Single, petite female staying in south Nederlands with Dutch friends in November ~ doing a "side" trip to Germany ALONE for 3-4 days to view castles, towns, shop, etc. Like to meet people but not a late night person!!
What's a good town that's in-between with reasonable, cozy hotel or B&B? Thinking of St. Goar - any ideas? Rick recommends Bacharach but it sounds really small for "Nov off-season" ~Want to visit Rothenburg but thinking it may be too far from "home". Any recommendations on best way to spend 3-4 days on Rhine? Thanks!! I'll owe ya!!
Posted by
Paradise
7063 posts
St. Goar is tiny too. Go to Boppard south of Koblenz - village feel but bigger than the other villages, plenty of places to eat and stay. Daytrip to cities of Koblenz, Cologne, Mainz & Trier easily from there; Bacharach and St. Goar are just a few train stops upstream. Go to Braubach via Koblenz for a tour of Marksburg Castle - www.marksburg.de
Posted by
Santa Maria, California, USA
31 posts
We stayed in Boppard too, for 3 nights. Not as quaint or cute as Bacharach, but convenient and a major stop on the Rhine. We drove there from Rothenburg (perhaps 3 hours by car?). With Boppard as our base, we spent one day exploring south on the Rhine cruise route (St. Goar, Bacharach, etc) and one north. Koblenz (more city than village) is just a little north, where the Mosel flows into the Rhine. The Mosel is prettier than the Rhine; we enjoyed Coachem, Bernkastel/Kues, and Burg Eltz (one of Rick's favorite castles)
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
In addition to Nancy's post: The Rhine river gorge and its villages are more medival, rustic, maybe even raw. The Mosel river valley and villages are more romantic, playful, pretty. That's all got historical reasons. The Rhine river acted as border for centuries, the Mosel river valley was mostly developed by the Prussians as vacation resort over the past centuries. Maybe Koblenz might be a good hub for you to explore both. Plus you'd have your shopping and bar szene for the evenings.
Posted by
White Bear Lake, MN, USA
479 posts
Bonnie, if you're not wanting to go too far from "home" then try going to Aachen and Trier. You should like those cities, and they're as close to the Netherlands as the Rhine (for the most part). They're not small, but especially in Trier they should be quieter. You can stop off in the Mosel valley to see Burg Eltz on your way!
Posted by
OP
W. Palm Beach
5 posts
You guys are awesome!!! I've got German heritage & have always been fascinated by their culture. This will be my 4th visit to Europe (British Isles 5 yrs ago) & first absolute "alone" trip - albeit only 3-4 days. All suggestions are right on!! Koblenz looks city-like but is a great hub for touring (I can always stay just 1 night at Boppard or Bacharach)! How far west (from Koblenz) on the Mosel River is the Burg Eltz? Thanks again!!! I have a lot to think about!
Posted by
Paradise
7063 posts
It's a pretty 30-mi. train ride from Koblenz to Moselkern station; walk from there to Burg Eltz:
www.bensbauernhof.com/burgeltzfrommoselkern.html
However, Burg Eltz normally closes November 1. Your best bet is Marksburg, open year-round.