Help with trip to Germany in 2 weeks!

Thanks for the replies. Anyone flown into Frankfurt-Hahn? I assume I should just have them take the bus to Cologene? Then try to catch a train to go along the Rhine? Is this a doable day trip? We were considering getting a hotel for 2 nights in Cologene then maybe 2 nights in Dusseldorf but they have no plans right now and are completely flexable.

Although some minor lines might be running, the primary ship line on the Rhein, K-D, doesn't start running until April. However, if it is castles you want to see, St. Goar's website says Rheinfels should be open daily starting tomorrow, March 19. The Marksburg goes to summer hours the 20th. The Reichsburg, in Cochem is already on summer hours.

And, yes, Burg Eltz doesn't open until April 1st.

Just got back from going up to Marksburg. Fun tour, beautiful view and saw lots of towns I would like to stop and visit sometime. Just get off the train when you see a place you like, stroll around and get back on the next train. Oberwesel looked like a good place to stop.

Tour Mainz on your way up the Rhein, stop in Koblenz, stop in Cologne, stop in Frankfurt and tour it too, if you take the bus from Hahn to Frankfurt.

No, that is going the wrong way. Have them take the bus from Hahn to Frankfurt or Mainz if it goes there and from there take a train to make their way up the Rhein until they get to Cologne. Dusseldorf is then just a short S-bahn trip away.

Do go see the Rhine Castles and Reichsburg in Cochem. I would take the bus not to Frankfurt or Mainz, but to Koblenz, where you're a good bit closer to all three castles. Koblenz is the train hub for the area and has lots of places to stay - and there'll be some nightlife and pubs to enjoy (the villages are deadsville.) There's a bus that heads straight to Koblenz.

copy and paste the bus info from Hahn:

www.hahn-airport.de/default.aspx?menu=by_bus&cc=en

There is also a bus directly from Hahn to Cochem.

You can find schedule information for Germany from the German Rail website.

For fare information, you need to go to the local transit district, Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel, website.

I think I would take the bus from Hahn to Cochem, spend a day there, see Reichsburg castle, then go on to Köln (Cologne) with a stop at the Marksburg, which is in Braubach, a short distance from Koblenz. A VRM Minigruppenkarte will cover all of your travel (hop on/off) on regional trains or buses for a day from Cochem to Remagen or Linz, for €20. Buy the local ticket for Remagen or Linz in the Bahnhof at Cochem.

The Reichsburg in Cochem was completely destroyed in the early 19th century and rebuilt as a "chateau" in the late 19th century. The Marksburg is the only castle on the Rhine never destroyed and it has been preserved for centuries by the German Castle Association.

The Mosel is wine country. Instead of a brewery tour, consider visiting Weingut Rademacher, next to the Bahnhof in Cochem.

You are correct, Hahn is in the middle of nowhere, but it is a beautiful area of Germany. Several years ago, Hahn was a US Air Force base. I've flown in/out of there a couple years back and it's a simple regional airport. Anyway, I lived in the Rhineland Pfalz area and currently live in the Nord Rhine Westfalia area. So, here are my little known, but interesting things to see in both regions...with a rental car. Bitburg beer brewery tour. Bitburg also has a small SS cemetery (once visited by a US President). Mandersheid castle and ruins. Monschau nice little tourist town (near here is the WWII siegfried line dragons teeth). And finally, Bernkastel-Kues (my favorite Mosel wine village with a great restaurant (Waldschenke) up in the vineyard. Well, that's it...hope they enjoy their trip!

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. Sam, the info about the area is very nice, unfortunately they are not planning on renting a car so they may be limited with what they can see.

My tentative plan is to have them catch a bus to Cochem or Koblenz (they arrive at 10:00 pm) and spend the next couple of days hopefully touring that area and visiting castles. After 2 days in the area I believe they will head up to Cologne or Dusseldorf area. Still hoping to find my husband some sort of brewery tour in that area and have to figure out the bus/train schedules yet!