Lodging ideas near Mainz and Baden-Baden
 

Plans are coming together for our trip to Germany in late November. We will start in Mannheim and will be taking short trips (2-3 days) along the Rhine and to the Black Forest. We are in need of ideas for where to stay near Mainz and near Baden-Baden; hoping for quaint (non-chain) inns, very nice, but not too rustic, with breakfast included for <100 Euros/night. We will have a car and are hoping to have easy access to the Christmas markets, a Rhine cruise as well as the beautiful areas to the south. I was originally planning to be based in Mainz, but the group consensus is to stay in small towns. Thanks for your help!

We stayed at this hotel In Baden-Baden and were very happy with the room. Very well received in Trip Advisor. www.hotel-am-markt-baden.de

We stayed at this hotel In Baden-Baden and were very happy with the room. Very well received in Trip Advisor. www.hotel-am-markt-baden.de

I'd look into the old walled town of Gengenbach, full of cobblestones and half-timbered homes, south of Baden-Baden. You'll find some suggestions with photos and reviews on this list of Black Forest accommodations compiled by Bauernhof Ben, a value-conscious traveler who has sought out places with lots of local color:

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/accommo...hwarzwald.html

I stayed nearer Baden Baden at Gästehaus Conzelmann, a small private B&B on the Murg River in the attractive town of Gernsbach for around 25 Euros single, probably 40 or so double. It was clean and comfortable, with a balcony overlooking the small river:

http://www3.toubiz.de/stg/default/ho...?id_house=4407

Rhine/Mosel accommodations: Bacharach or Rüdesheim would be your choices closest to Mainz:

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/accommo...hinemosel.html

We loved visiting Gengenbach, Russ! It has one of the most interesting churches I have been in in years, among many other interesting things to see and do.

If you are considering the Gengenbach area, Gor, I can heartily without any reservation recommend this gem (Michelin noted):
http://www.hirsch-berghaupten.de/index_e.htm
ree have stayed their numerous times; the rooms are huge, modern and comfortable and the cuisine is superb. It is only 2 miles outside of Gengenbach and a short 45 minute drive to Strasbourg, for example. Note: do not confuse with the Hotel Hirsch in Gengenbach itself...Hirsch=Deer and is a very common hotel name in the Black Forest area; it can get very confusing at times!

For Mainz: my sister and her husband stayed here and said they had a wonderful time and would stay here again.

Hotel-Restaurant Hof Ehrenfels
Grebenstraße 5-7
55116 Mainz
Telefon: 06131/9712340
Fax: 06131/237910

http://www.hof-ehrenfels.de/eng/index.htm

Here's the website. Reviews on tripadvisor are mostly very old (2004!) and my sister stayed within the last year. Right in the thick of the Mainz Christmas market and they had a blast! They had fancy reservations someplace and changed them to the hotel and were glad that they had changed plans.

Somebody gripes about having to use a public parking garage down the street at 6 eu/night...I don't get people who want to stay in the quaint towns but expect all the modern amenities that would ruin the charm of the place. The fee we've been averaging in public garages in France and Germany has been about 12 euros/nt.

If you are near Speyer or Heidelberg-they have nice Xmas markets. Schwetzingen's market, one of my favorite towns usually, is very boring so don't bother.

Two special places, week-ends ONLY, just north of Heidelberg: Klosterhof Neuburg - where the brothers sell the natural items they make all year long i.e. wine, honey, jellies, wool clothing, hand-dipped candles etc...different, but special. Also the fairytale town of Ladenberg (think miniature Rothenburg o/t, but unspoiled still)

The Hof Ehrenfels has a fantastic location; there are very few options right in the old town area, so it's good to hear a positive review. Alternatively, the Mainz IBIS hotel lies just to the south of the old town area, right next to the Mainz Römisches Theater train station, and involves a fairly short walk; you can get in there for about 60 Euros on some nights (breakfast not included but available.)

I would not miss the Rüdesheim Christmas market if staying in Mainz - definitely worth the trip.