Staying in Heimbach: Rhine Cruise/Eltz Castle

There are no scheduled k-d cruises for your dates. But you can cruise with Bingen-Rüdesheimer.
https://www.bingen-ruedesheimer.de/linienfahrten/linie/loreleyfahrt

Click on the globe in the upper right corner to select English and then find the schedule.

Rüdesheim is on the wrong side of the river for your purposes.

The first cruise from Bingen is at 11, kind of late to begin this adventure. Maybe your best bet is to do Eltz first... it opens at 9:30... use the train + bus connections from Niederheimbach station to the "Burg Eltz, Wierschem" stop. Find a travel schedule at the DB site using these station names and arrive as early as you can at Burg Eltz. Then return as you came and get off the train in St. Goar to catch the 15:45 boat to Bingen (18:10.) Return to Niederheimbach after that by train.

Heimbach near Baumholder Rhineland Palatinate?

Then I would definately do 2 daytours

1 to Bingen Rüdesheim and cruise to St Goar
2 to Cochem and Burg Eltz on the Mosel River

So much to see and do on the way on both days wouldnt pack it all in one day

I would choose a car for both trips from Heimbach but 1. can also be done by train in an adequate time

Good question, uwe. I assumed only the Rhine location based on the fact that visitors typically stay in the Rhine Valley for Rhine cruises... but it could be that Heimbach you mention or some other Heimbach, maybe the one out in the Eifel National Park not too far from Schleiden (a place fairly close to Burg Eltz and one where a lot of time-share visitors to Germany end up booking their week or weeks.) That would also require an entirely different approach by public transport.

I spent so much time Googling, and then you have all been so much help. THANK YOU all. I'll look at the other cruise company. And yes, Heimbach near the Eifel forest because found place to accommodate 6+ people (two couples, two singles) and group wanted nature. I will also look at what Cochem has to offer to perhaps make two trips.

Cars to rent for six people look quite expensive, so hoping to use train as much as possible, but also don't want to waste too many hours of the vacation just traveling! I tried finding something affordable closer to small towns near Duppach/Lissengen (where my ancestors were for generations) and/or even Koblenz because that seemed more near activities we intended to pursue, but closest I found that met our needs was Heimbach.

Again - thank you.

Heimbach (Eifel) would mean a ridiculous round-trip outing public transport if a Rhine Cruise from Bingen to St Goar is in the crosshairs.

Let me ask you this... how is it that you plan to reach Heimbach in the first place, and from where? If you are coming from FRA airport or somewhere south of Bingen, it might be feasible to do a cruise on the way to Heimbach - make the cruise a part of your transportation strategy. It takes only an hour to get from FRA to Bingen.

But that still doesn't address getting to Eltz from Heimbach, which is also going to be ridiculous, I'm afraid.

Perhaps we could assist you with suggestions for finding accommodations in a location better suited for your sightseeing goals. Cochem might be worth a look. But there are MANY towns where you might find something appropriate and where you'd be within an easy ride to Eltz or to Bingen, and in mid-October, when things have quieted down, significantly, availability should not be a serious problem. The thing is that lots of accommodations do not get listed on Airbnb or booking.com but instead on the pages of local tourist offices or commercial sites in German - you probably are not searching the fullest set of options for your stay.

KD cruises are available on 10/17 and 10/18. Switch the location to Rudesheim in the dropdown then choose the St. Goar tab for your destination here.

nixit is correct... K-D operates until Oct 20... I was looking at the enhanced summer schedule rather than the late-October schedule. The main schedule page shows the same to be true:

https://www.k-d.com/fileadmin/KD_Fahrplaene/KD_Fahrplan_2024_web.pdf

So if you are able to change accommodations - orsolve transportation issues - you will indeed have a wider range of cruise options - the two from B-R and three from K-D.

I am so glad I found this discussion. My husband and I are planning a stay on the Rhein in mid-October, but I have not yet looked into details about cruises. Is the K-D Line brochure that Russ just posted the best source for their schedule? (The print is so tiny, I won't be able to read that on my phone!)

Also, I am assuming that the Deutschland ticket will be valid on the trains up and down the Rhein and I won't have to worry about whether we are covered by the complimentary passes. Or?

@bistoa:

Is the K-D Line brochure that Russ just posted the best source for their schedule?
Yes. It's a pdf file. You can zoom in on it to better view the timetable.

The D-Ticket will cover any trains or buses, with the possible exception of certain castle-shuttle buses, at any hour of the day.

Best cruise segment: Bingen (or Rüdesheim across the river) to St Goar (or St. Goarshausen across the river.) Cruising downstream (south to north) is more time-efficient. Cruising north beyond St. Goar to Boppard adds about an hour to your cruise time and €12 to your cruise fare, but the scenery is also good if you are wanting more time on the boat. Staying in one of these towns can make for easier one-way cruising... otherwise, you will need to take two trains in order to reach the boarding dock and to later return to your starting point. If you plan to spend time in Rüdesheim or at Marksburg Castle after your cruise, get off in St Goarshausen and catch a train from there.

Yes - after getting the info I asked for from so many who helped, we are splitting our trip into two parts and not using train. Heimbach area first and nearer to Rhine option for second part. Thank you to all!!!

Its not Heimbach but why not stay in Oberheimbach or Niederheimbach on the Rhine?

In case your staying in the Eifel regions Heimbach why do KD Cruise from Bonn 1hr by car from Heimbach?