My husband and I will be driving from Strasbourg to Bacharach, where we will spend one night. We would like to do a Rhine River cruise while we are in the area. We are trying to decide if we should stop in Bingen and start the cruise there or just start the cruise in Bacharach. Will we miss much scenery by starting in Bacharach rather than Bingen? Also, deciding whether to get off the ferry in St. Goar or Boppard? We will take the train back to wherever we decide to embark.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
8947 posts
Starting in Bacharach makes no sense at all. No one knows why Rick recommends such a short ride. This is a 10 min. ride on the train. Start in Bingen and then you wiil see dozens of castles. Get off the ship at St. Goar and train back.
I have done this ship ride at least 50 times and never tire of the scenery and the castles.
Posted by
Paradise
6658 posts
You will miss out on at least half of the most scenic part if you start in Bacharach. I don't understand Rick's advice to cruise from Bacharach OR to stay there.
What time of day will you arrive in the Rhine Gorge area? Between the two more popular river boat companies that leave from Bingen, there are 6 different boats throughout the day that head north... 5 terminate in St. Goar. The last one of the day, the Goethe Paddlewheel Steamer, leaves Bingen at 16:30 and stops in both St. Goar and Boppard.
So my best plan would be this... it includes the full one-way cruise to Boppard...
DAY 1
1) Leave Strasbourg early, drive to BOPPARD and drop bags at a hotel there. Boppard has more to offer in the way of hotels, restaurants, rooms with river views, and a nicer river setting than Bacharach (where all the rooms and restaurants are set way back from the river.) Boppard also has a nice chairlift ride. By comparison, Bacharach has little to see/do.
2) Take the train south to visit St. Goar (home of Rheinfels Castle, 10 minutes from Boppard) and/or Bacharach (lovely old-world buildings, 20 minutes south of Boppard) Take a castle tour or just have a nice look around.
3) There's a southbound train that makes stops as follows... catch it wherever you are...
St Goar (14:56)... Bacharach (15:06)... Bingen Rhein Stadt (15:26)
4) Now you have time for the 5+ minute walk to the KD boat dock to get tickets, maybe a bite to eat or refreshments on the nice riverfront... before your 14:30 cruise to Boppard (18:50.) After the cruise, you're "home" - no more trains to take.
DAY 2:
Do the chairlift and whatever else suits you. Maybe you have plans for this day already?
If you are stuck with your Bacharach room, then you could drive straight there, drop bags, then visit St. Goar +/or Boppard by car. Then get back to Bacharach for that 15:06 train to Bingen. Then do the same cruise, but you'll need to catch another train after the cruise back to Bacharach afterward.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7327 posts
While I certainly agree with Russ, I don't find a 14:30 Bingen to Boppard on this timetable:
https://www.k-d.com/fileadmin/KD_Fahrplaene/KD_Fahrplan_intern_2023_final.pdf
It looks to me like you have to wait 1:40 in St. Goarshausen and change boats? There seems to be only one downstream boat a day that goes all the way, from Bingen, at 16:30?
Posted by
Augsburg, Bavaria
2336 posts
There seems to be only one downstream boat a day that goes all the way, from Bingen, at 16:30?
Right. That's the good old Goethe mentioned by Russ above.
Posted by
Paradise
6658 posts
Sorry, I meant to type 16:30.