Taking the Mittelrhein bahn along the Rhine - which stops to get off and explore?

Train Stop Name
„Koblenz-Stadtmitte“ I think worth for 2-4 hours to explore Koblenz.

The stops on the Rhein that I think are worth seeing are St. Goar, Bacharach, and Ober-Wesel on the left side and Eltville, and Rüdesheim on the right.

Perhaps staying in Cologne isn't a really good idea? Koblenz would be better as it gives you access to both sides. Plus the fortress there is impressive.

No to Cologne. Its too far from the scenic part of the river.

You are very much on the right track with your notion of exploring worthwhile places along this train route. Many visitors shortchange themselves by thinking of the Rhine as a short scenic train ride or a 2-hour river cruise. With a closer look, you can find lots to see and do.

The most scenic section of the river lies between Koblenz in the north and Bingen in the south. South of Bingen the landscape flattens out significantly. Koblenz (pop. 115,000) is the largest city in this area. It was mostly rebuilt after heavy bombing in WW II in a mostly mid-century way, so aside from a smallish old town zone and the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, there isn't much historical stuff there. Most visitors would do well to focus on a few of the smaller wine towns south of Koblenz, places which retain much of their old-world charm. I'd suggesting visiting these three standouts:

Boppard (pop. 16,000, a good base town for 2-4 nights with many small-hotel/inn and restaurant choices; make time for the chairlift and Gedeonseck)

Oberwesel (pop. 3,000; do the old-town-wall circuit on foot) Video is in German but shows the main sights.

Bacharach (pop. 2,000, the best collection of half-timbered buildings in the area; has a nice old-town-wall walk as well.)

St Goar is also a nice town - it's in the most scenic part of the river, and Rheinfels Castle (ruins + museum) is right there.

...where to base myself before and after and how long to stay in this
area.

Boppard is a great choice. It's close to Koblenz in the north and to the other 3 towns to the south. Other towns work well too, but only Boppard offers free outings by train to all guests who stay in the town's accommodations.

I would also strongly recommend Braubach (home of Marksburg, a fully-intact medieval castle with tours) and Rüdesheim (more touristy, but a fun place to visit.) Both are on the east-bank railway, which meets the west-bank Railway in Koblenz.

Area map with towns, ferry crossing cruise docks, hiking trails, railways...

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

Ms Jo and Russ pretty well laid this out. Be advised that the view from the train is intermittent, and you want to sit on the "river" side to see anything.

There are two regional lines that use the route between Bingen and Koblenz; RE17 and RE26. Your ticket should allow you to use both trains. They run alternately every half hour, so it's very easy to get off, walk around a town, or just go sit by the river and watch the boats go by. And then make your way back to the train station (just a platform, mostly) and get on the next train headed up or down the river.

KGC makes a good point about the ease of getting from town to town by train in this area. One additional point here... the RE 17 (RE = Regional Express) does not stop at ALL the towns on that railway. Only the RB trains do that, which means some towns have HOURLY rather than half-hourly service. So it would be wise to consult the DB app., as you pop from town to town, to identify upcoming departures from whatever town you are in to whatever your next town will be.

You can also take some awesome walks between towns. The clifftop trail segment between St Goar and Oberwesel takes 2.5 - 3 hours. Great hike.

https://www.tourenplaner-rheinland-pfalz.de/en/tour/long-distance-hiking/rheinburgenweg-stage-4-oberwesel-st.-goar-south-north-/1526949/

Thanks everyone, lots of good suggestions! Thanks.

Koblenz-Stadtmitte“ I think worth for 2-4 hours to explore Koblenz.

I'm planning to do Burg Eltz. If I get off this stop and walk towards Koblenz Hbf (for train to Hatzenport) along the river, would I see the area worth exploring you are referring to?

The stops on the Rhein that I think are worth seeing are St. Goar, Bacharach, and Ober-Wesel on the left side and Eltville, and Rüdesheim on the right.

Eltville and Rüdesheim are not on the route map, is this a different train. How do i get over the other side? I assume there are ferries, are they frequent and efficient and are these included in the Deutchland ticket?

