seniortraveler

Three of us plan to take the KD (using railpass) boat from Mainz to Koblenz. next week. We will have our luggage with us. We understand that this is ok.

Has anyone taken this trip and could give us pointers.? We plan to use Rick Steves outline of the castles. Is this too long to stay on the boat? Is there a place to eat on the boat? We plan to catch a train in Koblenz and continue on to Luxembourg and stay overnight there.

How is the weather in Germany this week? it looks cool in the newspaper, but most times we have been there it is very hot.

Thanks for your help.

USNR

You will have no problems with getting something to eat and/or drink aboard. You will be going downstream, so you will be surprised how quickly the scenery goes by. Weather permitting, go to the upper (open air) deck. If you can, check your luggage. I traveled very light so did not have much to watch. Weather last month was cool and dry; we were there three weeks and had very little rain. Daytime temperature was about 70 and night was about 50. Dress in layers, have a raincoat handy. On the boat, Germans like to party, lock arms, and sing along. Lots of fun.

From the boat landing in Koblenz, it's an uphill ride of a mile or so to the train station, so take a cab.

ira

Enjoy your boat ride, st.

When we went, we found that we suffered "Rhine Castle Overload".

Russ

Yes, that is much too long on the boat! Almost 6 hours! Aaargh. And Mainz to Bingen is decidedly boring.

I'd suggest you take a train to Bacharach and start the boat ride there at 10:15 or 11:15. Ride to Braubach - about two hours. You'll see a ton of castles and the most scenic part of the gorge. Then take a tour of Marksburg Castle, the very best of the Rhine Castles to tour. You cannot appreciate the history of these places from a boat. The tour takes an hour. Then you can be on your way from Braubach to Koblenz and on to Luxembourg.

The train from Mainz all the way to the Lux. border can be done on one train daypass (called a Rheinland-Pfalz ticket) which costs less than 30 Euros and is good for up to 5 people on the regional trains.

Russ

Forgot to mention that you can leave luggage with the Braubach tourist office (a couple of blocks from the station) when you go to tour Marksburg Castle:

www.marksburg.de

blakejared

I agree it's a bit long on the boat, especially the first bit from Mainz until you start heading North isn't very scenic.

The train along the Rhine mentioned by Russ is a great deal especially since you have 3 people, and will only need 1 ticket (easily purchased from the machine).

missourimom1974

Checking luggage on the boat is easy and there is a restaurant on the boat. Last summer we started in Rudesheim, got off for a bit in Koblenz, then continued on to Köln landing in the evening- far too long! After a couple hours it was castle overload.
Have fun on your trip!

smetz

I'd agree with the above posters who indicate it's too long of a ride, if it's strictly for sightseeing. I've taken a trip of four to five hours from Koblenz to Rudesheim, and found it to get a little repetitive. If you take the train part of the way and the boat another, it might be a bit of a hassle handling your luggage. What about the possibility of taking the train all the way to Koblenz, then storing your luggage while you do some sight seeing for the day? You could use the train and boats to hop between Koblenz, Bacharach, St. Goar, and/or Boppard.

Wooders101

I'm planning on taking the KD Rhine Cruise next week (June) and wonder whether it's necessary to buy a ticket (or a day pass) beforehand? I expect the cruises to be busy at this time of year and wonder whether the cruises ever get overbooked and are people who just turn up and buy a ticket on the day ever turned away? I will be boarding at Koblenz and travelling towards Mainz.

bigtyke

We went from Mainz to Cologne many years ago. That's a long trip, but it was relaxing and a great way to see the castles. After Koblenz it is not as interesting. I don't remember what we did with the luggage but i'm sure it was not a problem.