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Hotels in Bacharach, Germany

I just purchased Rick's Germany guide for our May/June 2012 trip. I loved his description of the Rhein Hotel so I emailed them and they're already fully booked!! Nowhere in the book does Rick even suggest making reservations this eary....anyway, does anyone have a good alternative to the Rhein Hotel? I guess I'd better book all of my hotels soon! Thanks, Paul

Posted by
19052 posts

That's www.im-malerwinkel.de. Beutiful setting. Far enough away from the tracks not to be a problem. Bacharach's website (www.bacharach.de) has a lot of places listed. All, IMO, are good alternatives except a few like Kranenturm, which are next to the RR tracks, or Stahleck, which is a climb. You could also stay in St. Goar (www.st-goar.de). The RR tracks are above town. Anyplace in town, Marktplatz or Heerstrasse should be fine.

Posted by
1477 posts

We visited the Rhine in May/June 2009. It was not that busy. I wonder if the Rhein Hotel might just have had a tour booked, like Rick Steve's. Many of the hotels were closed over the winter. We had to wait until spring to finalize our books but that was no problem. We stayed at the Malerwinkel. Best bargain of our trip. Nice size room, good breakfast and the sound of a stream to help us sleep at night. We also stayed in St. Goar at the Hotel am Markt. We like St. Goar a bit better but both stops were very nice. http://www.hotel-am-markt-sankt-goar.de/ Regards, Gary

Posted by
258 posts

http://www.kranenturm.com/ I stayed here and liked it. It's also a Rick-pick (or at least, it used to be; not sure if it's still in his Germany guidebook). It's actually the 1st bldg you see as you come into Bacarach from the Rhein (due to its tall steeple). TYpical Rick-like place; indpendent, family run, clean, good value, etc. Note: it DOES back up on the train tracks, but the windows are double-paned, and I don't reecall train noise being a problem at night. Good bfast each AM, too. Met other, like-minded, independent travelers there, too (not surprising, almost all with their RS books!). Bacarach is small and pretty; you'll enjoy it. Not a hell of a lot to see and do, per se, but after a long day on the Rhein, I loved checking into the hotel, enjoying a good dinner in town and then just wandering around the cobble-stone streets. Made a great base on the Rhein.

Posted by
19052 posts

Bacharach and St. Goar are probably your two best bets for the middle Rhein. There are things to see in Bacharach (Stahleck Hostel) and the old town wall, St. Goar has Rheinfels castle, and there is the boat in between. However, there are other options. St. Goarshausen is right across the Rhein, a few minutes ferry ride away, and Boppard is perhaps ten minutes away by train. Boppard itself doesn't have as many interesting things to see, but there are a lot of accommodations there. Farther down the river, Braubach, under the Marksburg has some accommodations. I had lunch at Weingut Wieghart in Braubach and almost spent the night there.

Posted by
8934 posts

Have a look at Ober-Wesel too. Very pretty little town which doesn't seem to get as much notice as St. Goar.

Posted by
6590 posts

What dates are you planning to stay in Bacharach? It's normally not very busy there, but if you're trying to stay there on June 22, 23 or 24, you might want to change your plans. That's "Tal Total" weekend, and on Sunday the main road is shut down and turned over to auto-free biking and in-line skating; 150,000 visitors normally turn up, and rooms throughout the valley fill very early. It's actually quite a fun time - food and wine stands line the road in all the towns, and families have a blast - but you'll need a room of course, and you'll need to use trains that day if going anywhere (extra train service is provided on Sunday.) Bavaria Ben lists 6 places to stay in Bacharach, including Im Malerwinkel, and other accommodations along the Rhine too, with photos and comments from visitors who've stayed there: http://www.bensbauernhof.com/accommodationsrhinemosel.html

Posted by
2297 posts

May 28, 2012 is a public holiday and this long weekend gets a lot of travelers as well in the area. If you're looking for a place during that time I'd definitely make reservations.

Posted by
47 posts

Thank you, Beatrix! I'm sure that's it. There are some rooms available, just not at the very top rated places. We were planning on May 28,29 as our two nights, but I'm going to reconsider that now. Paul

Posted by
2297 posts

Paul, the holiday can affect many locations in Germany that are popular for weekend getaways. The important thing is to book now, no matter which location you choose for those days.

Posted by
8 posts

We stayed at the Hotel Kranenturm this past June and loved it. We had a window facing the RR tracks and weren't bothered by the trains at all. We enjoyed our stay in Bacharach so much that we added an extra day but the Hotel Kranenturm was full. Fatima, the delightful owner of the Kranenturm, found us a room at the Pension Lettie which was very close to the Kranturm. We enjoyed our stay at there as well. About 10 years ago we stayed in the hotel Altkolnischer and had a great stay. Good Luck.

Posted by
32173 posts

Paul, I've also stayed at both Hotel Kranenturm and Pension Lettie. Both were very comfortable and I would have no hesitation in staying at either place on future visits. The owners of both are wonderful! At Kranenturm, I also had a room which faced the river and the railway tracks, and didn't find the noise to be a problem. Happy travels!

Posted by
252 posts

One thing to remember: If your hotel is by the tracks and it is warm enough outside that you must open the windows, you WILL hear noise from the trains.

Posted by
19052 posts

Although I think train noise by hotels by the tracks in Bacharach, such as Kranenturm, is an issue, you should also realize that they don't run all night. At Kranenturm, the worst thing is the screeching of brakes from regional trains coming from Koblenz and stoping in Bacharach. The last such train is at 11:30 PM at night and not again until 5:30 in the morning. So, you get a good 6 hours between trains. Of course, you might get a rude awakening at 5:30 in the morning. There are some trains laboring out of Bacharach towards Koblenz, but these are electric and not nearly as bad as diesels. Finally, there are a few express trains that go through Bacharach in the middle of the night, like CNL's night train and some freight trains, but they don't stop and are relatively unobtrusive, just a whoosh and they're gone.

