yk+child 1week in Germany Mosel/Rhine region, April 2024
Apr 23rd, 2024, 08:08 AM
#21
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Day 4 photos
Very quaint town of Bacharach
My "serviettenknödel" which literally means napkin bread pudding
Burg Katz above St Goarshausen
Some cake and hot drinks in St Goar after the chilly cruise
Apr 23rd, 2024, 10:15 AM
#22
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We were in Bacharach a couple of years ago not much later than when you were there and the place was heaving. So much so that we gave up and carried on up the Rhine.
A shame the weather wasn't better for you, but as the Dutch say April does what it will.
A shame the weather wasn't better for you, but as the Dutch say April does what it will.
Apr 23rd, 2024, 03:39 PM
#23
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I enjoyed the menu of all the different types of Spaghetti-Eis, makes me want to go there too! Last time I had Spaghetti-Eis was in Butzbach (Hessen) about 30 years ago, and on the menu were also potatoes made of ice-cream enrobed in cocoa so it looked like soil. I don't really remember what I ordered, sounds like time for a revisit!!
Lavandula
Lavandula
Apr 24th, 2024, 05:25 AM
#24
What a fabulous report! Enjoyable read and great photographs. I know where to turn for info if I'm ever headed there. Your son is such a great traveler.
There is no such thing as a tailwind when you are cycling, is there?
I'm with mel (another expert reporter): that spaghetti gelato looked pretty tasty.
There is no such thing as a tailwind when you are cycling, is there?
I'm with mel (another expert reporter): that spaghetti gelato looked pretty tasty.
Apr 24th, 2024, 06:00 PM
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Day 5 — The Bendiest Bend of the Mighty Rhine
Day 5 (Wednesday)
We slept in until 8:30am before heading downstairs for breakfast. At Hotel Garni Gunther, breakfast is extra (€11pp) which I thought was a fair price. Its breakfast room faces the river, and the spread is nice, though not as huge as the one at Hotel Traumblick. It was cloudy and chilly (high 40sF) but dry.
We got ready for the day and left the hotel around 9:45am. I didn't buy any train tickets today; instead, we used the VRM guest ticket that is provided for free by our hotel (all hotels in Boppard provide guest tickets). We walked along the river promenade towards the Boppard Sesselbahn. We arrived promptly at 10am, their opening time. (I had worried we wouldn't be able to ride it as they don't operate in the rain or high winds; both of which we had experienced just the evening before). roundtrip tickets were €17,50.
Since we had already gone on the chairlift at Cochem, I didn't think this would be much different, and boy was I wrong. The Boppard Sesselbahn is at least 2x longer; the ride itself was almost 20 minutes (no camera to take your photo, alas!). At the top, we followed the signs for the short walk to Gedeonseck, for a view of "the Bendiest Bend of the Rhine." Basically this is a horseshoe bend, and the view is STUNNING. Of course the vegetation is completely different though. There is a restaurant there with a large terrace. I think it's supposed to open at 10am but it was all quiet. In fact, there was only just us 2 for the first 10-15 minutes, and then a small group of tourists arrived, but pretty much there were no more than 10 people who rode the chairlift up during the first hour of opening. I can't tell you how many photos we took. Highly recommend!
We walked a bit further to the next vista, Vierseenblick. I'm not sure what's so great about this viewpoint tho, there is another restaurant there which wasn't open either. By around 11am, we started our journey down but I had miscalculated our timing. There is a bus stop right at the foot of the sesselbahn for Bus 670 which goes to Koblenz. The bus runs 2x/hr and if we had left 5 minutes sooner, we could have caught a bus right away. Instead, we stood at the stop for 25 minutes for the next bus, which got us to Koblenz 45 minutes later. We were lucky though because it started raining soon after we got on the bus and it rained the entire way to Koblenz.
