CrossRent Rental company category:Standard
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CROSSRENT c/o Autohaus Nossmann GmbHKleine Heeg 36, 53359 RheinbachView map
Campervan hire in Rheinbach starts your trip in a small Rhineland town set between the Cologne plain and the first hills of the Eifel, some twenty kilometres from Bonn. A former fortified town that became the "glass town" after glassmakers from Bohemia settled here in the years after the war, it opens southwards onto the crater lakes of the volcanic Eifel, the Nürburgring circuit and the Pinot Noir slopes of the Ahr. Our partner CrossRent offers its vehicles here.
The depot is at a car dealership, Autohaus Nossmann, and the A61 motorway junction, heading for Koblenz and the south, is right on the edge of town.
1 rental partner
Where to pick up your vehicle à Rheinbach?
Road trip ideas
Road trips from Rheinbach
1 Maars and crater lakes of the Vulkaneifel
- Rheinbach
- Hillesheim
- Gerolstein
- Daun
- Manderscheid
- Pulvermaar
- Ulmen
- Rheinbach
Heading due south, you reach Hillesheim and its ramparts, then Gerolstein, overlooked by the limestone crags of its "Dolomites". Around Daun, three maars, explosion craters turned into lakes, follow one another within a few kilometres, including the Weinfelder Maar and its lonely chapel. Manderscheid then sets its two castles on either side of a valley, before the Pulvermaar, where people swim in summer, and Ulmen, whose ruined castle overlooks another maar.
- Distance
- about 250 km
- Recommended vehicle
- All types of motorhomes
2 Effelsberg, the Nürburgring and Lake Laach
- Rheinbach
- Effelsberg radio telescope
- Adenau
- Nürburgring
- Hohe Acht
- Maria Laach
- Bad Breisig
- Rheinbach
South of Rheinbach, the great white dish of the Effelsberg radio telescope appears at the bottom of a wooded valley. Adenau then leads to the Nürburgring, whose Nordschleife, nicknamed the "Green Hell", winds through the forest, and on to the Hohe Acht, the highest point of the Eifel, topped by a lookout tower. Further east, the Romanesque abbey of Maria Laach is reflected in a caldera lake, before the descent to the Rhine at Bad Breisig.
- Distance
- about 180 km
- Recommended vehicle
- Campervan or camper van
3 Bad Münstereifel, the upper Ahr and wine villages
- Rheinbach
- Bad Münstereifel
- Kommern
- Steinfeld Abbey
- Blankenheim
- Schuld
- Mayschoß
- Dernau
- Rheinbach
Bad Münstereifel, enclosed by its ramparts on the banks of the Erft, opens a loop through the northern Eifel: the Kommern open-air museum and its farmhouses rebuilt piece by piece, then Steinfeld Abbey. In Blankenheim, the Ahr rises in the cellar of a half-timbered house; you follow it downstream through Schuld, Mayschoß and Dernau, wine villages hit hard by the flood of July 2021, where the wineries are gradually reopening.
- Distance
- about 170 km
- Recommended vehicle
- Campervan, camper van or low-profile motorhome
Weather and seasons
When to go à Rheinbach?
Best time
May, June and September
May to June, September
highs 18 to 22 °C, lows 9 to 13 °C
The best months for driving in the Eifel: long days, broom in flower on the plateaus in late spring, then the grape harvest in the Ahr in September. The parking areas beside the maars are quieter than in high summer. Still, pack warm clothes for evenings on the heights, which are noticeably cooler than Rheinbach.
High season
July and August
July to August
highs 23 to 24 °C, lows 14 °C
High summer stays mild, ideal for hiking and swimming in the maars, though thunderstorms are not rare. It is also the school holiday period in the Rhineland and the Netherlands, whose travellers love the Eifel: book your vehicle early and aim for the Vulkaneifel parking areas on weekdays.