The most scenic section of the river lies between Koblenz in the north and Bingen in the south
Great thats good to know and thanks for the recommendation on the few towns

Boppard is a great choice. It's close to Koblenz in the north and to the other 3 towns to the south. Other towns work well too, but only Boppard offers free outings by train to all guests who stay in the town's accommodations.

There are 3 Boppard stops (Hbf, Boppard–Bad Salzig, Boppard–Hirzenach), if I was to stay here, which stop should I stay near? I had a quick look on accommodation and there are not much choices in this area, mostly apartments a few kilometers away from Boppard which i want to avoid as I don't have a car. Koblenz seem to have more choices and somewhat cheaper prices. The reason i mention this is I was planning to do all this on the Deutchland ticket. Is there anything this free pass offers that is not already covered by the D-ticket?

By the way, my next stop after the rhine is in the vicinity of Offenburg, Rothenburg or Bamberg. It will be whatever stop that makes sense in terms of ease of train connections (with suitcase). So the stop I base myself will also need to factor for this.

Of the 4 towns you recommended to get off, are all the points of interest on the same side of the river, or do i need to go back and forth across the river?

so it's very easy to get off, walk around a town, or just go sit by the river and watch the boats go by

Thanks for the tip. Are all the points of interest close to the train station? Or do I need to take a bus out. Are the towns at each stop small to explore or do they each need half a day to a day each?

Wow, there seems to be so much to see along the rhine, i may need a few days to do it justice.

I'm planning to do Burg Eltz. If I get off this stop and walk towards
Koblenz Hbf (for train to Hatzenport) along the river, would I see the
area worth exploring you are referring to?

The walk you describe is positively uninspiring.

Eltville and Rüdesheim are not on the route map, is this a different
train. How do i get over the other side?

Both towns are on the east-bank railway, which they share with Koblenz. Koblenz Hbf station is served by both the east and west-bank railways (trestle from the east bank.) So from Boppard, you would likely just take the train to Koblenz Hbf and change there to the east-bank railway. From towns further south on the west bank you might use the St. Goar ferry which drops you near the St Goarshausen station on the east-bank railway. Please refer to the link I provided in my 4:30 am post to view ferry crossings on the map. (Not all are convenient for train travelers, btw.)

All these railways and others are covered by the Deutschland ticket.

"..if I was to stay here, which stop should I stay near?"

Hirzenach and Bad Salzig are actually smaller separate entities from the main town of Boppard. Stay in Boppard proper near the Hbf station.

"Is there anything this free pass offers that is not already covered
by the D-ticket?"

The D-ticket covers everything on regional trains throughout the country, so in your case the Guest Ticket is useless for transportation. Transport is no reason for you to stay in Boppard (though there are other good reasons.) Are you planning a Rhine cruise? This would play into your choice of town as well. When exactly is this trip? It's hard to fathom that Boppard doesn't have rooms or is overpriced unless you are looking to book a 2025 weekend during the Boppard Weinfest or similar.

I was planning to do all this on the Deutchland ticket.

So from the Rhine you will be traveling a long distance to reach Bamberg, Rothenburg, or Offenburg (an unusual choice.) Regional trains that can be used with the Deutschland ticket will typically force ADDITIONAL changes of train when traveling long distances like these (which is why high-speed, long-distance IC, ICE and EC trains exist) and thus longer travel times for the same distance. Also, it is not clear what additional journeys you might have in mind, so I can't say right now whether the D-Ticket onnly seems like a good plan. You may wish to include some of those faster trains and enjoy travel with fewer connections that way, which will require one-way tickets purchased in advance (saver fares) or possibly a Eurail pass. Such tickets would complement your D-Ticket, which will be handy for all those other regional-only journeys you have in mind (as well as buses/subways/trams in cities.)

Before you firm up the D-Ticket-only idea, it would be wise for you to use the DB site to study the # of transfers and the travel times required for 1) journeys which include long-distance trains and compare those results to 2) the regional-trains-only journeys ("local transport only" under "means of transport.")

The walk you describe is positively uninspiring.

