RIVER RHINE VALLEY

RIVER RHINE VALLEY

The West Rhine Railway is one of the most beautiful and famous railway lines in Germany. It runs from Cologne via Bonn and Koblenz to Mainz. Its most recognisable part is from Koblenz to Bingen where the trains run directly along the Rhine and its numerous bends. This part of the valley even is part of the World Heritage. Famous trains as the Rhinegold used to run here, however since the high speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt is in operation the majority of long distance trains take this shorter and faster line instead. There are still many trains running on the Rhine Railway including hourly long distance trains.

Besides the hourly long distance trains (ICE, EC and IC) there are hourly regional trains as well as two hourly regional express trains. If you want to visit one of the beautiful small towns along the way, take the regional trains stopping at all stations. For travelling longer distances the express trains are of course more comfortable and usually also offer a restaurant car. A unique experience is the Swiss panoramic car running in the Hamburg to Zürich Eurocity train. Travelling from Cologne towards Mainz you should sit on the left hand side of the train to enjoy the best views, including the famous Loreley.

There is also a railway line on the opposite side of the Rhine, the East Rhine Railway. It carries mainly goods traffic but also sees hourly regional trains. Railway bridges can be found at Cologne, Koblenz and Mainz.

If you want to include the Rhine Railway in your trip you should enter a „via station“ when you look for connections. Otherwise you will probably be routed via the faster high speed line. A good „via station“ is Koblenz as this will guarantee that you travel along the Rhine Railway.