Rhine Valley

Katie, you might consider stopping for a few days in Bacharach and use it for a "home base" to explore other towns in the area. For example, you could take the short trip on the KD boats to St. Goar and explore Rheinfells Castle; explore other towns on that part of the Rhine such as Boppard, Rudesheim or others; take a day trip along the Mosel and have a look at Burg Eltz, Rick's favourite Castle in all of Europe (I was there in late June, and it's undergoing restoration at the moment, but is still open for visitors); while in Bacharach, hike up the mountain to Stahleck Castle for a Beer. It's now a Hostel and the view is INCREDIBLE from there! ¶ Bacharach is a smaller town and I quite enjoyed my stay there. If you're in the mood for a pint of Guinness, there's even an Irish Pub with Guinness "on tap". Happy travels!

One of the places on the Rhein which has not gotten a lot of attention from Rick, at least until recently, is the Marksburg (www.marksburg.de), in Braubach. The Marksburg is one of only two castles in the Rhein/Mosel valley (the other being Burg Eltz) that was never destroyed. All of the others were destroyed the French and and rebuilt in the late 1800s, early 1900s. The Marksburg is preserved by the German castle association as it was hundreds of years ago, when it was a working castle.

Koblenz along the Mosel is a very emjoyable trip. Quieter and possibly more scenic than the Rhine. I have only done it once, with a local so can't be much help. There are trains along the Mosel as I recall. And they enjoy showing off their wine. Can be done in one day, or stretch it out to two

If you like getting the flashlight out and exploring on your own, you will love Rheinfels Castle. It's a place I try never to miss.................... The KD line cruise through this section of the Rhine should be done at least once....................I enjoyed Rick's self guided walking tour of Bacharach the first time I visited..............Burg Stahleck is a great place to stay, hostel prices but a converted castle overlooking the Rhine...............Downtown Cologne has some nice sites to visit before you head for the valley, the Dom, the Roman museum (you can be cheap and just walk around the outside), and several ruins between the train station and the Rathaus.

I agree with everyone here. I have been to Cologne, would not miss it and the Cathedral. Then to Mainz on the way to St Goar. I stayed at the Hotel Hauser, as usual while exploring the Rhine, Frau Velich and her staff are wonderful. I did take the KD from St Goar, to Rudesheim, Bacharach, Boppard, Brabach, and loved it. It is an easy way to get around and to stop at some of these towns along the Rhine. I also went to Trier on the Mosel by train on a day trip. It does take a day to enjoy and get there and return to St Goar. In Koblenz, walked from the train station to the Deutsche Eck and loved seeing where the Rhine and Mosel converge. However, I did not walk back to the train station, I took a bus. It was alot longer than I thought. Enjoy your trip.

Thanks for all the info. On the KD river cruises? Do these tickets last all day an allow you to get on/ off at your leisure? What sort of prices are these tickets and am I able to purchase them on the day or do they need to be made in advance.

K-D's website with schedules and prices is at www.k-d.de. I believe a ticket from, say, Boppard to Bingen, would allow you to get off in St. Goar and Bacharach and get back on, but mind the schedule. There are not that many boats; it's not exactly like a bus. And, it is excruciatingly slow, particularly UP (Koblenz towards Mainz) the river, against the current.