Hi all, I am looking to get opinions on options for a day trip along the Rhine River for 4 adults. I've looked at numerous websites with companies offering one type of cruise or another. I want to see the Middle Rhine as this seems to offer the most for viewing. I saw one cruise that is about $100 per person for a day but the reviews were mixed. I saw a company that offers stops and we can get on and off as we'd like but I'm concerned it would be difficult. If you've done a day trip along the Rhine, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thank you so much.
Posted by
Beverly Hills, MI
813 posts
Why not just take a KD Rhine boat from Koblenz to Oberwesel or Bingen depending on your time constraints and then take one of the frequent trains back to Koblenz. You want to go to at least Oberwesel since that will take you past the Lorelei. All three stops are on the west bank so you don't have to worry about crossing the river. The restaurants on the KD boats are fine and a German friend of mine said ti doesn't get better than than having a glass of Rhine wine while cruising past the Lorelei.
Posted by
Paradise
7063 posts
Hi, Tina. For any segment of the Middle Rhine, if you do as Irv suggests and cruise from north to south, it is about 40-50% SLOWER than if you cruise south to north. Why's that, you ask? The current is very strong. Where to start your cruise? The best place to start is where the really good scenery begins - that's generally either Bingen on the west bank or Rüdesheim on the east bank (depending on where you're coming from.) Cruise north from there, and you'll see many castles and other sights, including the Mäuseturm and Pfalzgrafenstein castles in the middle of the river, and the Loreley as well. You can get off in St. Goar if you wish (about 1.5 hours, tour Rheinfels Castle) or for a little more good scenery, further downstream in Boppard (about 2.3 hours, nice town.) After Boppard, the scenery deteriorates slightly, then more noticeably as you approach Koblenz, so I do not recommend continuing beyond Boppard the extra 1.3 hours to Koblenz (exception: if you plan to tour Marksburg Castle in Braubach, stay on the boat for 30 minutes after Boppard.) The cruise fare to St. Goar is 18.70€. The fare to Boppard is 23.80€. You can get a 20% discount on the cruise by presenting the train ticket(s) you use to reach Bingen. (Note that if you unwisely cruise from north to south instead, the St. Goar - Bingen segment takes 2.7 hours, the Boppard - Bingen segment takes 4 hours. Koblenz - Bingen would take 6 hours. Koblenz - Oberwesel would take nearly four hours, and you'd miss some very good scenery.) Of course, you need to get to Bingen (or Rüdesheim) in the first place. That will not be expensive by train if you are staying fairly close. Where will you be sleeping the night before? What day of the week to you think you might travel? Where will you go after your day on the Rhine? For suggestions on what else to do, how, and how to get around, this information would help.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9219 posts
Tina, it sounds like you found the Viator offer, which is really a tour run by a company called ETS. The reviews are mixed, because this whole tour is a rip-off. They start in Frankfurt, bus to Ruedesheim, have you eat a set meal in a restaurant they have chosen, give you a ride on a chair lift up to Germania, try some wine at a place they have chosen, go on a short boat ride, and a visit to a castle, which they don't tell you anything about or which one it is. All this for 81 euro, I am guessing? Follow the directions given by Russ and you will have a much better day, save a ton of money, and see far more of the Rhine, than what this tour offers.