Top Rhine River Day Trip Cruise Lines

Tour the Rhein and Loreley Valley on Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) Riverboats

Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) is the best-known day-trip riverboat cruise line on the Rhine River. Several further boats tour the Loreley Valley between Rüdesheim, St Goar, and Koblenz.

SS Goethe Historic Rhine Steam Boat

The Rhine River is a very popular day-trip destination from cities such as Cologne (Köln) and Frankfurt am Main. Trains run on both banks of the Rhein but nothing beats a cruise on the river itself. Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) has the largest number of boats on the Rhine River and many cruises through the lovely Loreley Valley. However, several further companies operate cruises on the Rhine and past the Lorelei.

Tips on Rhine River Day Trips

• Rhine riverboats differ in size in and between companies but there is little difference between boats. Often it is best to simply take the next boat to depart.
• Most boats cruising on the Rhine River have their own restaurants and bars but it is acceptable to consume own food and drink on the open decks.
• The high season for Rhine River day cruises is from end April to early October. However, regular cruises operate usually from late March to late October.
• Cruises in winter months are very limited but often a few cruises may be available during the Christmas market Advent season. Departures are most likely from Rüdesheim and Cologne.
• Return trips on most Rhine River cruise lines are only marginally more expensive than one-way cruises.
• If space is available, bicycles are transported for free.
• Show Deutsche Bahn tickets if applicable when buying boat tickets and discounts are often applied.
• Smaller lines are often slightly cheaper than the Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) boats. However, the price difference is very small and the discounts offered by KD and the higher number of departures may well outweigh any price disadvantage.

See also Loreley Valley Rhine River Day Cruises for tips on sensible routings and cruise times between ports.

Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) – the Largest Pleasure Day Cruise Line on the Rhine

Köln-Düsseldorfer, or simply KD, is the largest operator of pleasure boats for day cruises on the Rhine River. KD has been in business since 1827 but the oldest KD boat in operation is the SS Goethe first launched in 1913.

Köln-Düsseldorfer is generally a good choice for day cruises on the Rhine. KD has the largest number of departures by far of all Rhine pleasure boat lines. This allow passengers to make more stops en route if desired – remember to indicate all planned stops when buying tickets as separate tickets are issued for each leg.

KD has at least four boats doing the daily cruise route from Rüdesheim and Bingen to Koblenz (and return). Many more KD boats do shorter routes too. The longest day cruise on the Rhine is also operated by Köln-Düsseldorfer – the high-season daily eleven-hour cruise from Mainz (departing at 8:45 am) to Cologne (Köln).

Köln-Düsseldorfer historic SS Goethe paddle steamer from 1913 is the oldest regular cruise boat on the Rhine River. The Goethe steams daily from Koblenz to Rüdesheim and back. A small surcharge is added to cruises on the SS Goethe.

Special Savings Deals KD Rhine River Boat Day Cruises

Köln-Düsseldorfer offer a wide range of special savings deals to make Rhine River day trips even cheaper. Different discounts generally cannot be combined and official identification may required:

• Birthday Child – irrespective of age, passengers may cruise on their birthday for free.
• Family Day – Wednesdays up to three children under 13 can cruise for free per paying adult.
• Children between 4 and 13 cruise on KD for only €3.50 per day as long as they are accompanied by a full-fare-paying adult (up to 3 children per adult). Children under 4 sail for free.
• School children and students under 27 pay only half price if the above discounts are not applicable.
• Seniors over 60 pay half price on Monday and Friday.
• On Tuesdays, cyclists sail two for the price of one on one-way trips (two cyclists and two bicycles – or a tandem – are required!).

For more details see Rhine River Day Cruise Saver Fares.

Bingen-Rüdesheimer Rhine River Day Cruise Pleasure Boat Line

Bingen-Rüdesheimer is another major day pleasure cruise line. BR has up to three daily cruises on the Rhine River from Bingen and Rüdesheim through the Loreley Valley to St Goar and St Goarhausen.

Bingen-Rüdesheimer generally offers the same cruise fare savings discounts as KD except no discounts for cyclists or family days. Bingen-Rüdesheimer passengers also cruise for free on wedding anniversaries and children pay only €3.

Rössler Linie Rhine River Boats

Rössler Line is based in Rüdesheim-Assmannshausen. Rössler has mostly shorter Rhine cruises in the Rüdesheim vicinity but Rössler occasionally cruise down the Loreley Valley past Die Lorelei to St Goar / St Goarhausen.

Hebler Linie’s Weisse Flotte (White Fleet) on the Rhine

Hebler Linie operates from Boppard, a town closer to Koblenz. The Weisse Flotte (literally White Fleet) cruise mostly on shorter cruises from Boppard on the Rhine to see the Loreley as well as downstream to Koblenz and parts of the Moselle River. Some Hebler boats cruise all the way up the Rhine to Rüdesheim.

Special cruise fare savings offers on Hebel include free Rhine cruises on birthdays, 50% discount for seniors on Monday and Friday, as well as family days on Monday.

See also Loreley Valley Rhine River Day Cruises for tips on sensible routings and cruise times between towns from Koblenz to Mainz and Top Rhine Day Cruises from Cologne for similar information on cruises from Cologne (Köln), Bonn, and Düsseldorf to Koblenz and the Mosel.

Based on Rhine River Day Trip Cruise Lines first published on suite101.com.