Time to Travel - Bamberg Germany

Well this is awkward. Blog post is coming. My website just completely erased the post (all formatted with my pretty photos). It's forthcoming. Sorry - if you have any questions before it’s up, feel free to message me on Instagram or Facebook.

Dare I say it?

Bamberg, you are my favorite German town. I find most of the towns I want to visit looking at photos on Instagram. The old Rathaus was the place that put Bamberg on my to do list. I have a thing for buildings hanging in the water on the side of a bridge - lol! The town went on my travel to do list.

PLANNING DETAILS
BAMBERG Tourismus
BAMBERG Shopping
BAMBERG Antiques
BAMBERG Map

Getting there:
You have the option of driving or taking the train. Because I don't really plan trips way out in advance it was better for me to drive. It's about a 3 hour 45 min drive from the Ramstein area. In looking at the DB app, the train ride from Kaiserslautern is 5.5-6.5 hours with 2-3 changes.

Hotel & Breakfast:

Hotel Nepomuk

Time to Travel - Snow Trips from Ramstein

It’s funny being a Florida girl obsessed with snow. I cannot get enough of it. I’d consider myself a snow chaser. Snowfall has been sporadic in the Ramstein area the last few years. I kept a list of towns I was interested in visiting when there was snow fall. I used the app AccuWeather with its wintercast feature.

I had to be flexible depending on the weather & what was going on with family life. There are a few webcam sites I would check the morning of.
To view the video, click here, or the photo above.

Mosel town webcams
Hunsrück National Park webcam
Google Map - for all locations on this blog post & video

Karlstal Gorge near Trippstadt

Is a great first trip for the Kaiserslautern area. The first time we hiked this, we used the Komoot app & did a 7 mile hike with the gorge included. If just want to do the gorge for scenery or a quick hike with little ones there is parking very close to the gorge area.

Hunsrück/Morbach

I found out about "the forest" in one of the FB pages I follow. If there is snow coming anywhere close to the Ramstein area, Hunsrück is a good bet for snow. It's a vast national park/forest area. You can make it a destination or stop on your way to/from Bernkastle-Kues or Traben-Trarbach. It's about 45 minutes from the base.

ABOVE: Photo Set #1 - Look for Parkplatz am Idarwald on the corresponding Google Map

There are opportunities to hike, sled, ice skate & take photos. Please Check the website of the Wintersportzentrum Erbeskopf (Heritage Head Winter Sports Center) prior to going to see if they are open. It is dependent upon the snowfall. You can find hikes on the Kamoot app, which is what I did, or on their website. There is a digital hiking tour planner. During non-winter times, e-bike rentals are available. The website also notes what to put in your navigation system as the default does not bring you to the correct place.

ABOVE: Photo set #2 - Look for Heilquelle Sauerbrunnen on the corresponding Google Map

There are many areas of the park & actual parking lots. When I started visiting the area, I may have turned down one of the unpaved roads to take photos & gotten stuck - I drive an SUV with good tires & still had to call a tow truck. Don't be like me.

Webcam
Sports Center website
E-bike rental
Hiking planner
Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park
Google Map

The first time I visited Traben-Trarbach was during COVID closures so I just took photos. It is a beautiful town on the Mosel River. I returned later in the Fall when things were open. I visited town & hiked the castle ruins of Grevenburg. Just a note about the castle, there are signs everywhere about hiking at your own risk. In my opinion, it's not kid friendly.

Grevenburg
Official town website
Mosel town webcams

Burg Lichtenberg

Burg Lichtenberg is a closer day trip only 25 minutes away from Ramstein. I've featured this well preserved castle ruin in a previous video for the USO. Click here to see the video & blog post.

Monschau

I didn’t make it to Monschau during a traditional winter snow, but I made it during the 2022 snow dump in April. At 2 hours & 45 minutes it's not close - but it's doable as a day trip. Before I made my trip I called the tourism office to make sure there was snow & roads into town were accessible.

This is one of my favorite towns to wander, take photos, shop & eat. If  you've been to some of the local bazaars, this is where the Monschau mustard is from. Go visit the store, tour the factory & have some of the soup! Also don't miss hiking up to get the panoramic view of town.
I have a previous video I did on Monschau. Click here to view.
Monschau Tourism Office
Mon-Joie: my favorite artisan store in Monschau

Burg Grafenstein

Burg Grafenstein is a castle ruin about 40 minutes south of Ramstein. The hike was a steep switchback trail to the castle on a hill. Although The trail was icy I saw many families hiking together. You can walk outside/inside ruins 360 degrees. The is tower available to climb. There was parking at the base of the trail head. There are no food or toilet facilities at this castle.

