St Goar/Bacharach

We have stayed in Bacharach on two separate occasions and really like the town. The first time, we stayed at the Rhein Hotel Bacharach, which is a very nice hotel. The second time, we stayed at the Bacaracher Hof Hotel which is practically next door to the Rheinhotel. Both hotels have nice restaurants. The Bacharacher Hof has an elevator. http://www.rhein-hotel-bacharach.de/index.php?article_id=6&clang=1 http://www.bacharacher-hof.de/index.html

I haven't stayed in either, but I've visited and I prefer Bacharach.

We stayed in an apartment in St. Goar and really enjoyed it. If you are wanting a home base from which to do day trips, an apartment is wonderful and usually cheaper than a hotel. In Germany, if you Google the town in which you want to stay - most of the town websites include vacation apartments for rent.
We used the train for most of the week we were there - then rented a car for the last couple of days before driving to Bavaria. St. Goar was closer to the Mosel, which I liked.

We liked the Pension Malerwinkel in Bacharach and the Hotel am Markt in St. Goar. Malerwinkel was our favorite facility during visit to the area in May 2009. Rooms were a nice size and the breakfast was great. A stream ran under the corner of the building and you could hear gurgle through the night. Still, Hotel am Markt in St. Goar was a better stop for us. St. Goar is right on the river as opposed to separated from it by the train track (Bacharach). Sitting in the hotel dining room we could watch the fascinating river traffic (working barges, river buses and a ferry) manage the fast current and dodge each other. The ferries and river buses had to be facing upstream to dock, requiring some intricate maneuvers. It was like watching a ballet. I envy your trip. Gary

I'd stay in St. Goar. Unless you have a railpass, which I am not recommending, your best option for travel on the Rhein, from Oberwesel down to Remagen, and up the Mosel to Bullay, is a VRM (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel) Tageskarte or Minigruppentageskarte (day ticket for 1 or for 2-5 people), 18€ or 21,20€ respectively, valid for unlimited on/off travel by buses and regional trains in the entire VV. St. Goar is included in the VV; Bacharach is not. If you stay in St. Goar, you just buy the ticket and go. If you stay in Bacharach, you must buy a separate ticket to St. Goar (3,50/P). Unless they have changed the ticket machines, you can't buy the VRM ticket in Bacharach; you have to get off in St. Goar to buy it, then continue on the next train, an hour later. The VRM day ticket is also valid on the ferry between St. Goar and St. Goarshausen, so you can use it to go from St. Goar to Braubach (Marksburg castle) on the opposite side of the river (use the day ticket for the train from St. Goarshausen to Braubach). Actually, a day ticket for a single traveler for just between St Goar and Braubach is a price level 5 (Preisstufe 5) for 11,20€. Devote one day to seeing Bacharach. Buy the 3,50€ train ticket to Bacharach, see the town, the come back on the K-D boat to St Goar. Show your train ticket when you buy the K-D ticket and get a 20% discount off the price (12,50€) of the boat ride. Actually, depending on your price requirements, I'd stay in Boppard. It's a larger town, in the VRM, with some big, albeit more expensive, hotels right on the river. In 2004, I stayed in Boppard in a Privatzimmer for less than I could find in either Bacharach or St. Goar, but they didn't speak English.

Thank you for your answers! Helps so much!

Alex, Lee makes some good points about the transportation aspect of staying in each place. However, my recommendation would be to stay in Bacharach, as I much preferred the ambience there compared to St. Goar (which I found too "touristy", crowded and hectic). If you're able to make it to Denver on the 15th, you might find it helpful to attend the monthly gathering of the local RS group there. I'm sure Lee and the others would be able to help you sort out all the details for you trip. Happy travels!

Ahhh good to know Ken as neither my husband nor I like touristy/hectic! Thanks!

The other thing about St. Goar is that the street is all tore up in front of the Hauptbahnhof, the church, and will be like this all along the main drag all summer long. It isn't very atmospheric here at all. I would go to either Bacharach or Ober-Wesel

We were in Bacharach in April and stayed in RS recommended Pension im Malerwinkel. It's quaint ad lovely with comfortable beds and good breakfast. We spent four nights there and used Bacharach as a home base. We toured St. Goat and Reinsfel castle, drove up to Marksburg castle and rode the K-D line all the way to Koblentz and back. Really enjoyed the area. Have a good trip.

We were in Bacharach in April and stayed in RS recommended Pension im Malerwinkel. It's quaint ad lovely with comfortable beds and good breakfast. We spent four nights there and used Bacharach as a home base. We toured St. Goat and Reinsfel castle, drove up to Marksburg castle and rode the K-D line all the way to Koblentz and back. Really enjoyed the area. Have a good trip.

We were in Bacharach in April and stayed in RS recommended Pension im Malerwinkel. It's quaint ad lovely with comfortable beds and good breakfast. We spent four nights there and used Bacharach as a home base. We toured St. Goat and Reinsfel castle, drove up to Marksburg castle and rode the K-D line all the way to Koblentz and back. Really enjoyed the area. Have a good trip.

We were in Bacharach in April and stayed in RS recommended Pension im Malerwinkel. It's quaint ad lovely with comfortable beds and good breakfast. We spent four nights there and used Bacharach as a home base. We toured St. Goat and Reinsfel castle, drove up to Marksburg castle and rode the K-D line all the way to Koblentz and back. Really enjoyed the area. Have a good trip.

"The other thing about St. Goar is that the street is all tore up in front of the Hauptbahnhof, the church, and will be like this all along the main drag all summer long." On the flipside, as of a few days ago, the waterfront and road in front of Bacharach was flooded. I don't think either town will be at it's best this summer.

No worries about this summer ~ we are going next Fall! Just starting my reserach now :)

Stayed at the Hotel am Markt in St. Goar years ago. Nice rooms, great breakfast. Unless things have changed, it's a cozy place near the cute market street and easily walkable from the train station. Bacharach--only visited for the day and did not stay, so cannot comment.

I've stayed at the Rhein Hotel and Hotel am Markt in Bacharach. Bacharach is more appealing from a travelers standpoint in my opinion as a home base. I prefer the Rhein Hotel. It has a good restaurant and the breakfast is a little better. Honestly though, it's a really small down so pretty much all the hotels are basically the same. The Rick tour of the city is great. I have personal favorites for food and drink if you want, just let me know.

Hi Jeremy~ Thank you! My husband is leaning towards St Goar since he doesn't want to be by train track in Bacharach. Would love your recommendations on food/drink!
~Alex

Unlike most places in Bacharach, Pension im Malerwinkel is well away from the tracks, and it's in a beautiful, garden like setting (Malerwinkel means "Painters' Corner" as in artists).

A few weeks ago we stayed in Bacharach at the Hotel Altkolnischerhof. We never heard an iota of train noise. Our room had a huge balcony which we enjoyed a lot. The buffet breakfast was nice, quite typical of many we encountered. Free parking a few yards away. The hotel has a restaurant though we never ate dinner there. Bacharach, like many of the towns we visited in this area, is quite small and none is to far from the other. Now a plug: the Cafe Restaurant Rusticana in Bacharach....good food, quite reasonably priced, and run by the most charming and friendly lady we came across in three weeks. Have a great trip.