River cruising in Rhine-Mosel
Mar 10th, 2015, 07:31 AM
#1
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River cruising in Rhine-Mosel
As part of my Germany road trio this coming august i am considering a day cruise on Rhine/Mossel. I am interested in Fodorites' experiences with such cruises: where did you take it from, how long was the cruise, did you hop on-off to explore (is it an option?) and any other related details i need to consider. Right now my itinerary is in the prelimenary stages but we will most probably be driving up from Baden Baden and (after exploring R-M region) leaving for home via Frankfurt airpot.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Mar 10th, 2015, 07:59 AM
#2
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There are public boats that you can board and leave at any place:
https://www.k-d.com/en/kd-scheduled-...ine-timetable/
https://www.k-d.com/en/kd-scheduled-...lle-timetable/
http://www.moselrundfahrten.de/en/download.php
https://www.k-d.com/en/kd-scheduled-...ine-timetable/
https://www.k-d.com/en/kd-scheduled-...lle-timetable/
http://www.moselrundfahrten.de/en/download.php
Mar 10th, 2015, 10:15 AM
#3
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Thank you these are easy to follow. Are there any considerations i should keep in mind as far as which direction is more preferable to go (please excuse my river navigation ignorance).
Mar 10th, 2015, 11:01 AM
#4
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"Preferable" in terms of more being preferable or less time being preferable?
Look at the time tables provided. You will quickly notice that the travel time going one way is different from going the other way. The faster travel is in the direction of the river flow.
Look at the time tables provided. You will quickly notice that the travel time going one way is different from going the other way. The faster travel is in the direction of the river flow.
Mar 10th, 2015, 01:24 PM
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1 - From Bingen to St Goar. Always go downriver (north).
2 - 1h-1h30 I think.
3 - Did not do "hop on, hop off", their schedule is not goot enough to do this.
4 - if you buy a regional ticket or pass and show it at the ticket counter, you'll get 20% discount in the cruise ticket.
2 - 1h-1h30 I think.
3 - Did not do "hop on, hop off", their schedule is not goot enough to do this.
4 - if you buy a regional ticket or pass and show it at the ticket counter, you'll get 20% discount in the cruise ticket.
Mar 10th, 2015, 06:30 PM
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"i am considering a day cruise on Rhine/Mossel."
If you do one day cruise, it should be the Rhine. It's practically impossible because of the schedule to cruise the Mosel on the same day, and the Mosel cruise (at least the part that connects with the Rhine) is far less impressive.
The most attractive segment on the Rhine is Bingen to St. Goar. That takes 1.5 hours. For a longer cruise stay on to Boppard (2.3 hours.) That part is good too, though not quite as impressive as the first part.
There are return trips by boat to Bingen, but if you just spent 2.3 hours seeing Bingen - Boppard in the fast direction, do you want to spend 4 hours longer seeing it again? Probably not. It's best, if you need to return to your starting point, to catch a train back.
You can hop off and back on... IF another boat is scheduled when you want it. This doesn't always work so well. Better generally speaking to stay on the boat and then visit those towns on your return trip by train (trains run every hour or better, and you can hop on and off) or by train at another time.)
Sleeping in the town where you board or where you get off usually makes things simpler.
If you take the train to Cochem on the Mosel there are some nice, short scenic cruises upstream from there to Beilstein and other towns.
http://www.moselrundfahrten.de/en/
If you do one day cruise, it should be the Rhine. It's practically impossible because of the schedule to cruise the Mosel on the same day, and the Mosel cruise (at least the part that connects with the Rhine) is far less impressive.
The most attractive segment on the Rhine is Bingen to St. Goar. That takes 1.5 hours. For a longer cruise stay on to Boppard (2.3 hours.) That part is good too, though not quite as impressive as the first part.
There are return trips by boat to Bingen, but if you just spent 2.3 hours seeing Bingen - Boppard in the fast direction, do you want to spend 4 hours longer seeing it again? Probably not. It's best, if you need to return to your starting point, to catch a train back.
You can hop off and back on... IF another boat is scheduled when you want it. This doesn't always work so well. Better generally speaking to stay on the boat and then visit those towns on your return trip by train (trains run every hour or better, and you can hop on and off) or by train at another time.)
