2 days near Frankfurt - suggestions?
 

My husband and I will be near Frankfurt for a wedding at the end of May, and would like to find somewhere to spend about 2 full days afterward. Based on what I've read in other threads here, we're planning to travel by rail (friends can drop us in Frankfurt and we'll head out from there), and based how we like to travel, our plan is to limit ourselves to one city/town for that time. Mainz sounds nice from what other people have said, but I'd like to hear others' thoughts on places to go and things to do. I'd also love to hear if anyone can recommend a small inn (I don't like big, modern hotels) where the innkeeper speaks passable English.<BR><BR>Any and all advice will be appreciated!<BR><BR>thanks<BR>mo

To elaborate, right now I think it's a tossup between 3 places: Mainz, Cochem, and Rudesheim. What we're ideally looking for is a small, old town that isn't a tourist trap, and that has enough to do locally (that we can walk to or take local transportation to) for a couple of days.

Wurzburg is a fun town with a lot of things to see (not too touristy), but the Romantic Road and Rothenburg is fantastic (touristy, but worth it).

Mainz is fairly big. Rudesheim is a tourist trap. Cochem is your best bet. There's a very atmospheric and quiet old town area just behind the busy, modern main drag along the river. You can tour Reichsburg Castle (in town - a short walk uphill from the center) or ride the gondola for a view from a nearby peak. There's a mustard mill tour as well. Burg Eltz, the best castle tour in Germany, iMO, is 1-hr hike from Moselkern, a stop roughly midway between Cochem and Koblenz (this will eat up a good part of one day, however.)There are also river boat tours upriver to Beilstein (1 hour) and back from the docks in Cochem. Other small towns you can visit by train within a few miles:<BR>Bullay, Traben-Trarbach.

Cochem is sounding like the right way to go. Can anyone recommend a small inn in the old section of town?

In Cochem, I've stayed at two different private B&amp;B places for around $35-$40/double per night. The Alte Thorschenke is pricier but a good value, I've heard; it's the place that gets nods. I haven't stayed there, but I can vouch for its excellent location on the edge of the old town's pedestrian zone (there is a busy adjacent road, but those who stay there say it isn't a problem.) Website's in German but proprietors can do English, I understand, and you can click around on the website links for photos, etc. (Click on &quot;G&auml;stezimmer&quot; for page on rooms/prices.)<BR><BR>http://www.castle-thorschenke.com/

about 2 hours away is rothenburg o.b. tauber...a wonderful walled town...one of germany's prettiest....you would not be disappointed with 2 days there...there is a train station nearby or you could drive....lots of hotels and gasthouses.....

Nuremburg is great - 2 hours away, Wurzburg is 1 hour, and Rottenburg is 1 1/2, also Heidelberg, maybe 1 - 1/2 hours. All are great!

COCHEM: We stayed at the ALTE THORNDECKE during a trip in 1997. Nice place! Built into the old city walls. If you select Cochem you would enjoy this place.<BR><BR>As to Cochem or Rudesheim, I would do Cochem and explore the Mosel area for the time you have. Lot of nice towns up and down the river.<BR><BR>ROTHENBURG is also a good selection from Frankfurt in the other direction. Many posts on Fodors on this town.<BR><BR>Mainz? Last choice for me.

Bamberg is a gem of a small city--perfect for what you describe if you stay in the center of the old city. But we loved the Mosel as well--we stayed in Beilstein (which has no rail service).