Hello, can someone help us figure out the logistics to go from Mainz to the castle Burg Eltz? We would like to go by boat one direction and train the other direction, or some combination of the two. (should tickets be purchased in advance?). We are OK with with a bit of a hike but read in RS book that it is possible to taxi up to the parking lot and then walk back down to either train or boat, which sounds much more appealing than a strenuous uphill climb. Unfortunately, this has to be a day trip as we only have one "free day" during a conference in Mainz, and this is what DH would like to do. This would be on a Friday in June, if that matters in regard to transportation schedules. Thanks in advance!
Nancy
Posted by
Paradise
7077 posts
"We would like to go by boat one direction and train the other direction..."
One way by boat is impossible because of the long cruise time involved. It will work best as follows:
- train to Bingen (9:32 - 10:09)
- cruise boat to St. Goarshausen (10:30 - 12:05 - this is the core area for scenic cruising.)
- train to Hatzenport (12:32 - 13:56) or Moselkern (12:32 - 14:00) whichever you can arrange a taxi from.
OTOH you could instead skip the remote Burg Eltz and visit instead Marksburg Castle in Braubach, which is much easier reached, easier to walk to if you wish, and more medieval - with a very good tour. That same 12:32 train I put you on out of St. Goarshausen reaches Braubach in only 20 minutes. The walk to Marksburg takes 25-30 min, not an hour. A taxi ride up would be short and cheap.
https://www.marksburg.de/en/circuit/
Map of Braubach with trail (Fußweg zur Marksburg) shown: https://braubach.welterbe-mittelrhein.de/fileadmin/_processed_/csm_Karte_Braubach_01_e8b083a411.jpg
With the time and money you save you can enjoy your visit to Braubach's old town center, and maybe a nice meal there:
https://www.romantischer-rhein.de/uploads/pics/Altstadt_02.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4143/4751924826_36d7071291_b.jpg
When you return to Mainz, you would catch the train south from Braubach and travel via Rüdesheim and Wiesbaden. Rüdesheim is an atmospheric place to stop over (which you may wish to do since you may have more time.)
All these train trips can be accomplished with a Rheinland-Pfalz ticket day pass; buy at the station in Mainz:
https://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets/tickets/ticket-offers/rheinland-pfalz-ticket/
Burg Eltz would make sense if you were starting from Cochem or somewhere on the Rhine near Koblenz and you had no designs on a cruise. But with the cruise and your start from Mainz, Marksburg is the superior choice.
Posted by
Southeast US
4046 posts
I personally liked Marksburg better than Burg Eltz because, as Russ notes, it has more of a medieval feel to it. The interior rooms of Burg Eltz were more reminiscent of Biltmore (the Vanderbilt's home in Asheville, NC) than a medieval castle.
Posted by
OP
54 posts
Thank you Russ and Dave...great information! I'm printing it out and giving it to the hubby. He should be able to take it from there. :)