4 days in germany..help me plan iternary
May 26th, 2010, 01:54 PM
#1
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4 days in germany..help me plan iternary
Hi All
We are reaching frankfurt on monday in sept and we have to leave from frankfurt aroun 10..00 AM on friday.
So we have around 4 days and 4nights .Its me my husband and our 5 yr old boy's firt trip to europe.
We want to go to paris for a day and stay for a night is possible(not sure)
What places should we visit when we are in germany..what would be ideal way to plan the trip to cover paris as well.
We are more into nature and scenic beauty rather than museums but would like to see one of the museums if possible
please help
PS we don't have to stay in Frankfurt..just have to catch flight back to US from Frankfurt main airport
We are reaching frankfurt on monday in sept and we have to leave from frankfurt aroun 10..00 AM on friday.
So we have around 4 days and 4nights .Its me my husband and our 5 yr old boy's firt trip to europe.
We want to go to paris for a day and stay for a night is possible(not sure)
What places should we visit when we are in germany..what would be ideal way to plan the trip to cover paris as well.
We are more into nature and scenic beauty rather than museums but would like to see one of the museums if possible
please help
PS we don't have to stay in Frankfurt..just have to catch flight back to US from Frankfurt main airport
May 26th, 2010, 02:43 PM
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4 days in Germany AND you also want to visit Paris?
I assume you are arriving in Frankfurt from somewhere else in Europe and not from the US? 4 days is very little time especially when you consider any travel time, such as traveling to Paris and returning to Frankfurt.
You will spend 5 hrs or more each way by train from Frankfurt to Paris. Flying from Frankfurt to Paris won't be cheap and will still entail several hours at the airport and flying time.
My suggestion is to forget Paris for this trip and just enjoy the lovely areas of Germany surrounding Frankfurt for your 4 days. The Rhine and Mosel River areas are nearby and offer wine tasting, castles and, of course, the rivers themselves.
Alternatively, you could train over to Wurzburg for a couple of days and then go on to Bamberg for a day or two before returning back to Frankfurt for your return flight.
I assume you are arriving in Frankfurt from somewhere else in Europe and not from the US? 4 days is very little time especially when you consider any travel time, such as traveling to Paris and returning to Frankfurt.
You will spend 5 hrs or more each way by train from Frankfurt to Paris. Flying from Frankfurt to Paris won't be cheap and will still entail several hours at the airport and flying time.
My suggestion is to forget Paris for this trip and just enjoy the lovely areas of Germany surrounding Frankfurt for your 4 days. The Rhine and Mosel River areas are nearby and offer wine tasting, castles and, of course, the rivers themselves.
Alternatively, you could train over to Wurzburg for a couple of days and then go on to Bamberg for a day or two before returning back to Frankfurt for your return flight.
May 26th, 2010, 07:07 PM
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I second bettyk's points. Paris within those 4 days/4 nights just doesn't make sense.
I hope you're not coming from the US, since by the end of your first wiped out jet-lagged day, 1/4 of your vacation will be over. Really, the only possible way of salvaging the trip would be, as bettyk suggests, a quick round of one of the regions near Frankfurt, such as the Rhine and Mosel. I understand that short trips are sometimes necessary, but Paris will certainly be out of bounds.
I hope you're not coming from the US, since by the end of your first wiped out jet-lagged day, 1/4 of your vacation will be over. Really, the only possible way of salvaging the trip would be, as bettyk suggests, a quick round of one of the regions near Frankfurt, such as the Rhine and Mosel. I understand that short trips are sometimes necessary, but Paris will certainly be out of bounds.
May 26th, 2010, 07:37 PM
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I agree with the previous advice. Your best bet is to stay in Germany, and probably in the Rhine/Mosel region - which really is more enjoyable than Paris anyway!
The attractive village of Cochem is an ideal spot to stay for a few days. It's full of cobblestones, towers, old town walls, and half-timbered buildings, and the bakeries might help you forget about Paris.
Cochem has its own castle:
http://www.reichsburg-cochem.de/engl...y_exterior.htm
And there's an excellent free-flight falconry exhibition:
http://www.reichsburg-cochem.de/english/falconry.htm
And a scenic chairlift ride:
http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/Coc...n/default.html
Near Cochem: You can daytrip by train to several interesting places. Burg Eltz has an excellent castle tour:
www.burg-eltz.de
Or visit Trier (Germany's oldest city, Roman roots), Luxembourg, and the Rhine villages (Bacharach, St. Goar, Boppard.) Bad Bertrich is a nearby spa town - take a bus from Cochem if interested.
