We're planning on renting a car and driving the 2nd week of May for 3 adults. I'm wondering about the difficulty of locating lodging when we decide a place we want to stay along the journey. This is an open schedule with the Rhine area as a prime exploration segment. I have some heritage areas for two families to explore also. Also inquiring about car rentals to choose.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
Which are your heritage areas?
I ask because you will probably want to focus mostly on those and on the best part of the Rhine - which is surely the Middle Rhine Valley - the yellow section at this map link.
The UPPER Middle Rhine valley is where you find the large collection of medieval castles, vineyards, and old-world towns that visitors typically want to see most:
Map: http://www.castle-liebenstein.com/pictures/maps/rhine-valley-map400.jpg
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/castles.php
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/city-cities.php
Day-cruising there is popular; Bingen to Boppard (or Bingen to St. Goar for a shorter cruise) is your best bet - plan on 1.5 - 2.5 hours on the boat:
https://www.weinhaus-weiler.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DSC_2434_1920.jpg
The part between Koblenz and Bonn also is nice to visit; Linz and Remagen are among the more interesting towns there.
The southern part (north of your starting point in Loerrach all the way to Bingen) is much less compelling - often flat, dull, monotonous. I suggest you don't follow the river quite but instead do some research into what might interest you left and/or right of the Rhine. The Black Forest, Strasbourg, the Neckar River Valley, the German Wine Road, and the Bergstrasse towns are areas worth your attention - so study up.
I have done a lot of driving in Germany and some in these areas, but since I vastly prefer using the train system for economic and many practical reasons (including rental contracts, unmanned radar speed zones, parking fees, Stau (traffic jams,) environmental driving zone regulations, and numerous instances of questionable agency practices which gouge unsuspecting drivers for scratches and dings that might have gone unnoticed by the customer upon pick-up) I have not driven there in roughly 15 years. So I will let others advise you on cars and companies and things automotive.
Posted by
Niagara, Ontario
1678 posts
Russ says it all. I have a preference for Bacharach as a village but if you are interested at all in castle ruins, Rheinfels Castle in St Goar is an excellent visit. I wouldn't worry about booking in advance for that time of year.
Nowadays I always rent with Autoeurope, (either .ca or.com, pricing can vary at times: Kemwel is also part of the same group). I take the 'supercover' insurance, a little extra but gives me peace of mind and I've never had any problems.