sbruner

Since earlier posts have been looking at Rhine cruises. One is listed out of Mainz and gives the first week-end (Oct. 22-25) that we will be in area as last week-end for cruise. Is the weather likely too cold (and/or wet) to enjoy? The information i pulled off internet does not list how long the cruise takes--says you can get off and on--but is there just the one boat so that you have to stick with it? Is the cruise both ways (I ask because we took one in Austria where you cruised up the river and then took a bus to return to Vienna). Also, the cruise mentions going as far as Cochem. What is the time frame on that? Is there a site where I can get more detailed information? Then I note that there is also a boat trip out of Bingden (do not have my notes at computer). Any thoughts of that in the last week of October if it is even running.

Looked at the interesting Wine Route south of Worms but could not find any information regarding a tour and although daughter will have a car, it will not be available to us except when we travel together on the week-end. Is there any other way to tour the Wine Route?

Everyone has been so helpful.

Russ

The right source: http://www.k-d.com/englisch/index.html

Regular service ends October 24. You don't want to start in Mainz. The best scenery lies betwen Bingen and Koblenz, roughly. But you don't need to do all of that, either. Start in Bingen or Bacharach, end in St. Goar, Boppard or Braubach, depending on your interests. The colder the weather (who can predict it on the day you intend to cruise??) the shorter your cruise time. I wouldn't cruise any longer thanb 2-2.5 hours myself - the cruise can get tedious after a while. You can see lots of castles from the train too. Your best tour is Marksburg Castle in Braubach - the castle was never knocked down by French invaders:

www.marksburg.de

As you'll see from the website at the top, there are no boats running to Cochem from the Rhine at that time. Use the train to get there. 2-5 people can travel on a Rheinland-Pfalz ticket (a DAYPASS) all day for 28 Euros on the regional trains along the Mosel and Rhine and south to Worms (or even further south to Karlsruhe.)

sbruner

Thank you--had been wondering how to find cruise schedule--agree that too much time on cruise could be a drag. What would you see as doable from Worms in one day---debating whether we should make an overnight in the area --maybe Cochem and then return to Worms the next day or try two separate trips out of Worms. We do have free lodging in Worms which is why the debate.

Russ

With an early start and a late return, I suppose it's possible to do what you suggest. Check the itineraries to see if it seems doable to you in a day. Cochem is a nice place to overnight, and you can do so inexpensively. There's a great little place in the old town where I stop in at every so often (Frau Hilken, 20 L˜öhrstrasse) that runs 20 Euros or so each w/ breakfast. Ben has some simple but clean places in town:

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

Russ

Here's the DB train itinerary page:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en