Hi there, I will be ending a work trip in Cologne on Sept. 18th. Looking to explore for a few days before flying back to the US out of Frankfurt on Sept 23rd. My husband will be joining me.
I'm worried we have missed the boat on booking accommodations in the Rhine/Mosel as most of what I have researched are full. Any advice or insight is appreciated! Would like to avoid renting a car and stay around $300/USD/night for accommodations. We have never been to Germany before! Thank you.
Where are you researching hotels? Booking.com will give you a good overview, even if you don’t choose to book through them.
Public transportation works great in this area with trains, buses, and occasional ferries.
What are your sightseeing goals?
https://hrewards.com/de/steigenberger-icon-grandhotel-petersberg-koenigswinter
Steigenberger Grandhotel Petersberg, not a cheap hotel, but with a great view River Rhine… Not far to the very nice Castle in Königswinter. If you can find a good offer rate - my favorite.
Another nice hotel near river Rhine is the Kameha Grand Hotel Bonn.
Both hotels on your way to FRA.
Blockquote What are your sightseeing goals? > Blockquote
We really have no goals other than to explore what we can close to Cologne and Frankfurt areas. We both enjoy local history and sight seeing. We have looked at hotels in Cochem.
You might check booking.com. I put your dates in for Cochem and there were a number of properties available.
Rhein in Flammen, a massive fireworks show with fireworks shot off simultaneously from two castles (Rheinfalls, Katz), is scheduled for Sept 19 in St Goar/St Goarhausen. It is paired with a wine festival, music, etc. https://www.rhein-in-flammen.com/st-goar-st-goarshausen-gb/st-goar-st-goarshausen-gb.html
That might contribute to some trouble with finding lodging during that time.
It is a fun event!
Forget messing around on the Rhine. The Bad Durkheim Wurstfest runs that entire time. It's the biggest winefest in Europe. Get a room along the wine road; someplace like Neustadt on the Winestrasse, Freinsheim, Deidesheim, or Grunstadt. All with easy train connections to Bad Durkheim. And all less than an hour from Frankfurt by train.
Plus you can easily visit Heidelberg, Mannheim, Speyer, etc. Seriously, this is where you want to be that weekend. Plenty of castles nearby, excellent museums, and a huge fest that most Americans never heard of.
I agree with @KGC, above.
Boppard is an ideal old-world base town just south of Koblenz on the Rhine River. Stay there and you will have free public transport to other towns along the Rhine and Mosel... Cochem, Braubach (home of Marksburg Castle), Bacharach, Oberwesel, Linz am Rhein, Remagen, Winningen, and others as well, thanks to the VRM Guest ticket that comes with your room when you stay in Boppard. Most all these towns are easy to reach by train alone, but bus connections are also included if needed.
https://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets/tickets/leisure-tickets/vrm-guest-ticket/
https://www.boppard-tourismus.de/media/was-ist-wo-broschu__re_en_190219.pdf
Love Boppard's chairlift and Gedeonseck terrace - great views:
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/a0/b5/90/cafe-overlooking-rhein.jpg
Mosel towns: https://www.mosel-inside.de/en/travel-guide/mosel-villages.html
Rhine towns: https://www.mittelrheinentdecken.de/en/villages-towns-and-cities/
I see availability in Boppard for your dates at some well-reviewed places... from booking.com...
Hotel Garni Günther
Hotel Baudobriga
Rheinhotel Lillie
Hard to see why someone should not enjoy "messing around" in this area!
History: check out the medieval castles (Burg Eltz and Marksburg) and Ehrenbreitstein (fortress in Koblenz)
https://www.marksburg.de/en/circuit/
https://burg-eltz.de/en/the-castle
Wine festival: St. Goar - 10 minutes from Boppard by train - has one from the 18th-20th with a huge fireworks display on Sat evening.
Wineries: everywhere
River Cruising: The Rhine is impacted right now by low water levels. But when you visit Cochem you can take a scenic river cruise from Cochem to Beilstein when you visit there. It's about an hour each way to this cute little town.
