Questions and answers

What’s the best way to see it all?

Probably from the river, I guess, either by luxury cruise boat–where you stay overnight on the boat, with most meals taken onboard–or by improvising your own cruise by using local scheduled shuttles.

How much are the full-service Rhine cruises?

They vary by length and deluxeness.

In its 2001 catalog, a four-day, three-night cruise from Frankfurt to Cologne–essentially the route covered in this report–aboard KD River Cruises was priced from $500 to $750 per person, double occupancy, the difference being season and cabin category.

Prices for a 17-day cruise from Vienna to Amsterdam on the Rhine and other rivers through Peter Deilmann Cruises started at $3,338.

For both cruises, air was additional (and prices subject to change).

Improvising your own? How do you mean?

For example, KD German Rhine Line lets you buy, say, a Mainz-Cologne ticket for about $56. With that ticket, you can board in Mainz, get off the boat 90 minutes later in Rudesheim, stay overnight, catch the next day’s boat, get off at Koblenz, etc. It’s like a river Eurail pass.

Of course, lodging and meals are on your own.

But you drove.

I like to drive.

But German drivers . . .

That’s on the Autobahns, the high-speed raceways. On the two-lanes and in the towns, they drive friendly. Like Texans.

What did it cost you?

Nothing. It cost the Tribune about $850, including five nights’ lodging (single), car and meals. I ate well.

Other options?

Bicycles and motorbikes. Both popular. And trains. Which run on time. (Eurail and German Rail Passes, by the way, are also good on the KD river shuttles–but not on the fancy cruise boats.)

What were your favorite towns?

Linz, Bacharach and Oberwesel. And Cologne.

Favorite meals?

The jagerschnitzel at Bistro Minnesingerm, Linz; the Rheinischer sauerbraten at Im Baren, Bonn; and the rahmschnitzel at Zur Loreley in St. Goar.

The Rhine Valley is one the world’s great wine-growing regions. How many of the fine German rieslings did you try?

Let’s see: Binding, Erbacher, Radeberger, Warsteiner, Konigsbacher, Lichner, Konig, Maximilian, Eichbaum, Gaffel and Henninger.

Those are beers.

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That explains the foam . . .

Any castles especially neat?

The overnight at Schonburg in Oberwesel, with the view of the Rhine from my tower room, made that castle hard to beat. Price was fair, too: $68.

Of course, the sound of trains roaring through the valley every eight minutes, and all night, added some character, but in travel, as in life, there are always tradeoffs.

So that was your favorite hotel?

Well, I confess the Dom Hotel in Cologne had it beat. Elegant, comfortable, excellent staff and a balcony overlooking one of the world’s great cathedrals. $127.

Of course, the sound of cathedral bells roaring through my window on a Sunday morning . . . very early on a Sunday morning . . . but in travel, as in life . . .

Any language problems?

None. Not everyone spoke English, but just about everyone spoke some, and they’re accustomed to tourists. When they didn’t, we dealt with it. The Germans were congenial, patient hosts.

You’re kidding, right? Everywhere you see German tourists, they’re loud, pushy and obnoxious.

Well, then I guess the Germans who stay home are helpful, pleasant and treat strangers like guests.

My favorite was an elderly waitress at a fish restaurant in Mainz who evidently spoke absolutely no English. We struggled to get lunch ordered (I had the herring), but by the end of the meal we were good pals. Met a lot of folks like that on this trip. Great waiter in Cologne. I could go on.

You must have been looking in a mirror.

OK, this is a touchy question. You’re Jewish, right?

What about it?

Problems?

One, early. In Rudesheim, on Grabenstrasse, was a sign. Across the street, the sign said, was the town synagogue “that stood from 1843 until the pogrom of November 11, 1938.”

This was the day after “Kristallnacht.” Today, it is a parking lot.

First reaction was kind of a sick feeling.

Second reaction: Gratitude for acknowledging something was here, and that something happened here. I liked that.

End of problems.

So you’d go back?

The people were welcoming. The food was fine, the beer was great, and the costs were reasonable.

There’s a lot more to see. Berlin, for sure. Munich, again.

Love to.