Fussgaenger

Of the 3 towns (St. Goar, Boppard, Bacharach) Bacharach is the most severely impacted by train noise - and there are lots of reviews that mention this problem. Look for a room on Blücherstrasse, which follows a tributary inland, to gain separation from the tracks.

Establishments like these in Bacharach should be avoided:
http://www.rhein-zeitung.de/cms_medi..._bacharach.jpg

Most of Boppard's inns are away from the tracks and do not suffer in this way.

PalenQ

Seems like the east side of the Rhine would be more quiet as it has but a slow brankch train line - and not the speeding freight trains endemic on the west side - one of the busiest railways in Germany.

But great tips from Fussgaenger!

pkadams

The train trip between the Mosel/Rhine and Interlaken is a bit long. Someone above mentioned a stop in Strasbourg, which makes sense and would break up the trip a bit. Would 2 days there be enough to see that town? 3 better?

PalenQ

2 days would be plenty for Strasbourg itself and 3 fine if you wanted to do a day trip to dreamy Colmar, an Alsace wine center.

PalenQ

Strasbourg however is not that much closer to Interlaken than the Rhine/Mosel and is a detour off the main rail line - Freibourg and the Black Forest would be a tad closer and also nice.

neckervd

Journey times:
Trier/Mosel - Strasbourg: 3 1/2 hrs, for example Trier dp 9.36 - Strasbourg ar 13.02
Strasbourg - Colmar - I'laken: 3 1/2 hrs, for example Strasbourg dp 8.21 - I'laken ar 11.51

Trier/Mosel - Triberg/Black Forest: 5 hrs, for example Trier dp 7.32 - Triberg ar 12.38
Triberg/Black Forest - Interlaken: 4 hrs, for example Triberg dp 7.44 - I'laken ar 11.51
Trier/Mosel - Titisee/Black Forest: 5 1/4 hrs, for example Trier dp 7.32 - Tirisee ar 12.48
Titisee/Black Forest - Interlaken: 3 3/4 hrs, for example Titisee dp 8.08 - I'laken ar 11.51

PalenQ

More relevant times for the OP would be not from Trier but from Koblenz - they say Rhine or Mosel and for the Black Forest Freibourg - a nice base for a few days - take the train up and back on one day trip as I did.

Then I believe Freibourg would be about an hour or so closer to Interlaken.

The question was to get a town about half way or so and I think Strasbourg does not fit that goal but Freibourg would?

neckervd

But Freiburg is not in the Black Forest

PalenQ

No and my original point was to stay in Freibourg and use it as a base from which to take a day trip by train into the Black Forest like I did - very easy to do and stay in Freibourg at night because they want to break up the train trip.

pkadams

I will certainly consider the stay in Freibourg, that might work for a day or two. I would miss Strasbourg of course, but I could live with that.

I am rethinking using Interlaken as a base town, as I hear there isn't much there in the town itself. I understand its a nice place to travel out of, but maybe there is a more magical place to stay....? Would you suggest something more quaint, or interesting, such as Grindlewald, Gimmelwald, etc.? I realize that is further from Lucerne and Bern, which I would like to see, but maybe up in the hills is a richer experience?

PalenQ

Grindelwald is only about 20 minutes from Interlaken so not that much farther to those places and yes first-timers should IME stay up in dem hills - eyeball to eyeball with sheer cliffs rising thusands of feet topped by glacier-girdled peaks -

Gimmelwald well it's way too isolated and there is literally nothing there - a farming village in the middle of nowhere - unique for a look but I stayed there once and one night was enough - only a hotel/restaurant and youth hostel when I was there.

I likve Grindelwald - easy access from Interlaken and to all places of interest by train or gondola or Grindelwald bus or foot.

PalenQ

Some folks love Wengen, about 20 minutes farther from Innsbruck as Grindelwald (via Lauterbrunnen) because it is smaller than Grindelwald which attracts a lot of younger folk and hiking and skiing groups - finding Wengen more tranquil because vehicles cannot reach it - only public access is by train or gondola from the Mannlichen/Grindelwald.

I'd say Wengen is a special place - best views around they say and lots of not cheap but nice value family hotels. But if doing day trips out of the Jungfrau Region obviously more remote - first take train to Lauterbrunen then change there for train to Interlaken-Ost.