Book soon.
Boppard > FRA: There are direct regional express trains to the airport which require roughly 80-90 minutes. If you have an early flight and can't afford that time, then spend your final day/night in the city of MAINZ instead; direct trains leave Mainz around the clock and take only 20-25 minutes to reach FRA.
@Russ, this is amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time out to offer such great suggestions. I appreciate it!
You could call a few tourist offices. Someone there will speak English. Just mind the time difference. I would expect euro 260 will get you a nice place. Perhaps last minute or cancelation too. You could go into Bayern Mainfranken. Main River valley. Plenty of wine there and mostly European tourists. https://www.frankentourismus.com/regions/franconian-wine-country/
Thanks all.
I booked a hotel in Boppard. This is my 1st time in Germany so, like any typical American, I must tour a castle and want to embrace any and all things German! Marksburg sounds like the best castle to explore, yes? Any "must dos" appreciated on this spontaneous trip. I will also will be in Cologne for 3ish days for work so anything recommendations there too. Cathedral already high on my list!
Marksburg is a good choice and convenient too. And you should take a long, slow stroll through the attractive town below it - Braubach:
https://delveintoeurope.com/braubach-germany/
Some tips for a Boppard > Braubach > Boppard day trip...
Braubach has a solid option for traditional German food: Zum Goldenen Schluessel, located right on Market Square (Marktplatz.) It's closed on Wed & Thu. Dine indoors or out.
Try German wines from local wineries at Braubach's Weingarten down on the waterfront. (Closed Mon & Tue.)
From the town of Braubach it's an uphill walk of about 25 minutes to the castle entrance - a hike, not a stroll. Funk-Taxi service is based in Braubach. Tours in English are typically at 1 and 4 pm; English tour scripts are available if you join one of the German tours - ask for one in this case.
Getting to Braubach:
From Boppard there's a 10:15 K-D cruise boat straight to Braubach (30 minute crossing; not possible on Mondays, however.) There are return boats at 13:05 and 18:55 (Tu - Su, that is) so get round trip cruise tickets (cheaper) if this is how you choose to return. Of course, check with K-D in advance to see if their cruises are operational. With some rain storms in the coming weeks, they should be.
The FREE way (with your Guest Ticket) to get there... train to Koblenz Hbf, then catch bus 10x to Braubach (40-50 minutes) The DB search page will show both the train and bus trips if you simply enter Boppard as your "from" station and Braubach as your "to" station.
If you got an early start this day, it might be possible to spend a couple of hours in Koblenz on the way to Braubach or on your way back to Boppard in the pm.
Have a look at the links for Mosel River and Rhine River towns and the sights/things to do there which I provided, see what interests you, come back with questions....
@Russ, thank you - so helpful.
This is what I am thinking. Is it doable?
18Sept:
Cologne - Boppard (early). Need to book advance tickets?
Take it easy, explore Boppard
Sat 19Sept:
Boppard - Hatzenport - Burg Eltz Castle - Cochem - back to Boppard
Is this too lofty of a travel plan?
It appears this is a day I need to nail down travel plans most thoroughly, yes?
Sun 20Sept:
Mass in Boppard, if possible
Boppard - Braubach (river cruise?)
Marksburg Castle
dinner in Braubach vs. Boppard
Mon 21Sept:
Boppard - St. Goar
Oberwesel too?
Tues, 22Sept:
Head out to Frankfurt (early morning flight on 23rd). Explore Frankfurt? Hotel booked is an airport hotel.
Again, do I need to advance purchase tickets?
I need to spend more time figuring out the transportation aspect of the trip! Thanks for your insight and recs - really looking forward to this! Many people have told us Sept is a great time to visit.
I'll address each day's travel in a separate post. The 19th first... Looks alright to me as long as you don't mind being gone all day.
Please check the information below yourself at the DB site to find any errors I might make and to make sure you can handle itinerary searches on your own when you need to.