Haha okay, scrap that then, I'll save my energy elsewhere. So its just the fortress on the other side that is worth doing in Koblenz?

So from Boppard, you would likely just take the train to Koblenz Hbf and change there to the east-bank railway

Is this a walk over or do I change trains over?

When exactly is this trip? It's hard to fathom that Boppard doesn't have rooms or is overpriced unless you are looking to book a 2025 weekend during the Boppard Weinfest or similar.

At the moment thinking to come in May. I randomly picked a date on booking.com and only 4 hotels came up within walking distance from station. More results with apartments but the price also goes up with them. Perhaps the listings are not posted until closer to date.

Braubach (Marksburg Castle) and Rüdesheim are on the east bank (see area map or rail maps I provided previously.)

A Boppard > Braubach journey with a transfer in Koblenz: this means you get off the train at Koblenz Hbf, then walk to the platform (at that same station) where your Koblenz > Braubach train departs. So if you need to walk from platform 1 to platform 8, for example, you will use either a staircase, escalator or elevator to reach the access corridor which connects all the platforms, walk the corridor, then use another staircase, escalator or elevator to get you and your bag to #8.

I suspect your guess about hotels not yet being loaded might be correct. If it's Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day) May 29 and onward, then there may in fact be a lot of rooms booked already. Try emailing any properties that interest you. English is very common among the innkeepers in Boppard, where lots of Brits, Dutch and others like to spend their holidays.

https://www.kalenderpedia.de/images-large/monate/2025/mai-2025-kalender.png

I also think I should mention that regional trains do not offer seat reservations, which can sometimes be a factor when deciding how to ticket your trip.

Thanks. Ah okay, I incorrectly assumed that the RB26 is the main train down the rhine river.

I also think I should mention that regional trains do not offer seat reservations, which can sometimes be a factor when deciding how to ticket your trip.

Good point. I don't think I will have a problem getting a seat if I'm starting from Cologne. I'll probably be spending at least a night there to explore cologne and maybe take a day trip to Monschau as well (still deciding whether its worth it given its quite a long trip from Cologne).

But it may be a problem if getting on from Koblenz or Boppard. On my last day, if i board the train early say around 9am towards Mainz, do you think i will have problems getting on? Are there storage room for a large suitcases? I guess if worst comes to worst, I'll just stand. When's peak hour in Germany?

Would 4 days 3 nights in Koblenz/Boppard be too much/little?

Day 1 - take the RB26 down from Cologne to Koblenz/Boppard wherever I'm staying drop off my suitcase. Explore St Goar and Boppard

Day 2 - Do trip to Burg Eltz. Come back, go to Koblenz fortress

Day 3 - Continue exploring Oberwesel and Bacharach.

Day 4 - If time persists can do Braubach or Rüdesheim in the morning, then in the afternoon, pick up suitcases and head to my next destination

I think I can do another night and make day 4 a full day and leave on day 5. I just worry it will get a bit repetitive and become to feel like each town is the same. Are the towns vastly different in what there is to do and see?

If i want to take a cruise down the rhine river, where would I do it and are there public ferries or do I need to join a private boat? Perhaps go to Rüdesheim via boat?

Koblenz-Stadtmitte“ I think worth for 2-4 hours to explore Koblenz.
I'm planning to do Burg Eltz. If I get off this stop and walk towards Koblenz Hbf (for train to Hatzenport) along the river, would I see the area worth exploring you are referring to?

NO. If you like to visit Burg Eltz I can‘t help.Sorry. But the next stop on your way to Mainz after Koblenz-Stadtmitte is the Koblenz Hauptbahnhof. Better to drop off, there.

Koblenz-Stadtmitte is perfect, if you like to explore walking Koblenz Oldtown, River Mosel to Deutschen Eck and River Rhine with a Cabelcarride to the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein.

I never would stay 3 days in Boppard or Koblenz. I would split it.

In Koblenz I think the Hotel Super 8 by Wyndham is a good choice. Not expensive, not old and central.
Boppard? No idea. Sorry.