Kirchheimbolanden

If you've taken A63 toward Frankfurt you may, or may not, have noticed the brown information sign about Kirchheimbolanden. I've driven past it many times & one of my good friends told me there was snow there when I was planning a snow photography day. It's about 40 minutes from Ramstein. I got some interesting photos as this was another snow dump in April. I have photos of snow and blossoms blooming!

This would be a nice stop as an addition to any trips you have in the area. There are lots of places to have a meal or snack. There's also a great gift store with some regional merchandise.
Kirchheimbolanden’s official city website
Do you have any favorite day trips you’ve taken to enjoy the snow? Join the chat on the Facebook group & let us know.

Christmas Markets 2022

Click on the photos below to be taken to individual Christmas Market posts.

Goodbye Summer 2022

I cannot believe summer is over. We've been in the states for over 2 months now. It's gone by so quickly, but it also seems like a lifetime ago that I lived in Germany.

In the time between June & when we left Germany mid-July I got myself to 19 towns. I was determined to see as much as I could. I took my first trip to the Netherlands including Amsterdam, Haarlem & Zaanse Schans. This was my last major trip and I'm ready to go back & explore other cities in the Netherlands.

LEFT - RIGHT: Zaandam, Amsterdam, view from my Haarlem hotel (taken at 10PM)

Here’s a story to illustrate my love for travel. I had a trip to pick my husband up from Frankfurt airport. I found 3 towns on the Deutsche Faschwerkstrausse, aka the German Half-Timber Road, and proceeded to hit each one of them before pick up. I may have a *little* love affair with the Deutsche Faschwerkstrausse.

LEFT - RIGHT: Alsfeld, Grünberg, Lich

Bernkastle-Kues, you were the winner of my “where are we going for our last day trip” sweepstakes. It seemed appropriate. It was my most visited day trip & I made it to their Christmas markets all 3 years. I was excited to share this quaint town with my family.

In the first week back in the states, we found an apartment, had our quick shipment delivered, picked up car #1, and I bought tickets to my first Backstreet Boys concert (more on this later)

I quickly found out what I've missed from the states. I visited Asian markets for shopping and lunch early and often - I've lost count how many times I've gone. I've also been making the rounds of my favorite local small businesses: Chartreuse & Co, Sweet Clover, Cotton & Co, My Big Finds, The Sweet Lemon. I’ve had countless tomato sandwiches, with my favorite German mayo. I will be the first to tell you about my brown thumb, but I always enjoy the garden at the farm.

#IWantItThatWay
It’s no secret among friends I’ve been trying to see the Backstreet Boys DNA tour for the last 3 years. I was never on the right continent at the right time. In 2019 we I lived in MD they were in Europe. The week we moved to Germany they played MD. Coming back this summer they were scheduled to play in VA right before we PCS’d back, LIKE 2 DAYS BEFORE WE LANDED! Then leave for Europe in the fall.

EKKKK - I saw the Backstreet Boys LIVE for the first time! It was an amazing concert & not one I’ll forget.

#WhatAreTheChances
The Bristol, VA show was postponed due to weather. 8 days after we returned, guess who got herself a ticket to the reschedule. I had to not so patiently wait for concert day (what was another month after waiting years) but it was everything & more. I lived my best 12 year old fangirl life.

Speaking of bucket lists…
I'm doing a thing... I took my first tap class last night & it's love. I haven't been in a dance studio in years (It's literally been decades). I am so happy to be dancing. Thanks Essence Studios, Dance & Performing Arts & Marshall. As I’ve gotten older I’ve decided I’m doing all the things!

I've fallen in love again with the Smithsonian museums. I originally went because they posted about the corpse flower blooming. This one was super quick so I didn't get to see full bloom, but I saw it & even illustrated it! While there I visited the castle & got a recommendation to go to the Renwick Gallery. It was the first time I visited & it did not disappoint. Shortly after that we took another trip to the National Museum of Natural History to the butterfly pavilion. As many times as we've been to that museum, I don't think I've ever done that exhibit.

