I need some help with logistics concerning our plans to take a Rhine River cruise our first day after arriving in Germany. We'll be using trains. We're arriving in Frankfurt early in the morning and will be staying in Wiesbaden that night (meeting our son who has a military lodging pass). What part of the Rhine do we head for first? St. Goar or Koblenz and then down to Bacharach or Mainz? Thanks--we're leaving in less than two weeks!
Posted by
Austin
203 posts
Your trip sounds exhausting. At least on my Rhine River boat trip there was no place to snooze. We cruised from Boppard just north of St. Goar all the way to Mainz, and we were exhausted from being in the sun and the wind out on the deck. We didn't even have jet lag.
Posted by
Carmel, CA
28 posts
A train goes directly from the airport to Wiesbaden (30"), so go there first to possibly check in early or at least leave your luggage at the hotel. It's another 30" by train to Rudesheim where you can board a boat for a cruise through the Rhine Gorge, possibly going as far as St Goarshausen. Remember that the Rhine flows north, so your boat ride is faster going down river toward Koblenz.You'll want to debark at a town on the east side of the river where the train can take you back to Wiesbaden.
Posted by
Paradise
7063 posts
Good advice from Luke, but you might also pick up the K-D boat in Wiesbaden-Biebrich or Rüdesheim, just downstream from Wiesbaden, on the same side of the river. The trip begins to get interesting from Rüdesheim on. I'd limit a cruise to 2 hours or so - it's lovely but tedious after a while and most people tend to overdo it, thinking that's how to see castles. Best way is to get off the boat and take a tour. Not many are open to the public. Marksburg Castle in Braubach is your best option - a very good tour of a never-destroyed castle.
Posted by
OP
Portland, OR
29 posts
Thanks for the recommendations! By the way, which castle is better to visit--Marksburg or Rheinfels? (if we're not too jetlagged to walk!).
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Visit Marksburg Castle as it is so well preserved over Rheinfels.
Posted by
Brangwin, Wa, USA
349 posts
Are you sure the boats are running ? I know that this time of year there will be much less but taffic but train and bus could also work ?
Posted by
Small Town, Kansas, USA
3 posts
Yep, the cruises will be closing down soon. I will be in Germany for Thanksgiving and one thing I would like to do is a cruise on the Rhine or Mosel but it is the wrong time of year. Will just have to find other sights to see and things to do.
Posted by
OP
Portland, OR
29 posts
We just returned from our trip yesterday. Exhausted but had a fabulous time.We took the train directly to Bacharach, left our luggage in the Tourist Information office in Bacharach, but had to be back by 4pm when the office closed. We took the boat to St. Goar, walked up to the castle, and took the train back to Bacharach. The weather was perfect and a great beginning for our trip.