About your DAY 2:

What's your goal with Ehrenbreitstein? It's a big Prussian fortress, one that is not especially user-friendly in terms of learning about this historical period, if that's of interest to you. IMO the people who enjoy it went there not so much for the fortress but for the cable car ride, views the two rivers, the wine/beer/ice cream offerings... If you're worried about duplicating your experiences, remember that Boppard and Rüdesheim also have lifts that will take you to vantage points and awesome views above the Rhine Valley:

Boppard's:

https://fewoboppard.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Sessellift.jpg

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g198627-d3306006-Reviews-Sesselbahn_in_Boppard-Boppard_Rhineland_Palatinate.html

Rüdesheim's:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187345-d8517590-Reviews-Seilbahn_Rudesheim-Ruedesheim_am_Rhein_Hesse.html

From the top of Boppard's lift you get a somewhat more nature-oriented experience... Boppard is located where where the river takes a gigantic horseshoe-shaped turn, and once you are at the top, there are some easy trails around the clifftop that take you to the Vierseenblick lookout and to Gedeonseck terrace, where food and refreshments come with a superb view of Boppard and the neighboring villages.

https://s3-media1.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/T9oxNMwLvt_-r5nCsce-jg/o.jpg

Rüdesheim's lift also takes you up... to the Niederwald Monument and a more extensive trail network for taking in the natural setting and nice views. Some choose to come back downhill into R'heim on foot while others take the chairlift downhill to Assmanshausen (town just downstream from R'heim with rail station.) This last option is the "Assmannshausen tour" on the first page below:

https://www.seilbahn-ruedesheim.de/en/tours/

View above Assmannshausen:
https://cdn.fodors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rhine-River-Cruise-Rudesheim-1.jpg

Since you are traveling up the Mosel River Valley at least as far as Hatzenport on Day 2, why not set foot in Cochem for an hour or two after Burg Eltz? The Mosel really does feel different from the Rhine... and fairytale Cochem is only 20 minutes upriver from Hatzenport, on the same train line that takes you back to Koblenz:

https://img.fotocommunity.com/reichsburg-cochem-mosel-d3c1f03b-fafb-44ea-ae46-aa69ba7ebdb7.jpg?height=1080

Clarification: The Rüdesheim and Boppard lift suggestions were not intended as DAY 2 activities in connection with the trip to Burg Eltz. They were simply alternatives to the Koblenz/Ehrenbreitstein visit, to be done on some other day. Rüdesheim would fit in well with a Rhine Cruise on some day... train to Rüdesheim + sightseeing and lift(s) + cruise the Rhine back to Boppard on the 16:15 K-D "Goethe" paddlewheel boat (does not run on Mondays.)

All these railways and others are covered by the Deutschland ticket.

Even the ferry crossings?

So from the Rhine you will be traveling a long distance to reach Bamberg, Rothenburg, or Offenburg (an unusual choice.)

The reason for Offenburg was Gengenbach looked like an interesting place to explore but not a lot of accommodation options there. Offenburg is just 5 min train ride away and has much more options.

Originally I was planning to stop at Mainz and do Speyer and Worms but nothing really caught my attention when I was looking into them so I decided to go further down to Offenburg and do Gengenbach instead. Is this not a good decision?

Also, it is not clear what additional journeys you might have in mind, so I can't say right now whether the D-Ticket onnly seems like a good plan

Ah yes, I should clarify I'm only using the D ticket where is makes sense - all long the rhine river seems to. Will have to complement with ICE tickets for longer distances where it has less transfers and shorter travel time. I'm not sure the eurorail is worth it for travelling point to point within just Germany, the ICE tickets seems to cost less than EUR50 a trip and the flexi pass is about the same but forces me to make 4 trips at a a minumum. Have to reassess once I determine all the stops to see which is more worthwhile. But thanks for pointing that out.

Koblenz-Stadtmitte is perfect, if you like to explore walking Koblenz Oldtown, River Mosel to Deutschen Eck and River Rhine with a Cabelcarride to the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein.

Ok thanks noted.

In Koblenz I think the Hotel Super 8 by Wyndham is a good choice.

