RHINE AND MOSEL RIVER
CRUISES
Explore Germany Rivers on the KD Fleet
The
mighty Rhine River flows north from Switzerland, forming the border
between France and Germany
past Baden and Alsace,
then drifting in its wide ribbon of shimmering water through the western
German Rhineland to the North Sea. The section of the river which flows
between steep mountain shores from Mainz to Cologne, called the Middle
Rhine (Rhein), is one of the world’s best renowned river views.
Medieval castles cling as dark stony sentinels to the steep hillsides
. Defensive towers from centuries past sprout from islands and on the
shores below
terraced grape vineyards in this famous wine growing region and past
the rock cliff of legend - The Lorelei - where stories of the long
haired
Nordic
sprite of stunning beauty
would
sing
her
song and
doom
sailors to crash on the shoals of river's wide curve around
the shear stone mountain cliff. A distance farther the Mosel River (Moselle
in French) flows from the eastern hills of Belgium and meets the
Rhine at Koblenz.
One
of the best and popular ways to enjoy the rare beauty and fascination
of these rivers lined with historic quaint villages, wine vineyards and
castles is by boat. River Cruises run up and down the wide streams
daily. One of the largest and oldest river cruise companies the operate
on the Rine and Mosel Rivers is the KD Fleet. (Koln-Dusseldorf Deutsche
Rheinschiffart AG). They operate 14 ships on three major routes. The
crusing ships range from the grand old dame nostalgia of steam days The
Goethe paddle wheel steamer to the ultra modern MS Rheinenergie, a collection
a larger and smaller boat from the nostalgic and cosy, to the sophisticated
and futuristic.
River Day Cruises
Daily
panoramic cruises run from Old Town Cologne (Köln) to Düsseldorf
(see Dusseldorf
on the Rhine) with
descriptions of passing sights and scenery starting from €7
for a simple day sight-seeing cruise up €44 for a weekend buffet
dinner and drinks evening cruise. Daily scheduled cruises travel on the
middle Rhine from Cologne to Mainz and on the Moselle from Koblenz to
Chochem (see Cochem
Moselle Imperial Castle).
How much does a Rhine River sight-seeing cruise cost?
Ticket prices depend on distance zones traveled, much like bus or subway fares. A one-way trip in 1 zone with one or two stops is under €4, but from Koblenz to Bingen and Rudesheim (see Rudesheim on Rhine), where most of the castles are to be seen is about €37. This trip takes about 6 hours north to south (upstream) and 4 hours south to north (downstream). From Koblenz to Cochem on the Mosel River is about €28. A round-trip return is only about €3 additional to the one way. Peak season is from the end of April until the beginning of October. The Rhine Cruises run through the off-season on a lesser schedule and The Mosel cruise route doesn't run in the off-season from October to April.
On and Off
There are restaurants on board the ships and it is possible to get off and on at the landing ports to explore castles and towns. The DB rail lines follow the rivers and you can take a cruise in one direction and the train or a public bus to return if time matters. Schedules for trains and buses have to be found separately. You get a 20% discount on KD Cruises if you buy a DB German Rail Ticket and a Cruise Ticket together. They can be purchased at DB rail ticket offices.
A popular family adventure, seniors over 60 years can travel at half price on all the scheduled cruises on Mondays and Fridays, children under 4 years old travel for free, kids from 4 to 13 can travel for a children’s price of only €6. A bargain for a full day of family bonding. © Bargain Travel Europe
Rhine River Stops: Cologne, Porz, Wesseling, Bonn, Bad Godesberg, Königswinter, Bad Honnef, Unkel, Remagen, Linz, Bad Beisig, Bad Hönningen, Andernach, Neuwied, Koblenz, Neiderlahnstein, Oberlahnsten, Rhens, Braubach, Boppard, Kamp-Bornhofen, Bad Salzig, St. Goarshausen, St. Goar, Oberwesel, Kaub, Bacharach, Lorch, Assmannhausen, Bingen, Rüdesheim, Eltville, Wiesbaden-Bieb, Mainz
Mosel Stops: Koblenz, Winnigen, Kobern-Gondorf, Alken, Brodenbach, Moselken, Treis, Cochem
Reviews and travel deals on the Rhine River at TripAdvisor
Web Info
KD Fleet
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
See Also:
RHINE & MOSEL WINE FESTIVALS BY RAIL
NECKAR
RIVER CRUISES FROM HEIDELBERG
CASTLE
RHEINSTEIN WATCH ON THE RHINE
GERMAN WINE ROAD - BAD DURKHEIM
