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5 Hoosiers - help with route through Germany

5 Hoosiers - help with route through Germany

Old Dec 15th, 2014, 06:25 PM
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5 Hoosiers - help with route through Germany

Hello all,

Since I received such great assistance with my outerwear question, I thought I would get some assistance.

There are 5 females, 4 aged 20ish and me. Since I'm older and supposedly wiser, they are leaving all the hard decisions up,to me.

We are landing in Amsterdam, and will be there 3 nights. On the 4 th day we will head into Germany on a train, and work our way down to Paris in 6 days. This is the hard part. Since we will be in the city in Netherlands and France, we want to see the countryside in Germany.

I want this to be fun, and not totally hectic running around to 1000 places, I'm considering the Mosel Valley as a base, or possibly Heidelberg. I'm just not sure the best way to travel through these areas without stressing us out, and then arrive in Paris exhausted. We want to see some castles, scenery and drink wine! Lol

How would you handle this? Would you travel down to Munich and fly to Paris? Or stay in the countryside and take a train in to Paris? I sincerely appreciate any ideas. The more I research this the more confused I seem to get.

Ps: after Paris 1 is flying home, and the other 4 of us are flying to Rome for another week. This is our grand adventure!
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Old Dec 15th, 2014, 06:51 PM
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The train. Definitely take the train. You can drink your wine and watch the beautiful scenery roll by. You can also do part of the the trip by river boat.

Train from Amsterdam to Cologne (approx 3 hrs, I think) and stay 2-3 nights, drinking Kolsh on the main plaza and admiring the cathedral and all the art galleries and museums.

Then its just a 1 hour hop to Koblenz or, really, any of the smallish towns on the river, for 2 more nights -- take some day trips or travel by boat and check out the castles and vineyards.


Then 2 nights in Trier -- visit the Roman ruins and pretty old town center.

(If you prefer, stay 3 nights in Cologne and 3 nights in Trier and use it as a base to exploer the Mosel).

Then by train 4.5 hours to Paris.
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Old Dec 15th, 2014, 06:55 PM
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"I'm considering the Mosel Valley as a base..."

Good choice. And an easy route to Paris after your stay.

"I'm just not sure the best way to travel through these areas without stressing us out, and then arrive in Paris exhausted."

The Mosel is very relaxing. With 6 days including transport, there's no reason you can't do some day trips, maybe to the Rhine as well, and still have some time just to hang out "at home" on the Mosel.

"We want to see some castles, scenery and drink wine!"
You have made an excellent choice.

Cochem might be a good town for you. Small but not so small that you couldn't eat out somewhere different every night and still have a nice meal. It's centrally located on the Mosel and has its own castle - great falconry show there too. And it's not far from Burg Eltz castle, Trier, Beilstein, or Bernkastel. It's a great place for walking, biking, and hiking too.

http://www.german-way.com/travel-and...cochem-castle/

(Heidelberg, by the way, is much much more a city than a small town. And if you don't want city, you don't want Munich or the long trip to get there.)
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Old Dec 15th, 2014, 07:10 PM
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Since Trier is only 50 minutes or so by train from Cochem, it might be simpler just to day trip there rather than move. With 5 an apartment would be a big plus, and a weekly rate is usually less expensive. Cochem's accommodations brochure:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 01:36 AM
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Both from the Mosel (Trier) and from Heidelberg (Mannheim) you can reach Paris on a fast train in 3-4 hours.
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 04:12 AM
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Another idea would be to base yourself in the Frankfurt area, from which it is super easy to get trains to soooooo much for day trips. (but not the Mosel area or Trier--two other favorite areas). See my trip reports for the many day trips I took from Frankfurt. I "did" a bunch of cities/towns--Mainz, Heidelberg, Koln, Nurnberg, Weisbaden, Speyer,Worms --and lots of smaller towns/cities--Buedingen,Marburg for example--plus spent time on the Rhine at some castles

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...kfurt-area.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-frankfurt.cfm

However, Trier is perhaps my favorite city(town?) in Germany but I was there via car so don't know about train connections/etc. Ditto about the Mosel--it's very pretty but I was there with hubby with a car so don't have advice.

You really can't go "wrong" about choosing an area to see. I'd probably advise picking one base and exploring that city for a bit and then taking day trips from there. It will make life easier and give you more energy for those day trips if you aren't moving about perhaps.

The DBahn website is pretty easy to navigate and will give you idea of time involved if you plug in "dummy" itineraries.

(I make a plug for a rail pass--no, it's not the cheapest way but oh, my, the advantage of total flexibility made it so worth it for me.)

oh you don't say when--that will make a little difference--remembering crowds and long days of light in summer.
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 04:47 AM
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Why not consider basing yourself in Koblenz which allows easy access to the Mosel and the Rhine valleys. While it will add an extra hour to your Paris commute, you can visit Trier, Koln and the small villages along the Rhine. The train along the Rhine is extremely scenic.
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 08:01 AM
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But Koblenz again is a city and Cologne is a big city. The OP wanted to avoid cities.

