Rhein-Hotel Bacharach
Why we like it: Superior three-star hotel of the Stüber family, in a half-timbered house on Bacharach's wall: 14 soundproofed rooms, some with a balcony over the Rhine.
Duration2 nights
From FrankfurtAbout 1 h by train to Bingen
Getting aroundTrain, KD boat and ferry
Best timeMid-April – mid-October
BringShoes for slopes
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Frankfurt, which has a direct flight from Spain, on a Friday morning and return on Sunday afternoon, between mid-April and mid-October, when the scheduled boat sails and the chairlift runs. No car.
Friday
- 108:00Train to Bingen
About an hour from Frankfurt.
- 209:15Boat to Bacharach
The first KD boat downriver, 45 minutes. €22 in 2026.
- 310:30Wall and Werner Chapel
A walk along the 14th-century wall, the Gothic ruin and Stahleck Castle.
- 419:00Dinner at Stübers
The house Rieslingbraten and wine from the valley. Book ahead.
Saturday
- 112:30Lunch at Zum Mundschenk
Train to Oberwesel and the climb to the Schönburg. Leave your case at the hotel.
- 215:35Boat beneath the Loreley
From Oberwesel to St. Goar in 35 minutes.
- 316:30Loreley plateau
Ferry to St. Goarshausen and the climb along the Rheinsteig. Back to Oberwesel by ferry and train.
Sunday
- 110:00Boppard chairlift
Train to Boppard and the climb to the Vierseenblick. €12 return.
- 213:30Marksburg
Train to Braubach on the right bank and a 50-minute guided tour, €12.
- 316:00Journey back
Train from Braubach to Koblenz and Frankfurt.
The Upper Middle Rhine Valley is a World Heritage Site for its 65 km of castles, terraced vineyards and walled villages, and it is an hour by train from Frankfurt. In two nights you see it every way: on a scheduled boat between castles, on foot along Bacharach's wall, from the tip of the Loreley, from the Boppard chairlift and inside the Marksburg. One night in a hotel on the wall and another inside a castle.
How do you get there from Spain?
Direct flight to Frankfurt and a train to Bingen, about an hour. To return, from Braubach or Boppard to Koblenz and Frankfurt.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Rhein-Hotel Bacharach | On Bacharach's wall | The first night, with dinner downstairs at Stübers |
| Burghotel Auf Schönburg | Castle above Oberwesel | The second night, the special one; no dogs |
| Burg Stahleck youth hostel | Castle above Bacharach | A cheap alternative, also inside a castle |
What if I have an extra day?
Go up the Moselle from Koblenz to Cochem and Eltz Castle: the Moselle Valley is an hour away by train.
With children
The boat, the wall and the chairlift are for all ages. The climbs to the Loreley and the Schönburg need legs; with small children, sleep at the Rhein-Hotel both nights, which has family rooms, and go up to the Loreley plateau by car or skip it.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Upper Middle Rhine Valley, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Upper Middle Rhine Valley
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Frankfurt and take the train along the Rhine
The Upper Middle Rhine Valley has no airport of its own, but Frankfurt (FRA), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, is very close. The airport has a railway station, and from Frankfurt you reach Bingen, Rüdesheim or Koblenz, the ends of the valley, in under two hours. By hire car, the journey is by motorway to Mainz or Bingen.
