Elizabeth

We are spending a week in Germany in May 2003. We have chosen self-catering for accomodation.<BR><BR>We are debating between Boppard or Bacharach. I've already checked out the websites for each town. The self catering places in Boppard don't have many owner websites. And Bacharach may be too small to spend a week in.<BR><BR>Has anybody self-catered in any either one of these towns? Can you offer any suggestions? I want to take a day trip to Wurzburg.

Sarah Smith

Bacharach is gorgeous but certainly rather small for spending a week! And be very aware that the train line goes right through the village, so many of the hotels etc. suffer from serious noise pollution (despite triple glazing!). A day is fine for Bacharach, or even half a day - depending on how much you like to soak up the atmosphere. Definitely do the climb up to the castle - a tough walk but worth it. Also, check out the beautiful Romanesque church and read the English text provided at the entrance... very interesting.<BR>I don't know Boppard at all I'm afraid, but that area of the Rhine is wonderful.<BR>Ruddesheim is colourful and very touristy, but as soon as you get off the main street it quietens down a lot. Might be a good place to rent?<BR>Oh, and do go to the Pfaltz (fortress in the middle of the Rhine). I think they have rather odd opening times, but it is well worth seeing it from inside!<BR>Have a wonderful trip - that stretch of the Rhine is lovely!

Russ

I would pick Boppard. I haven't rented there, myself, but I would like to sometime. It's a very pleasant, REAL German town that has a good selection of restaurants and usually has some things going on. There is a wonderful chairlift ride you can take to the Vierseenblick (lookout) over the Rhine, and a nice set of Roman ruins there too. It's a good deal larger than Bacharach but not city-like at all. It's a better base for exploring, in my opinion; Koblenz is quite close for an evening out, and it's not far to St. Goar. Oberwesel, Bacharach, or Braubach (across the river by ferry and a couple miles north) where you can tour Marksburg Castle. Bacharach is cute but too limited in its diversions and too isolating, I think, for a week. In Boppard, make sure you're within walking distance to the center of town; there are quite a few places to rent in the &quot;suburbs&quot;, but you'll just be shuttling a lot if you do it this way.<BR><BR>For a daytrip to W&uuml;rzburg by train, you'd take a train north to Koblenz, then a fast train from there; this is undoubtedly faster than it would be from Bacharach since you'd need to take a slow train from there all the way to Mainz, probably, to catch a fast train to W&uacute;rzburg.

Russ

This site has information on a good number of Boppard rentals (Ferienwohnungen)<BR><BR>http://www.tal-der-loreley.de/ukv/ukv.hotel.en.php<BR><BR><BR>There aren't many photos (&quot;Ansicht&quot and the descriptions <BR>(&quot;Ausstattung&quot is in German, but you can ask for a brochure from the local tourist office by clicking on &quot;Contact&quot; near the top of the page.<BR><BR>

Sarah

Rudesheim does sound like a lovely town but the drive to Trier is closer from Boppard, so that's we are leaning toward Boppard.<BR><BR>With so much to do, and only one week, we hope to check out Pfaltz. But as you well know it's hard to narrow down your choices. But thats why I like this board - to help me narrow down my choices.<BR><BR>Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Russ:<BR><BR>Yes. I have also read great things about Boppard - so close to everything -including Marksburg Castle. I hope to do the chair lift for the view but I'm really looking forward to checking out Burg Eltz - and of course - getting an awesome photo of this beautiful castle. <BR><BR>I'll check out the website you've recommended. Thanks for your help.<BR><BR>Elizabeth

mark

Elizabeth,<BR><BR>There really isn't enough to do in Boppard or Bacharach to keep you busy for an entire week.<BR><BR>Are we reading your message correctly. Am I understanding you that you plan an entire week in one town?<BR><BR>If you are, plan to be quite bored. You can certainly get other people's opinions, but we were there earlier this year. There was enough to keep us busy for 3 days, including one of the Firework displays. Any longer than 3 days and we would have gone crazy.<BR><BR>Is this your first trip to Germany? If you are planning to do more, then consider alternatives to an entire week in Boppard. Rooms are quitre reasonable that time of the year. You can get doublerooms rooms in most smaller for 25 Euros per person. Can be even cheaper than that if you wish to look at the smaller bed and breakfasts and guesthouses.<BR><BR>Mark

