I arrive in Frankfort early (8:30am). Will I have time to get the rental car, drive to Koblenz, and travel down the Rhine, and find a place to stay on the Rhine, on that day?
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
I don't see why not. But I would just say that in general, it's not the greatest idea to drive on your first day when you may be jet-lagged. Driving in new places with unfamiliar road signage, etc. requires complete alertness. It's very, very easy to catch a train or S-Bahn over to the Rhine from the airport for a few Euros. When you say "travel down" the Rhine from Koblenz, I presume you mean south into the most scenic section (which is UP the Rhine, really, as it flows south to north.) If so, the best scenery would end in Bingen, making that a good destination. Bingen is a good place to begin a cruise as well, if that's your intention. Why not just book a room in advance there, or at the other end in Koblenz, and save yourself the "find a place to stay" time? But as I said, it's quite easy to get from FRA to Bingen by train. It's 7.30 Euros and takes one hour, and there are direct trains. Koblenz is just as easy to reach. You can probably pick up your car on Day 2 in one town or the other.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Can you do it? Absolutely. Should you do it? Probably not, for the reasons mentioned by Russ. Route 9, which runs along the west bank of the Rhine, normally isn't difficult to drive. But I wouldn't recommend driving it jet-lagged. It winds around quite a bit, and the scenery will definately distract your already tired brain. Give yourself at least a full night's sleep before attempting this drive.