At Koblenz train station, we had 15-20 minutes to kill (yes, the train was late) before taking a 13-min train ride to Braubach. By then it was past 1pm and we were hungry. I didn't realize Braubach is such a small town, and once again, very few places are open for lunch except for fast foods. i found a cafe (Cafe Maass) that mostly serves cakes but they also have soup and sandwiches. I got their daily soup (unclear what it was with my limited German and the waitstaff's limited English), and my son decided to have a slice of peach cake and hot cocoa for lunch. €17,30
Refueled, we started our slightly drizzly hike up to Marksburg Castle. We didn't find the hike (~ 20 minutes) particularly strenuous; though the path is very narrow at spots. Since it had just rained, it was pretty muddy too. We got there at 2:30pm and they were just about to have a guided tour, in German. (€19) They do offer English guided tours at 1pm and 4pm. They provide an english pamphlet for non-German speaking tourists, and I had downloaded an English guide from their website ahead of time. The online guide (19 pages) is much more detailed than the pamphlet. Despite that, i'm sure we still missed 80% of all the interesting things in the castle. Our guide is very animated, and he did give some brief descriptions to us (and 2 other non-Germans on the tour). Marksburg is impressive that it had never been destroyed (the only one on the Rhine), though I wish we had been able to take an English tour so we could get more out of the tour. (guided tour is the only way you can visit the castle). Having said that, the views of the Rhine from Marksburg are truly breathtaking.
The tour ended in 1 hour, and we finally found an ornament in the gift shop to get as souvenir. This is a tradition we have — the only souvenirs we buy on trips are xmas ornaments — and we had no luck finding any souvenir shops on this trip so far. Suddenly I remembered I should check the train schedule as it only runs 1x/hour, and realized if we RAN DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, we would catch our train just in time.
So we hurried down the muddy path, ran through mazy cobblestone streets, and got to the platform with 30 seconds to spare! Of all the times I was annoyed trains were late, this is the one time I WISHED it were late yet it wasn't. phew.
Instead of backtracking the way we came, I opted for a different route home. This train continued southward on the Right bank and we got off at Filsen, which is directly across the river from Boppard. Between Filsen and Boppard is one of those auto-ferries, which runs every 30 minutes. The Filsen ferry stop is a good 15-min walk from the train station. When we got there, the ferry is on the Boppard side and we enjoyed the view. Finally the ferry came and we boarded it along with a car
. Ferry fare (€3,20) isn't covered by the VRM guest ticket. The ride itself is 5 minutes across, 5 minutes to berth, 5 minutes to disembark.
We have been lucky all day escaping the rain (it rained hard only during the bus ride to Koblenz and the train ride to Braubach), but it finally caught up with us just as we got off the ferry. My son wanted to go straight back to the hotel, but I insisted we walk around town in search of restaurants that serve spargel. Sadly, the only place that has it on menu is closed on Wednesdays. 😭
In the end, we opted to eat at a nearby hotel/restuarant, Baudobriga, just 2 doors down from our hotel. My son had like a German version of grilled cheese — grilled cheese with ham and tomato on top of bread. I got schnitzel with fries, which to my pleasant surprise, was topped with 3 thick stalks of spargel. That plus juice and a glass of Riesling came to €36
~ End of Day 5 ~
We slept in until 8:30am before heading downstairs for breakfast. At Hotel Garni Gunther, breakfast is extra (€11pp) which I thought was a fair price. Its breakfast room faces the river, and the spread is nice, though not as huge as the one at Hotel Traumblick. It was cloudy and chilly (high 40sF) but dry.
We got ready for the day and left the hotel around 9:45am. I didn't buy any train tickets today; instead, we used the VRM guest ticket that is provided for free by our hotel (all hotels in Boppard provide guest tickets). We walked along the river promenade towards the Boppard Sesselbahn. We arrived promptly at 10am, their opening time. (I had worried we wouldn't be able to ride it as they don't operate in the rain or high winds; both of which we had experienced just the evening before). roundtrip tickets were €17,50.
