: You can get from FRA airport to Koblenz' main station most easily by direct train. These direct trains run every 2 hours, the trip takes 90 minutes, and your train will pass through Germany's most scenic river valley - the Rhine Gorge, also known as the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Please see the page below for information on this route and the sights one might visit:

https://www.visit-koblenz.de/en/region/middle-rhine-valley

Map of train route (in black) from FRA to Koblenz via Mainz, Bacharach, Boppard: https://www.seat61.com/images/rhine-train-map.jpg

FRA airport terminal has 2 train stations; you should use the "Regionalbahnhof" (Regional train station) - signs in the terminal like this will help you find it: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/15/25/18/9b/the-squaire.jpg

Tickets for this and other regional trains are simple. No reservations needed, no pre-booking. Just arrive at the Regionalbahnhof, buy a ticket for two to Koblenz Hbf at the counter or at a ticket machine or using the DB app. Your ticket is good for ANY regional trains that same day. This day pass provides a discount over normal tickets for this trip and costs €59 for two persons.

I imagine the MC club will have suggestions for sightseeing in Koblenz. Or check Tripadvisor. On your free days (Mon, Tue?) I suggest you visit a couple of old-world towns, take a river cruise, and tour a real medieval castle:

Marksburg Castle is quick and simple from Koblenz; it's just south of Koblenz in the handsome town of Braubach. The direct train ride from Koblenz Hbf to Braubach takes around 12 minutes. An English tour is possible at 4 pm, perhaps also 1 pm: https://www.marksburg.de/en/circuit/#/

Towns to visit:

Rüdesheim, an old-world town very popular with tourists, further south on the same side of the river and the same train line as Braubach, also a direct train ride form Koblnez Hbf, and a good starting point for a river cruise. Take the gondola ride there?

Bacharach and Oberwesel, nice old-world towns with half-timbered buildings, old town-wall towers and remnants, great for browsing on foot. These two as well as Boppard and St Goar are stops on the west bank train line that you took to reach Koblenz on Friday.

Clickable Area Map with train, ferry, and cruise boat details: http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/walking-hiking.php

Before you leave the area: Because Koblenz is also on the MOSEL River, and not far at all from Cologne (a must-see city for many) I suggest you take in some of the more popular places there, which still means a lot of choices and may require another 2-3 days in the area:

MOSEL RIVER TOWNS
COCHEM, with Reichsburg Castle
BEILSTEIN
BURG ELTZ CASTLE
BERNKASTEL

This is so helpful. Thank you so very much.

What Russ said. He hit all the things I would have suggested and more. You can get history for non-history buffs, nature, cute villages, and modern cities all right in that little pocket.

One side note on Cologne--near the main cathedral is a smaller church, St. Ursula, which has a bone chapel that is really worth seeing. It's called the Golden Chamber. A quirky little site!