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DrosselgasseRüdesheim am Rhein · independent

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Translated from German. In case of discrepancies, the German version applies.

Rüdesheim–Bingen ferry

Car ferries of the Bingen-Rüdesheimer shuttle between Rüdesheim and Bingen; the crossing takes six minutes.1,2 For visitors from the left bank of the Rhine, the ferry is the shortest way to Rüdesheim – and until mid-December 2026, while the railway line is closed, also the recommended one.3

Current status (checked on 18 October 2026)

  • Railway line to Rüdesheim closed until 12 December 2026, replacement buses; recommended: train to Bingen Hbf, then the ferry.3,4
  • Bingen–Rüdesheim car ferry until 31 October 2026 daily 5:30–23:50; from 1 November, please ask the operator for the winter times, phone +49 6721 308080.2
  • Car ferry from 1 November 2026: please ask the operator for the winter times, phone 06721 308080 (as of 20 October 2026).2

Seasonal times change. For up-to-date times, the operator’s website applies.

Car ferry

  • Crossing: six minutes.2,5
  • Operating hours 2026: from 1 April to 31 October, daily from 5:30 to 23:50.2
  • From 1 November: please ask the operator for the winter times, phone 06721 308080.2 These details as of 20 October 2026.
  • Operator: Bingen-Rüdesheimer Schifffahrtsgesellschaft mbH, Rheinkai 10, Bingen.6,2

Ferries and boatmen in Rüdesheim

For a long time Rüdesheim was a place to change: here the road ended at the steep bank of the Rhine, and anyone who wanted to continue downstream had to take a boat – there was not yet a riverside road to Assmannshausen and Lorch. Many people in Rüdesheim therefore made their living as cargo and ferry boatmen, pilots and raft steersmen, and travellers waited in the inns for a suitable boat.7 More: History of Rüdesheim.

Accessibility, bikes, pushchairs

  • Accessibility: the landing stages in Rüdesheim and Bingen are considered accessible (barrier-free); on all of the company’s vessels, the accessible toilets can be reached without barriers.2
  • Bicycles are allowed on the ferry.3
  • The sources we checked say nothing specific about pushchairs or dogs.

During the 2026 rail closure

Until 12 December 2026 the railway line on the right bank of the Rhine to Rüdesheim is closed.3 (DB station page: replacement services until 11 December.4) The tourist information office therefore recommends the left bank of the Rhine:

  1. By train to Bingen Hbf (main station) – from Frankfurt on the RE 2 in about an hour.3
  2. Then bus 234 or about 30 minutes on foot along the Rhine to the ferry.3
  3. Take the ferry to Rüdesheim; from Rüdesheim station it is about 500 metres via the Rheinstraße to the Drosselgasse lane.8

In Bingen

On the Bingen side, the Kulturufer promenade runs for around three kilometres along the Rhine; the Historisches Museum am Strom is devoted above all to Hildegard of Bingen.9 In the Rhine off Bingen stands the Mäuseturm (Mouse Tower).10 More destinations: Day trips.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the ferry from Bingen to Rüdesheim take? Six minutes.2

When does the car ferry run? From 1 April to 31 October 2026, daily from 5:30 to 23:50.2 The operator gives the winter times from 1 November on request, phone 06721 308080 (our details as of 20 October 2026).

Can I take my bike? Yes, on the ferry – but not on the replacement buses during the rail closure.3

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