Sapphire

We are going to Ghana and Togo on business in June and are stopping for 2 nights in the Frankfurt area to get acclimated to the time zone and to see a bit of Germany. However, we forgot that our visit is during the World Cup games (despite having 2 sons who are huge fans). We are trying to nail down our hotel reservations, but need some advice.

On our last visit we stayed in Mainz, but it seems like most of the hotels there are fully booked. Any suggestions for towns and/or hotels that are within easy reach of public transportation (or a taxi) from the Frankfurt airport?

We would enjoy exploring Bacharach, St. Goar, Boppard, etc. a bit more or heading off in another direction.

Any thoughts? I've already perused the forum, looking up individual towns and "World cup" to see what I could find out from existing postings...

Thanks for your help!

JudyC

If your flight is not in the early morning, it is still quite convenient to stay in Boppard area, I just took train from Boppard to the airport this morning. Especially if you are travelling during weekday, as there are frequent RE train direct from Koblenz to Frankfurt airport.

traveller1959

I order to give you tips you should specify (1) the area where you would prefer to stay and (2) the hotel class or price range.
For your own search, I recommend www.hrs.de.

Sapphire

We arrive Sunday June 11 around 8 am and leave Tuesday June 13 around 11 am.

If it is preferable to rent a car (and if these are still available despite the World Cup games), we could try that.

Looking at previous posts, I am wondering if there might be something in Boppard or St. Goar that would work if going by train. Or seeing what people have to say about the Mosel River valley, perhaps find something in Cochem or Beilstein if we are renting a car.

I have Rick Steve's book which suggests Hotel Haus Lipmann, Hotel Am Klosterberg, Altes Zollhaus Gastezimmer, and Hotel Gute Quelle in Beilstein.

I would like to get to the Black Forest area sometime, but not sure this is the time. It looks like it is a 2 hr. trip from Baden-Baden to the Frankfurt airport if taking a direct train. Not sure how long a drive it would be.

We know the Rhine area a bit from staying overnight last year, so that might be easiest on such a quick trip.

As for price range, something less than 150-200 US would be preferable. If good accomodations (comfortable beds, clean rooms that aren't too small, etc.) are available for less, then all the better.

Thanks.

Larryincolorado

I think the Mosel would be a little far from FRA for a morning run. However, the middle Rhein is good. I have known of people who have stayed in Boppard/Bacharach/St. Goar with departures similar to yours. There is a regional express that leaves Boppard at 7:22 and arrives in the airport regional bahnhof at 8:35. A regional train leaves St. Goar at 7:20 (Bacharach 11 minutes later) and connects in Bingen to the RE from Boppard. Bingen station is a little strange. Tracks 101-103 are on one side of the station; tracks 201-203 are on the other, so it looks like you will have to walk across the station island to make your connection.

Of the towns, although I stayed in Boppard, I think Bacharach and St. Goar are a little more interesting. Boppard, however, gives better access to Koblenz, Marksburg, and the Mosel.

A car would only be an impediment in this region.

I have stayed several times in the northern Black Forest and made the run to FRA for an early afternoon departure. There is a train that leaves Karlsruhe at 7:36 and gets into the Fernbahnhof at 8:38. The Fernbahnhof is further out, but if you are flying Lufthansa, you can check in out there. The fare from Karlsruhe is about twice the fare from Boppard. The train from Mannheim to FRA is so fast I could not read the signs with the station name hanging in the stations. I doubt that you could go that fast by car; then you would have to turn it in.

$150 US?! From my experience you would have trouble spending $100 in these towns.

Sapphire

Many thanks for the input. It was all very helpful. We used the www.hrs.de site to book a hotel in the vicinity of St. Goar.

Availability seems to be very limited in this part of Germany for June 2006. In metropolitan areas the prices seem higher than they were last October, and it was a challenge to find any lodging between Bacharach and Boppard. But I think we are all set now.

I really appreciate all the help people have given me through this site over the years. Some of it has been in direct response to my postings (such as steering me to a timeshare website - www.tug2.com - when I posted questions about various timeshares). But as I explore renting a car in Germany, I am using websites recommended in response to others.

What a rich resource! Thank you all again. I'll try to pass it on...