Butterfly Pavilion at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum

I’ve quickly gotten back to everyday life here in the states. I dreaded leaving Europe for so long that I almost forgot to relax & enjoy. While I miss life in Germany daily, I realize how much inspiration is around me. I always come around eventually! Looking forward to Fall in Maryland!

Time to Travel - Bruges Belgium

Bruges was an eye opening trip for me. I have not been to a city like it before & I immediately fell in love as I drove through town to get to my hotel. What did I love? It’s a UNESCO world heritage site so it’s beautiful to begin with. It’s the perfect town to aimlessly wander (which my brain needed at the time) with it’s gorgeous architecture & picturesque canals & bridges. I enjoyed sampling the food & beer, did a little shopping & got some sightseeing in. As I was leaving I was already planning my come back trip!
Watch the Time to Travel video by clicking on the photo or here.

LEFT: walk down canal during evening tour
RIGHT: view from the Belfry

DAY 1

Spent half a day in Lille, France then drove a little over an hour to Brugge, Belgium
Dropped off luggage at hotel: Hotel Bryghia
parked car: Alpha Park - BePark
sat down for a snack: Punta Est
walked back to hotel
Night tour: The Dark Side of Bruges night tour

Hotel Bryghia was a gem! It is in a great location, close enough to everything but quiet in the evening. Bonus was the canal view. You know how you fill out the hotel survey with things you are interested in & never hear anything back? Not with Hotel Bryghia. This family run hotel takes care of their customers & gets to know you. When I checked in they had a map with highlights & suggestions ready for me along with some tips & recommendations.
The hotel also helped my find my parking garage. The hotel’s spaces were sold out for the time I was there. I mentioned I drive a larger SUV & they suggested the Alpha Park garage. I made a reservation on their suggestion & just had to use the app when I pulled up to the gate. It is a newer garage with plenty of height.

My first night I did the The Dark Side of Bruges night tour. Jan was our tour guide. While learning about the places he pointed out & the history of Bruges, he made it very entertaining. As a photographer, I was super happy to have golden hour to photograph as we walked around. I was also shocked when we walked up to my hotel & it was part of the tour. The tour is free & tip based - you just need to register in advance. The tour ended at a bar with a free cold one, which ended up as my dinner!

PHOTOS L TO R: 1. Waffle Van 2. Bruges City Hall (now a museum) 3. The Beer Wall 4. Vlissinghe Pub

DAY 2

Breakfast waffle on a stick: Waffle Van (which is really not a van)
Canal Boat tour
Wandering + little flea market
Church of Our Lady Bruges
Dinner: Vlissinghe Pub

The Canal Boat tour was a highlight of my trip. There are five locations through out the city center area. I just picked the closest one after my waffle breakfast. Make sure you go early in the morning to beat the crowds. I loved seeing the city from this vantage point. Although the boat was full, I felt like I still had great views. (I sat on one of the sides). Also the boat often makes u-turns so you’ll get your chance to take photos of the other side.
This tour runs rain or shine. They have umbrellas available, but I had mine & my rain jacket just in case. As you can see from the photos, the weather was finicky. The guide speaks in several languages (to be honest I lost count of how many he was using - lol - but English was one of them)

I’m not going to lie, the only reason I was going to Church of Our Lady Bruges was to see Michelangelo’s Madonna. It is the only sculpture of his outside of Italy. I was pleasantly surprised by how much more there was inside. The chapels are beautiful & the tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold are so intricate. As someone inspired by art, I am glad I visited.

I found this non-assuming pub from my night tour. (Beware, many of the kitchens are not open very late. I’m not sure if they will be open later in the summer but plan accordingly. That’s why I went back the next day) It’s the oldest operating pub in Belgium. I had 2 beers & a very hearty dinner for under 20€ with tip. It’s a little off the beaten path - so glad I took that tour!

DAY 3

Belfry Tower
Lunch: Restaurant Breydel de Conioc
More wandering + my Starbucks mug
Headed home

The Belfry Tower was the other highlight of my trip. This is another location to try & do first thing in the morning or end of the day. I’d also encourage you to purchase your tickets ahead of time. I bought mine they day before, but as summer gets busier, the sooner the better.

The climb up the Belfry Tower is not an easy one. It’s 366 stairs one way & it gets progressively narrower as you go up. Thankfully, the there are levels in between to take a break & look at displays. When I was heading back down I was encouraging people heading up & telling them they were almost there.
The views were stunning & well worth it. There is a metal screen covering all the open areas at the top. I strategically placed my lens in between them to get photos without the screen. Since I went in the morning, it wasn’t crowded. I stayed as long as I wanted & moved freely to take photos.

