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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.

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 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 €3, but from Koblenz to Bingen, where most of the castles are 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 €2 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 Moselle cruise route doesn't run in the off-season from October to April. 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 €3.50. 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

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KD Fleet

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See Also:

CASTLE RHEINSTEIN WATCH ON THE RHINE

MAINZ MUSEUMS

GERMAN WINE ROAD

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