OK, got it. Thanks again, Russ!!

Russ:

I found your comments about day passes and travel from Cochem to Bingen on the Sep 13 forum. If you are still available for advice I have some questions about my itinerary for the same area this Oct 2014.

Don P

don - start a separate thread and you will probably get a better response.

Or keep topping this thread as Russ will notice it and give his as usual extremely well versed advice on such matters and the Rhine in particular.

What are your questions - maybe others can also give insight.

Attn: Russ

Thanks bigtyke and PalenQ for the insight. I have never used a forum like this before, so I appreciate your help.

We will be traveling to Germany between 10/2 and 10/17 following the itinerary identified below:

Frankfurt to Koblenz to Trier to Cochem to Braubach to Bacharach to Bingen to Assmannshausen to Mainz before flying out of Frankfurt to return home.

We will be relying on the train for most of the journey, but would like to use boat transportation as well. Do not know where best to do so, but wish to see both the Mosel and the Rhine from the water. My question is where is it best to use the boat - between which of the cities listed above. We are interested in using the Rhineland-Pfalz Day Pass where possible and the boat to reduce costs and meet train and boat schedules. We intend on staying one night in each of the following places and two nights in the others: (one night) Koblenz, Braubach, and Bingen.

Would appreciate any advice you may have.

Thanks,

Don P

On the Rhine the best boat ride is from Rudesheim to Koblenz - the classic few-hour downstream cruise thru the Rhine Gorge.

On the Mosel the best boat ride IME is between Cochem and Beilstein.

again as cited way above check www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com sites for details on both the Rhine and Mosel.

Instead of Koblenz, a large nice city I'd stay for a night or two at Cochem, a fairy-tale Mosel wine town at one of the prettiest parts of the Mosel, which most find much more beautiful than even the Rhine.

https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...=1600&bih=1075

Cochem the type of town most dream of staying in but never get the chance to do - Rhine towns are not nearly so nice IME - two loud rail line and two busy highways go down each side of the narrow Rhine Gorge - I'd base from Cochem and take the train to Koblenz and Rudesheim and do a day boat cruise - stopping at say Marksburg the only intact authentic medieval castle on the Rhine.

Then spend a day boating between Cochem and Beilstein (or bike - bike rentals abound and there are nice riverside bike path. The Mosel and Cochem are so so quiet and tranquil compared to the Rhine.

staying one night in each of the following places and two nights in the others: (one night) Koblenz, Braubach, and Bingen.>

If staying mainly on the Rhine those towns are so close together just stay in one and do short excursions to the others. Otherwise packing up relocating, etc would consume maybe a half a day.

Or base in much nicer IME Cochem and day trip to the Rhine and up and down the Mosel from there.

One problem really not to understate is the loud trains that are going thru Rhineside towns - at times up to 300 freight trains rolling thru a day and freights are known to be more boisterous and longer than passenger trains which also ply the tracks in large numbers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/wo...pe/22linz.html


This article in today's NYTimes tells the seriousness of the problem:



So if staying in those cute Rhineside towns be prepared for a loud night - be careful about where your hotel is but as these towns are narrow and wedged in between cliffs and the Rhine the train is never far from your room.

One reason I suggest basing on the calmer and much more quiet Mosel, such as at Cochem and use it as a base for the Rhine.

The main freight/rail line thru the Rhine Gorge is on the western bank - the eastern side's secondary rail line is not nearly so noisy so towns on that side may be better in that regard.

And there are lots of boat horns and whistles too on one of the world's busiest waterways.