Before & after of my lunch.
I skipped breakfast to save room for lunch. Come hungry! Restaurant Breydel de Conioc was recommended for mussels from my hotel & the 500 Hidden Secrets website. They also serve eel, which is a local dish caught fresh in town.

This was my favorite waffle from Bruges. I dubbed it the best waffle I’ve had in my life. It’s from a cart directly in front of the Belfry Tower in the Markt Square.

LAST THOUGHTS

• If I did things differently, I would have arrived earlier on Saturday for a full day. I came from Lille, France (which was lovely) but I had a hard time finding my groove during that part of the trip - that’s for another post.

• If you want to take the train here, look at tickets early. In planning a second trip, the cost & the lack of options (length of trip/number of changes) made it a non-option for me since I only planned a few weeks out.

• Places I didn’t make it to but on the list for next time: Basilica of the Holy Blood & Adornes Domain

• Some of the small business boutiques were closed on Sunday. If I came earlier on Saturday I could have moved some things around & done the open touristy things on Sunday.

• I don’t normally do breakfast at the hotel. If you want to have brunch make reservations. I found a bunch that looked really great, but they were all full & no longer taking reservations once I was in town.

• Watch the movie In Bruges. It’s a dark comedy (probably not appropriate for littles). The movie takes place in Bruges, which makes a lovely background. You’ll see the many bridges & canal, the Belfry, & Adornes Domain. The tourism office even offers a self guided tour to visit all the sights from the movie and my tour guide was an extra!
  

Map of Locations from my trip
Official Tourism Office
500 Hidden Secrets - loved using this site to plan my next trip. The restaurant I went to for mussels was included in their seafood list.

Time to Travel - Deutsche Fachwerkstrausse - German Half Timber Road

There is the German Romantic Road and the Wine Road, but have you heard of the Half Timbered Road? The Deutsche Faschwerkstrausse, isn't something I had heard of until I started really researching day trips. To watch the accompanying video, click here or on the photo above.
The German Half-Timbered Road, founded in 1990, runs from the river Elbe to the Black Forest through eight federal states (Saxony, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Hesse, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thuringia, Bavaria and Baden Wuerttemberg) and is divided into seven regional routes. I'll show you a few towns I've visited on the half timbered road.

The official website allows you to look at each of the regional route & all the towns included. You can also order pamphlets and have them sent to your local address. 
Before you leave, contact the official tourism offices of each town to verify facilities & services are open due to either COVID restrictions or tourism off season. 

IDSTEIN
Idstein is the first town I visited.  It's about an hour & a half drive from the Ramstein area. I went when many places were still shut down, including the tourism office, so make sure to call before you head out to find out about closings. One of my favorite things to do is to walk around towns & take photos so I don't really need much to be open! I'd love to go back & visit the tourism center to tour the witch's tower. 

MARBURG
Marburg is about 2 hours & 15 minutes from Ramstein. I just visited & most all of the restaurants & retail stores were open. If you're a planner, make sure you visit the tourism office website before you go. The town offers a variety of tours & this year marks their 800 year anniversary. My favorite entry is the top 10 photo spots. 
Marburg is split with an upper & lower area of the city. Don't be surprised if you start in the lower area & your walking path dead ends you to elevators. There were no signs, but I figured it out! The tourism center is in the lower area of the city.

typopoetry

This was my favorite store in Marburg. It’s a creative small business. They sell stationery, artsy supplies & gifts. If you speak German, they offer a range of creative classes. I would have come home with the entire store - lol! I settled for a few books (yes in German) and cards.

MILTENBERG
Miltenberg is just over a 2 hour drive from the Ramstein area. It is home to the oldest continuously operating inn called Zum Riesen. It was first documented in 1411. Retail & restaurants were open but closed early on a Saturday afternoon - most were closed by 1400-1500. Museums will open in the spring. 
The tourism office was closed on Saturdays when I visited in late January - they will open on Saturdays beginning in April. After speaking with someone in the tourism office, May is the best time to visit if you want to experience nice weather & full blooms. She also said there are some nice fall days in October.
This town is full of old buildings, half timbered architecture, art deco details & traditional old German village vibes. As I walked around town, I couldn't get over all the amazing doors.

