Daytrip on Rhine from Cologne
 

My essential plan looks like this:

1. Take an early train to Bacharach, either departing/arriving at 07:53/09:30 or an hour earlier.

2. Take a KD Rhine river cruise to Braubach. (arriving 13:20)

3. Take 16:00 English speaking tour of Marksburg Castle.

4. Train back to Cologne.

I have checked the various schedules, it all seems to work. My only questions are:

1. Would it be worth going to on Bingen to start the cruise?
2. Do you think Bacharach is worth getting up an extra hour earlier in the morning so I can have time to look around the town some?
3. Is there anything important I have overlooked?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

Glen

2. It sounds like you left a couple of hours for Bacharach, which is enough for a walk around town and some refreshement.

1. There are some good castle sights and scenery between Bacharach and Bingen. But you'll be hard pressed to start the cruise in Bingen at 10:30 and attempt to see Bacharach as well.

You could start the cruise in Bingen (10:30), then get off the boat in St. Goar (11:55) where you can enjoy the town briefly. Then backtrack to Bacharach by train (10 min. train ride, arrive 12:30.) From there, a 13:21 or 14:27 train/bus connection gets you into Braubach at 14:44 or 15:44. You might need a taxi to get to the castle for that last connection.

I'd either spend the night prior in Bacharach or Bingen to avoid the time-eating morning train ride, or get the 6:53 train from Cologne. Either way, you could hop on the cruise boat in Bingen at 9:30 and have an extra hour for your sightseeing before the castle tour.

You cannot do everything in one day and your original plan sounds very good to me as it leaves enough time to really see Bacharach and Marksburg. Better than just racing past evrything.

Thanks folks for the feedback. Weather permitting I think I will stick to the original plan. If it is miserable that day (or if fatigue is an issue, which is definitely a possibility), then I will just spend the day in Cologne.

We found that there wasn't any realistic way to get to the Marksburg Castle other than walking. While the tourist information says there is a tourist train, it only runs when there are at least six people. If you are on a schedule, you might want to plan on walking.

If you are used to hiking, it shouldn't be a problem. My husband, who is a very slow walker, was able to handle it.

Ok, unfortunately it now appears that KD doesn't start running for the year until April 22nd, which sadly is a few days late for me. I have a vague recollection of reading that you can actually see a fair bit of the Rhine from the local train routes. Can anyone confirm if this is the case?

If not, I will have to come up with a plan B.

I have taken the train up and down both sides of the Rhine on a number of occasions. I can confirm that you can see quite a bit. I like it better than the boat, plus you can get off if you like and then get back on the next train coming by if you want to explore an interesting town. I believe there is also an English tour of the Marksburg at 11:00 if that time frame works out better for you.

Thanks Mainhattengirl! It looks I like I can just take a train from Cologne to Koblenz, then buy a day pass for the Rheinland-Pfalz region and pick some village along the way to explore.

Cool.

Marksburg is a great castle, but you have to do the tour to see it. You might also consider Ruin Rheinfels (above St. Goar). While it is not an intact castle I enjoy the greater access and freedom to explore where I want at my own pace.

If you do decide to check out Rheinfels, ensure that you bring a flashlight!

glenmd: Don't buy a ticket all the way to Koblenz, which will cost you 18-25 Euros each depending on the train. The Rheinland-Pfalz ticket is valid from Bonn south, so you only need an extra ticket from Cologne to Bonn, which costs just under 7 Euros; use the R-P from there. Both tickets can be bought in Cologne before you begin your trip.

I suggest a stop in the attractive town of Linz, between Koblenz and Cologne on the east bank, and in the opposite direction in the town of Remagen, nearly opposite Linz on the west bank, for a look at the WW II museum there.

www.hotelburgklause.de/Images/Startbild.jpg
www.bruecke-remagen.de

I would add that by train, the scenery from Koblenz south is best enjoyed from BOTH sides of the river - travel down to Rüdesheim and back on the east bank, down to Bingen and back on the west bank, if you have the time. The RE trains stop in fewer towns and move you along more quickly. The RB, MRB, and VIA trains stop at every station.