School German Culture Trip to the Rhine

A German school trip to the Rhine Valley is the perfect introduction to Germany and the German culture for your students!

The Rhine Valley is our most popular coach destination for German language groups with many choosing to return year after year. You’ll be sure to find the right mix of visits to combine both education and fun to keep your students entertained throughout the tour.

There’s a huge variety of activities on offer here, from the castles of Marksburg and Burg Eltz, to boat trips on the Rhine and visits to the beautiful towns of Boppard or Rüdesheim. And make sure you don’t miss out on a visit to Germany’s best theme park, Phantasialand!

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Depart from school Channel crossing

Afternoon

Continue journey to the Rhineland

Evening

Arrive at accommodation for your evening meal

Day 2

Morning

Visit to Rudesheim Visit Siegfried's Mechanical Music Museum and take a ride on the cable car

Afternoon

Drive back along the Rhine to Loreley Rock - admire the views from the top and visit the information centre

Evening

Evening meal in accommodation Optional evening activities - bowling in Koblenz or swimming in Mulheim Karlich

Day 3

Morning

Full-day excursion to Phantasialand theme park

Afternoon

Continue the fun at Phantasialand theme park

Evening

Evening meal in accommodation followed by leaving disco

Day 4

Morning

Depart for Calais

Afternoon

Return travel to the UK

Evening

Arrive back at school

4 nights' half-board accommodation
Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:8
Itinerary planning service
Motorway tolls and taxes
Return Channel crossings
Return executive coach travel
Vamoos travel app - giving you access to all your trip documents on your phone or tablet
VAT at current rates to tour operators

Curriculum

A Level

Aspects of German-speaking society
Festivals and traditions
Art and architecture
Youth culture: fashion, trends, music and TV
Individual research project opportunities

GCSE

Food, drink and eating out
Daily life and free time activities
Customs, celebrations and festivals
Home, town and neighbourhood
Holiday destinations
Travel and tourism
Understanding German culture and identity

Key Stage 3

Exploring the town
Hobbies and pastimes
Food and drink
Eating out
Introducing yourself
Describing others
Likes and dislikes
Plants and animals
Cultural traditions

Accommodation

Rheinhotel Wagner

Stay in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Rheinhotel Wagner. The beautiful surroundings are characterised by castles and vineyards - this is truly fairy tale Germany.All 58 guest rooms are en-suite and offer cable TV. Please note that this hotel has typical 'German beds' ie. twin beds pushed together in one wooden frame. There are however two separate mattresses and two separate duvets etc.There is an on-site restaurant, where you can sample some of the traditional local dishes, as well as a bar with a lovely garden terrace.

Hotel Bergschlösschen

Hotel Bergschlösschen is situated in the quiet Mühltal of Boppard near the Rhine, about half a mile from the city centre and train station. The hotel is in the immediate vicinity of many hiking trails in the Boppard area, as well as being about a mile away from Klettersteig (a mountaineering attraction) and from the Bodobrica Roman fort. Guests can book single, double or triple rooms. Free Wi-Fi on premises.

DJH Bonn

Located on the Venusberg mountain, on the edge of Kottenforst forest, Bonn Youth Hostel is 30 minutes away from central Bonn when using public transport. The hostel offers fantastic facilities for groups, including a lovely sun terrace, free WiFi throughout and a healthy breakfast spread to start each day. Bookings are available for 48 four-bed rooms, 34 twin rooms and nine single rooms. There are also five accessible rooms, plus two two-bed rooms for guests using E-wheelchairs. All guest rooms benefit from en-suite bathroom facilities.

DJH Bad Honnef

Due to its position on the Rhine, amidst Siebengebirge Nature Park, Bad Honnef is an ideal starting point for hiking, cycle tours or boat trips. Also, as a music youth hostel, DJH Bad Honnef is uniquelly suited for the needs of choirs and music groups, including the use of an outdoor amphitheatre. Shared, double, single and family rooms are available for booking. Wi-Fi available in public rooms.

Educational Activities

Loreley Visitor Centre

The deepest and narrowest point along the Rhine’s course, the famously beautiful cliff at Loreley is the focal point of

Niederwald Falconry Centre

Located at the Niederwald Monument, and accessible by cable car from the Rhineside village of Rüdesheim, the falconry centre is

Siegfrieds Musik Kabinet

Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett has an extensive variety of mechanical musical instruments all of which are distributed throughout a 15th century

Cultural Activities

Boppard

The town of Boppard has all the ingredients for an unforgettable trip Germany: hills and valleys, quiet lanes and lively

Burg Eltz

One of Germany’s most photogenic castles, Burg Eltz is perched on a wooded crag above a tributary valley of the

Chocolate Museum (Imhoff-Stollwerck)

Quite simply this is one of the best attractions in Cologne! The first part of the exhibition is a history

Koblenz

The focus of the riverside city of Koblenz is the Deutsches Eck, at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle,

Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) Boat Trip

Köln-Düsseldorfer Line’s river cruises offer a unique perspective on two of Germany’s most scenic river valleys. Most towns and villages

Marksburg

Marksburg is the only castle in the Rhine Valley never to have been taken by force. It is one of the most complete medieval fortresses in Germany and, therefore, a rewarding place to visit.

Phantasialand

As the number one German theme park for visitors from the UK, Phantasialand is a great way to have fun and use up your pupils' energy.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.