Elizabeth

Hi Mark,<BR><BR>To clear up your confusion, we are using Boppard as our home base. <BR><BR>We prefer to self-cater when we holiday in Europe because we are from Canada; the Euro is costly for us to buy. We also get tired of eating both lunch and dinner in restaurants. We've discovered over the years that local deli's offer a variety of tasty evening meals at a great price. Leaving us more money to go out for a drink after dinner. And we have our main meal at a pub at lunch and enjoying meeting the locals at that time. <BR><BR>Most holidays homes also have a washer and dryer which allows me to pack much more lighter because I can a wash midweek.<BR><BR>In regards to local attractions, by searching the net I've found many interesting day trips within a reasonal distance to Boppard:<BR>1. Trier<BR>2. Wurzburg<BR>3. Cologne - Cathedral and Chocolate Museum<BR>4. Burg Eltz and Cochem<BR>5. Rhine Cruise<BR>6. Boppard<BR>7. The last day - is left open - with so many choices and I'm going to just wing it.<BR><BR>The best thing about Germany is that I discovered that I can self-cater for a short term basis - three or four days. We are considering a reasonable half-board deal in Bacharach and renting an apartment for 3 days in Rothenburg. <BR><BR>You should try self-catering you may discover that you get to know the region a little more intimately. I also like to believe I'm coming back so why drive myself crazy trying to see everything on one visit.<BR><BR>Talk to you later.<BR>Elizabeth

CharlieB

Elizabeth - I fully agree with you, self catering is the way to go. Last summer we rented a cottage in a small town on the Mosel(much smaller than even Boppard)and had our best vacation ever. Nothing to do in town, but took day trips to Luxembourg, Trier, Cochem, Burg Eltz, Bernkastel, etc. I think Boppard is more central to the major sites on the Rhine and Mosel than Rudesheim which is farther south in the Rhine Valley. Enjoy!

Elizabeth

CharlieB,<BR><BR>The first time we rented a cottage we choice a two-bedroom home just outside a small town in Tipperary County Ireland. It was quaint but a little too rural. This year when we travelled to Scotland we rented a flat in Edinburgh. It was a ten minute walk down from the Royal Mile. <BR><BR>As well as a perfect location, the flat had everything including a supply of milk and butter. The owner was just a gem. All entertainment so close at hand, we even enjoyed a 'ghost walk'. <BR><BR>And of course, eating at the flat saves on expenses. It's great not to reach into your pocketbook three or four times a day. <BR><BR>Elizabeth<BR>

CharlieB

Elizabeth-<BR>I am now even more in agreement with your plans, seeing that you have gone the self-catering route before. One word of caution - the rail traffic up and down both sides of the Rhine can be extremely noisy. The steep valley seems to amplify the sound, and the traffic continues all night long. Your itinerary sounds perfect and you should have a wonderful time

Doug

This past summer my kids and I spent a couple nights along the Rhine. We stayed halfway between Bingen and Bacharach in a tiny place called &quot;Oberheimbach&quot;. It was perhaps 1/2 mile West of the Rhine, going up the slope of one of the many vineyards in the area. We found it an excellent base for excursions to the aforementioned towns as well as to Trier, Wiesbaden and Koblenz. <BR><BR>You can either drive downriver along the banks of the Rhine (Route 9) and get to Koblenz in about 45 minutes or head a few mile West to catch the Autobahn north. That will take half the time but with none of the sights.<BR><BR>I could find plenty to see and do if I had a MONTH (and unlimited funds) in the area, so I doubt you'll get bored in a week provided as you have wheels.<BR><BR>Bavaria Ben was kind enough to post my little blurb about our stay at the following web page:<BR><BR> http://www.bavariaben.com/hotelrestaurantbergschloesschen.html<BR><BR>I would also recommend your checking out Ben's page for more suggestions. It's the best resource I've found on the internet.