Sa 19th:
8:36 - 10:38 for the train + train + bus 365 trip to Burg Eltz. See details of journey (transfer stations, times, tracks) at DB site. Use "Burg Eltz, Wierschem" as your "to" station. You'll still have a bit of walking time from this final bus stop to the castle entrance.
I suspect you may be finished with Eltz by around 12:00 or 13:00. There are bus 365 + train journeys to Cochem at :22 after every hour. Journey takes just under 1 hour. See details of journey at DB site.
I am not up to date on lunch options at the castle. I might choose to pack a sandwich before leaving Boppard.
You can leave Cochem at almost any hour you wish... at :18 after the hour.
18:18 and 20:18: train + train return journey to Boppard. Short change of train in Koblenz (8 minutes) but if you miss the connectioin, another train to Boppard will be along about 30 minutes later. In between these 2 options, there's another...
19:18 - 20:42: train + train return journey from Cochem to Boppard. Takes longer due to the half-hour layover in Koblenz, which better ensures that a small delay on the first train won't make you miss the second.
TICKETS: None needed. The VRM Guest Ticket you receive from your hotel will cover the trains and buses all day long.
Sunday 20th: It would be a big rush to fit in Marksburg AND a proper cruise this day. Since Monday sailings are fewer in number, let's do just the cruise on Sunday.
A cruise through the BEST part of the river (the St Goar- Bingen segment) is most rewarding, You want to see Oberwesel, which is on this cruise route... so let's include that. There's a 13:15 southbound boat leaving St. Goar for Oberwesel (13:50) where you could spend around 2.5 hours.
So... After 11:00 mass...
12:46: train from Boppard to St Goar (12:57.) Walk to K-D dock. Buy a St Goar > Bingen cruise ticket... should be €28 each, but show your VRM Guest Ticket and you will receive a discount of 20%, as this page explains:
https://www.boppard-tourismus.de/en/accommodation/
13:15: board southbound K-D boat to Oberwesel (13:50.) Get ticket marked by boat personnel 10 min. prior to arrival in Oberwesel. Find lunch, walk the old-town wall fortifications, see the Liebfraunkirche???
16:40: Reboard, cruise from Oberwesel to Bingen (18:50.) Walk Bingen's waterfront?
https://rheinhessenblog.de/en/culture-bank-bingen-rhine-walk/
Catch a return train from Bingen Rhein Stadt station (the one on the waterfront) to Boppard when you are ready. There's a 19:30 - 20:12 train, or a 20:36 - 21:12 train.
TRAIN TICKETS: All travel between Boppard and St. Goar/Oberwesel is covered by the Guest Ticket. The final train trip of the day is not fully covered, however. The track segment from Oberwesel > Boppard is covered.
But for the Bingen > Oberwesel track segment, you will need a ticket for two, which costs €9.20 per person. You can buy this DB ticket in Boppard before boarding the train, or in Bingen at the Rhein Stadt station, or using the DB app, whenever you like. When you board that final train trip back to Boppard from Bingen, just have both your DB Ticket and the VRM Guest Ticket handy for presentation to train personnel upon request.
(This plan omits St. Goar. It will be possible for you to visit St. Goar AND Marksburg on Monday the 21st, if you wish. However, St. Goar's Rheinfels castle is undergoing repair work, something to keep in mind befor you choose to head there.)
Friday 18th:
If you don't mind being locked into a travel schedule and having to change trains on the way to Boppard, I see saver-fare Tickets for two adults from Cologne to Boppard Hbf priced at €46-48 Euros. These are non-refundable prices which put you on the long-distance (IC, ICE) train to Koblenz, where you change to the regional train. Seat reservations for the train to Koblenz are at additional cost. The Koblenz > Boppard part of your journey is by regional only - and seats cannot be reserved for this part. These tickets will go up in price as tickets sell. Buy ASAP if you want those.