Since we had already gone on the chairlift at Cochem, I didn't think this would be much different, and boy was I wrong. The Boppard Sesselbahn is at least 2x longer; the ride itself was almost 20 minutes (no camera to take your photo, alas!). At the top, we followed the signs for the short walk to Gedeonseck, for a view of "the Bendiest Bend of the Rhine." Basically this is a horseshoe bend, and the view is STUNNING. Of course the vegetation is completely different though. There is a restaurant there with a large terrace. I think it's supposed to open at 10am but it was all quiet. In fact, there was only just us 2 for the first 10-15 minutes, and then a small group of tourists arrived, but pretty much there were no more than 10 people who rode the chairlift up during the first hour of opening. I can't tell you how many photos we took. Highly recommend!
We walked a bit further to the next vista, Vierseenblick. I'm not sure what's so great about this viewpoint tho, there is another restaurant there which wasn't open either. By around 11am, we started our journey down but I had miscalculated our timing. There is a bus stop right at the foot of the sesselbahn for Bus 670 which goes to Koblenz. The bus runs 2x/hr and if we had left 5 minutes sooner, we could have caught a bus right away. Instead, we stood at the stop for 25 minutes for the next bus, which got us to Koblenz 45 minutes later. We were lucky though because it started raining soon after we got on the bus and it rained the entire way to Koblenz.
At Koblenz train station, we had 15-20 minutes to kill (yes, the train was late) before taking a 13-min train ride to Braubach. By then it was past 1pm and we were hungry. I didn't realize Braubach is such a small town, and once again, very few places are open for lunch except for fast foods. i found a cafe (Cafe Maass) that mostly serves cakes but they also have soup and sandwiches. I got their daily soup (unclear what it was with my limited German and the waitstaff's limited English), and my son decided to have a slice of peach cake and hot cocoa for lunch. €17,30
Refueled, we started our slightly drizzly hike up to Marksburg Castle. We didn't find the hike (~ 20 minutes) particularly strenuous; though the path is very narrow at spots. Since it had just rained, it was pretty muddy too. We got there at 2:30pm and they were just about to have a guided tour, in German. (€19) They do offer English guided tours at 1pm and 4pm. They provide an english pamphlet for non-German speaking tourists, and I had downloaded an English guide from their website ahead of time. The online guide (19 pages) is much more detailed than the pamphlet. Despite that, i'm sure we still missed 80% of all the interesting things in the castle. Our guide is very animated, and he did give some brief descriptions to us (and 2 other non-Germans on the tour). Marksburg is impressive that it had never been destroyed (the only one on the Rhine), though I wish we had been able to take an English tour so we could get more out of the tour. (guided tour is the only way you can visit the castle). Having said that, the views of the Rhine from Marksburg are truly breathtaking.
The tour ended in 1 hour, and we finally found an ornament in the gift shop to get as souvenir. This is a tradition we have — the only souvenirs we buy on trips are xmas ornaments — and we had no luck finding any souvenir shops on this trip so far. Suddenly I remembered I should check the train schedule as it only runs 1x/hour, and realized if we RAN DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, we would catch our train just in time.
So we hurried down the muddy path, ran through mazy cobblestone streets, and got to the platform with 30 seconds to spare! Of all the times I was annoyed trains were late, this is the one time I WISHED it were late yet it wasn't. phew.
