burg eltz

There is a very complex series of buses that will get you to a neighboring town from Koblenz, but no bus from Moselkern - at any time. Ken found a taxi.

Renee, I'm not aware of any Buses travelling to Burg Eltz, but even if there were it's doubtful they would be operating until April when the Castle opens to tourists. That wouldn't be a "paying proposition" for only a few people. If you're certain you want to see the outside of Burg Eltz, you have a few choices. The usual method suggested in the Guidebook is to take the train to Moselkern, and then hike up to the Castle. I've never done the hike but the route is apparently well marked and takes about an hour. I'm not sure what the weather will be like in that area in March? If you have a "generous" travel budget, the easiest method would be to take a Taxi. In that case, I'd suggest taking the train to Löf, which is one or two stops before Moselkern. It's a VERY SMALL station, so you'll have to go down the stairs and find a store or whatever to call the Taxi (unless you pre-arrange). The firm is called Taxi Ewald and uses air-conditioned Mercedes vehicles. One IMPORTANT point to note is that the driver DOES NOT speak much / any English. I was fortunate, as one of the "locals" made all the arrangements for me, including the pick-up time (be sure to arrange a pick-up time!!!). If you don't speak German, you might take a small card with the instructions written on. I don't speak German but perhaps Lee can help? One other point is that when you arrive at the car park above the Castle, it will probably be mostly deserted as the Shuttle down to the Castle won't be operating yet. You could walk down the hill to the small "lookout" about half way down, or walk right to the entrance. It's fairly steep in spots so not good for those with "mobility issues". Hope this helps? Happy travels!

One final comment..... If you decide to use a pre-arranged Taxi, when you arrive in Löf walk to the end of the platform and then down the stairs. You'll find yourself in a small tunnel under the tracks, wide enough for one car. If you go to the left, it opens into a large car park or whatever, and that's likely where the Taxi will be waiting. The Taxi will be expensive, but it's certainly the easiest and quickest way to get to Burg Eltz.

During the 2011 season the outside of Burg Eltz was largely covered by scaffolding and had a huge crane parked beside it. Check out this Trip Advisor thread: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187389-d192305-r114401872-Burg_Eltz-Rhineland_Palatinate.html I would think this would make a trip just to see the outside not worth the effort it takes to get there. Does anyone know whether the restoration work is continuing in 2012??? I am trying to find this out to decide whether to include Burg Eltz in my own trip in April. Internet searching only reveals info from last year. A German gov't site says the construction was expected to end in Fall 2011, but elsewhere people have speculated that it will continue for another 6-7 years.