It would be my choice to just ride the DIRECT RB regional train all the way from Cologne to Boppard with no changes... and NOT to purchase in advance. The RB trains will be slower, but most of the route to Koblenz is quite scenic - you'll see lots of river and a few castles on the way too.
With regional trains like the RB, there's no way to reserve seats. tickets cannot sell out, and prices are the same on your travel day as they are today, so pre-purchase is pointless. On weekdays you have different price options... normal price is €71.80/2 for one-way tickets at any hour of the day. If you depart Cologne after 9 am, a day pass (Day pass for Germany, QdL Ticket) is available for €63/2. This day pass is not route-specific like the normal priced tickets. You can ride ANY regional trains you wish this day ANYWHERE within Germany with one of these, but in your case, it's just a cheaper way to get to Boppard than the normal-priced ticket.
When boarding with either of these tickets, be careful not to board a long distance (IC, ICE) train at Cologne station! Your ticket will be invalid and you'll each get a €60 fine.
Personally, I would probably catch the 9:56 - 11:44 to Boppard rather than leave Cologne super early. It's slightly cheaper, and an earlier arrival probably wouldn't result in earlier room access. But if you want to arrive earlier, just get the €71.80 one-way ticket. You can use it on any of the regional trains from Cologne to Boppard at any hour that same day.
Mon 21st:
You already have my comment on St. Goar/Rheinfels from above. An attractive alternative which includes Marksburg, IMO...
Morning train up the scenic Mosel River Valley to Cochem for sightseeing and lunch: Lv Boppard 8:23, ar Cochem 9:21, one change of train in Koblenz
Train + bus 10x to Braubach for Marksburg: 13:18 - 14:23, change to bus in Koblenz
Tour town on foot and walk uphill to Marksburg (25-30 minutes) for 16:00 castle tour (in English)... arrive 30 minutes early if possible.
Return to Boppard whenever you like, maybe after dinner in Braubach, by bus + train with change in Koblenz.
Normally you'd take the train to Braubach, but with the whole east bank railway under construction, 10x is taking the place of the train and gets you from Koblenz to Braubach in 15 minues. The bus area at Koblenz Hbf is located straight out the front entrance and to the right where you'll find numerous bus bays. 10x to Braubach is scheduled to leave from Bs (Bussteig = Bus stop) "I".
Bus 10x appears on the DB schedules when you search journeys to Braubach. The VRM Guest ticket will cover all of this train + bus travel.
The taxi from Koblenz would also be an option. But the bus schedule seems to do the job, IMO.
Head out to Frankfurt (early morning flight on 23rd). Explore
Frankfurt?
Well, since you have a question mark after Frankfurt... while there are some who would disagree, I would suggest MAINZ instead.
Mainz is located on the Rhine River, just west of the airport. Mainz is a significantly smaller historic city with nice things to see and do that are also easy to reach on foot. When you get off the train at the main Mainz train station, it's just a few blocks to the pedestrians-only zone which leads into the old-town center. This handy map shows pedestrain zones in pink. Exit the front of the station onto the plaza in front (pink semi-circle.) Then head at roughly 2:00 toward the Isis Temple and beyond that to Market Square (Tuesday is Market Day!) and the Martinsdom (Mainz' huge Romanesque Cathedral) and into the old town zone along Augustinerstrasse (see the Augustiner church there, easy to miss) and the Kirschgarten neighborhood. There are several nice places in this area for drinks, lunch, etc.
Elsewhere... The Marc Chagall windows at St. Stephan's church are pretty spectacular and quite famous. The Stadtpark is nicely kept and great for just strolling around. The Hotel Favorite at the park's edge has a good-sized Biergarten there too.
Market Square
Kirschgarten
Augustinerstrasse
Mainz, things to see/do
Mainz Museums
The trip to Mainz and the onward journey from there to FRA will involve REGIONAL trains only and should not be purchased in advance. It's the same price no matter when you buy tickets for the regional trains, and buying a ticket early does not provide you with a seat guarantee.