Instead of backtracking the way we came, I opted for a different route home. This train continued southward on the Right bank and we got off at Filsen, which is directly across the river from Boppard. Between Filsen and Boppard is one of those auto-ferries, which runs every 30 minutes. The Filsen ferry stop is a good 15-min walk from the train station. When we got there, the ferry is on the Boppard side and we enjoyed the view. Finally the ferry came and we boarded it along with a car
. Ferry fare (€3,20) isn't covered by the VRM guest ticket. The ride itself is 5 minutes across, 5 minutes to berth, 5 minutes to disembark.We have been lucky all day escaping the rain (it rained hard only during the bus ride to Koblenz and the train ride to Braubach), but it finally caught up with us just as we got off the ferry. My son wanted to go straight back to the hotel, but I insisted we walk around town in search of restaurants that serve spargel. Sadly, the only place that has it on menu is closed on Wednesdays. 😭
In the end, we opted to eat at a nearby hotel/restuarant, Baudobriga, just 2 doors down from our hotel. My son had like a German version of grilled cheese — grilled cheese with ham and tomato on top of bread. I got schnitzel with fries, which to my pleasant surprise, was topped with 3 thick stalks of spargel. That plus juice and a glass of Riesling came to €36
~ End of Day 5 ~
Apr 28th, 2024, 07:15 PM
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Day 6 - Frankfurt and Darmstadt
Day 6 (Thursday)
I was sad to leave the Rhine valley today. It's our last full day and I wanted to spend some time in Frankfurt and Darmstadt. The plan is to head to Frankfurt airport, drop off luggage at our airport hotel, then go to Frankfurt for a few hours, then to Darmstadt for a few hours, and back to Frankfurt airport. Our flight the next day is at 11:20am.
Since my guest VRM ticket is still valid today, and it is valid to Oberwesel, I bought today's train tickets (1 adult, 1 child) on the DB app, with this particular journey:
Oberwesel -> Darmstadt VIA Frankfurt Flughafen and VIA Frankfurt Hbf for €32,20
I'm pretty sure buying this on the app is easier than with a machine, and this is also the cheapest option, with the ticket valid all day
We got on the train after 9am and got to Frankfurt airport around 10:30am. The Hilton (where we are staying) is in that new "Squaire" building, directly next to the Long-distance translation (FernBahnhof). But since our train arrives in the Regional train station, you have to walk a good 10 minutes. Also, from the regional train station, you don't see any signs for "Squiare" or "hilton hotel." If you didn't know it is next to the FernBahnhof, they you would have a hard time finding the hotel given there is no signage.
Our room wasn't ready so we left our luggage and walked all the way back to the regional bahnhof and took the next S-bahn train to Frankfurt Hbf. The area right outside Hbf is not pleasant — there are lots of people milling around and loitering. I wouldn't call the area unsafe, but I wouldn't feel comfortable walking around there at nighttime. So I was more the happier that I decided to stay at the Airport Hilton. Originally I had booked a cheap-ish hotel near Frankfurt Hbf for half the price of the Hilton. But I didn't want the stress of rushing to the airport early in the morning so I switched our reservation.
From the train station we walked directly to Römer, and my son was getting hungry. We arrived at exactly 12 noon and all the bells were tolling at the square. There are a number of restaurants right there, but only 1 have Spargel on their menu so that's where we ate lunch — Zum Schwarzen Stern. Being right at Römer and looking rather upscale, I worried it being a total tourist trap. But this was the best spargel meal I had on this trip. The soup was heavenly, and the spargel preparation was perfect, very fresh and cooked just right, and the hollandaise sauce is served warm on the side, which honestly should be the rule, so the diner can decide how much sauce they want on their food. Lunch was €44
After lunch we crossed the river via the pedestrian bridge (which I was dismayed to see it was covered in love locks 🤮 ) to get to Städel Museum (€16) My son has a strong dislike for art museum, but I told him after doing days and days of fun things geared for him, I deserve one hour in the art museum for myself. I haven't been to Stadel for probably 2 decades, and I definitely want to revisit its Vermeer. Luckily Stadel isn't that big, so I was able to see the old masters (mostly the Netherlandish paintings) within that timeframe. My son dutifully followed me around without a single complaint for the whole hour, so I treated him with cake at the cafe afterwards (€14,20).
From there, we walked back to Hbf to catch the next train to Darmstadt. The reason to visit Darmstadt is because my late father had lived there for 1.5 years in the early 1960s, when he was there for graduate study. I grew up hearing the name Darmstadt so many times but never visited. A number of years ago my dad returned and he looked for the street and house he lived in, and my brother found that information for me.
