Thr villages of Bacharach, St. Goar, and Oberwesel sound lovely as a home base for two nights next June (will have a car). However, I am a very light sleeper and am concerned about train noise keeping me awake at night. I would appreciate any recommendations for a quiet hotel, pension, etc. Thanks!

Message: Last September, we stayed 2 nights in the tiny town of St Goar at Hotel am Markt. The hotel has a nice restaurant on the ground floor and simple but comfortable rooms above. We paid 59Euro for a 'king' bed that had separate duvets for cover. Our window opened out to the church square and Rhine view, where we could see a castle above the town across the river. There was a little traffic noise (with our window open at night) - I can't even remember now if the church bells rang, I think they did but not often. There was no train noise at all. St Goar itself is too small for two days, but after we explored the Rheinfels ruins, we spent most of a day in Boppard; took the chair lift and rented bikes to ride along the Rhine a couple of miles.
http://www.hotelammarkt1.de/main.htm

I originally had tried to book a hotel in Boppard but could not find availability because it was a wine festival weekend there. These are three hotels I was looking at but could not get in:
( Also, order brochures from the website, very helpful:
http://www.boppard.de/2001/html/home_english3.htm )

Hotel Gunther Garni * * *
Rheinallee 40 - Boppard, Rhineland-Palatinate 56154
http://www.hotelguenther.de/

Best Western Bellevue Rheinhotel* * *
Rheinallee 41/42 - Boppard, Rhineland-Palatinate 56154
http://www.bellevue-boppard.de/

Hotel Ebertor * * *
Heerstraße 172 - 56154 Boppard am Rhein
Telefon: 06742-8070 Telefax: 06742-807100
e-mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
http://www.hotel-ebertor.de/

I have photos of St Goar and Boppard on Ofoto.com if you would like to see, including pictures of Hotel am Markt in St Goar (and a fun chairlift in Boppard):
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=ch4vgx4...0&y=75r72h

We stayed in Oberwesel at the Schonburg Castle. It is set high on a hill over looking the Rhine River. The castle is 1000 years old and absolutely charming. The hospitality is wonderful and you need not worry about noise as you are way above the city. There are even some rooms in the circular tower. Our room was very private with antique funiture and a spectacular view of the river. We loved it. The restaurant was excellent.

I second the recommendation for the Castle Hotel Auf Schoenburg in Oberwesel. It was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip. Check out their website.

http://www.hotel-schoenburg.com/

Most of the railway noise complaints tend to come from those who stay in Bacharach, where many of the establishments are just a few feet from the tracks.

With a car, you have more flexibility. If you want to ensure that you sleep somewhere peaceful, away from the main road and the tracks, there are in fact a number of mini-suburbs associated with these Rhine towns where accommodations exist. St. Goar, for example, has St. Goar-Werlau, St. Goar-Biebernheim (a settlement just above St. Goar on top of the cliffs there, a place from which walks to some terrific panoramic scenery are just outside your door) where the only noise may involve a distanc cluck or moo from a nearby farm.

Here is a really good accommodations site to check ("Valley of the Loreley&quot:

www.tal-der-loreley.de/ukv/ukv.hotel.en.php

For two nights, look under hotels or under "private accommodation" for less expensive B&B's.

You can book via the tourist office that runs this website, I believe, by phone or perhaps by e-mail.