Rhine Valley: Getting there & around

Koblenz and Mainz are the best starting points for touring the region.

Koblenz is served by frequent IC train connections going north to such cities as Bonn and Cologne and south to Mainz, Frankfurt and beyond. Regional trains go to Trier and the Rhine villages. Some of the latter are also served by bus. No 650 goes to Boppard via Schloss Stolzenfels, No 6130 to Braubach/Marksburg and No 6129 to St Goarshausen/Loreley.

Several highways converge in Koblenz, including the B9 from Cologne/Bonn. The nearest autobahns are the A61 (Koblenz- Nord exit) and the A48/A1 to Trier.

Frankfurt airport is 30km (18mi) northeast of Mainz and is served by S-Bahn No 8 several times hourly. The airport at Frankfurt-Hahn is 90km (54mi) west of Mainz and served by shuttle bus from the Hauptbahnhof five times daily (70min).

Mainz is a major hub for IC trains in all directions. Regional connections include frequent direct trains to Worms (45min), Saarbrücken (2hr) and Idar-Oberstein (1hr).

Mainz is encircled by a ring road with connections to the A60, A63 and A66.

KD Line (tel: 0261 310 30; www.k-d.com) operates a regular boat service between all Rhine villages on a set timetable. You can travel to the next village or the entire distance. Once you've bought your ticket, you can get on and off as often as you like.

Many rail passes (such as Eurail) will get you a free ride for normal KD services, but you still need to obtain a ticket. Children up to the age of four travel for free, while those up to 13 are charged a small flat fee. Students get a 50% discount. Travel on your birthday is free. Return tickets usually cost slightly more than one-way tickets.

The B9 highway travels along the left bank of the Rhine from Koblenz to Bingen, from where the A60 leads on to Mainz. On the right bank, the B42 hugs the river.

Since there are no Rhine bridges between Koblenz and Mainz, the only way to cross the river along this stretch is by ferry. Car ferries operate at many points. These also carry foot passengers, and additional passenger ferries also make the brief hops.

Train travel is an efficient and convenient way to village-hop along the Rhine. Local trains connect villages along the left river bank between Koblenz and Mainz at least hourly. The entire trip takes one hour and 45 minutes. Some trains stop only at the bigger towns. Koblenz and Mainz are also gateways for trains to Rhine villages on the right bank, though service is less frequent.

The Rhine Valley is great hiking and biking territory. One option is the long-distance (240km/144mi) Rheinhöhenweg, which runs parallel to the left river bank between Bonn and Oppenheim, south of Mainz, through hills and vineyards. Another path travels along the right bank between the Bonn suburb of Bonn-Beuel and Wiesbaden, a distance of 272km (163mi). Trails are marked with an 'R'. Bicycle paths also run parallel to both banks.