Planning to fly into Frankfurt in early June and spend 2 nights along the Rhine or Mosel (before continuing our trip). Both sound great, after reading various posts on this website. We are two 60-ish women who enjoy laid-back, scenic areas, and quiet lodging. Any recommendations for villages/towns and lodging would be appreciated. Thanks!

It's difficult to say without knowing in what direction you'll be heading afterwards.

If it's east, then with only two days, I'd suggest you stick to the Rhine (Rhein) with an overnight perhaps in St. Goar. If west, then you could head down the Rhine (either side) to Koblenz and then up the Moselle (Mosel) as far as you like. On the Moselle you could overnight at Beilstein, a small and pretty village, but there are lots of others. If you visit only one castle, I sugest that it be Burg Eltz. I think that you will find that things a little more laid back on the Moselle.

Laver: We will be heading to Rothenberg ob de Tauber and then to Garmisch.

It can be a bit noisy on the Rhine, what with barges and trains running all night. I like both places very much, but I think the Mosel might be better for what you are looking for. Cochem is probably your best choice for a couple of days - several diversions (castle tour, chairlift to local peak, mustard mill, lots of cafes.) Although Cochem can be crowded with visitors in July and August, June is usually very quiet. There is a festival in Cochem called Mosel-wine-week in June sometime; check with the tourist office on dates if you want to be there - or avoid it. I'd suggest staying in the old town area, where you can wander around the cobbled pedestrians-only streets. The Alte Thorschenke is a popular but more expensive hotel right in the thick of things. You might also try the Lohspeicher on the main market square, or a couple of blocks off the square is Frau Hilken's small B&B on Loehrstrasse. Check with the Cochem tourist to book Hilken's. I would not book a hotel on the river itself to avoid the road noise.

If you are traveling by car, look into Bernkastel as well - it's further upstream but will give you an eyeful of the half-timbered buildings that typify old-world Germany.

Here's a webpage with a look at both towns:www.moselhighlights.de/ESeiten/willkommenE.shtml

www.moselhighlights.de/ESeiten/willkommenE.shtml

moatenote: Be sure to look at Gasthof Fraundorfer in Garmisch for a great place to stay. Put name in search-many posts about the gasthof. On the Rhine,we stayed at Hotel Cafe Post in Assmannhausen and recommend it highly.

I was not enchanted with our stopover at St. Goar, with a Rhine cruise the next day. On the other hand, I loved Beilstein and the Mosel.

I don't think relative distances should be a problem, if you're driving. According to www.viamichelin.com, the relative driving distances and times are as follows:

Frankfurt to Beilstein: 89 miles, 1 hr 43 mins.

Frankfurt to St. Goar: About 63 miles, 1 hr 20 mins.

Beilstein to Garmisch: 335 miles, 5 hrs 23 mins

St. Goar to Garmisch: 310 miles, 5 hrs, 2 mins.

Hotel Haus Lippman in Beilstein alone is worth the side trip. If you are looking for laid-back, scenic, and quiet, with a great little bargain restaurant, I don't think you can do better.

If you want to see images, here's a link to some photos of our stay on the Rhine and Mosels:

http://www.dotphoto.com/Go.asp?l=Mar...083&Show=Y

As you can see from the images, we were enchanted with Room #4 at Hotel Haus Lippman.

There's not much to do in Beilstein, but it offers fairly easy access to Burg Eltz and other places on the Mosel.

The Rhine is quite industrial, and it was interesting to watch the huge barges from our hotel. But the Mosel is more rustic and, in my opinion, much prettier.

The Mosel Valley is much more gorgeous than the classic part of the Rhine (Koblenz-Bingen), though to some the Rhine may be more interesting (I like barges and trains running constantly by). Cochem as in above post is a cutey as are Bernkastle, Bielstein and just about any Mosel town. Mosel valley is exceptional - slopes several hundreds of feet high, with many slopes carpeted with vineyard, which always seems so romantic to me - a veritable sea of vineyard yielding the classic white Mosel wines. The sinuous Mosel makes many sharp loops, while the straighter Rhine is actually only 'gorgeous' around the Lorelei Cliff/St Goar area, just a few mile stretch. Both rivers are dear to Germans, who called them the 'Mother Mosel' and the Father Rhine - terms that characterize a difference between the two. The Mosel, whose several dams create a slower river and the mighty Rhine with its swift downstream current.

I will second the recommendation of Hotel Haus Lipmann in Beilstein. Wonderful hotel, hospitality, restaurant. Get a room overlooking the river.

Beilstein is very, very small with almost no nightlife, unless you enjoy drinking wine and beer, singing a bit, and having some pleasant conversation. After sightseeing up and down the river all day, it was perfect for us. There is a castle ruin overlooking the river as well.

Burg Eltz near Moselkern is a must if you are at all interested in well preserved castles.

http://www.burg-eltz.de/e_index.html

If you do go, don't take the second path described on the webpage that's marked "Warning: Only for experienced hikers!" It's a bummer on a hot day.

The Mosel has a tranquility all of its own, but with only 2 days before heading to Rothenburg-o-d-T the Rhine may make more sense.
I'd stay in Bacharach-am-Rhein. With a car I'd use 1 day on a short trip across to Lorches and take in Assmannshausen & Rudesheim. The 2nd day I'd go up to Koblenz (St Goar & Boppard) and along the Mosel (Cochem, Burg Eltz) to Benkastel-Kues, cross the river and up over the hill via Simmern and Rheinbollen to re-enter Bacharach through its dramatic, arch-gated 'back door'.

we spent a night on the rhine and drove over to the mosel which I did enjoy more for the attmophere. of course the rhine has a lot of history and a ton of ruins.Why not do one night each? stay in Bacharach and then maybe Berk.k.....heres a link to the cam....http://www.bernkastelcam.de/cam/

Thanks to all responders for your wonderful suggestions and insights. We will have a car during our trip. Now I'm wondering if we should re-arrange our schedule for more time in the river valley area. Our plan had been as follows:
2 nights in Rhine/Mosel area
2 nights in Rothenburg ob de Tauber
3 nights in Garmisch
2 nights in Salzburg
3 nights in Hallstatt
2 nights in Munich (fly out of Munich)

So much to see and so little time!! Any suggestions on revising our schedule would be appreciated.

I love Hallstatt, but would drop a day there for the Rhine and Mosel area. Two days in the Hallstatt area should be plenty.