Hello, again, everyone. Quick question. I noticed that German railpasses include complimentary passage on the Rhine river. Do these riverboats run year round? If so, are the routes more limited in the winter months? Is it an enjoyable experience for sightseeing or is it just better to stick to the trains for better use of time?

Thanks so much for any opinions or advice.
Sandi

Things may have changed but when we were there in 1998 they did not start running till late April.

Winter service, which began two years ago, is limited to one or two boats a day over the best part of the Rhine - Rudesheim/Bingen to Boppard/Koblenz. For schedules: www.k-d.com - note that in winter you must reserve a place by phone as boats won't run unless a certain number of passengers are coming it seems.
Yes, in winter would still be a nice ride IMO.

I have gone in February, well wrapped up, and it was a nice ride.

Ben Haines, London
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There are other boats besides K-D boats plying the Rhine Gorge but only K-D boats are 100% covered by railpasses - no discounts on others so be sure you talking about KD boats.

You'll be dependent on the weather. I passed through the Rhine valley by train today. Rain, low clouds, and everything had the same ugly brownish grey colour: rocks, soil, trees, vineyards, castles, villages, and the water. On a sunny day, perhaps even with a little snow, it must be lovely. In winter you are more likely to meet conditions like I described, though.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I'm interested in seeing some castles along the river for photography opportunities. Will just have to hope and pray for a sunny day when the time comes. I will look at that KD website and try to figure out what route will be most suitable. Thanks for the heads up about that. It seems to be a popular activity during the Christmas market season, which is another of the main reasons I want to be in that area at that time.

Thanks again,
Sandi

Köln-Düsseldorfer's winter timetable shows two trips daily between Boppard, St. Goarshausen and St. Goar, and one trip between Rüdesheim, Bingen, Kaub and St.Goar. There is a break between 21 December and 2 January.

If you just want to see some castles you can of course take the train lines on either side of the Rhine and get off at a station a short trek from them.

Burg Eltz, on the nearby Mosel, is one of Europe's most famous and dreamy castles - take train to Moselkern from Koblenz and then either taxi or 2-mile hike up thru the forest. The castle is so famous in Germany that it graced the back of the 500 Mark German banknote before the euro bumped marks into the dustbin of history. The Rhine castles are not all that great IMO - save Marksburg, the only intact one i think.

Here's the best website about the Rhine valley and its castles: http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.d...id=318&L=3

Thanks for the recommendation to visit Burg Eltz. After looking on their website it seems to be closed in December, though. I would have enjoyed a tour of the inside of this one as it has such an extensive history.

I really don't know exactly what I'm going to do with the Germany portion of my trip. It is also going to be the final leg of my 15-16 day vacation. I have basically alloted five full days to spend in Germany, starting with the Ludwig castles in Fussen, Christmas markets (Nurenberg, Rothenburg, and maybe Mannheim), the Rhine river cruise experience, and a visit to Cologne to see the famous Dom.

I'm not sure if I should stay in Munich as a base for a couple days after Fussen to do a couple daytrips for the Christmas markets. That's my first inclination so I won't be handling the luggage extensively, even though it means some backtracking. I was hoping to experience the Rhine river cruise en route to Cologne, without getting off along the way so I won't have to deal with storing the luggage again. Maybe that wouldn't be a big deal and maybe I should choose one of the towns to stop off and visit. I just thought it would be lovely scenery with castles on the hillsides along the way.

I have not yet determined if I will be able to get a decent flight home from Cologne, but if not there then surely Frankfurt.

Sorry if my thoughts seem rambling... that's just the way my mind works when thinking about planning a trip like this. It takes me a long time to pin down the best decisions or discard the bad ones, which both always seem to come from the recommendations of a knowledgeable Fodorite.

Thanks for listening and I'm always open to ideas/advice.

Sandi

Just returned from a Rhine-Main Christmas market cruise with Vantage. They do a nice job if you are thinking about next year. Cologne to Nurnberg. It was lovely to sit and watch the castles go by, plus visit a few.