We will have a KD Rhine Pass starting in Mainz what are your suggestions on where to stop and what to see? Having a hard time understanding the schedule. We will be there on September 18th.
Posted by
Paradise
6941 posts
It's normally a better idea to take a train to the scenic part of the Rhine and cruise the scenic part. The train ride there is cheap and it gets you a 20% discount on the KD boats.
Bingen - St. Goar is the best cruise segment, with scenery like THIS near Bingen, and with your 20% discount, it should cost only about €20. There are 5 boats per day from Bingen to St. Goar - 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 14:30, 16:30. If you like, you can hop off the boat in Bacharach half way and catch another boat later after looking around Bacharach.
Once in St. Goar you can visit Rheinfels Castle. Take the train back to Mainz after your sightseeing is finished.
If instead you board the boat in Mainz - the only boat from Mainz that day - your scenery will be boring and flat most of the way - no steep vineyards, no cute towns, no castles. And that is the reason Mainz has only one boat departure - almost no one who understands the river wants to start a cruise there. Much better to take the train to Bingen first than waste your time and €s on that part of the river.
Posted by
Green Bay
20977 posts
A ton of bus tour groups will board at Ruedesheim, their buses then go to St Goar to pick them up once they get off. Mainz to Ruedesheim will be rather quiet, then the narration will be in about a dozen languages.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9150 posts
You could get on the ship on the once a day cruise that begins in Eltville.
Getting on the ship in Rüdesheim is not that bad, there are not tons of buses unloading their passengers to ride the ship to St. Goar. I have started here more times than I can count and it is just not that bad. Bingen actually gets more.
The announcements are not made in a dozen languages, usually only in English, German, Chinese, and possibly Spanish.