spancha

I had posted the question in this forum a couple of months ago, and the initial replies were very helpful indeed - so I hope the very helpful readers here won't mind me asking a similar question again, now that we have confirmed the dates and flights!

We will be staying over in Frankfurt for 3 days (landing Tue morning, leaving Friday mid-day), and I was planning the following itinerary, and wanted to check if it is feasible, and will appreciate any tips that could make it easier.

Tue morning - land, check in to hotel by 1 pm
Tue afternoon/evening - sightseeing in Frankfurt - Romer, Kaiserdom etc.
Wed - Train to Heidelburg, tour castle, return to Frankfurt (is this a whole day, or half a day? Will there be any time to go somewhere else on this day?)
Thursday - Train trip somewhere along the Rhine - this is where I need help. Should the destination be Koblenz? Mainz? Cologne? Somewhere in between? Is a River cruise for a short distance possible? We would like to see some castle, historic places andmostly, as much of the scenery as possible - all of this within that day and return to FRA by night.
Friday - our flight leaves at 1.30 pm - so I've left this open for now

We are a family of 4 (2 boys 14 & 9). Thanks in advance for all your ideas - and I hope to post our experience back here to this forum next month!

Thanks

Mainhattengirl

If you told us when you were going to be here, we could help out some possible local events, like festivals.

The train to Heidelberg takes an hour or so, and you can spend as much time there as you like. The city does have more than just the castle. If you are going to be here in the summer, than you have plenty of daylight for exploring.

Going along the Rhine I think, is best done on the train, though others like riding the boats. For the next 6 weeks though, the trains have been replaced by buses while they work on the tracks. Most people enjoy visiting Marksburg castle in Braubach.

If you don't want to go so far away with the boys, think about visiting the Saalburg, a reconstructed Roman fort right outside of Bad Homburg. Hessen Park, which is an open air museum near-by might also be interesting. A closer castle would be in Kronberg, or for a coolness factor, visit Burg Frankfenstein near Darmstadt. Great ruins for climbing around and your boys will love you for it.
http://www.saalburgmuseum.de/english/home_engl.htm
http://www.hessenpark.de/index.php?id=home
http://www.burgkronberg.de/rundgang.html
http://www.aufreisen.de/hessen/HEFes...Sp=1&IR=456682

For activities for kids of this age, I also recommend going to one of the Fun Forests that are in the area.
http://www.abenteuerpark-offenbach.de/

Russ

For Thursday: suggest you take the train to attractive Bacharach on a group daypass called the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket) which will cost you 28 Euros and allow you to use the local and regional trains all day between Mainz and Koblenz beginning at 9 am (you'll need Frankfurt-Mainz-Frankfurt tickets too.) Leave Mainz 9:35, arrive Bacharach 10:26; watch for castles on the route between Bingen and Bacharach. Get off, see the town briefly, then take a cruise boat north - catch the 11:15 boat to Braubach, arriving 13:20 - through the most interesting section of the Rhine to Marksburg for a tour of the castle at 2:00:

www.marksburg.de

After your tour, train to Boppard via Koblenz; it's an ancient town with Roman roots, a nice river promenade and old town center (nice outdoor cafes), and a chairlift ride to a lookout over the river.

Return via Mainz to Frankfurt.

spancha

Thanks very much for your very helpful replies. We will be there next week - i.e. between 20th - 23rd July.

@Russ - your suggested schedule sounds great, and I think I will just adopt it! One additional question - should I try to buy the train tickets before I leave the US over the web, or can I just wait and buy them when I get to Frankfurt?

@Mainhattengirl - thanks for the suggestions on places near Frankfurt - but if possible, I'd like to get out to the Rhine - just wish we had more time! I see your note about the track work on the trains - is there any place to check on those schedules? The DB Bahn website doesn't mention anything about that?

Thanks!

Russ

There is no need to get tickets now. Buy the R-P daypass (in advance if you like) from a DB ticket machine (English interface option) in Frankfurt at the airport station or at the main station; specify the date you will travel when prompted. You can use your credit card.

The ticket to and from Mainz is available at station ticket machines on the day of travel. Use the RMV ticket machine (local transit authority; may be in German only, but not sure.) It's about 7 euros per person each way from Frankfurt am Main Hbf (the main station) to Mainz Hbf, but there should be a discounted group day ticket option to cover you round trip:

http://www.rmv.de/coremedia/generato...karte__en.html

machine instructions:
http://www.rmv.de/coremedia/generato...halt_3Den.html


main RMV page:
http://www.rmv.de/coremedia/generato...__ART__en.html

spancha

@Russ - thanks so much for the very helpful replies.

One last question - now that I am near enough to the trip, I find that next Thursday is the only day of the week when the weather forecast is 'Rain' - with a 60% chance of precipitation. Will a train/boat trip to the above places (Mainz,Bacharach,Marksburg,Koblenz) still be fun/possible in that weather? If not, any suggestions for an alternative?

Thanks!