Great suggestion, thanks for the heads up.

What's your goal with Ehrenbreitstein?

I included it as a suggestion from Ms Jo in the second post. She mentioned it was impressive. Maybe I got the wrong fortress.

If you're worried about duplicating your experiences, remember that Boppard and Rüdesheim also have lifts

Thanks for pointing that out. I have the cablecar noted down already for Rüdesheim. I actually prefer the view at Boppard but that chairlift looks a bit scary for me haha. I don't think I dare go on it, its so open.

Some choose to come back downhill into R'heim on foot

Do you know whether this is an easy hike or a moderate one? How long it takes and whether its a scenic path down? I wouldn't mind coming down by foot if its not too difficult. Do many people take this trail, I don't want to be stuck in the forest alone if i decide to come down by foot. :D.

Since you are traveling up the Mosel River Valley at least as far as Hatzenport on Day 2, why not set foot in Cochem for an hour or two after Burg Eltz?

Great tip, I'll add that, thanks. The view in this photo https://img.fotocommunity.com/reichsburg-cochem-mosel-d3c1f03b-fafb-44ea-ae46-aa69ba7ebdb7.jpg?height=1080
is fantastic!!

Is anyone able to tell me where I can find the ferry crossing (east to west side of the river) timetables? The equivalent of bahn.de but for ferries?

Rüdesheim would fit in well with a Rhine Cruise on some day.

Is this the operator to do this with? Can i buy the ticket on the day or do i need to book in advance?
https://www.k-d.com/en/landing-stages/ruedesheim

There is not much information on the cruises from Rudesheim on this website, no mention of pricing or duration either. I could be on the wrong site.

https://www.bingen-ruedesheimer.de/fahrplan/

Example: there may be changes in the event of flooding

KD is the wrong website.

Rhine ferries are independent operations. "Fähre" (also written "Faehre") is German for ferry. There is no single site that gives you all the details. You must visit their individual sites to find schedules.

You will probably be using only the ferries which connect well to train stations on each side. Those are...

1) Rüdesheim < > Bingen (D-Ticket not accepted)

(See schedule link Fjord provided.)
The Bingen-Rüdesheimer company operates both cruise ships AND ferry crossings. Two ferry crossings, in fact. Fjord's link shows the Personenfähre (no cars allowed) which travels between Rüdesheim and the ferry dock closest to the Bingen Rhein Stadt train station. The schedule looks a little irregular because the regular Personenfähre is out of operation and the company currently puts passengers on its cruise ships whenever those cruise ships are schedule to cross. The other ferry shown (Autofähre) is a combo person-and-auto ferry but the dock is located well upstream from town and does make for a long walk to the station.

2) St Goar < > St Goarshausen (D-Ticket not accepted)

Departure times from St Goar: https://faehre-loreley.de/fahrplan/#tabs_desc_8773_2
Click on the "ab St Goarshsausen" box to see times for ferries crossing from that side of the river.

3) Boppard < > Filsen ( where the station is a bit further from the dock but still a walkable distance. D-Ticket probably not accepted as it is NOT on this list of the 4 ferries which do accept it in this area.)

http://www.faehre-boppard.de/richtzeiten/

The ferry crossings will cost you from €2.20 - €2.90 per person one way at current rates.

Goodness....so much planning. I'm wondering how I ever get from point A to point B?
The ferries more or less run continuously all day long at most locations. Almost as soon as the cars are unloaded, the ferry is reloaded, and it begins its next crossing. Except for the last run of the day (ask) I would not sweat the details on their schedule. You will never need to wait much more than a few minutes (20) to cross, wherever you are.

Almost as soon as the cars are unloaded, the ferry is reloaded, and it
begins its next crossing. Except for the last run of the day (ask) I
would not sweat the details on their schedule.

It all depends on the style and pacing of your trip. "Slow" travel with a stay of 5-7 days on the Rhine might not require that kind of scheduling attention. If you are on a tight schedule and attempting to connect with a scheduled train which stops only once per hour, you want to cross the river at the right time - and consider walking time as well in between ferry and train.

Ignoring the ferry schedule means...

