Eric

My wife and are are going to Germany for 8 days. We're planning to spend just 2 nights in Berlin, then head to the Westphalia/Rhineland area. We would like to set up 'base' in one place and take day trips from there for the rest of our holiday.<BR><BR>I've narrowed it down, somewhat, to Koblenz, Bonn, Cologne and possibly Dusseldorf. Koblenz and Bonn seem the most 'central' but I'm not sure that I'm not missing out on other possibilities. We don't want to stay in a 'big' city, we'd much rather base ourselves in a place with some character. We definitely plan to take the Rhine and Mosel boat trips, so Koblenz seem the logical choice. Any suggestions? Suggestions on mid-priced hotels ($100) in your recommended base would be appreciated too.<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR><BR>Eric Stuppard

lbb

I really loved our little pension in Bacharach. Bacharach doesn't have a lot to do to entertain you but it is a very quaint town with a lot of character and a superb location on the Rhine. From there you can take a Rhine cruise. We took day trips by train to Cologne, and Trier. Our Pension owner suggested a wine tasteing in Bacharach which we really enjoyed. It was also a great place to just explore. <BR><BR>We stayed at Pension Lettie in 1999. If it is still the same her e-mail was [email protected]. The owner is Leticia Boettge. She was so helpful. I am a fairly young traveler on a budget so if you are looking for luxury this might not be what you would want. When we were there it was under $50 a night. It included breakfast for the two of us. It was clean but very basic. There are other establishments there also if you are looking for something a little more luxurious. Have fun and good luck.

Dick

Eric,<BR><BR>A lot may depend on when you are going. Many hotels, etc. shut down in that part of Germany for the winter.<BR><BR>Dick

SA

Koblentz would be my choice as you are right where the Mosel & Rhine meet. The trip down the Mosel is wonderful. I would certainly use Koblentz as a base & take a change of clothes in a backpack. If you are too far afield many pensions along the river are very inexpensive.

Russ

Of your choices, I'd pick Koblenz for its proximity to the Rhine Gorge and the Mosel towns, and for it's relative ambience. It's a good smaller city than Cologne or Dusseldorf, but not so small that you couldn't find somewhere to entertain yourselves a little in the evenings if you're going in the off-season.<BR><BR>But if you'll be there between maybe May and October, I think I'd suggest a smaller town to experience something different from Berlin. Bacharach has quite a few attractive half-timbered buildings, but there isn't much happening there even in the summer compared with other towns, and it's a bit further south from the center of your targeted area of exploration. I'd suggest Boppard or St. Goar, myself. Boppard has some old Roman ruins, an attractive river promenade, a very nice old town area, a chairlift ride to the Vierseenblick lookout (from which the Rhine appears to be a set of 4 different lakes) and a goodly number of places to eat and drink. It's a little larger than the other small towns; it's home to many festivals and has a ferry across the river in case you're driving and want to explore the east bank - go across and north to Braubach to tour Marksburg Castle (www.roadstoruins.com/marksburg.htm)<BR>There are no bridges between Mainz and Koblenz, so it's good to pick a town with a ferry if you can. <BR><BR>St. Goar could be a good base too. It also has a ferry (over to St. Goarshausen, the town immediately opposite on the east bank.) It's much smaller than Boppard, but with 3 castles visible from town and with its position in a steep part of the gorge, it's a terrific scene. You can tour Rheinfels castle there, or hike along the cliffs to the south for a view of the Loreley cliffs, just upstream. Just north of St. Goarshausen, you can get in on a birds of prey exhibition at Burg Maus Castle (twice daily.) Oberwesel, another wine town, is nearby to the south, Bacharach a bit further on. There's a good variety of places to stay - from the Rheinfels castle hotel to family run B&B's and hotels