Darmstadt Hbf is a good distance from the town center, and where my dad lived is even farther, so we took a tram about 7 or 8 stops and found the address where he believed he stayed at. After some pictures, we got back on the tram for a few stops to Technische Universitat Darmstadt. (tram tickets were €4,50 for 1 adult/1 child per journey) At the University, we walked around some, found the Physics building (not sure if that was the building he worked in), and eventually made our way to the bus stop for the airport bus, AirLiner back to Frankfurt Airport. The bus only takes cash (€10,10 adult, €7,50 child) when you buy ticket on the bus. However, I think I've seen some ticket machines at the tram station sell AirLiner tickets.
Despite afternoon rush hour, the bus arrived back to the airport right on time (~ 45 min-ride). We headed back to the Hilton, checked in, then went to the hotel restaurant for dinner, given that they advertised they have spargel on the menu. Once again, i got a spargel cream soup and the traditional spargel preparation with potatoes. My son had kids menu of wiener schnitzel with fries. This meal was very disappointing; the soup tasted mostly like cream but not much spargel (there were pieces of both green and white asparagus). The spargel dish itself, they were cooked to death with then tips completely limp. And being at the hotel restaurant, of course this was the most expensive meal too (€70)
Day 7 (Friday)
We didn't want to go home but to our consolation, the weather was horrendous (pouring rain and cold). With Gold Status we get free breakfast and it was an amazing spread with tons of choices. Even though our flight wasn't until 11:20am, I wasn't sure how long security lines were, esp with flying back to the US (some European airports make you go through another security check), so we couldn't really linger long at breakfast.
Turns out the lines weren't bad at all and we ended up waiting at the gate area for quite some time. We flew back in regular economy, which means less leg room, smaller pillow, no free water, no foot rest, and no meal choice. But it was fine given it was a day flight. We could have upgraded to premium economy for additional $75pp but I was glad we saved the money. The flight back was completely uneventful apart from a 20-min delay. My son and I both have global entry, and with carryon luggage only, we were through immigration and customs at Logan airport in no time.
I was sad to leave the Rhine valley today. It's our last full day and I wanted to spend some time in Frankfurt and Darmstadt. The plan is to head to Frankfurt airport, drop off luggage at our airport hotel, then go to Frankfurt for a few hours, then to Darmstadt for a few hours, and back to Frankfurt airport. Our flight the next day is at 11:20am.
Since my guest VRM ticket is still valid today, and it is valid to Oberwesel, I bought today's train tickets (1 adult, 1 child) on the DB app, with this particular journey:
Oberwesel -> Darmstadt VIA Frankfurt Flughafen and VIA Frankfurt Hbf for €32,20
I'm pretty sure buying this on the app is easier than with a machine, and this is also the cheapest option, with the ticket valid all day
We got on the train after 9am and got to Frankfurt airport around 10:30am. The Hilton (where we are staying) is in that new "Squaire" building, directly next to the Long-distance translation (FernBahnhof). But since our train arrives in the Regional train station, you have to walk a good 10 minutes. Also, from the regional train station, you don't see any signs for "Squiare" or "hilton hotel." If you didn't know it is next to the FernBahnhof, they you would have a hard time finding the hotel given there is no signage.
Our room wasn't ready so we left our luggage and walked all the way back to the regional bahnhof and took the next S-bahn train to Frankfurt Hbf. The area right outside Hbf is not pleasant — there are lots of people milling around and loitering. I wouldn't call the area unsafe, but I wouldn't feel comfortable walking around there at nighttime. So I was more the happier that I decided to stay at the Airport Hilton. Originally I had booked a cheap-ish hotel near Frankfurt Hbf for half the price of the Hilton. But I didn't want the stress of rushing to the airport early in the morning so I switched our reservation.