Staffelbrunserbrunnen

I found this *gem* by pure accident and I’m claiming that as an explorer talent. I do just enough research to get there and always find a surprise or two. I parked in a small lot by the tourism office. It had a 2 hour limit so I had to move my car. I hadn’t been on this side of town so I picked a parking lot. This one was free, has a free toilet & This Fountain! I can’t wait till I come back in the Spring & it’s on!

LIMBERG
I've had a chance to visit Limberg twice now with Restaurants & retail open. It's about an hour & 45 minute drive from Ramstein. There are lots of fun stores - local artwork, a beautiful dirndle store, tons of clothing shops, even a local yarn store. I had the best plate of spaghetti at Piccola Milano. I will go back just for that dish!

Christmas Market #5 - Kaysersberg

DETAILS

Official Website
Google Map: My favorites of Kaysersberg on one handy map
Tourism Office: so helpful & they speak English
Distance: About 2.5 hours from Ramstein AB
Toll: about 3.50€ for the quickest route
Dates: every weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun) from 26 November to 19 December. Also 21 & 22 December.
Parking: you’ll see signs for parking as you come into town. Since I’ve visited before, I took my chances & drove a little closer in. I was lucky to find street parking.
Market area: The market is entry with your digital COVID pass. It is in the square next to the tourism office & behind the church. There are several entry points so if one has a long line take a look at the other ones.

Kaysersberg is a charming French village in the Alsace region of France. I had visited before Christmas market season & put it on my list. It’s not talked about as often as Colmar & Strasbourg but it’s such a quaint town.

The food and drinks were as delicious as expected. I ate in the main market square next to the tourism center. That yummy bowl of goodness was lunch & had potatoes, munster cheese & lardons (bacon). I also got my vin chaud (glühwein) in the same area. There was a giant table to stand & eat from.
The third photo is the store front where I got pomme chaud (hot apple cider). You can have the cider served in the Christmas mug if you’d like. I also came home with some yummy gingerbread cookies from this bakery.

Throughout the market area each stall had a handprinted holiday scene above or on the back. These are the favorites of mine.

These are a few of my favorite local stores to go shopping. I’ve linked to them on my google map above for pins.

Le Grenier Enchante (first three photos) is a combination handcrafted goods & vintage antiques store - one of my faves! I got my cute Kaysersberg heart ornament here. There are so many to choose from. There were several that would make sweet wedding gifts. I love the decor of their store front.
Poterie de Kaysersberg Pottery store for traditional Alsace pottery pieces. Love the porcelain buttons made by a local artisan.
Terre Nacree Atelier De Créations (sixth photo) Lovely hand painted glassware & mugs. Also sells handmade jewelry. I got my Kaysersberg mug here & a stemless wine glass with a beautiful handpainted poppy.
Atelier le Chien Rouge (fifth photo) I am not even going to tell you how long I spent in here. This is another combo shop of hand made items (ceramic buttons & home decor) & vintage goods. I plan to use the buttons I bought on handmade journals or jewelry. Note: I currently do not have an address for her store. I am working on getting a pin. She is down one of the side roads.

I’d encourage you to hike up the castle ruin to get a beautiful view of town. Just don’t do what I did. Sometimes my timing is serendipitous and sometimes…
The last few times I was here, I hiked up & captured the most beautiful photos. Which you’ll see below. This time I thought I’d hike up at dusk & get some photos of the town with the Christmas lights coming on. Well, my parking meter was going to run out so I had to run back to the car to pay (download the parking apps advertised on the parking pay machines so you don’t have to do this). By the time I got back to the area to hike up, it was not going to happen. Take a look at the last photo & you’ll see why I passed.

Here are a few more photographs from my visit to the Kaysersberg Market taken in the evening.

Christmas Market #4 - Ribeauvillé Medieval Market- 3 Reasons to Go

1. Experience All The Things! Music, Dancing, Handicrafts

There is so much to see at the market. There were experiences at every part of the market

2. The Food: Glühwein, Kartoffelpuffer, and all the German goodness in one bowl (in France)

• I have always enjoyed the vin chard (glühwein) in France. I go back & forth between red & white. Drinks are located throughout the market. I bought mine at the Place Gourand (they also have fresh pressed apple cider & demonstrations).