We loved our time on the Mosel, and Cochem makes a good base. You could daytrip to the Rhine villages.
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 08:08 AM
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Yes yes yes to Cochem - awesome natural scenery and a cool town - great base for going to Burg Eltz nearby - one of Germany's most famous castles and boat rides or bike pedals along this gorgeous river valley - to me one of the most scenic in Europe.

and trains get you to Cochem and you can spend a day in the nearby Rhine Gorge by train and K-D boat (www.k-d.com).

for lots of great stuff on German trains and the Mosel Valley check out these superb sites: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Use Lander Cards for cheap travel for about 30 euros on regional trains in a regional area like the Rhine/Mosel - up to five people I believe can travel all day for just about 30 euros.
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 10:37 AM
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https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...=1600&bih=1099

Cochem the kind of town folks dream of staying in but rarely do! I led hundreds of folks thru the Mosel in the past and Cochem was all their favorites - much more romantic than the Rhine towns IMO.
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 05:17 PM
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Hey Pal, sent that link of Cochem to my husband. He went through there on a motorcycle trip in the 90s and could not remember the name. Thanks for jogging his memory and now on our to do list for next Germany trip. Anyway, train travel is the best in Germany.
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 05:41 PM
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Thank you thank you!!! I'm so glad you are all on my wavelength. I was considering Cochem as a base, and it seems like that's not a bad plan. We will be in Germany May 14 - 20, 2015.

I also like the idea of possibly staying in Cologne for a night or two to see the cathedral and the sights. I'd also considered going straight to Koblenz, and then taking a river boat down to Cochem and staying in Cochem. I want to be able to see the gorgeous countryside!

I've looked at the rail passes, and they are a bit pricey. I'll have to compare that price to the local slower train prices. 2 of the girls are college students, and the others 2 have just graduated, so money is an issue.

I sincerely appreciate the input, and I will let you know where we decide to go.
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Old Dec 16th, 2014, 06:52 PM
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Regarding Koblenz to Cochem by boat: if on KD, there is really only one trip a day and only on weekend and only after the end of May. Take a look at the schedule from 2014. https://www.k-d.com/en/kd-scheduled-...lle-timetable/
I stayed in Cochem this September. Visited Trier one day and Burg Eltz another day. On the way out of Mosel valley, since I had to change train at Koblenz, I just put my luggage into a locker to Koblenz and took a quick train trip to Braubach to visit the Marksburg castle on the other shore, took train back to Koblenz to continue my trip.
During the day, Cochem seems to be a mandatory stop for big bus tour groups. Also many river cruise long boats anchor overnights at Cochem. But after the tour buses are gone, the town is quite charming with flood lit Cochem castle perched just above the town. It is a town big enough to offer good selection of dining choices. During the season, there is at least one other cruise boat company starting from Cochem providing short trips to Beilstein or long trips as far as Traben-Trabach. see http://www.moselrundfahrten.de/en/download.php. This company also offer trips to Koblenz but not until late May.
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 04:27 AM
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"I also like the idea of possibly staying in Cologne for a night or two to see the cathedral and the sights."

You could probably make Cologne a multi-hour stop on the way to Cochem. Lv. A'dam around 8 am, 2.5 hours from A'dam to Cologne by fast train. Stow bags at the station. Schedule a 5-7-hour layover there. Train to Cochem (under 2 hours) and still arrive in Cochem before 20:00. You can do this whole train trip for €29 per person if you buy well in advance from DB.

"I'd also considered going straight to Koblenz, and then taking a river boat down to Cochem and staying in Cochem."

I wouldn't. That cruise takes 5+ hours. You can see the same scenery from the train in much less time. From Cochem you can take a nice cruise upstream to Beilstein (1 hour) or to other villages with the Kolb company:

http://www.moselrundfahrten.de/en/

From Cochem you can get to Paris in 4 hours for €39 (seat reservation included, again by purchasing well in advance at DB.)

While you're in Cochem, day trips by train to wherever (Trier, or over to the Rhine) can be done on a group day pass for 5 - cost is €8 each per day. Just by the daypasses as you go.

http://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets-and...-pfalz-ticket/

So you can probably do all this train travel for less than €100 each. How does that compare with the railpass price?

Cochem has lots of lodging options but with 5 people and proximity to the station a concern, you'll want to book fairly early. An apartment would be good. Some examples:

Haxel winery apartment: http://haxel.de/?page_id=31&lang=en

Pension Andreas (maybe an apartment + a double room here): http://www.pension-haus-andreas.de/en/apartments.php
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 06:36 AM
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You have received excellent advice, and mine is a bit dated and random, but:

Like Fuss said, take a look at Cologne and whether/how much time you want to spend there. Theoretically (depending on trains) I think you could probably stop there for a few hours and then continue to a smaller town along the Rhine to stay. We have enjoyed Bacharach, but there are others.