mark

Elizabeth,<BR><BR>Sounds like you know exactly what you are doing. Being American, we tyupically don't look at what you are calling self catering. Am I correct to assume that self catering would be similar to our efficiency apartments.<BR><BR>I would be intereste din learning more about self catering. I am planning to do Germany this summer for 3 weeks and would like to set up something like self catering in on the Austrian-German border.<BR><BR>What does a week usually cost you for self catering?<BR><BR>Are there websites that cater specifically to this system of travel?<BR><BR>Thanks<BR><BR>Mark

Mike

Mark,<BR><BR>Here's a web site that I've used. There are literally 100's of places and various prices in southern Germany/Austrian Border: http://www.vacationvillas.net/<BR><BR>We stayed at this place: http://www.vacationvillas.net/index.cfm/holidayrental/22001.cfm<BR><BR>It was 20-30 minutes from Salzburg, and I highly recommend it. My wife and I took the Outlaws with us -- the apartment has 2 separate bedrooms/bathrooms plus kitchen. It was a great deal. If you stay there, ask the owner to do up a BBQ for you. <BR><BR>

Russ

Mark: We've rented &quot;Ferienwohnungen&quot; - vacation rentals - on several occasions and always had great experiences. The local tourist office websites have the best selections and can often book for you at a small fee or for free sometimes; a commercial site that has thousands of places all over the country is www.accommodation.de - you can search by region within Germany or by country.

Jim

I stayed in Boppard for three nights two years ago on a trip through southwest Germany. I had no difficulty with train noise at night and stayed at the Garni Gunther. The owner is American by birth so language was no problem. The hotel was spotless and right on the river. Be aware that the road out of town to the west is fairly long and winds around quite a bit but I traveled it OK on two day trips. That's probably true for any Rhine river town. The town is very nice and I found several good restaurants.

ELizabeth

Mark,<BR><BR>Self catering is like efficiency apartments but you can also rent cottages. <BR><BR>As mentioned in a previous posting two major websites for self-catering in Europe are<BR>www.vacationvillas.net<BR>www.accomodations .de<BR><BR>I've also gone into individual towns to check out local &quot;Ferienwohnungen&quot; but some websites are 'german' only. <BR><BR>Have fund planning your trip.<BR><BR>

CharlieB

I can also recommend vacationvillas.net as mentioned by Mark. We rented a small cottage through them in Wintrich on the Mosel and it was an excellent experience. It is a German site with prices considerably lower than most American site which usually list only high priced palaces. What is nice is they tell you the languages spoken by the property owner so you can deal directly with the owner. On our trip to Wintrich we did stay at castle hotels in Kaub and Kamp-Bornhofen high above the Rhine and did experience high railway noise.

Mark

Quick message for Charlie....<BR><BR>You say that you stayed in castles in Kaub and Kamp Bornhofen.<BR><BR>Did you stay in Liebenstein and Gutenfels?<BR><BR>I liked Gutenfels alot for the 2 nights we were there. I had originally booked Liebenstein but changed to Gutenfels. I am wondering which you thought was a better deal.<BR><BR>Thanks for your help.<BR><BR>Mark

CharlieB

Mark - stayed in both castles. I guess I liked Gutenfels the best. It is larger and we particularly enjoyed the castle grounds and outlooks. We had a very large room in the &quot;gatehouse&quot; somewhat removed from the castle. One problem was having to drive into town for a hearty evening meal, though breakfast served in the magnificent baronial hall was excellent. Liebenstein is more compact. We had a small room but tastfully appointed overlooking the Rhine Valley. There is an adequate restaurant and an excellent restaurant in an adjacent restaurant in another castle about 100 yards away. As you know staying in a Rhine castle one should not expect &quot;chateau&quot; or &quot;palace&quot; elegance,and there always seems to be some reconstruction going on, but it is a neat experience. If you enjoyed Gutenfels you will also enjoy Liebenstein. You might also wish to try &quot;Auf Schoenberg&quot; supposedly a little more elegant. It was fully booked during our time on the Rhine &amp; Mosel.