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Upper Middle Rhine advice
Need help on Germany portion of a trip I'll be taking my parents on this September. My Dad has always wanted to check out castles along the Rhine. (We'll be staying in Mainz as our base for the region) I understand that Koblenz-Rudesheim is the most scenic portion and that we'll save time by going with the current..So we would board in Mainz going north ......we'll likely hop off somewhere along the way and sightsee/eat......Bacharach's towers and old buildings look great for this. When we reach Koblenz I assume we just take the train back to Mainz? Is this right? Would appreciate any tips, logistical help, or anything I haven't thought of or may be missing.
Convenient: our hotel in Mainz is a 5 minute walk from the KD dock |
Yes, you can catch the train and if you get a Rheinland-Pfalz group ticket you can hop on and off trains as much as you like. It also covers the bank of the Rhine not in Rheinland-Pfalz (i.e. that bank which is Koblenz - Wiesbaden):
https://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets/ti...-pfalz-ticket/ Lavandula |
Oh ... September is also harvest time and you will find that winegrowers have the new wine (white, and so fizzy that it can't be stored with a cork). There are small seasonal family taverns all along the train line between Rüdesheim and Walluf / Wiesbaden. If mum and dad can walk well and drink wine, winetasting in that area is wonderful, and you just hop aboard for the next village. If they don't walk so well, then there are tasting centres in Rüdesheim, or you might splurge on a lunch at the vineyard Schloss Johannisberg, on the hill above Rüdesheim. There are also some other specialities of the season such as plum cake, and a little later on, hot plums with cinnamon ice cream... Lavandula |
Originally Posted by lavandula
(Post 17540823)
Oh ... September is also harvest time and you will find that winegrowers have the new wine (white, and so fizzy that it can't be stored with a cork). There are small seasonal family taverns all along the train line between Rüdesheim and Walluf / Wiesbaden. If mum and dad can walk well and drink wine, winetasting in that area is wonderful, and you just hop aboard for the next village. If they don't walk so well, then there are tasting centres in Rüdesheim, or you might splurge on a lunch at the vineyard Schloss Johannisberg, on the hill above Rüdesheim. There are also some other specialities of the season such as plum cake, and a little later on, hot plums with cinnamon ice cream... Lavandula |
Since we're staying in Mainz would it be worth it to take the train to Bingen to get the 20% cruise discount? Another way to ask would be: would we really miss much along the way?
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IMO Mainz - Ruedesheim is the most boring leg.
If you visit Ruedesheim anyway, you can begin your cruise at Bingen without having missed anything. |
Agreed that there is nothing between Mainz and Bingen (either on the water or on land), you will miss nothing. In those parts the big drawcards are Mainz and Rüdesheim. Rüdesheim in particular gets tour buses as a lot of people start their water journey there, and the tourism offerings are very developed. This is both a blessing (lots to see and do) and a curse (lots of people, not 'unspoilt'). Bingen is not really a tourist city in spite of its location.
Lavandula |
Most boats start in Ruedesheim so I would start from there if you can to get the best seat
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Our hotel is very close to the Mainz Hbf. By taking the train from Rüdesheim we would be able to get the 20% discount. Is there any advantage from starting in Mainz? The ability to get a good seat is important.
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Have a look at the timetable in order to see the starting point of every boat. Only few boats start in Mainz.
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No special advantage starting in Mainz, the only one being that technically you don't have to travel anywhere else to start your cruise, and I don't know how much you value that. I assume you will be buying R-P tickets for the train that day anyway, so you could just travel to Ruedesheim on the train before starting the cruise and you won't pay anything extra. Perhaps an opportunity to see the Drosselgasse or do a bit of exploring first.
Lavandula |
that's very helpful...thank you.
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I just saw on Google Earth that Rüdesheim and Bingen are on opposite sides of the Rhine so Bingen would be quicker if our mission was to just get on with the cruise (as opposed to going through Wiesbaden first). Is there a map that shows directions the boats will travel and which ports they call at? I think I remember one in a different thread.
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The summer timetable 2024 is not yet published.
Last year (2023) there were a boat leaving Mainz at 9.15 and going up to St. Goarshausen ar 12.50 and immediately back to Mainz ar 18.40 (daily except Monday) a boat leaving Koblenz at 9.00 up to Ruedesheim ar 15.15, dp 16.15 back to Koblenz ar 20.00 /daily except Monday) a daily shuttle Boppard dp 10.15 - Koblenz ar 11.45, dp 12.00 - St. Goarshausen ar/dp 15.40 - Koblenz ar 17.40, dp 17.50 - Boppard ar 19.45 a daily shuttle between Ruedesheim (dp 9.00 and 14.15) and St. Goarshausen (dp 10.45 and 16.00) a daily shuttle between Boppard (dp 10.00, 13.00, 16.00) adn St. Goarshausen (dp 11.40, 14.40, 17.40) |
All boats with origine Ruedesheim call at Bingen 15 min later.
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I'm glad to see this post as I've been working to piece together a one-day itinerary for late May, also starting in Mainz. Here's what I have -- please let me know of any errors, recommendations, improvements, etc. I'd be very thankful for any input! The afternoon train departure times are estimates so I have a rough idea for myself of timing.
7:32 – Train from Mainz to Bingen. Will need to buy a one-way ticket for this leg. Buy the all-day one-way train pass (for two people) needed for later in the day. Walk to the ferry and buy 20% discounted ferry ticket Light breakfast in Bingen 9:15 – Depart on ferry to Boppard 12:15 – Arrive Boppard after mandatory stopover in St. Goar(?) Sightsee and lunch in Boppard 15:44 - Train to Oberwesel Sightsee 17:26 – Train to Bacharach Sightsee and dinner 20:06 – Train to Mainz |
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