Depending on the time of year and where you stay you could take a KD Cruise (day cruise) and enjoy the scenery and/or take milk stop trains to visit another town or two (don't forget the castles!).

Burg Eltz is a bit of a hike from the train station (unless they've implemented some kind of taxi service?). You might want to visit it (unlike me) AFTER you deposit your bags in Cochem or wherever.

Do look at Trier. It has a great town center, the cool black gate, at least 2 interesting churches (not the right term), and some Roman baths. All of it in walking distance.
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 03:39 PM
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I love the idea of stopping in Cologne for a few hours. That's perfect! I'm having problems finding somewhere to stay in Cochem for 5 that is affordable. I found a nice apartment in Trier, but it is a little expensive. We may just travel diwn to trier and stay there for the full time.

I appreciate the cruise reviews, and train ideas. So helpful.

Thanks again! Love the ideas.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 03:22 AM
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May 14 is a Saturday. In that case I'd recommend staying in Cologne for a night and spend the evening with a tour of the brewery pubs in the old town. Sunday morning is also much quieter than Saturday afternoon if you want to do some last-minute sight-seeing.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 04:20 AM
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I would suggest staying in some less touristy town than Cochem, where the prices will be lower. There are plenty of pretty little towns along the river, and the local trains stop in most of them. There are lots of nice walks you can take, and there were train-bike combination trips when I was there (a long time ago!).

We stayed in the little town of Alf, which had hardly any tourists at all. (Maybe that has changed.) There was a little ferry that took you across the river; you had to raise a little flag to signal that you wanted a ride. On the other side was the somewhat larger town of Bullay, where there was a certain amount of tourism, mostly catering to German families.

I'm not suggesting these two towns in particular, just saying that there are lots of little towns along the river, and many of them will be much cheaper than Cochem. I believe I considered Cochem at the time and rejected it because of the cost of lodging.

We loved the area. On our way to the Mosel (from Rotterdam, where we live at that time) we spent a night in Cologne to visit a friend, before proceeding to Alf by train. While in Alf, we went by train to Trier, a very nice small city, with some of the best Roman ruins I've seen north of Italy (except for Bath!). On our way back to Rotterdam, we took the train to Mainz, just so I could see the Gutenberg Museum, and then continued by boat along the Rhine to Trier, where we got the train. Since you're going in the other direction, you could take the boat on your way to the Mosel.

We also took a boat from Trier back to somewhere along the river on our way back to Alf. Boats on the Mosel don't run the whole way, and the itineraries may vary based on water level. There are so many curves in the Mosel that a boat is just for the ride; it couldn't possibly be considered transportation. It was a very pretty boat ride, to me it was more enjoyable than the boat trip on the Rhine. As someone else pointed out, the train trip on the Rhine is also very scenic. I've taken that route several times.

While I liked Cologne quite a lot, you don't have a lot of time, and if you really want some time in the countryside, I would go straight to the Mosel.

I just remembered a funny incident. We stayed in an inexpensive lodging in Alf with a "Zimmer Frei" sign in the window. One night, in the wee hours, another guest, very drunk, tried to get into our room, insisting it was his. When we (with the help from the landlady) had finally got him to reconsider his mistaken conviction, and were settling back down to sleep, the landlady woke us up again to apologize profusely for his behaviour.

I just learned that Google has no Street View in Germany because of privacy concerns. I wanted to get a look at the streets of Alf for nostalgic reasons, and to see how it's changed. I found some Google images, but they're mostly all of the castle or the riverfront.
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 05:07 AM
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deb_curtis: I would not hastily book a place in Trier, which has some wonderful sights but is a mostly modern city of some size where the atmosphere is totally different from Cochem and the other Mosel towns. Stick with Cochem - maybe you aren't looking in all the right places?? - or move your efforts to other nearby villages (as bvlenci suggests) like Alf or Bullay (wonderful little places) nearby.

Here are some more resources for you:

Hundreds of acccomodations along the Mosel: http://www.mosellandtouristik.de/en/...ay-apartments/

Winery stays (rooms, apartments) along the Mosel: http://web.deskline.net/zell/de/list_brochure

Bullay - list with links to apartments/rooms (German): http://www.bullay.de/extern/extern.htm

Alf accommodations chart with links (German): http://www.alf-mosel.de/gastgeber.html

Reil - town website with links to apartments and rooms (English): http://www.reil-mosel.de/en/reil-for-guests
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Old Dec 18th, 2014, 05:21 AM
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For that winery stays link in my previous post: download the English version in the 3rd box below "Buchungskatalog Erlebnis Mosel WeinKulturLand"
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