TRAIN TICKETS: Your VRM Guest Ticket is valid from Boppard as far as Oberwesel. So you just need regional train tickets from Oberwesel to FRA airport. Mainz is on the way, and you can just hop off there and get back on later for the final leg to FRA whenever you like with any ticket to FRA.
The normal one-way price from Oberwesel is €53 /2 one-way DB tickets to FRA airport. You can buy this at Boppard station or using the DB app that Tuesday morning. The DB ticket is good for travel at any hour on any regional trains (RB, RE, S) heading to Mainz and FRA, and you can break up your trip with this ticket in Mainz, just as you planned.
Or you can buy 2 one-way tickets from Oberwesel to Mainz (37.40) and later two one way tickets to FRA airport (€13.80, a VRM Ticket) which saves you less than €2. VRM tickets are available at the station in Mainz or using the DB app. Note that you must buy VRM tickets JUST BEFORE you travel - they expire at a certain point. I would just get the DB tickets at €53.
When you board in Boppard, have both your Guest Ticket and your DB ticket in hand. And of course hang onto the same DB ticket for your later train to FRA airport and your hotel.
Frankfurt proper, which lies BEYOND Frankfurt Airport to the east, would of course involve extra train travel and expense because you must backtrack to your Airport hotel afterward.
Almost forgot... Your travel bags can be deposited in lockers at Mainz Hbf station while you sightsee.
I just got back from Germany less than a month ago (including three days on the Rhine) and this thread is really making me want to go back. :) Have a great time, @mredfea! :)
@Russ, wow. Again, thank you. I have gone over these many times and I'm grateful for your time and generosity.
I am having some FOMO about not visiting Bacharach. Your thoughts on that? I know I cannot do it all! Does it make sense to head to Bacharach after the Burg Eltz castle on Saturday knowing I would be back in Cochem for sightseeing/lunch on Monday before Marksburg? Perhaps I am trying too hard for Burg Eltz and should ditch altogether.
I am having some FOMO about not visiting Bacharach.
You should. It's a beautiful town. The only reason it's not in my suggested plans is that it was not in yours.
My plan for the 21st, which includes Cochem, should have included advice to DROP Cochem on the 19th, Burg-Eltz Day. It did not, because I forgot.
Reaching Burg Eltz alone requires a lot of "moves" and extra travel time, and you sometimes have to wait around for an English tour, work in lunch time somehow. etc. ... the iffy scheduling makes for a very long day when combined with Cochem. So with Bacharach now in play, I think you are absolutely right to replace Cochem with Bacharach on the afternoon on the 19th.
If you were just to travel back to Boppard after Eltz, you'd probably get there mid-afternoon as long as you finish up with Eltz by around 1:00 and get back to the bus stop there promptly. Departure from Eltz at 13:22 would put you in Boppard at 15:15. But Bacharach won't require much more time... If you just stay on that same southbound train, you'll reach Bacharach at 15:36, barring delays. A 2-hr walk around Bacharach should do it... then board the 17:50 train back to Boppard (18:12.) I don't see an option for a relaxed lunch anywhere in this schedule, so it might be smart to pack some sandwiches/snacks with you before leaving Boppard in the morning.
TICKETING: The Guest Ticket covers everything EXCEPT the small track segment between Oberwesel and Bacharach. To fill this gap you will need to buy two DB tickets... a one-way ticket for two for Oberwesel > Bacharach (2 x 3.70 Euros = 7.40) plus a second one-way ticket for two at the same price for Bacharach > Oberwesel. You can buy these tickets at the station in Boppard prior to leaving and tuck them away for use in the afternoon. These DB tickets are valid on any regional train at any time you wish on this date.
One more note... reduced rainfall continues to result in very low river levels. It is possible that 5-6 weeks from now, the Rhine will still be too low for cruising. We'll just have to wait and see. So it would be wise to consider an alternative way to spend your afternoon after Sunday mass.
