Germany Itinerary- need help please!

We loved Burg Eltz! It was one of the best castles we saw and I would definitely take my two kiddos there (12 and 9) if we were in the area. Also, we didn't do much in Frankfurt so I can't speak to that much. But, we did really enjoy Cologne. Loved the cathedral and the Roman Ruins. We were only able to do it as a day trip, so I'm not sure if there's enough there to fill 2-3 days. But, I imagine you could always do a day trip somewhere nearby if you didn't have enough to fill the time in Cologne alone.

Why not make Bacharach or Boppard your stopover? You can get to Amsterdam in about 5 hrs from either, with either 1 or 2 train changes. I prefer Boppard, but definitely take the train to St. Goar, see the caste ruins, then take the train to Bacharach. Explore the town and take the boat back to Boppard. Check the boat schedules to plan your time, the run infrequently. Burg Eltz is great, but logistically challenging by train. You might check out Marksburg castle. Much easier to get to.

For lodging in Boppard, we stayed at a great Airbnb with our teens. https://abnb.me/OT33TTweSkb

I’ve been to Cologne and much prefer the smaller towns.

OMG, by the time you're done with Berlin you'll have had more than enough of Europe's metropolises. I'd stay out of Cologne and Frankfurt for sure if you want a change of pace.

I agree about Boppard - it's your ideal base town for the Rhine/Mosel area. From there it's easy to use the local trains to reach Marksburg in Braubach (the best medieval castle visit IMHO, add a 30-minute walk up from town) as well as Rheinfels Castle ruins in St. Goar (hike up maybe 10-15 minutes there too) and the town of Cochem (Reichsburg Castle right in town, walk up or shuttle bus, also the Bundesbank Bunker.) Burg Eltz involves a train ride + about 2 hours of walking on weekdays - but it's accessible via train + bus on weekends, and Boppard is a good base for that visit as well.

And Boppard is a good place for ending the 2.3-hr. Rhine Cruise. Catch a train south to Bingen (stopping to visit Bacharach on the way) then cruise back to Boppard.

Boppard has a cool chairlift ride, an attractive old town zone, some Roman ruins, several wineries, a handsome waterfront walk, and a large variety of dining and accommodations options too.

You can get from Berlin to Boppard easily too. There's a direct train to Frankfurt from Berlin at 8:30; change there for the direct train to Boppard at 13:08, which includes Germany's most scenic train route (Bingen > Boppard) and deposits you in Boppard at 14:39.

Video of Boppard (in German but gives you a good idea of what it's like.)

What part of getting to or around Boppard are you finding difficult? Let us know if you need help.

Boppard has a big perk as well. All the town's innkeepers give their guests a free "Guest Ticket" which includes free local transportation on trains and buses. Nearly every day trip from Boppard is covered:

https://www.boppard-tourismus.de/2-1-Gastgeber.html

Looks like a great trip! Since you're not wedded to anywhere on the way to Amsterdam just find the most efficient train route and then pick a place.

The most efficient train route to Amsterdam takes you through the garden spots of Wolfsburg, Hannover, and Osnabruck. I'd stick with the detour to Boppard. Only 5 1/2 hours with 1 change if you take the 7 am Sprinter out of Berlin.

Burg Eltz is really lovely, and so is Cochem Castle (which is not too far from Eltz). Those can both be done in one day (if you set off early).

You can easily spend 3 days in Cologne. They have many museums. I just went about 3 weeks ago to Cologne and loved it. There are numerous museums, a cute "old town", Roman Ruins, a grand Cathedral, and plenty of restaurants and shops. If Cologne gets boring you can do a 30 minute train ride to Bonn to see Beethoven's house and wander around the old town of the city. Its a fun day trip.

"Burg Eltz is really lovely, and so is Cochem Castle (which is not too far from Eltz)"

Just want to add a few details to these comments.

Burg Eltz is very nicely furnished; although it came to be during medieval times, what you see inside is not medieval but includes interior elements from a few centuries later.

"Cochem Castle" is the same Castle I referred to as Reichsburg, it's official name. In German it's sometimes called Reichsburg Cochem, or Burg Cochem, or in English Cochem Castle. It's located right in Cochem on a vineyard-clad hill. It's not a castle in the truest sense of the word anymore, even though that's how it began. It's been totally rebuilt from rubble - but it does have an interesting story behind it.

https://www.german-way.com/travel-and-tourism/germany-for-tourists/castles-and-palaces/cochem-castle/
https://reichsburg-cochem.de/the-castle/?lang=en

Eltz off in the woods, about an hour on foot, or less by bus connection, from Moselkern (a riverfront town on the Mosel River train line about 15 train minutes from Cochem. Here's a map of the Mosel River train route:

https://assets.static-bahn.de/dam/jcr:c3b41a1d-30c0-4d71-98b9-34f8fe093d50/190970-258769.pdf

You all are SO amazing- thank you!!! So many great ideas and now I’m debating boppard or cologne. Truly thank you for all the time you spent responding to my question- it really really helped!!! And Burg Eltz is a go- and the other castle in Cochem too! Best,
Jackie

Just wanted to say Burg Eltz is all that. Unforgettable. The location, the walk down to it, everything. We visited on a very misty morning in late October years ago. It was absolutely magical. Marksburg is also well worth seeing. But if I had to choose, Eltz. We loved Cochem by the way. We stayed across the river from the old town. Very charming.

Thank you! I swear this was meant to be because I was just saying “it’s so far….” It’s a sign I CANNOT skip it lol! Thanks again.

Cologne has the huge cathedral, Roman museum, gestapo museum plus river walk. It’s a bit all jammed together.

But I liked Frankfurt. It’s a nice modern city. Sometimes it’s nice to have convenient travel hub and a good selection of restaurants rather than a somewhat isolated castle town that takes 4 trains to get there. Plus they have that one giant castle tower on the middle of the city.

Thank you! I think I agree….