Rhein day trip cruise options in early Nov.

There is another company as well but it also ends service prior to Nov. 1.

That should not stop you from "cruising" the valley on your own using the train and the ferries, which you can use to cross the river, like the ones in St. Goar and Boppard. Ferries carry both autos and foot passengers across in about 5 minutes (which is just about as long as you would want to be on the water on a typically coldd, windy November day!) and cost very little. Once on the other side, walk to the train station and "cruise" from town to town on that side and enjoy the views from your warm window seat or take an hour break here or there to explore on foot.

If the weather is decent and they have enough people interested in a cruise, KD will continue with 1 ship per day going from Rüdesheim to St. Goar / St. Goarshausen. You need to call them to see.

Most of the towns along here are really dead in the winter except for Rüdesheim, Eltville and maybe Bacharach.

Bacharach is sleepy off-season, but Boppard is showing some signs of vitality.

The KDL web site answers most questions for off season ship operations.

This map of the Rhine shows the main towns, railways and ferry crossings between Koblenz in the north and Bingen in the south:

http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/walking-hiking.php

The two ferry crossings I mentioned previously (in Boppard and St Goar, both west-bank towns) are the most useful for hopping off and onto trains after crossing. Filsen (not shown on map) is the east-bank train station opposite Boppard. St. Goarshausen is the east-bank station opposite St. Goar.

As Ms. Jo says, the small towns along the Rhine are dead once the tour boats stop running. They are small, cold, grey, and wet. You can easily walk from one end of town to the other in 30 minutes. If you want to see them, take the train; then you can get on the next one (there's a train every 30 minutes).

Thanks to everyone who responded! The info is very helpful, especially the ferry map.