beilstein b&b

Other than being difficult to get to without a car, I can't see anything to recommend Beilstein. Yes, it is a very tiny town. No, there is almost nothing of interest there.

I went there in 2008, primarily because of recommendations in Rick's books and on this website. It was a Sunday. Public transportation runs less frequently. I went by bus there from Cochem, stayed for four hours, then came back on the next bus. Two hours was plenty to see it. Admittedly, because it was November, the castle ruins were closed and I could not tour them. The church was worth a few minutes, no more. I spent most of my time drinking coffee in a cafe. The rest of my time was completely wasted.

We loved Beilstein for its fairy tale like village atmosphere. Not much to do but be surrounded by this lovely village on the river. A good place to R&R or use as your base. we stayed at gasthaus winzerschenke an der klostertreppe and loved it and their breakfast included.

We loved Beilstein--stayed at Haus Lippmann and our room had a great view of the Mosel. The restaurants (I think there are two if not three) at HL are very good also. Breakfast and lunch as well as dinner were served by candlelight. Very charming place with wonderful staff.

Beilstein is extremely tiny. People seem to go there only for the Haus Lippmann. It's hard to imagine choosing between Beilstein and Trier, which is a metropolis by comparison. If you want a village on the most scenic part of the Mosel with a bit more to it than Beilstein, head for cobblestoned Cochem. Cruise boats leave Cochem regularly for Beilstein (an hour or so each way) if you want to pay Beilstein a visit. Cochem also has excellent train connections, if that's how you're traveling.

We also stayed in Beilstein at the Haus Lipmann a few years ago.

We had a car so we visited Cochem and Burg Eltz. In Beilstein, we hiked up to the Burg Metternick ruin which had outstanding views from the top. We also visited the lovely Karmenlitenkirche with it fabled Black Madonna. We had several lovely meals at Haus Lipmann and the Alte Zollhaus next door.

While there isn't much nightlife, we loved the serenity of Beilstein and found plent to do there and in the surrounding area.

We have also stayed in Bernkastel-Kues which I can highly recommend as well.

We also stayed at the Hotel Haus Lipmann (the family owns 3 inns so be careful which one you're choosing). We chose to stay in Beilstein based on RS and TripAdvisor recommendations. Yes, it's a tiny town (200 people?) but SO quaint. We had a car and took day trips to Trier, Burg Eltz, and Cochem. If you're using only trains and buses it will be a challenge getting around.

The hotel was about 400 years ago, the rooms had antique furnishings, creaky wooden stairs, and wonderful character. It was the best place we stayed on our recent trip to Germany.

"If you're using only trains and buses it will be a challenge getting around." For someone who is ignorant about travel by public transportation in Germany, it might be a challenge. On the other hand, the extra cost of having a car can be considered an ignorance tax.

A challenge? To look at a bus schedule? There are regularly scheduled buses between Cochem and Beilstein. OK, because it was a weekend and the buses run less frequently, I had to spend 4 hours in a 2 hour town. I came into town on a bus from Cochem and returned to Cochem by the next bus. How hard is that?

Before I planned this trip, I got a 2 week quote for a car too small to drive on the Autobahn of $490. Fuel for the four major days of travel would have been $160. I would have spent $650 to have a car. I actually spent $170 on rail and bus tickets, for a savings of $480.

It depends on your situation.

As a German-born US resident, I travel frequently to visit family and have done both scenarios: renting a car to drive around vs. using trains and buses.

Our family of 5 just returned from one such trip (which included Beilstein) and this time we rented a station wagon from Avis for 15 days ($720). It was much easier than purchasing 5 tickets for every leg of our 9+ city journey. We had the flexibility of having a car (plus the hassle of finding parking in small towns), but it worked much better than trains and buses.

The trip previous (Dec 2008) my mom and I used trains to get from city to city and it worked out great.

Here's a newsflash: even in a country like Germany, where public transportation is awesome, trains and buses don't go everywhere. We visited some artisan's fairs and an outdoor museum of old thatched buildings in the Luneburger Heide. No bus service in sight.

There may indeed be a time and a place for cars in Germany, but Germany is like almost no other country when it comes to public transport. In short, it's an amazing place, not the sort of country where visiting smaller towns means you have to drive to them, as a rule. There are 6,000 train stations, buses to almost every other hamlet, and bargains galore when you figure rental, gas, and secondary car costs. If you can carry your own luggage and are able to spend a bit of time finding conveniently-located accommodations, you will have little problem getting where you want to go. With kids or the elderly, or if you've decided to stay in some isolated spot (like a castle in the woods) you might need a car. But others visiting Germany should always give public transport some serious consideration.