From the train station we walked directly to Römer, and my son was getting hungry. We arrived at exactly 12 noon and all the bells were tolling at the square. There are a number of restaurants right there, but only 1 have Spargel on their menu so that's where we ate lunch — Zum Schwarzen Stern. Being right at Römer and looking rather upscale, I worried it being a total tourist trap. But this was the best spargel meal I had on this trip. The soup was heavenly, and the spargel preparation was perfect, very fresh and cooked just right, and the hollandaise sauce is served warm on the side, which honestly should be the rule, so the diner can decide how much sauce they want on their food. Lunch was €44
After lunch we crossed the river via the pedestrian bridge (which I was dismayed to see it was covered in love locks 🤮 ) to get to Städel Museum (€16) My son has a strong dislike for art museum, but I told him after doing days and days of fun things geared for him, I deserve one hour in the art museum for myself. I haven't been to Stadel for probably 2 decades, and I definitely want to revisit its Vermeer. Luckily Stadel isn't that big, so I was able to see the old masters (mostly the Netherlandish paintings) within that timeframe. My son dutifully followed me around without a single complaint for the whole hour, so I treated him with cake at the cafe afterwards (€14,20).
From there, we walked back to Hbf to catch the next train to Darmstadt. The reason to visit Darmstadt is because my late father had lived there for 1.5 years in the early 1960s, when he was there for graduate study. I grew up hearing the name Darmstadt so many times but never visited. A number of years ago my dad returned and he looked for the street and house he lived in, and my brother found that information for me.
Darmstadt Hbf is a good distance from the town center, and where my dad lived is even farther, so we took a tram about 7 or 8 stops and found the address where he believed he stayed at. After some pictures, we got back on the tram for a few stops to Technische Universitat Darmstadt. (tram tickets were €4,50 for 1 adult/1 child per journey) At the University, we walked around some, found the Physics building (not sure if that was the building he worked in), and eventually made our way to the bus stop for the airport bus, AirLiner back to Frankfurt Airport. The bus only takes cash (€10,10 adult, €7,50 child) when you buy ticket on the bus. However, I think I've seen some ticket machines at the tram station sell AirLiner tickets.
Despite afternoon rush hour, the bus arrived back to the airport right on time (~ 45 min-ride). We headed back to the Hilton, checked in, then went to the hotel restaurant for dinner, given that they advertised they have spargel on the menu. Once again, i got a spargel cream soup and the traditional spargel preparation with potatoes. My son had kids menu of wiener schnitzel with fries. This meal was very disappointing; the soup tasted mostly like cream but not much spargel (there were pieces of both green and white asparagus). The spargel dish itself, they were cooked to death with then tips completely limp. And being at the hotel restaurant, of course this was the most expensive meal too (€70)
Day 7 (Friday)
We didn't want to go home but to our consolation, the weather was horrendous (pouring rain and cold). With Gold Status we get free breakfast and it was an amazing spread with tons of choices. Even though our flight wasn't until 11:20am, I wasn't sure how long security lines were, esp with flying back to the US (some European airports make you go through another security check), so we couldn't really linger long at breakfast.
Turns out the lines weren't bad at all and we ended up waiting at the gate area for quite some time. We flew back in regular economy, which means less leg room, smaller pillow, no free water, no foot rest, and no meal choice. But it was fine given it was a day flight. We could have upgraded to premium economy for additional $75pp but I was glad we saved the money. The flight back was completely uneventful apart from a 20-min delay. My son and I both have global entry, and with carryon luggage only, we were through immigration and customs at Logan airport in no time.
Apr 29th, 2024, 05:20 PM
#29
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Hotel Reviews
I already posted my hotel reviews on Tripadvisor. here are the links:
Hotel Traumblick in Cochem
Hotel Gunther Garni in Boppard
Airport Hilton in Frankfurt
I booked directly with all 3 hotels — not a fan of 3rd party booking website esp for smaller hotels as they lose a lot of commission that way.
Hotel Traumblick in Cochem
Hotel Gunther Garni in Boppard
Airport Hilton in Frankfurt
I booked directly with all 3 hotels — not a fan of 3rd party booking website esp for smaller hotels as they lose a lot of commission that way.