But if doing the Jungfraujoch or The Schilthorn or Murren or Gimmelwald (a sweet place to walk around for a few hours) it is a well-situated base.

Murren too is car-free but more isolated from the Grindelwald area - Wengen has direct trains to Kleine Scheidegg for the Jungfraujoch and is only about 20 minutes from Lauterbrunnen for the Murren-Schilthorn gondolas and trains.

swandav2000

Hi again,

Since you are going in April/May, I would choose either Interlaken or Grindelwald.

Normally I prefer Wengen, both for my own stays and as recommendations to other travelers; to me, the car-free atmosphere and ambiance (and of course the clean air) are irresistible.

However, in April and May, Wengen is likely to be pretty well closed up. The skiing season may be over, hotels and restaurants closing, and few folks in town. You can check to see which hotels are open and then see if you think you might like that atmosphere.

Grindelwald is large enough to have more options for the off-season traveller. And Interlaken, of course, is down in the flats between the two lakes; it is also more residential and bigger, so there will be plenty open.

Gimmelwald is just a hamlet -- a few buildings scattered across a mountain ridge. I don't think I would enjoy staying there even in high season!!

Have fun!

s

neckervd

Strassburg/Freiburg
Adams will stay at Cochem. From there, the journey time to Strasbourg will be about 4 1/4 hrs on both itineraries, via Trier - Luxemburg - Metz or via Koblenz - Mainz.
Cochem - Mainz - Freiburg is about 4 1/4 hrs.
Freiburg - Basel SBB is about 1/2 hr faster than Strasbourg - Basel SBB.
This difference being so small, if I were Adams, I would just choose the place I like more.
BTW: the train journey from Strasbourg via Offenburg to Freiburg takes just a few min more than 1 hr;
the train and bus journey from Freiburg to Colmar takes 1 1/2 hrs.

neckervd

Jungfrau area:
I second Palen and Swan: the whole area will be rather deserted in the first days of May.
Interlaken, Matten and Unterseen count together about 15000 inhabitants. Many of them work at Thun or Bern. The whole tourist infrastructure will work, however: buses, cablecars to Harder and Heimwehfluh, Boats on Lake Thun (only 2 journeys until May 13th) and Lake Brienz (4 journeys), Beatenberg - Niederhorn gondola, Beatus Caves.....
At Grindelwald, the First gondola and the Pfingstegg gondola will be closed until May 9th, the Maennlichen gondola until May 23rd, the buses to Bussalp and Kleine Scheidegg until May 23rd. The trains to Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch will run every 30 min, as usual.
The Ballenberg open air museum will be open.

neckervd

Day trips from Interlaken:
if you want to see a bit of Switzerland, you may be interested in Berne (and may be the walled city of Murten) and Lucerne.

Day trips from Montreux (in addition to the list of swan):
If you like to walk during hrs through blooming white narcissus fields, take a train to Les Avants and hike to Sonloup - La Cergnaule - Les Pleiades or Veveyse de Fegire river - Les Paccots.

PalenQ

If going from Interlaken to Lucerne be sure to take the Brunig Pass rail route one way - the only Swiss Federal Railway to use cogs due to the steep climbs and descents - up and over the Brunig Pass then by a series of Alpine lakes down to lovely Lucerne and Lucerne - take the mainline route via Bern back for variety and a quick look at Bern if time permits.

PalenQ

Note that the Interlaken-Ost to Lucerne rail line is part of the official Golden Pass scenic tourist train - with special panoramic observation cars - but the times may not be conducive to day tripping and the regular trains obviously go by the exact same scenery.

pkadams

Thanks so much for all the advice, this is certainly a great place to come to for solid information. My dates have changed, base towns adjusted and complete travel is below. Any further comments are welcome and appreciated.

May 29 - June 1 Cochem
June 1 - June 4 Bacharach or St. Goar
June 4 - June 7 Colmar
June 7 - June 10 Grindelwald
June 10 - June 13 Lucerne

PalenQ

Looks sweet! I'd take a day away somewhere and put it in the fantastic Jungfrau Region where there are so so many vaired neat things to see and do - much more than in Colmar or especially the Rhine.