Posted by
12172 posts

You may be hitting the hotel when one of Rick's groups is staying there. I've stayed at Burg Stahleck (a very nice castle hostel), the St. Goar hostel, and a pension in Bacharach. Burg Stahleck fills up so you need to book early to get in. The St. Goar hostel is just okay, fine for regular hostel goers but nothing special. I avoided the hotels in Bacharach because they are right on the train tracks. The pensions are up hill about two blocks and a great value. I prefer booking by phone. An email may not be returned if they are booked up. It's also hard to communicate any flexibility in your plans when you book online.

Posted by
850 posts

We stayed at Hotel Hillen which is located next to the tracks and the trains did not wake us. We did ask for and got a room on the back side of the hotel so we had some inusulation against the train noise. No problems sleeping through the trains passing by.

Posted by
3 posts

I've been to Bacharach twice. Not much there; about 2 hours' worth of looking around. A great place to stay is the Pearl Am Rhein in Bad Salzach. Family run hotel, great leisurely dining, and exceedingly kind, generous innkeepers. It's an easy walk from the KD Line dock to the hotel.

Posted by
19052 posts

Perle am Rhein is in Bad Salzig (not Salzach). It is one stop (3 min) away from Boppard in the direction of St. Goar.

Posted by
19 posts

My wife and I stayed at the Hotel Pension Dettmar . The room and breakfast were both good . It is just a few blocks from the train station and the ticket stand for the river boats are close by too . The family also runs a bakery that is in the same building . www.pension-dettmar.bacharach-rhein.de/river

Posted by
203 posts

I booked by friends in Pension Lettie. They really enjoyed it and said the breakfast was really good. I think you have to e-mail her to make reservations.

Posted by
24 posts

Just got back from Bacharach. Pension Lettie was fantastic. She is a retired doctor from the US Army. Had things that most small hotels and pensions don't have like washrags, a fan, hair dryer, and other things we Americans are use to. She also serves a fantastic breakfast.

Posted by
51 posts

We stayed at Pension Lettie at the beginning of this month. I would absolutely recommend it. Very quiet, great breakfast and hospitality. Also she will do your laundry for ~13 Euros!

Posted by
3 posts

Have not stayed in Bachrach, but in St. Goar at Hotel Am Markt. But our favorite is Boppard. If you have a car, I would drive north to Boppard and stay at the Hotel Garni Gunther. Comfortable rooms, some with balconies overlooking the Rhine River - what a sight to see all the river traffic. There is a great walking path along the river, tour boat docks, the beautiful St. Severus church, old town wall, many small cafes and lovely old houses.
The owners at Hotel Garni Gunther are very helpful in recommending restaurants and areas to visit. They speak English. We have stayed there three times and hope to return soon.

Posted by
19052 posts

"If you have a car"? Why are Americans so fixated on cars? Trains run all up and down the Rhein between the towns. It's only 11 min by train from St. Goar to Boppard. In 2004, I stayed in Boppard and had no problem getting to Bacharach and St. Goar with the train. You'll certainly spend less per day on train fares than you will for a car rental.

Posted by
252 posts

Lee, why don't you just let people do what they want to do and quit lecturing them about cars?? We enjoy driving in Europe even if it costs a little more. I have a friend who travels solo so she always goes by train. Because of numerous changes, it sometimes takes her all day to get to a place that would take us only a few hours. We also like the freedom to stop where and when WE want to stop and not just where the train stops. It's a CHOICE people make based on their own likes and dislikes.

Posted by
32173 posts

Betty, I tend to agree with Lee, as his post was a good reminder that travel by rail is often an easier and faster method to get around Europe. I've also found that people from this side of the pond are somewhat fixated on travel by car, and people who haven't travelled a lot in Europe often don't consider other methods. As you prefer to stop frequently, I can understand why you would prefer a rental car. However, I'm not sure that one can categorize rail travel with changes as being slower than with a car. This will vary, as each situation will be different. I prefer to travel by train most of the time, as it's much more cost effective for a solo traveller, and in most cases is absolutely the quickest way between cities (especially using fast trains - no car can travel at 300 kmH!). I also don't have to worry about things like CDW, parking, vandalism, ZTL zones, etc. However, I will rent cars "strategically" for specific purposes. The "bottom line" is that each traveller will need to choose whichever method works best for them.

Posted by
32523 posts

I never saw the OP say that price was the highest criteria, or mention price at all. I don't see why somebody can't suggest a car activity without getting their head chopped off. Sometimes I'm on the train, sometimes I drive. It is my choice. People should be encouraged to present choices, and make recommendations - but, unless there is an untruth which needs to be corrected, people who make suggestions should not be torn down. Community Guidelines Number 3

Posted by
2297 posts

Nigel, sure people can and should recommend alternative activities and destinations like car drives. But than it should be clear why it's a "car activity". Like visiting Burg Eltz or suggesting a farm stay which most often require access by car. However, it escapes me why somebody would recommend a car ride to a hotel that is in 600m walking distance (or an inexpensive quick taxi ride) of a train station which is a 22 minute train ride away from the original destination when the car ride would take about 30 minutes and requires additional rental cost.

Posted by
47 posts

Thanks again to Beatrix for answering my original question. Just couldn't figure hotels being booked so far in advance! As for all the train vs. car talk....do what you want, it never was an area where I needed advice. Thanks anyway I guess.