Sleeping in the town where you board or where you get off usually makes things simpler.
If you take the train to Cochem on the Mosel there are some nice, short scenic cruises upstream from there to Beilstein and other towns.
http://www.moselrundfahrten.de/en/
Mar 10th, 2015, 07:16 PM
#7
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Thank you these are great tips. For a little preview of the region, I will start in Bingen, off at St. Goar, back to Bingen by train. If we have time to explore some towns before/after cruise, which townes on this stretch of Rhine are the most picturesque? (I realize now that Mosel is for the next trip)
Thank you again
Thank you again
Mar 11th, 2015, 05:58 AM
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Agree with bigtyke!
Rheinfels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxFF80wORNQ
St. Goar, some fine views: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/78022484.jpg
Bacharach, some find buildings: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...arach_BW_9.JPG
Oberwesel, lovely place:
http://s1.germany.travel/media/conte...T_1024x768.jpg
Oberwesel's old town wall: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Ochsenturm.jpg
It's only 5 minutes from St. Goar to O'wesel and from O'wesel to Bacharach by train.
Rheinfels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxFF80wORNQ
St. Goar, some fine views: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/78022484.jpg
Bacharach, some find buildings: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...arach_BW_9.JPG
Oberwesel, lovely place:
http://s1.germany.travel/media/conte...T_1024x768.jpg
Oberwesel's old town wall: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Ochsenturm.jpg
It's only 5 minutes from St. Goar to O'wesel and from O'wesel to Bacharach by train.
Mar 11th, 2015, 06:14 AM
#10
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We wiill leave our car at the cruise starting point - since you are advising exploring in Bacharach should we start the cruise from Bacharach instead of Bingen??
Thank you for all your help
Thank you for all your help
Mar 11th, 2015, 07:19 AM
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"since you are advising exploring in Bacharach should we start the cruise from Bacharach instead of Bingen??"
No. You would miss out on a lot of good scenery if you do that.
Park in Bingen. Cruise Bingen to St. Goar. When you return to Bingen by train for the car, get off the train in Bacharach and/or Oberwesel for an hour or two, walk around these small towns on foot, have a meal if you like, then get back on another train to Bingen. Trains run hourly or better all day long. A train ticket from St. Goar to Bingen costs €6.10 and allows you to stop off wherever you like along the way as many times as you like. Be careful not to board any high-speed trains (IC, ICE, EC) and use only the regional trains - (RE) or (MRB) which look like this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nalbahn_27.jpg
...or like this...
http://wachaubahn.at/wiki/images/7/7...lRheinBahn.jpg
No. You would miss out on a lot of good scenery if you do that.
Park in Bingen. Cruise Bingen to St. Goar. When you return to Bingen by train for the car, get off the train in Bacharach and/or Oberwesel for an hour or two, walk around these small towns on foot, have a meal if you like, then get back on another train to Bingen. Trains run hourly or better all day long. A train ticket from St. Goar to Bingen costs €6.10 and allows you to stop off wherever you like along the way as many times as you like. Be careful not to board any high-speed trains (IC, ICE, EC) and use only the regional trains - (RE) or (MRB) which look like this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nalbahn_27.jpg
...or like this...
http://wachaubahn.at/wiki/images/7/7...lRheinBahn.jpg
Mar 11th, 2015, 11:46 AM
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If we have time to explore some towns before/after cruise, which townes on this stretch of Rhine are the most picturesque? (I realize now that Mosel is for the next trip)>
Or vice versa - many folks think the Mosel far far more gorgeous than the Rhine and a lot more tranquil - two busy rail lines and highways hugs each side of the Rhine Gorge - the narrowest part of the Rhine in Germany I think - when looking at a hotel ask if there is any train noise - many have - a recent NYTimes article pointed out that - that it is often hard to find a hotel in this narrow gorge away from rail or road noise.
I'd say do the Mosel now and leave the Rhine for later - that's my opinion after leading hundreds of folks thru both the Rhine Gorge and Mosel - nearly all of them simply fell in love with Cochem and the Mosel - they liked the Rhine but the busy river with commercial barges going by all the time and cars and trains can disrupt tranquility that Cochem and the Mosel is famed for.
