luvsun

I am looking for a charming hotel along the Rhine in the vicinity of Bacharach for a couple on their honeymoon. They will not have a car but plan to arrive by train and tour the Rhine area by boat/bike/train. Price range around 150-250 Euro per night during May. Thank you.

Fussgaenger

The Rheinhotel St. Goar is an easy walk from the St. Goar rail station, from the day cruise boat dock, and from the town center. It enjoys an exceptional view of the river valley and is described in superlatives by those who stay there.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...alatinate.html

The Auf Schoenburg castle/hotel in St. Goar might outshine the Rheinhotel but its clifftop location would mean either a steep hike or a taxi for getting into and back from town.

St. Goar is probably the top choice for a train-hopping couple that wants to visit some other villages and castles. It's the geographic center for visiting the most popular west-bank towns by train - only a few minutes north to Boppard, or south to Oberwesel and Bacharach. And of course St. Goar is worth visiting too. Rheinfels Castle is right in town. To visit Marksburg Castle (a real medieval castle experience) or Rüdesheim, both on the opposite river bank, you just take the ferry across the river and then the train north to Braubach or south to R'heim. None of the other town mentioned has a convenient train station just across the river.

The St. Goar Ferry runs all day long:
http://www.schiffbilder.de/1024/pers...chen-18381.jpg

Candace

Luvsun, we have stayed twice in the Auf Schoenburg Castle Hotel and both times it was a highlight of our trip. The last time we stayed there was in 2010, almost 30 years after our first visit, and we wondered if it would live up to our memories on our second visit. It did! The room we stayed in the second time was the Wachterhauschen, No. 38, the Guard House on the castle wall. I have to say that room was absolutely magical and very romantic, with beautiful views down the mountain. We drove to the castle so I am not sure how to access it from the train station. We did walk down to town and back one afternoon, which was fun. I agree the location of the Auf Schoenburg is inconvenient if you are not driving, but it might be worth booking for one night just for the experience.

Dayle

Glad to hear the comments on Auf Shoenburg. im staying there 3 nts in May. I am driving since I knew my lodging choices in the area would require it. Anything special you did on the Rhine that you enjoyed?

Candace

Dayle, when we visited the Rhine region 30 years ago, I remember how much we enjoyed the castle ruins at both Burg Rheinfels and Burg Ehrenfels. Back in those days, we could pretty much wander around those ruins at will. It might be different now. We also enjoyed picnics in the vineyards high above the river. Our visit in 2010 was brief, but we took the time to revisit the quaint little town of Bacharach, which is such a pretty place to wander around. Also, we loved the the wine. No picnic was complete without a special Rhine wine we discovered in Bacharach. Unfortunately, I can no longer remember the name.

PalenQ

Just another option that may be IMO more romantic for biking- consider also staying a few days on the Mosel - in say Cochem or numerous smaller wine towns.

The 'Father Rhine' as Germans say is nice but many think the "Mother Mosel' to be even more beautiful and IMO better biking as it is more tranquil - but each is nice but different:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Mose...HRO_Ax0QsAQIGQ

Cochem is a larger wine town but with good rail -boat links:

https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...HSBYCvkQsAQIGQ

If not staying there it is an easy day trip by rail from any Rhine town- rent bikes in Cochem and putz up and down the Mosel.

Fussgaenger is an absolute expert on the Rhine and Cochem areas- heed his/her advice!

Dayle

Thanks Candace

While there I was planning to visit Bacharach. I didn't stay there because it looked like all the lodging was full. Turned out OK because all the reviews said train noise was a problem and I'm glad I'm staying at Oberwesel instead.

I enjoy castles and ancient ruins so I hope to visit Burg Elz, Reinfels and Marksberg.

Wine tasting is also on the agenda!

PalenQ

to get to Burg Eltz take a train via change at Koblenz to Moselkern-from where Burg Eltz is a few-mile lovely uphill stroll thru forests to the mammoth castle that awesomely suddenly looms high above you as you near it. There are of course taxis and shuttle buses at the Moselkern station too - you may want to tumble back down the paths if going up is more than you bargained for -I recall it as a gently sloping upward walk.

Burg Eltz is I believe the only one of two intact medieval castle on the Rhine and Mosel area-all others having been decimated by marauding armies in this intensely militarily vital area. Marksburg is the other.

Cochem has the castle of your dreams popping out of the town itself - yet it is Ersatz- rebuilt from medieval rubble in the 1800s so looks like a pristine medieval castle.

For lots on trains and boats and sights in the Rhine/Mosel area check www.bahn.de/en for German train schedules and www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

PalenQ

You can also take a K-D (www.k-d.com) boat between Koblenz and Moselkern there or back. In tourist season.

PalenQ

Turned out OK because all the reviews said train noise was a problem and I'm glad I'm staying at Oberwesel instead.>

Yes a plague of westside river towns wedged in between rocky slopes and the river with a main train line with constant noisy freight and passenger trains can be problematic - always ask any westside Rhine hotels about that.

Gary_Mc

Pension Malerwinkel in Bacharach was very nice in 2009. There is even a stream running under the hotel we could hear from our room at night. The hotel is slightly away from the train line and very quiet.

Bacharach is small and you can walk anywhere in town from the train station. We did.


http://im-malerwinkel.de

klondike

Bacharach is charming and one of my favorites along the Rhine; it has a much slower pace to it than Bingen and Ruedesheim, for example. It is also easily seen on foot, so for newlyweds using public transportation, I think it would be great.

I believe the quality of hotels is high in Bacharach but have not used any there myself. The further back away you are from the river you are, the less noise you will have from train traffic during the night. Also, from the Rhine/highway Bacharach does not look like much, but once you pass through the wall...oh my!!!

Favorite restaurants:
Altes Haus - for traditional food in the oldest extant house
Rusticana - delightful to sit out under the grapevine laden portico and eat cheap, simple meals served up by a retired couple.
Bacharacher Hof for that special meal

Should they change their minds and stay on the Mosel at Cochem as mentioned above. We have stayed here twice (be sure to reserve a table at their gourmet restaurant!) They speak English as well. http://www.lohspeicher.de/News1_1

bigtyke

I haven't stayed at the Malerwinkel ( i stay at a nice privat zimmer ), but it is a nice location away from the trains and as picturesque a setting as imaginable.

luvsun

Thank you all for the information you provided. It has been very helpful.