March, April and October
March to April, October
highs 10 to 15 °C, lows 2 to 9 °C
Transition months for short trips: orchards in blossom around Rheinbach and Meckenheim in spring, golden Eifel forests in October. Nights can still freeze on the plateaus in March: a heated vehicle is a must, and some campsites only open at Easter.
Winter
November to February
November to February
highs 5 to 9 °C, lows 0 to 4 °C
Winter is grey and damp, with very little sunshine, and snow falls regularly on the Hohe Acht and the heights around Blankenheim. The Christmas markets of Bad Münstereifel and Bonn liven up December; for the rest of the season, choose campsites open all year and a well-insulated vehicle.
Climate à Rheinbach, month by month
Most pleasant months: May to September.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 °C | 0 °C | 80 mm | 4 h/day |
| Feb | 7 °C | 1 °C | 61 mm | 6 h/day |
| Mar | 10 °C | 2 °C | 65 mm | 7 h/day |
| Apr | 14 °C | 4 °C | 55 mm | 10 h/day |
| May | 18 °C | 9 °C | 80 mm | 11 h/day |
| Jun | 22 °C | 13 °C | 82 mm | 11 h/day |
| Jul | 23 °C | 14 °C | 78 mm | 11 h/day |
| Aug | 24 °C | 14 °C | 69 mm | 11 h/day |
| Sep | 20 °C | 11 °C | 71 mm | 9 h/day |
| Oct | 15 °C | 9 °C | 69 mm | 6 h/day |
| Nov | 9 °C | 4 °C | 69 mm | 5 h/day |
| Dec | 6 °C | 2 °C | 71 mm | 3 h/day |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
Practical tips
Everything to know before hitting the road
Reaching the depot by train
Rheinbach has its own station on the Voreifelbahn, the regional line linking Bonn to Euskirchen: allow about half an hour from Bonn central station. From Cologne Bonn or Düsseldorf airports, change in Bonn or Cologne. The CrossRent depot is in town, but a taxi from the station saves carrying your luggage.
Effelsberg: phones off
The Effelsberg radio telescope picks up extremely faint signals from space: nearby, visitors are asked to switch off phones, radios and wireless devices. You see it from an information pavilion, reached by a short walk from the car park; check the opening days before making the detour.
Nürburgring: avoid the big weekends
During the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the Rock am Ring festival, the roads around Adenau and Nürburg are jammed and nearby campsites are full weeks in advance. Check the circuit calendar before setting your dates, or make the most of it by enjoying the event from a pitch booked very early.
The Ahr valley being rebuilt
The flood of July 2021 swept away roads, bridges and campsites in the Ahr valley. Most routes have reopened, but roadworks, diversions and parking areas still closed remain in places: check road conditions and call the campsite before heading there, especially with a large motorhome.
What travellers ask
Your questions about a road trip à Rheinbach
Where can I pick up a campervan in Rheinbach?
CrossRent, our partner company in Rheinbach, hands over its vehicles at the Autohaus Nossmann dealership, at Kleine Heeg 36. The appointment time is given in your booking confirmation: allow time for the vehicle briefing and the check-in inspection, and let the company know if your train or flight is delayed.
How much does it cost to hire a campervan in Rheinbach?
The rate depends on the season, the rental length and the vehicle category, and a single depot does not have the same availability in July as in November. Run a search with your pick-up and return dates: the prices shown, mandatory fees included, are CrossRent's prices for those dates and can be booked immediately.
What if no vehicle is available in Rheinbach?
Widen your search to the nearby departure cities: Bonn is 18 km away as the crow flies, Cologne 37 km, Grevenbroich 60 km and Aachen 63 km. A one-way rental also lets you start in one of these cities and return the vehicle in another; any fees are included in the price shown as soon as you enter the return city.
What is there to see in Rheinbach before setting off?