• Galettes de Pommes de Terre Alsaciennes (Kartoffelpuffer) these were amazing! It was 3 for 4€. Unlike the German version it has herbs & is seasoned so there was no sauce. Located at Maison Jeanne d’Arc.

• I have no idea what this bowl was called but it was my dinner & amazing! It had spaetzle, sauerkraut, lardons (French bacon), sausage & optional was melted munster cheese (yes please) on top. Located at Cour de la Médiathèque.

3. The town is decorated to the nines! It’s a quaint town to begin with & there is Christmas decor everywhere. Below are some (lots) of my favorites.

LINKS

Market Website, Market Website 2
City Parking
Market Shuttle

Dates: 4-5 & 11-12 Dec
2.5 hour drive from Ramstein Air Base - Tolls about $4 one way
Since I had been to Ribeauvillé before I headed to my normal parking lot only to find out it was only for busses. I used the city parking. There are attendants there to direct you. They had the perfect spot for my SUV. I arrived around 1330 & the lot still had spots. As you walk out of the lot, get your vaccination scanned, your bracelet to verify & pick up your market map. (There are 2 other vaccine verification areas by the front entrance of the traffic circle, one next to the park & one further down near the tourism office.) The lot is about 1km from the beginning of the market. There is a toilet at the lot that was open to use & free.

Time to Travel Castle Day Trips from Ramstein

My latest Time to Travel video is to castles from the Ramstein area. I’ve visited all of these castles as day trips during different seasons. Castles are a must on my travel list for Germany. I’ve visited many more & hope to share them all. You can watch the video on USO Ramstein’s Facebook page.

Google Map with pins for locations of castles & parking.

Burg Eltz

Burg Eltz is a medieval castle still inhabited by one of the original families. Take the wonderful tour, offered in English, to learn all about the inner workings & history of the castle. Since the family still lives here, make sure to check the website for open season to visit. There is a paid parking lot - from there you can hike or take a paid shuttle. 

Drive time from Ramstein: about 2 hours
Parking lots 5€
Can walk or take shuttle 2€
Entry ticket 10€
Cannot take photos inside castle - Can take photos of the exterior & courtyard - No drones allowed
English tour - very informative - used to have 3 separate castles/3 families at one time - currently 1 family lives in the castle
Seasonal opening - check website - Open from 1 April - 1 November
Amenities: parking lot, tours, Café, restaurant, toilets, gift shop
Website: https://www.burg-eltz.de/en/

Burg Lichtenburg

Burg Lichenberg is a castle ruin with beautiful grounds - which are free to enter. I went during lockdown of winter 2020 to hike and all services were shut down so I haven't used any of them.  

Drive time from Ramstein: about 25 minutes
Parking lot: free & located on grounds
Amenities include tours, café, restaurant, hostel, toilets, playground & parking lot.
Website: https://burglichtenberg.pfaelzerbergland.de/burg-lichtenberg/fuehrungen/
Hostel Booking: https://www.diejugendherbergen.de/jugendherbergen/thallichtenberg/

BURG RHEINSTEIN

Burg Rheinstein is located on the Rhine River & offers picturesque views. There is parking at road level. To get to the castle you'll have to hike up a steep cobble stone path.

The castle is self tour at your own pace. After my tour I had lunch in their restaurant & had their house Riesling produced from their vineyard. I recommend taking home a bottle from the gift shop if you're a riesling fan.   

Drive time from Ramstein: about 1 hour
Parking lot: free & located on grounds
Amenities include Amenities: parking lot, self tour, restaurant, toilets, gift shop
Website: https://www.burg-rheinstein.de/en/
IG: @burgrheinstein

REICHSBURG COCHEM

I’ve visited Cochem a few times during lockdown to walk & take photos. I finally made it this Fall. I made a day of it & toured the castle, rode the sky ride & wandered the town.

There is no parking at the castle. I used the city parking lot behind the train station. I had no problem parking my big SUV. Spaces are plentiful and 5€ all day. It’s not a bad walk into town & I stop at the tourist center to pick up maps, ask questions & use the restroom. There are closer lots in town, but you’ll need to get there early & they are more expensive & paid by hour. You can take a bus to the castle or walk up. I decided to walk up looking for some photo opportunities. 

Drive time from Ramstein: about 1 hour & 50 minutes
Amenities: tours, restaurant, toilets, gift shop
Website: https://reichsburg-cochem.de/?lang=en