Rhine Itinerary Help
 

I am trying to plan my 2 days on the Rhine & need help.
Will arrive into Frankfurt Sept 20 8AM & rent car to drive to St. Goar. (Hotel Landsknecht)
Will probably find nice lunch spot, then nap as I always get severe jet lag.
That night will walk down river to see Rhine in Flames.
SUNDAY???
Would like to visit the Loreley Rock & any other St.Goar-area attractions - maybe a winery if time. Want to take a cruise btwn St. Goar & Assmannshausen. Preferably Northbound to make it faster. (Can take train to or from-need help there also) Would like to have dinner along the Drosselgasse in Rudesheim (near Assmannshausen.) How should I do all this? I am holding a room in Assmannshausen for that night in case it might be easier to actually stay there.

Can anyone help me lay this out?

P.S. Plan to depart the area 10AM Monday morning. I might be able to see 1 attraction Saturday if there is something convenient to the hotel. Just don't want to plan on too much that day.

Here is what I'm thinking - will this work?
Sept 21
9AM-1:00PM Enjoy St. Goar wine fest, have lunch
1:00PM-2:00PM Drive to Assmannshausen, (car ferry across river) check into hotel
2:45PM Catch k-d cruise from A'hausen to St.Goarshausen 2:45-4:05
4:05PM Disembark boat, Visit Loreley Rock
5:45PM Catch train back to A'Hausen (5:45-6:06)
Spend the evening walking through Rudesheim & have dinner somewhere there
Overnight in Assmannshausen

Will this work?
Anything I can or should visit in the 90 minutes in St.Goarshausen?
Is the train station close to the Loreley Rock area?
Anyone know anything specific about the St.Goar wine fest? I only know that it is taking place that weekend, don't really know what's involved.

How are you planning to visit the Lorelei? It is an easy 20 minute drive to the top, and, other than walking to the lookout, there is not much to do on top (there is some type of amphitheater at the top, but I'm not sure what it is used for). With a car, your approx. 1 1/2 hour estimate is probably safe. Without a car, I'm not sure how you would get to the top.

The Landsknecht is a ways north of St. Goar, but walkable (there's a bike path that follows the road.)

About the Loreley... You can stroll south to the point along the road to where the rock is, but this is pretty anticlimactic, and the climb to the top is demanding - pretty much straight up from there. That said, the drive to the top is pretty anticlimactic too, although the view of the entire river from up there is quite nice (you can get a nice view of the river valley from the St. Goar side too just by driving / walking up to Rheinfels Castle - an easier walk.) I think if you cruise past the Loreley by boat, as the ancient boatsmen did, that you'll get the most out of the Loreley experience. I'd skip the trip up to the top.

There probably won't be much going on in St. Goar on Sunday before noon when it comes to the Weinfest - you're better off hitting it in the afternoon.

Instead, I'd suggest taking your car over on the ferry early in the morning and driving north up the east bank to Braubach for a tour of Marksburg, the only never-destroyed Rhine castle. Then, drive down to Assmanshausen, park the car, and catch a boat to St. Goar. There's a boat at 11:45 if you get an early start that morning, and the 2:45 boat too. Catch the weinfest goings-on in the afternoon (hopefully something.) Ferry back across to St. Goarshausen, walk NORTH to the station, then train down to A'hausen and continue on to Rudesheim as planned.

It's hard for me to imagine opting for Rudesheim for a night if you have a place with a river view in St. Goar - it's the most scenic part of the entire Rhine Gorge, I think. We just returned from a 3-night stay in an apartment overlooking the river, and now I wake up every morning, disappointed that my own bedroom walls are my first glimpse of the day ahead. boo hoo.

Rudesheim is a street with a lot of restaurants and not too much of a view if I remember well. If you have a place with a view, do that.

I was not impressed with Rudesheim. It is a "tourist trap" if ever there was one. Tour buses pour in and out like it's Disney on the Rhine! Stay anywhere other than Rudesheim. The view is lousy, too. Assmanshausen's view isn't as pretty as St. Goar's but it is closer to Frankfurt airport. Have fun!

Our room at the Landsknecht is not a river view - there were no more available.
The hotel I could move to in A'hausen -the Hotel Cafe Post, we would have a river view.
Does this make a difference as far as anyone's advice is concerned?

Thanks for the tips on the Loreley - I really wasn't sure what might be there. If the trip past on the boat does it then we will leave it at that.

We are heading to Rothenburg the next day also if that makes a difference as to where we should spend that 2nd night.

I would rather station myself in the same spot for the 2 nights rather than move. If you think I would be good in St. Goar both nights maybe I will do that. Perhaps we can take the train down to Rudesheim for lunch Sunday and then take the boat back up to St. Goar for the cruise part. Then we will still get to see both places.

My parents are German and seemed to think Rudesheim is a really charming town....maybe they are remembering an old Rudesheim?

MMN,

Your parents are remembering the old Rudesheim. It is touristy with a capitol T. I thought it looked dirty, which in Germany is a no-no.

The Hotel Post in Assmannshausen is terrific. Family owned and run, the Hoetgers. Great people and a super view of the Rhein which is across the street. The restaurant is excellent as well. The chef is the owner's son. Highly recommended.

I think you are making a mistake in timing your schedule so tight. You might want to have "things to do and see", and when you get there make decisions.

Curious

I think you will be disappointed with lunch in Rudesheim. The town is basically one street along the river and one street going off the river where the restaurants are lined up. The draw to the area is in the evening when all the bands play and crowds arrive, which to me is not "quaint". Lunch may be a non-event.

KRONE HOTEL in Assmannhausen is on the river right across from the boat dock. Great old place. Has some rooms with river views.

Curious - good points.
Since you so highly recommend the Cafe Post....do you think that I should move to that hotel for the 2nd night. Is that area worth a little time of roaming around? Or should I stay in St.Goar & skip it altogether? I guess that's what I'm now wondering. I was planning on Rudesheim being a quaint place to go Sunday night for dinner. (We are up for a drink or 2 also but are not late-nighters & definitely don't like really big crowds)
Sounds like I may have had the wrong plan.
To all - thanks for all the help. It really is coming in handy as we try to figure out what to do.

MMN,

There are several places along the Rhein that are within easy boat, train or car from each other. Therefore, I would stay two nights at one place and use that as a base.

The Rhein is noted for their wines, especially whites. Assmannshausen is the only place on the Rhein that makes a red!

Rudesheim is not "quaint" by any standard.

The Hotel Krone in Assmannshausen is very nice looking, but seems a little too ??? For my taste. When we were there last year, we walked by. Their customers at the covered patio were being served by a waiter in a tuxedo. Not my idea of what I had in mind.

Whatever, you will enjoy the Rhein.

Curious