The glass museum tells how glassmakers from Bohemia, who settled here after 1945, made Rheinbach the "glass town". The old town keeps towers of its medieval walls, including the Witches' Tower, a reminder of the trials of the 17th century. To the north, the Kottenforst forest can be explored on foot or by bike all the way to the edge of Bonn.
How many days should I plan from Rheinbach?
A long weekend is enough for Effelsberg, the Nürburgring and Lake Laach, all less than an hour's drive away. Allow three or four days for the maars of the Vulkaneifel, and a week to combine the Eifel with the Moselle around Cochem and Trier, or to push on to Luxembourg across the southern plateaus.
Verified customer reviews
They rented à Rheinbach with CoolDrive Nomad
4.3
818 reviews
Quick and professional support from your operator - Marléne. We leave a message on the answering machine, and we get a call back at the scheduled time and date. The exchanges and responses are clear.
F.
Germany · Apr 2024
Trustpilot
This is our first rental of a modified vehicle, Marléne was very attentive to answer all our questions in preparing for our trip. The follow-up on the file went very well, we can't wait to start our journey. Thank you!
M.
Germany · Apr 2024
Trustpilot
Follow-up and kindness of contact personnel.
J.
Germany · Jul 2023
Trustpilot
Frequently asked questions
FAQ — Campervan and motorhome hire in Rheinbach
What licence do I need to drive a motorhome in Germany?
A category B licence covers campervans, camper vans and motorhomes up to 3.5 tonnes, which means most rental vehicles. A licence issued outside the European Union sometimes has to be accompanied by an international driving permit or a translation. The minimum age and number of years of driving required are shown in the conditions of each offer.
Are German motorways tolled for motorhomes?
No: motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes use German motorways with no vignette or toll, such as the A61 and the A1 that serve the Eifel. Cologne, however, has a low-emission zone reserved for vehicles with the green sticker; vehicles rented in Germany normally have one, but check the rules in force.
Where can I sleep in a motorhome in the Eifel?
Wohnmobilstellplätze, parking areas reserved for motorhomes, are plentiful in the Vulkaneifel, often a few steps from a maar, in Daun, Gillenfeld or Manderscheid, as well as in the wine villages of the Ahr. Wild camping is forbidden, particularly in the Eifel National Park; one night in a public car park is generally tolerated, with no table or awning out.
Can I drive a rented motorhome on the Nürburgring?
The Nürburgring Nordschleife opens to the public on certain days for an entry fee, but rental conditions and insurance generally exclude any use on a race track: ask the rental company before even considering it. For the atmosphere, the viewing areas along the track, such as Brünnchen, let you watch the cars go by at very close range.
Which airport is best for reaching Rheinbach?
Cologne Bonn airport is the closest, about forty kilometres away by road: a taxi reaches the depot in around half an hour, or take the train via Bonn. Düsseldorf, a little over an hour's drive away, offers more international connections. Tell the rental company your arrival time so the key handover can be arranged.
When should I book a campervan in Rheinbach?
For July and August, book several months before departure, as well as for race weekends at the Nürburgring and the Ahr grape harvest in September. With only one depot in town, the number of available vehicles is limited: book as soon as your dates are set. In spring and autumn, a few weeks is often enough.
About us
Why start a motorhome trip from Rheinbach
Rheinbach offers a departure away from the traffic jams of Cologne and Bonn, right on the edge between the Rhine plain and the Eifel uplands. In less than an hour you reach the maars of the Vulkaneifel, the Effelsberg radio telescope, the Hohe Acht and Lake Laach; the Ahr valley, its wine villages and its paths through the vineyards are even closer. These are landscapes of extinct volcanoes, forests and small roads, to be explored at a gentle pace.
CrossRent, our partner company, hands over its vehicles at a garage in town, easy to reach by train from Bonn. Bonn, Cologne, Grevenbroich and Aachen, other departure cities of our partners, widen the choice or allow a one-way trip. From May to September, the temperate Eifel climate, without great heat, suits hiking days and long drives alike.