1) ...you may have to wait 10-20 minutes to board the ferry, as you said (in St Goar, for example)

2) ... you may end up on the other side (in St. Goarshausen, for example, where trains run hourly) for close to an additional hour before the next train comes along.

Sadly, too many people spend too few days in this area. Getting around to specific places efficiently when your time is limited isn't possible without schedule info.

Thank you so much.

Rüdesheim would fit in well with a Rhine Cruise on some day.

@Russ, when you mention the rhine cruise, you don't mean the Rüdesheim < > Bingen ferry above do you? If not, are you able to point me to the link for this cruise please, I'm trying to find ticketing information. And is this something I need to prebook or can I buy on the day?

Does it make sense to do Braubach and Rudesheim on the same day and in that order? So i take the train over to Braubach from Koblenz and when I'm done, get back on the train and head down to Rudesheim. Explore the town. Do the cable car up, hike down, then do the cruise from Rudesheim to Boppard? If i do it in the reverse order, I need to get back to Rudesheim for the cruise. Is that too much for one day?

The only thing that doesn't align is for marksburg castle, the english tours don't start until the afternoon at 1pm and I think by that time I would have left Braubach. Can I explore the castle without a tour?

Also, is there a difference in the view at Rudesheim between the cable car and the chairlift?

it is NOT on this list of the 4 ferries which do accept it in this area.

When i switch to the english version of this page, it shows 6 ferries, not 4. But the german version has 4, any reason for this? This is the english version -
https://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets/ferry-use-collaborations/ferry-use-in-the-vrm/

Is it possible to walk across the river (bridge or underpass?) as a plan B in the event the ferries are not operational? The Rhine does look unobstructed so I doubt this is possible but just like to check in case there is some way.

@Russ, when you mention the rhine cruise, you don't mean the Rüdesheim
< > Bingen ferry above do you?

NO. Cruise means cruise. The idea in the quote you posted was... you could first get by train or ferry + train) to Rüdesheim and then do a cruise from R'heim back to Boppard in the late afternoon.

The cruise part of this trip could be done with Koeln-Düsseldorfer cruises, which is the only outfit with direct cruises to Boppard, and only one direct 2.5-hr cruise per day, Tue > Sun only. Lv R'heim 16:15; Ar Boppard 18:50 (this year's schedule, likely next year's as well, is below.) Tickets do not reserve seats and they are not refundable. Just buy your ticket and line up a little early on whatever day you do the cruise.

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

You are correct that it would be a tight fit to do Braubach + Marksburg + R'heim + the cruise. Just as it is with Burg Eltz, Marksburg tours are not self-guided.

Another possibility is to combine R'heim + cruise with Rheinfels (St Goar) first thing in the morning. It's about 12 minutes to St. Goar... then ferry across to St Goarshausen and get the train to R'heim. Finish with the cruise back to Boppard. Do Marksburg on a separate day, possibly in combination with a morning chairlift ride in Boppard.

The lower chairlift station is actually in Aßmannshausen, a suburb of Rüdesheim. The cable car is in R'heim proper. Click on the Aßmannshausen tour at the page below to see a map of these things:

https://www.seilbahn-ruedesheim.de/en/tours/

The 6-ferry link is accurate - those are all in the VRM area and accept VRM tickets. But the homepage of the ferry in St Goar specifically excludes the D-ticket: "Das D-Ticket ist auf der Fähre nicht gültig."

https://faehre-loreley.de/befoerderungsbedingungen/#tabs_desc_9047_1

I believe the Boppard ferry also excludes it, but it never hurts to ask, all they can say is "nein", and then you shell out a couple of Euros.

Crossing the Rhine from west to east on foot is not possible where you will be.

I should mention that K-D does have a cruise boat that will take you directly from Boppard to Braubach (10:15 - 10:45) if that turns out to be a convenient time for you. It's on the schedule for Tue - Sun. Faster than the train, more expensive too. But with 2.25 hours before the 1 pm English tour of Marksburg you would have time for a thorough stroll through this attractive town, lunch, and the walk (or taxi) up to the castle.