gmh0000

My wife and I are going to be staying in Bonn for a few days in July. We are planning on visiting Koln, and we also wanted to take a Rhine River cruise.

How does this sound for a Rhine River overnight trip? We are thinking of taking the train to Koblenz from Bonn, and spending a half day there, and then continuing on to Mainz for the evening and spending the night. The next day, we would take a river cruise back north to Koblenz where we would hop the train back to Bonn.

Also, would there be enough to do in Koblenz and Mainz to fill the first day? Also, any recommendations on the best stops between Mainz and Koblenz?


Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

lavandula

For Mainz, be sure to see the Gutenberg Museum, the 1000 year old Mainzer Dom, the Chagall windows at the Stefansdom, the old quarter of the city, and you might also see the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum for ancient ships dug out of the Rhine and other artefacts. Lots to see and do in Mainz. IMO not so much to do in Koblenz - see the confluence of the Rhine and the Mosel, maybe grab a meal. Places to stop on the Rhine: Bacharach, St Goar, Rüdesheim (the latter very touristy, also the gateway to the Rheingau, a wine region, and a place to try wine tasting). Other people have their other favourites on the Rhine

Lavandula

neckervd

I agree with Lavandula; I wouldn't stop at Koblenz. Thre is a lot to see at Mainz. You may hop off and hop on the boats between Ruedesheim and Koblenz and visit some places along or above (Niederwalddenkmal) the river. If you have still time left, I would rather invest it in a Mosel boat ride.
Timetables:
http://www.k-d.de/de/linienfahrten/fahrplan-rhein/
http://www.k-d.de/de/linienfahrten/fahrplan-mosel/

gmh0000

Thanks so much for these responses. I had assumed there was more to do in Koblenz because many of the boat cruises start/end there.

lavandula

No, cruises start and end in Koblenz because the river is most picturesque between Mainz and Koblenz (some would say, Bingen and Koblenz), probably because of the confluence of the rivers there.

There are a lot of posts about the Rhine - Russ is a poster who usually has good and very specific advice. You might try doing a search and see what he has to say : )

Lavandula

PalenQ

I like Koblenz but many folks do not - it is worth a short look though - especially the famous Deutsches-Eck monument to German Unity at the confluence of Rhine and Mosel rivers - once hoisted an equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm that was blown to bits as part of some targetr practice by American GIs from the opposite bank of the Mosel River (told to me by the manager of the camping place that at least was there if not still there) - Koblenz has a neat resorted Altstadt with beer gardens, etc.

Mainz to me is just another big city very similar to Koblenz, both being largely decimated in WW2 and modernly rebuilt.

Going downstream on the boats is nice - much quicker and actually on boats I've been on many get rather bored after a while - consider doing Rudesheim to Boppard (where you can catch a train to Bonn - the station there is very close to the K-D boat dock - Koblenz' station is quite a hike from the K-D boat dock.

For lots on these boats and trains in Germany check out these Wunderbar IMO sites - www.ricksteves.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id9.html and www.seat61.com. www.k-d.com is the boat line that does the most day trips on the Rhine - many folks find the Mosel Valley even more gorgeous and the Rhine and Cochem the picture-postcard wine town at one of the prettiest parts of the sinuous Mosel Valley to be a great base for both the Rhine and Mosel - just 20 minutes by train from Koblenz.

Bonn however is also a nice city just a large city and not that romantic IME.

lavandula

It's not true about Mainz - although the area near the train station is unromantic, there is a substantial old town which is worth seeing, and some extremely old churches, which have not been reconstructed. Yes, the windows of the Stefansdom were replaced (a war loss), but with windows designed by the Jewish artists Marc Chagall in the spirit of reconciliation. They are a divine blue! So some 'rebuilt' can work in the tourist's favour. There is also a good shopping area in the old quarter. Do have a look, you will be busy for a couple of days.

I agree Bonn is pretty; the main square is all pastel colours. Visit the Poppelsdorfer Schloss.

Lavandula

gmh0000

Thanks everybody! For the KD cruises, how similar are these to hop-on hop-off buses? Is it possible to get off at many of the stops, or are there only a few boats each day (meaning you would miss the last one if you get off too many times)?

neckervd

"Is it possible to get off at many of the stops, or are there only a few boats each day (meaning you would miss the last one if you get off too many times)?"

I sent you the timetebles (in my yesterady post). Have a look at it.

Mainz is really worth a visit: beautiful city center with many historic buildings (not only the cathedral which is by no means inferior to the other famous Rhine river city cathedrals at Cologne, Bonn, Speyer, Worms, Basel).

gmh0000

I took a look at that. Am I reading it correctly in concluding that if we took the earliest boat from Mainz, that there are three boats later in the day (meaning we could get off at three stops)?

PalenQ

Yes there should be at least three more boats - nice place to jump off is at Marksburg Castle dock - either hike up or take a chair lift of some kind to see the only intact medieval castle on the Rhine - others being decimated in wars. Everyone likes Marksburg!

Russ

Hi, gmh0000. I don't mean to gum up your plans, but having traveled the area extensively on many occasions, I'd like to make a couple of suggestions that should make for a more pleasant trip and more efficient use of your time.

1.) The cruise, your stated goal: With your limited time, don't let it monopolize your trip. Don't begin in Mainz; you'll spend nearly 2 hours seeing mostly uninspiring scenery before hitting the good stuff. Keep it fairly short. Hopping on and off generally isn't convenient. With limited time I suggest you cruise the very best part between Bingen and St. Goar (1.5 hrs.) Try to be on the 9:30 boat from Bingen to avoid mid-day heat and crowds and stay on the boat the whole way. THEN - see some villages by train. Oberwesel is 5 minutes by train from St. Goar, Bacharach 10 minutes, and St. Goar itself has Rheinfels castle.

2.) With only one night, visit Mainz if you like - but don't stay there. Stay in a west-bank village (St. Goar, Oberwesel, or Bacharach.) On Day 1 you can take a train from Bonn straight to Mainz and stow bags in a station locker. See the town for a few hours, fetch bags, then return north by direct train (about 1 hour) to your chosen village, where you'll find much better scenery and old-world atmosphere than in Mainz. Find accommodations ideas here:

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

3.) Day 2: Cruise as outlined above: Leave bags at hotel. Catch a train to Bingen to start the cruise - only 12 minutes from Bacharach, about 22 minutes from St. Goar - then get out in St. Goar and see villages by train.

4.) Day 2 afternoon: See Marksburg Castle? Pick up your bags and see it on the way back to Bonn. Take ferry across from St. Goar to St. Goarshausen (runs all day) and then the train 20 minutes north to Braubach. Drop bags at TI office. See 4 pm tour (English.) Catch train north to Bonn via Koblenz.

The Rheinland Pfalz daypass will help get you around by train and save you some $:

http://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets-and...-pfalz-ticket/

PalenQ

Try to be on the 9:30 boat from Bingen to avoid mid-day heat and crowds and stay on the boat the whole way.>

Many K-D boa services start across the river in Rudesheim I believe and this is where tour groups swarm on, nabbing many of the best seats (ones up front on railings) - so if possible start here rather than across the river in Bingen

PalenQ

a popular jumping off point on the boats is at Marksburg to visit the only intact castle - at least non-ersatz intact castle on this part of The Rhine - all others about being turned to ruins in various wars in this militarily vital area - take a lift up to the hilltop castle or hike up - right at the boat dock and there is also train service to Mainz and Koblenz.

http://www.marksburg.de/english/frame.htm


https://www.google.com/search?q=mark...=1600&bih=1075