would like to do a one day r.t. from cologne by train to bingen, and do a combination of boat and train back to cologne, seeing the best spots by boat on the rhine to boppard, then train back to cologne, for 2 people, what are my best and least expensive options?
thanks
Cheapest way is on Sat or Sun - get a Weekend Ticket (daypass, 42€ for the 2 of you) and use the local and regional trains. Weekend Ticket The boat will get you from Bingen to Boppard in about 2.3 hours. But the boat schedule doesn't make it easy to stop over and see the fine towns in between (Boppard itself, Bacharach, Oberwesel, and St. Goar, home of Rheinfels Castle.) So I suggest you use the train to visit these places first that day. End up in Bingen in the afternoon and catch your cruise north. Want to save some money? Show your weekend ticket at the KD dockside kiosk in Bingen for a 20% discount. KD schedule Also, you might want to cruise just Bingen to St. Goar instead - it's cheaper and takes only 1.5 hours. This is the more intense scenery, and while St. Goar to Boppard is also nice, it's more of the same in many ways, and you've already passed through the whole Middle Rhine Valley by train and seen it already anyway. On weekdays, get the more expensive QDL daypass for the local and regional trains - 50€ for two, good only after 9 am.