Rhine boats
 

Does anyone know when the boats start up their daily cruise schedule? We will be there on Sat April 7.I hope it's not Easter day! Thanks

it looks like you will be ok. I wouldn't wait very long to book this since they start on March 31st.

here is a website I found.

http://www.bingen-ruedesheimer.com/r...lei/index.html

www.k-d.com for schedules of K-D boats that run extensive routes along the Rhine Gorge. They will be running in April several times i suppose on a Saturday.

<i> I wouldn't wait very long to book this since they start on March 31st.</i>

Do you have to book the K-D cruises?

I was hoping to be a bit impromptu and just show up, buy my ticket (or use my rail pass), get on one of the scheduled cruises and enjoy the river. Please tell me you don't have to book ahead of time.

Peace, Robyn :)&gt;-

You don't need to book for the regular trips of K&ouml;ln-D&uuml;sseldorfer or any other operator. The biggest of their ships can carry nearly 2000 passengers. Just go to the landing stage, buy a ticket and go aboard.

Thank you, Geoff. From what I've researched in the past, what you described is what I expected. I didn't think you needed to &quot;book&quot; a cruise. Peace, Robyn :)&gt;-

Yes, I want to go on the K D Rhine boat for a 1 to 2 hour tour.The web site for K D is in German!Thanks if anyone can translate for me!

See the little Union Jack (Brit flag) up at the top? Click that and see what happens!

Monique, I'm not sure where you will be, but the &quot;classic&quot; part of the Rhine is between Rudesheim or Assmanhausen in the south and St. Goar or Boppard in the north. I believe in April there will be more boats from St. Goar south, than if you go further north. The trip downstream (from south to North) is quicker.

We will be staying in Bacharach. Is going north to south or south to north a more senic trip? Any difference?

First, make sure you understand which way the Rhein flows. At Bacharach it is roughly SE to NW. That is, the river flows to the North (and west). Most people envision it flowing south.

From Bacharach, I would take the boat down the river to St. Goar. First, it is faster traveling with the current. Bacharach to St. Goar takes about 40 minutes. The other way take 70 minutes. Second, probably the most interesting sight on the Rhein is the Pfalzgrafenstein, the toll castle in the middle of the river. You pass right by it going downriver from Bacharach. You also pass the Loreley just up river from St. Goar. For my money, it is just a big cliff, but some people think it is a &quot;must-see&quot;.

Either way, I would limit my boat travel to between Bacharach and St. Goar. It is so slow. Spend you time seeing other things.

My info says reservations for individuals for K-D boats are not even possible - that's for the regular day boats and not special evening boats with meals and bands.
Groups can reserve however. And many bus tours descend on these boats at Rudesheim - i recommend boarding at Rudesheim to get a good seat in busy periods as they boats are often fairly full with bus tours when they leave from there to Bingen and then down the river. Going down of course is quicker than going up. Boats are subject to being cancelled in too much rain or too little rain when they cannot dock at some docks. Floods are more prevalent than droughts and it's not unusual every few years to have the boats take a hiatus due to them.

On the K-D Winter Timetable, it says &quot;If you are interested in taking a cruise, <b>even as an individual traveller</b>, do not forget to make an advance booking with KD's Sales Service Team in Cologne, phone +49(0)221/2088-318&quot; [Emphasis added.]

I emailed a request for a reservation to [email protected] last night and got the following reply:

&quot;we confirm the reservation, <b>subject to changes</b>. Booking ref 147xxxx.
Pls. pick up the tickets at the landing stage befoer boarding. The price is EUR 19,60 per person.&quot; [Emphasis added.]

I think getting to the landing well ahead of departure is the best strategy.

Yes i should have said reservations are required on the once or twice possible daily cruises

the reason for this is that if not enough folks sign up the boats will be cancelled

in summer there are no reservations i believe except for groups

PalenQ is correct. KD take bookings for the limited winter service because services may be cancelled or rescheduled. This does not apply in summer.
Services are occasionally disrupted by floods or droughts. Flooding is more likely in the spring when the river is swollen by melting snow from the mountains, and low water is commoner towards the end of a dry summer.

Hi! A question for people who've travelled on KD Boats - I want to go from Bingen to Boppard, hopping on and off. It says on their website, this trip costs &pound;18.50 for a &quot;single&quot; ticket. Does a single ticket still mean I can hop on and off the boat? Hope someone can help!! Thanks

sorry I meant 18.50 EURO!

The ticket conditions include the clause below which, I think, says that you can break your journey if you notify the ship's crew. I hope a German speaker can translate.

4.2 Fahrtunterbrechung ist nach vorheriger Bescheinigung durch den nautischen Fahr-
gastbetreuer beliebig oft gestattet.