Apr 29th, 2024, 06:07 PM
#30
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Final Thoughts + Costs
Final Thoughts:
I thought the trip went very well. I liked the choice of the 2 towns we stayed at, and our choice of hotels (both are 3*). Going during 2nd week of April has its pros and cons. Pros being few tourists around. Cons being it is still low-season so ferry schedule is less frequent, fewer shops and restaurants are open. During the time we were in Mosel and Rhine, we didn't come across anyone from the US. Everyone we met at hotel breakfasts were Germans. If I had the option, I would probably go in late April or early May, when weather is warmer and when the ferry schedule changes to high season. I think it would be fun to spend more time on the Mosel, with another day of biking, and also look into hiking. Apart from the Mosel Cycle Path, there is also a Hiking Path called Moselsteig,
If I weren't going with my son, I would have skipped Trier (which i've visited before). He wanted to see Roman Ruins which was the reason we went. Otherwise, I would have preferred to spend another full day hiking or biking. We probably would have skipped Frankfurt & Darmstadt if we weren't going to visit my dad's former residence.
I have no interest in driving in Europe, but if you don't mind, I think having a car in that region is helpful too. While there are trains and buses, they are infrequent, so we find ourselves spending a lot of time getting to/from sights using public transit. If you have a car, you can pack in a lot more sights in a single day.
In terms of costs, Germany is pretty affordable (except for Frankfurt). Our hotel in Cochem was €120/n and hotel in Boppard was €93/n (both includes breakfasts). The Rhineland-plfaz ticket is a pretty good deal, considering my son rides for free with my ticket.
Here is the final total for 6 days/6 nights (not including a few postcards and gifts)
Transportation: Plane ticket $1900 + Train/Ferry/bus €243
Hotel: €746
Food (every lunch/dinner/dessert): €424
Sightseeing : €97
Grand total: $3517 for 2ppl for 6 days
(N.B. I'm rather surprised that this trip didn't cost much more than our Feb 2024 trip to Tucson Arizona, or our April 2022 trip to Virginia! Considering the plane tickets cost so much more than domestic. OTOH, not needing a rental car plus cheaper accommodations/sightseeing pretty much make up for the cost difference!)
Thank you for your comments, and thank you all for reading. I'm happy to answer any questions.
I thought the trip went very well. I liked the choice of the 2 towns we stayed at, and our choice of hotels (both are 3*). Going during 2nd week of April has its pros and cons. Pros being few tourists around. Cons being it is still low-season so ferry schedule is less frequent, fewer shops and restaurants are open. During the time we were in Mosel and Rhine, we didn't come across anyone from the US. Everyone we met at hotel breakfasts were Germans. If I had the option, I would probably go in late April or early May, when weather is warmer and when the ferry schedule changes to high season. I think it would be fun to spend more time on the Mosel, with another day of biking, and also look into hiking. Apart from the Mosel Cycle Path, there is also a Hiking Path called Moselsteig,
If I weren't going with my son, I would have skipped Trier (which i've visited before). He wanted to see Roman Ruins which was the reason we went. Otherwise, I would have preferred to spend another full day hiking or biking. We probably would have skipped Frankfurt & Darmstadt if we weren't going to visit my dad's former residence.
I have no interest in driving in Europe, but if you don't mind, I think having a car in that region is helpful too. While there are trains and buses, they are infrequent, so we find ourselves spending a lot of time getting to/from sights using public transit. If you have a car, you can pack in a lot more sights in a single day.
In terms of costs, Germany is pretty affordable (except for Frankfurt). Our hotel in Cochem was €120/n and hotel in Boppard was €93/n (both includes breakfasts). The Rhineland-plfaz ticket is a pretty good deal, considering my son rides for free with my ticket.
