Cochem to Mainz
 

Does this sound feasible on a week day? On our last full day, we (mom, 2 teen girls)drive from Cochem to Koblenz, turn in the rental car and have lunch/check out the Ecke. Then we hope to take the train down the Rhein to Mainz, spending the afternoon and evening seeing the sights, and getting a room (Ibis?)near train station for the night. In the morning, we will need to catch a train to Frankfurt Airport to be there by 11 a.m. to check in. (After 3 wonderful, hectic weeks in Germany, we will all be tired and ready to go home!)

By the way, here in British Columbia, we have our own "Ecke" where the Fraser and Thompson rivers join.

Your plan is quite feasible, as frequent trains from Koblenz to Mainz, takes only 1-1 1/2 hours. From Mainz HBF to Frankfurt airport is about 1/2 hour by S8, RB or RE train.

Koblenz HBF is about 15 minutes walk to old town (several good restaurants around, but nothing near train station), 20 minutes walk to Ecke, there are many luggage lockers in the train station.

With 3 of you, it would be a good deal to get a Rhineland-Pfalz Ticket from the ticket machine (21 Euro one day pass )to travel by RE, RB train, besides you could stop and off any town along the route.

Perhaps you know the Ibis hotel in Mainz is near Sudbh (good for S8, not RB or RE from Koblenz or the airport) not the Hbf, but there are several hotels near the Hbf.

On this same thing, I would really like to travel the Rhine from Koblenz to Mainz - from ferry times I can, but is there some way of going all the way from Cologne - I don't mind stopping over on the way. Seems I can, but I can't seem to see any direct ferry ride. Is the train then best? Thanks for any help.

To Lorikeet, It is possible to travel by cruise from Cologne to Mainz, depends on the season of your trip. For the schedule, please check: www.k-d.com. But for sceneries, it would be more interesting to cruise between Koblenz and Bingen, then takes train back.

Thank you for the info JudyC. No, I didn't know about the location of the Ibis as regards the Hbh so will check into further accoms. as it would be better to be close to our train station for the morning run to the airport.

Cami5,

Geography 101. The Rhein has it's headwaters in Switzerland and flows northerly through Mainz to Holland. Thus, you can travel UP the Rhein from Koblenz to Mainz - it is not down the Rhein.

There are several hotels near the main train station in Mainz. I have stayed in Schottenhof, which is a block up Schottenstrasse, right across the bahnhofplatz from the station. Next time, I think I would prefer to stay at Hotel Koenigshof. It looked a little nicer when I walked by it on the way to/from Schottenhof. Book directly through the website for Koenigshof, www.hotel-koenigshof-mainz.de. Booking agencies will tell you they are saving you $$$ over the normal rate, but they are lying. You will get the best rate from Koenigshof online.

The trip from Mainz Hbf is about 27 minutes and costs €3,35. An S-bahn leaves about every half hour. There are slightly faster regional trains in between.

cami5: You really are better off at the Ibis. It is 1.5 blocks from the Mainz Süd station, which is even closer to the airport than the main (Mainz Hbf.) station and has many trains (S, RB and RE)to the airport in the morning. You can stay at a more expensive hotel near the Hbf. if you like, but the Hbf. station is really further removed from the best parts of Mainz - the old town, Augstinerstrasse, the cathedral, the pedestrian zones, the river, and the shopping - than the Ibis and the Süd station. I should know - I used to live there. In the morning, just walk down and buy tickets to the airport from any of the vending machines there at the Süd station (about 3 Euros or each.)

From Koblenz, take the train to Mainz Hbf.; then switch there to get to the Mainz Süd station. Very simple.

Beware of Ibis. They might not have a 3 bed room, and will make you take 2 rooms.

The "more expensive hotel" near the Hbf has a 3 bed room, which you can book online. It is actually less expensive when you consider that they include breakfast with the room, for which Ibis will charge €27 for the three of you.

If you don't have to be at the airport until 11:00, as you indicated in your initial post, consider staying in St. Goar or Bacharach. Hotels there are less expensive and there is much more to see. There is a 9:20 train from St. Goar to the airport; it stops at Bacharach at 9:30. There is a change of trains in Bingen, and you get to FRA, to the regional bahnhof, at 10:35, in plenty of time to check in.