place to stay on the Rhine

In the 3 or 4 times I've driven along the Middle Rhine, I parking usually isn't a problem. In the larger towns, there's usually plenty of open spaces along the river... the caveat being that I haven't driven it during any particularly busy tourist seasons.

BETWEEN Koblenz and Bacharach, you'll find Boppard, St. Goar, and Oberwesel. Parking right in these towns may not always be available or may cost, depending on the establishment. Bingen is a nice place too, but it's not between the towns you mentioned. What sort of place are you looking for? Hotel? Castle-hotel? Inexpensive B&B? Apartment?

If you're driving, you probably won't be taking the train from FRA, but try Hotel Hauser right on the river in St. Goar. It's a great hotel with very good pricing and a nice restaurant...balconies overlooking the river. Plenty of public parking (pay) is available right off the street in front of the hotel, facing the river. Check tripadvisor.

I stayed IN Bacarach, and enjoyed my night there. Small, charming town, made for a great over-night stay on the Rhine. Not a hell of a lot to see there, per se, but pretty little town and very enjoyable place. Specifically, stayed at:
http://www.kranenturm.com/bacharach-germany/index.html It's a place Rick is a fan of, and it was a winner. Clean rooms, helpful staff/owners, central location. Met many other tourists there (many with their Rick Steves guidebooks!), so was great to meet fellow, independent travelers. I had considered spending the night in St Goar, but instead, got off the boat (I was traveling the Rhine on the K-D boat line) in St Goar, walked up and toured inside/around Rhinefells Castle, then got back on boat to go to Bacarach.

When I was on the Mittelrhein (Apr 2004), I stayed in Boppard, because I found a Privatzimmer near the station for €25/nt. Now that I've seen the area, I would probably stay in St. Goar to be close to Rheinfels castle ruins, where I spent considerable time. I took the boat up to Bacharach and looked around there. I was particularly impressed with Im Malerwinkel. It's in a beautiful setting near the center of town but far from the train track noise.