ladybugtravel

May I get feedback please on my proposed driving itinerary thru the Pfalz region? I will be travelling alone with my two older children. Do the logistics make sense (should we spend more/less time any place in particular)? We can easily add 1-2 days to this itinerary if recommended. Thank you.

Day 1: depart Frankfurt in morning with rental car to Idar Oberstein (Edelsteinmuseum & Steinkanenberg Gemstone Mine). Spend night in Trier.
Day 2: explore Trier. Spend 2nd night in Trier.
Day 3: drive to Luxembourg to see Vianden Chateau & Diekirch Museum. Spend night in Luxembourg.
Day 4: drive to Burg Eltz. Spend night near Cochem or Koblenz.
Day 5: visit Mainz (Gutenberg Museum) in morning, return to Frankfurt in evening.

Thank you in advance for your advice!

mokka4

What are the ages of you children?
You know of course that this trip is very easy using trains?
And you could easily base in just 1-2 towns and take daytrips to minimize packing and unpacking?
Otherwise, it looks like a nice unhurried but active pace!

quokka

This is doable but it looks rather rushed to me. However, you are not even entering the Pfalz region with this itinerary...

Fussgaenger

You really should do as you yourself suggested and add a couple of days.

If Day 1 starts after arrival at FRA airport, consider taking the train to Idar-Oberstein, if only for that day. Driving right after an overnight flight across time zones is dangerous, especially in new surroundings and the kind of traffic you'll find near Frankfurt.

A very interesting place near Idar-Oberstein is in Bad Sobernheim. This "open-air" museum introduces you to the day-to-day life of the local people over the last 2-3 centuries:

https://www.freilichtmuseum-rlp.de/b...h-information/

One area you don't mention at all is the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. It's stuffed with castles, vineyards, and attractive old-world villages, and UNESCO has designated it a World Heritage Site. It's maybe the most common reason that people visit this part of Germany!

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1066
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/castles.php
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhei...ity-cities.php

Pay special attention to the left-side towns of Boppard, St. Goar, Oberwesel and Bacharach.

bilboburgler

Since you are basically doing a Mosel trip and not going anywhere near the Pfalz....

You don't give any dates, if in September you might like Bad Durkheim. Not only the world's biggest wine festival it also has a salt spa (based on a Roman original).

ladybugtravel

Mea culpa - I thought the greater Mosel/Rhine region here was "Pfalz".

To answer your questions...
-We will be in Berlin all summer. This would be a side trip in late June or early July, my intention was to take ICE from Berlin-> Frankfurt Hbf to kick start this adventure.
-We had two security/safety issues on regional bahn trains last summer (not appropriate to address here), so I am anxious about regional train travel, which is the only option in this specific area. This is why I would like to rent a car. That said, I have always found ICE to be well-staffed / felt safe.

Thank you Fussgaenger for your suggestions to see "Bad Sobernheim", this is exactly the type of place my we might enjoy. I had no idea it existed! To be honest, I am anxious about the Upper Middle Rhine Valley this time of year vis-a-vis being overwhelmed by fellow tourists. (I realize I will face this head on in Trier & Burg Eltz anyhow.) I will research the towns you suggest and perhaps add in 1-2 days.

Thank you Mokka4, I will look into a hotel where we can plant ourselves, use as a base, good call.

Thank you all very much!

Fussgaenger

I've been traveling for 4 decades on German trains including regional trains of all kidnds and honestly have never experienced a single "security concern" - my only losses have been things I foolishly left behind on my seat.. That is not at all to say you did not have such experiences, only that I believe your chances of having them again are very slim.

swandav2000

I've also been travelling on regional trains -- not for 4 decades but for 8 years here in Bavaria. I don't have a car, so basically if I leave my town, I'm on a regional train, including going hiking or mountain biking nearby.

I've also never had any security or safety issues on regional trains. And that's including on a train from Munich on a Saturday night during Oktoberfest. It was standing-room only; more than half of the passengers were beyond drunk, weaving as they stood and also singing together, and, yes, still drinking.

I did manage to snag a seat (I was quicker than the drunk guys, lol), but because of the crush, my suitcase was at the end of the car, out of my eyesight.

And still, I didn't feel threatened or in danger in any way. Occasionally, I stood up to see if my suitcase was still there, and it was.

Like Fussgaenger, I don't mean to say you didn't have a concern . . . but truly I don't think there's a chance of a repeat.

Have fun as you plan!

s

swandav2000

BTW, I am a small woman over 60 years old . . . not a man.

s