Alice

We thought we were staying just outside of Frankfurt with friends, but on further inspection, we will be staying in Meisau which is between Kaiserslatern and Saarbrucken and upsets my itinerary quite a bit, not necessarily bad. <BR> <BR>We do want to see the Rhine, but it will now be farther away than we had thought. Is it necessary to have reservations in advance for the short Rhine day cruises, the ones that are only a couple hours long? I think I'd rather spend this trip (17 days) without the constrictions of reservations here and there and just take our chances. Or, would it be better to skip the boat trip and drive up the Rhine on the river road? Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

Bob

No reservations are necessary for the short trips. You just buy your ticket and get on. You can also get off and take another boat back to your departure point. If Rhine is too far away, try the Mosel. I do not have a map handy to see if that is closer for you but it is also a fun river area. In some ways we prefer it to the Rhine. You can drive the Rhine and still see a lot, but boat more fun. If you do decide to drive don't be afraid to take the short ferry boat rides that will take you from one side of river to the other. Very quick, inexpensive and saves a lot of time.

harzer

You certainly are out of the way for Rhine cruises. Nevertheless, why not try the following: catch the 08.30 train from Kaiserslautern to Mainz main station, arriving there at 09.58. Walk down to the Rhine (about 15 minutes) and catch a boat up to Ruedesheim, which takes about an hour. Have a nice lunch, do whatever, and leave again about 2.00pm. <BR>In Mainz go and see the Gutenberg Museum or stroll around the very pleasant city centre and have a coffee. There is a train from Mainz back to Ks at 16.38, reaching Ks at 18.31.

Ben Haines

Fodors <BR> <BR>Dear Ms Hutson, <BR> <BR>The most handsome stretch of the Rhine lies ftrom Bingen to Braubach: Mainz. From Mainz to Rudesheim is a broader valley with less good views (though it has the best wine). So I suggest trains thus: Bruchmuhlbach-Miesau 0741, Kaiserslautern for breakfast 0759 to 0830, Bingen 1001 to 1005, St Goar 1028. Then a boat with lunch at 1205 or 1220 south to Bingen at 1440 or 1505, or to Rudesheim 15 minutes later, and so home. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help urther. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR>

igor

We are arriving to Frankfurt on Sep 11th morning and would like to take a short (~2-3 hours) tour by Rhine. What would be the best starting point- Mainz or Rudesheim? What is the cost of a ticket? And the payment options? – cash/ credit cards?