Hi, none of my relatives left Switzerland via the Rhine, but a relative recently sent me a photo of STEIN AM REIN , a town located near the beginning of the Rhine River in the SE part of Switzerland. Still in the German speaking section of Switzerland, not the Italian speaking. Currently, the river features excursion rides for tourists at this little town. The Rhine begins in Switzerland and flows NORTH out of the mountains down to the flatlands through Germany and into the North Sea, rather than flowing south; all along the way - including in Switzerland - there are vineyards along the river. Hence Rhine Wine. Swiss wine is quite expensive and not usually exported. The river is only a little longer than 800 miles, but only 500 of it is navigable, because of the high waterfalls and other gorges in Switzerland, before it hits the plains of Germany. It can only be traveled from Basel, CH to the North Sea. In the 1800's most Swiss, like my ancestors, left the Old World via LeHavre, France. They walked or rode wagons to the nearest train station, and traveled via train through France to the coast. I know that doesn't help much regarding river fees, but this may be of interest. If any of you would like a photo of the STEIN AM REIN town, email me and I will send it. Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger _http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwartwo/_ (http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwartwo/) WWII index - free for today _http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/_ (http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/) WWI - free until 25 Nov 2005 In a message dated 11/20/2005 5:48:09 P.M. Central Standard Time, gnlg4nhg@frontiernet.net writes: While researching in Germany a number of years ago, a cousin of mine was told there is a book in which a record was kept of the toll fee paid by all people traveling on the river from Switzerland to live in what is now Germany. It was said to cover the period from 1556 to 1750 when there were large migrations from Switzerland. Does anyone know of such a book? Can anyone tell me if there were such fees? Who would have collected them? Would they be paid to each entity they passed through on the journey, or maybe only to Switzerland? What entities were in control of shipping on the Rhine during that time period? Where would such records have been kept, and where might they be now? Thanks for any help or information anyone can give me! N. H. Goodman