- Getting thereFrankfurt (FRA), with a railway…
- Getting aroundTrain on either bank
- Where to stayRhein-Hotel Bacharach, a few minutes…
- ServicesBingen, Bacharach, Oberwesel and St…
Getting there
- Frankfurt (FRA), with a railway station at the airport
- Train to Bingen or Rüdesheim from the south, or to Koblenz from the north
- Both banks have a railway line with stops at Bacharach, Oberwesel, St. Goar, Boppard and Braubach
Getting around
- Train on either bank
- KD scheduled boat from April to mid-October, stopping at the villages
- Ferries to cross, such as the one from St. Goar to St. Goarshausen: there are no bridges between Mainz and Koblenz
- Hire car at the airport if you want to go up to the plateaux and viewpoints by road
Where to stay
- Rhein-Hotel Bacharach, a few minutes from the station and the landing stage
- Burg Stahleck youth hostel, with a bus from Bacharach station
Services
- Bingen, Bacharach, Oberwesel and St. Goar stations, on the left bank
- KD landing stages at Bingen, Bacharach, Oberwesel and St. Goar
Train, boat and ferry on the Middle Rhine
The Middle Rhine is made for travelling without a car. Two railway lines, one on each bank, stop at almost every village; the KD scheduled boat goes down the river from April to October, and ferries cross from one side to the other. Sleeping in Bacharach or Oberwesel, you have the station and the landing stage a walk away. The only thing it asks is that you check the timetables: the scheduled boat stops from mid-October to April.
90–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayRhein-Hotel Bacharach, a few minutes…
- Getting aroundTrain along the left bank…
- Where to eatWeinstube Zum Weinkrug, on Bacharach's…
- ServicesBacharach and Oberwesel stations
Where to stay
- Rhein-Hotel Bacharach, a few minutes from the station and the boat
- Burg Stahleck youth hostel, with bus 692 from the station
Getting around
- Train along the left bank (Bingen, Bacharach, Oberwesel, St. Goar, Boppard) and the right (St. Goarshausen, Braubach)
- KD boat from Bingen to St. Goar, 1 h 40
- Loreley ferry between St. Goar and St. Goarshausen, every 20 or 25 minutes
Where to eat
- Weinstube Zum Weinkrug, on Bacharach's Oberstraße, in season
- Stübers Restaurant, for dinner in Bacharach
- Zum Mundschenk, in Oberwesel castle, open daily
Services
- Bacharach and Oberwesel stations
- KD landing stages
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Burg Stahleck Youth Hostel
Why we like it: DJH hostel inside Stahleck Castle, above Bacharach, with 178 beds, a terrace over the Rhine and prices from €32.10 per person with breakfast.
From €32
View details
Burghotel Auf Schönburg
Why we like it: Four-star hotel inside Schönburg Castle, above Oberwesel, with 31 rooms, breakfast included, two restaurants and free parking in front.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Upper Middle Rhine Valley
Stübers Restaurant
What to order: the Bacharacher Rieslingbraten, Hunsrück veal shoulder braised for 15 hours in Riesling with spätzle (€28), and to start the Middle Rhine assortment with the Hinkelsdreck pâté (€19).
Tuesday to Sunday, from 17:00 to 21:00 · Booking recommended
Weinstube Zum Weinkrug (Weinhaus Karl Heidrich)
What to order: a Spundekäs with pretzels or a flammkuchen to nibble with the Weinkarussell tasting; in mid-afternoon, cake by Eva, the house pastry cook.
Tuesday to Saturday, from 12:00 to 22:00 · Kitchen until 19:00 · Closed in winter from 31 October 2026
Zum Mundschenk Auf Schönburg
What to order: the Hunsrück bean stew with beef (€17.50) or the game sausage with sauerkraut (€25.50); for dessert, the hot apple tart with ice cream.
Every day from 12:00 to 22:00 · Kitchen from 12:00 to 16:30 and from 17:30 to 20:00
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Book Stübers and the Schönburg at the same time as the trip: they are the places that fill up.
We'd skip it
From mid-October to April the scheduled boat does not sail and the chairlift runs little; do the valley by train and along the plateaus.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a car?
No: trains on both banks, boat and ferry.
Are there bridges to cross the Rhine?
Not between Mainz and Koblenz; you cross by ferry.
Does the Schönburg accept dogs?
No. With a dog, sleep both nights in Bacharach.
How much does the boat cost?
€22 from Bingen to Bacharach and €17 from Oberwesel to St. Goar, at the 2026 fare.