Here is the final total for 6 days/6 nights (not including a few postcards and gifts)
Transportation: Plane ticket $1900 + Train/Ferry/bus €243
Hotel: €746
Food (every lunch/dinner/dessert): €424
Sightseeing : €97
Grand total: $3517 for 2ppl for 6 days
(N.B. I'm rather surprised that this trip didn't cost much more than our Feb 2024 trip to Tucson Arizona, or our April 2022 trip to Virginia! Considering the plane tickets cost so much more than domestic. OTOH, not needing a rental car plus cheaper accommodations/sightseeing pretty much make up for the cost difference!)
Thank you for your comments, and thank you all for reading. I'm happy to answer any questions.
Last edited by yk; Apr 29th, 2024 at 06:12 PM.
Apr 29th, 2024, 10:20 PM
#31
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A great TR, yk, congratulations!
There are Roman ruins and relics in Mainz also (including the Museum of Ancient Shipbuilding), although nothing on the scale of Trier. But perhaps closer to Frankfurt for anyone else who is looking for Roman history.
Last time we were in Frankfurt we stayed just next door to your hotel in the Hilton Garden Inn. I know it's not of the same calibre but we also had some of the 'niceties' stripped out (for instance, we would have had to pay for my daughter's hot chocolate for breakfast as it was not part of the buffet, although warm milk was and she made do with that). I just think a hotel like this that doesn't have to compete for guests and which has masses of one-nighters is not focussed on impressing with niceties, they have their hands full with mass tourism. It was quite an expensive stay, though, but the convenience of wheeling luggage down to the long-distance trains did make up for this for me. But I would be interested to try the Hilton now on your recommendation, as the location is equivalent and maybe a notch nicer
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Lavandula
There are Roman ruins and relics in Mainz also (including the Museum of Ancient Shipbuilding), although nothing on the scale of Trier. But perhaps closer to Frankfurt for anyone else who is looking for Roman history.
Last time we were in Frankfurt we stayed just next door to your hotel in the Hilton Garden Inn. I know it's not of the same calibre but we also had some of the 'niceties' stripped out (for instance, we would have had to pay for my daughter's hot chocolate for breakfast as it was not part of the buffet, although warm milk was and she made do with that). I just think a hotel like this that doesn't have to compete for guests and which has masses of one-nighters is not focussed on impressing with niceties, they have their hands full with mass tourism. It was quite an expensive stay, though, but the convenience of wheeling luggage down to the long-distance trains did make up for this for me. But I would be interested to try the Hilton now on your recommendation, as the location is equivalent and maybe a notch nicer
.Lavandula
Apr 30th, 2024, 04:08 AM
#32
Thank you for such an enjoyable read.
We have just farewelled our son as he heads to Madrid solo tonight.
We started with family trips to Asia, then Europe. Loved those family experiences.
I agree, it’s possible to have a low budget holiday in Europe (but from Australia, the airfare is a lot more costly than the US).
We have just farewelled our son as he heads to Madrid solo tonight.
We started with family trips to Asia, then Europe. Loved those family experiences.
I agree, it’s possible to have a low budget holiday in Europe (but from Australia, the airfare is a lot more costly than the US).
Apr 30th, 2024, 08:50 AM
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Thanks again for all your comments. Vttraveler We only had 2 nights in Boppard (and it was midweek and raining both evenings) so we didn't get to enjoy the town as much as we'd like. No doubt it looks very different in the warmer months, as I see tons of outdoor seating along the promenade (which will be an issue w/noise staying at our hotel given it has no a/c so you'd have to leave windows open).
lavandula The only reason I picked the Hilton instead of Hilton Garden Inn (as you said, right next door), is because for that night, the Hilton rate was cheaper than Garden Inn. I have no real reason to stay at the Hilton over the Garden Inn , and I would have booked whichever one that was cheaper
lavandula The only reason I picked the Hilton instead of Hilton Garden Inn (as you said, right next door), is because for that night, the Hilton rate was cheaper than Garden Inn. I have no real reason to stay at the Hilton over the Garden Inn , and I would have booked whichever one that was cheaper
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