And the Mosel if great if you have a car - numerous wine villages all along the way - Burg Eltz, high above the Mosel near Cochem is one of Germany's finest and most famous castles - IMO tops anything on the Rhine.
and yes as fussganger says you can do nice boat trips from Cochem. As for the K-D Rhine boats again of the hundreds I took on them many became bored (well they were college-aged students for the most part) quite quickly and those boats can become very crowded - if taking them I suggest boarding at Rudesheim where many start their journeys because Rudesheim is tour-bus central for the Rhine and many tour groups board here - often IME taking the preferable up front seating where you can see both sides of the Rhine going forward.
Well you can't go wrong on either river but most will find Cochem and the Mosel much more romantic.
Or vice versa - many folks think the Mosel far far more gorgeous than the Rhine and a lot more tranquil - two busy rail lines and highways hugs each side of the Rhine Gorge - the narrowest part of the Rhine in Germany I think - when looking at a hotel ask if there is any train noise - many have - a recent NYTimes article pointed out that - that it is often hard to find a hotel in this narrow gorge away from rail or road noise.
I'd say do the Mosel now and leave the Rhine for later - that's my opinion after leading hundreds of folks thru both the Rhine Gorge and Mosel - nearly all of them simply fell in love with Cochem and the Mosel - they liked the Rhine but the busy river with commercial barges going by all the time and cars and trains can disrupt tranquility that Cochem and the Mosel is famed for.
And the Mosel if great if you have a car - numerous wine villages all along the way - Burg Eltz, high above the Mosel near Cochem is one of Germany's finest and most famous castles - IMO tops anything on the Rhine.
and yes as fussganger says you can do nice boat trips from Cochem. As for the K-D Rhine boats again of the hundreds I took on them many became bored (well they were college-aged students for the most part) quite quickly and those boats can become very crowded - if taking them I suggest boarding at Rudesheim where many start their journeys because Rudesheim is tour-bus central for the Rhine and many tour groups board here - often IME taking the preferable up front seating where you can see both sides of the Rhine going forward.
Well you can't go wrong on either river but most will find Cochem and the Mosel much more romantic.
Mar 11th, 2015, 12:08 PM
#14
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PalenQ thank you for your note about Mosel. Yes thatbregion seem lovely but for logistical reasons (you simply cannot see everything you want and should see) Rheine may work better. This would be the very end of our journey and we may simply only have 1 day before heading bavk to Frankfurt airport. So Rheine (Bingen to park the car) seems more doable than Cochem and Koblenz, although Burg Eltz sounds great and if someone convinces me that driving (from Baden Baden) further past Bingen to Cochem to take a cruise and then drive to Frankfurt late at night is doable, i woudld be all for it. (And no i am afraid adding a day to this leg of the trip is not possible
as other parts of our jourmey are also very calling
as other parts of our jourmey are also very calling
Mar 11th, 2015, 12:18 PM
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don't get me wrong - I find the Rhine fascinating and many do - I love a more working river than the damned up Mosel (does have barge traffic on it though) - I love the hustle and bustle of the trains - the roads you could take away and yes there is much more in a compact area on the Rhine - Marksburg Castle would be a good focua - the only intact authentic old castle on this part of the Rhine I think.
Fussganger is an absolute expert on the Rhine (and Mosel too) so take his advice to heart - he/she knows of what they speak!
Fussganger is an absolute expert on the Rhine (and Mosel too) so take his advice to heart - he/she knows of what they speak!
Mar 11th, 2015, 12:44 PM
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Fussganger is the man - I did not wade thru everything writ above - but he (she?)'s the man on this area. Why take the boat - drive up each side of the Rhine Gorge, stopping at will. Boat does give some commentary but if with car...
Mar 12th, 2015, 05:46 AM
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PalenQ i was thinking River cruise gives the views and perspective not otherwise accessable. There are no other cruises planned for my trip so this i am hoping would be special and different experience.
Mar 12th, 2015, 06:44 AM
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Well yes a cruise letes you see both sides of the valley but on short time limits your ability to take in some neat sights fuss has outlined. Yeh I'd gtake a short cruise like fuss mentions and then drive to any sight you wish to see.
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