Myer

I've been playing with the RMV.de web site with mixed results.

Maybe somebody can explain how the ticketing works.

Are these tickets valid for one trip, return trip, for the whole day or are there different types of tickts for various durations?

How can I find this info.
= = = =
And a semi related curiosity question.

Can anybody tell me the location of the Starbucks in Mainz train station?

Lubitsch

Well, you might also use bahn.com and rnn.info depending on your destination. I see that the RMV Interface doesn't translate everything so
Einzelfahrkarte=single strip ticket
Tageskarte=whole day
Usually abalada is happy to help on Tripadvisor for extensive questions if you can't work out some things.

Fussgaenger

The ticketing for this area is very confusing if you don't have a PhD in RMV, RNN, and VRM. Just tell us what you want to do, when, how many, ages, and we'll point you in the right direction.

PalenQ

Mainz station not that large and usually places like Starbucks are right on the main floor but anyway don't worry about finding it. You can Google station plans.

bigtyke

PalenQ

Just follow your nose!

Myer

As of now the plan is as follows:

Our base will be Mainz.

In no particular order (to be worked out)
One day take a river cruise from Bingen (train from Mainz) to Boppard followed by spending as much of the rest of the day as interests us in Boppard. That could include anything from wandering around, taking the chair lift / cable car and walking back down to renting bikes and riding along the river for a while.

Another day taking the train to Oberwesel and Bacharach. Wander around (haven't looked into details yet). Depending upon the time we finish we could train to St Goar (having been to Bacharach and Oberwesel any reason to visit St Goar?), train back to Wiesbaden and spend a few hours there or to Frankfurt and check out the reconstructed DomRomer Quarter (any thought on this?) .

Day trip to Heidelberg. Depending upon what time we decide to return we could stop in Frankfurt or Wiesbaden if not already done. Or, I'm open to a different stop for a couple of hours if it's not out of our way.

Day trip to Koblenz. Time permitting, the same extras as above.

I tried to get Marksburg castle in but it just doesn't go smoothly.

So you can see there are a fair number of train rides.

lavandula

The Starbucks is next to Platforms 3/4 in Mainz Hauptbahnhof. The railway station is above the tracks and kind of straddles them, and Starbucks is in the upstairs section. There are also a number of bakeries and a Rossmann drugstore (Drogerie) which has everything from hand cream to hard liquor and herbal tea.

I have found you a map of the station; Erdgeschoss means ground floor, 1. Obergeschoss (1.OG) = first floor, 2. Obergeschoss (2.OG) = second floor

https://www.einkaufsbahnhof.de/mainz...nhof/lageplan/

Lavandula

lavandula

and the RMV tickets are regional tickets which last no more than a day; they are good in the local S-Bahn trains, buses, trams, underground trains (U-Bahn) and regional trains in the area Frankfurt - Wiesbaden - Mainz and slightly beyond (the Rhein-Main area).

Here is a map of the regional trains and S-Bahn:

RMV-Schienennetzplan.pdf

and here the S-Bahn and U-Bahn:

RMV-Schnellbahnplan.pdf

Lavandula

PalenQ

You may want to pay a little extra on Lander Ticket (regional passes) for first class and on other specials if available - these trains can be crowded at times but first class more likely to have open seats - there are no seat reservations on regional trains - not all regional trains have first class either so check yours if interested. Friends just came back and did regional trains and said they were glad they had a first-class railpass as some regional trains at times were SRO.

Koblenz is a nice large city but not awesome - you could take boat or train to Koblenz - boats dock at the Rhine Ufer or riverside walking path quite close to Deutsches Eck Monument to German Unity and a very famed place in Germany - until WW2 this large plaza right at intersection of Mosel and Rhine rivers had a huge equestrian statue with Kaiser Wilhelm the 1st but just before the war ended an American GI at a camp right opposite the statue saw a German soldier by it and blasted it to bits - the monument was re-erected after the war and after German Unity in 1990 with a new statue of Kaiser Wilhelm, and is an imposing visage that draws large crowds.

On the opposite bank of Rhine is a huge fortress on a cliff top - a cable car goes up there from near Deutsches Eck.

https://www.google.com/search?q=deut...w=1280&bih=625

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsches_Eck

A few hours in Koblenz is enough IMO but its Altstadt is a nice place to have an early evening meal before catching train back to Mainz.

Koblenz' train station is about a mile or so from here - nice walk thru restored Altstadt with its many restaurants and then a nice pedestrian shopping street to the station.

Fussgaenger

("US" could be any number of travelers but I will assume two adults.) Normal fare is €7.40 each to Bingen + €17.10 each for Boppard - Mainz by train. Best option is the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket (day pass, €30 for two, covers both trips.)


Rheinland-Pfalz ticket - VRM | Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel

To include the optional travel to St. Goar and Wiesbaden with a return to Mainz as well, you will again need the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket.

Note that there is NO TRAIN between St. Goar and Wiesbaden... you need to cross the Rhine to St. Goarshausen (by ferry) and take the train from there to Wiesbaden. The ferry passage is included in the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket, I believe. If not, it's less than €2. The ferry shuttles back and forth across the Rhine all day long every 15-20 minutes.

If you choose Frankfurt as well you are not covered. You'll need additional RMV tickets for Wiesbaden - Frankfurt - Mainz. Seems terribly unlikely that you'd have the time for Frankfurt if you are really seeing the previous places.

Look into pre-purchased saver fares that include IC or ICE trains; or go with regional trains on the "Day Ticket for Germany" (€52/2.) Buy at station from ticket machine. You could detour to Frankfurt on this day with this ticket (if there's time of course, and again on the regional trains only.) Details:

https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/...-germany.shtml

Day trip to Koblenz and/or Marksburg Castle: Again, use the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket.

I don't understand what the difficulty is with Marksburg. It's in Braubach, which is just 10 minutes from Koblenz station. Maybe you can explain. This castle shouldn't be missed.

Fussgaenger

This map shows the coverage area of the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket:
http://www.vrminfo.de/fileadmin/data...reckennetz.pdf

bigtyke

PalenQ

Yes to Marksburg Castle if into authentic medieval castles - St Goar has yes awesome castle ruins and I believe a restored part but Marksburg is the only castle on this stretch of Rhine - a real medieval castle.