It's your anniversary, right? You might try the upscale "Alte Thorschenke", which has an excellent location in the old town area:
http://www.thorschenke.de/en/index.htm
I would suggest staying in Mainz on your last night in order to get to the airport early. Mainz is a nice medium-sized city with many train connections to the airport (about 20-25 minutes to FRA.)
The attractive village of Cochem is an ideal spot to stay for a few days. It's full of cobblestones, towers, old town walls, and half-timbered buildings, and the bakeries might help you forget about Paris.
Cochem has its own castle:
http://www.reichsburg-cochem.de/engl...y_exterior.htm
And there's an excellent free-flight falconry exhibition:
http://www.reichsburg-cochem.de/english/falconry.htm
And a scenic chairlift ride:
http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/Coc...n/default.html
Near Cochem: You can daytrip by train to several interesting places. Burg Eltz has an excellent castle tour:
www.burg-eltz.de
Or visit Trier (Germany's oldest city, Roman roots), Luxembourg, and the Rhine villages (Bacharach, St. Goar, Boppard.) Bad Bertrich is a nearby spa town - take a bus from Cochem if interested.
It's your anniversary, right? You might try the upscale "Alte Thorschenke", which has an excellent location in the old town area:
http://www.thorschenke.de/en/index.htm
I would suggest staying in Mainz on your last night in order to get to the airport early. Mainz is a nice medium-sized city with many train connections to the airport (about 20-25 minutes to FRA.)
May 27th, 2010, 10:22 AM
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thanks a lot Russ for your info.
So I was thinking of dropping paris and instead going to Amsterdam.I don't think I will ever make a trip to Amsterdam specifically (just growing old for it now I guess
)
So if we plan on doing that do you suggest going to amsterdam directly on first day and then coming back next day to may be stay in Rhine/Mosel region for next 3 nights.Can I go to FRA airport directly from RHINE/Mosel area ?
I would like to stay somewhere where if possible we don't have to checkout all the time.Or you think its better to book different hotels for all the nights to save on travel time.I would like to try and plan a round trip i ternary to minimize the travel time.
thank you so very much
So I was thinking of dropping paris and instead going to Amsterdam.I don't think I will ever make a trip to Amsterdam specifically (just growing old for it now I guess
)So if we plan on doing that do you suggest going to amsterdam directly on first day and then coming back next day to may be stay in Rhine/Mosel region for next 3 nights.Can I go to FRA airport directly from RHINE/Mosel area ?
I would like to stay somewhere where if possible we don't have to checkout all the time.Or you think its better to book different hotels for all the nights to save on travel time.I would like to try and plan a round trip i ternary to minimize the travel time.
thank you so very much
May 27th, 2010, 11:10 AM
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Amsterdam is nearly as unrealistic as Paris given your time constraints. I'm not sure what you mean by "I don't think I will ever make a trip to Amsterdam specifically," but it sounds like you would be just as happy visiting the Rhine/Mosel region, as Russ suggests.
If you want to see Paris or Amsterdam in four days, you are much better off flying directly to those cities. If you have to fly into Frankfurt, you are much better off making the most of this very nice and popular region of Germany.
Take 3 nights in Cochem (or other nearby Rhine/Mosel towns) and then Mainz the night before you depart, as Russ suggests.
Especially since you have a 5-year-old in tow, I would try to avoid checking in and checking out every day. You will lose a lot of time that way and risk having no time to relax.
Will you be flying in from the States? If so, I cannot emphasize enough not to underestimate the first day's jet lag - particularly since you are travelling with a little one.
If you want to see Paris or Amsterdam in four days, you are much better off flying directly to those cities. If you have to fly into Frankfurt, you are much better off making the most of this very nice and popular region of Germany.
Take 3 nights in Cochem (or other nearby Rhine/Mosel towns) and then Mainz the night before you depart, as Russ suggests.
Especially since you have a 5-year-old in tow, I would try to avoid checking in and checking out every day. You will lose a lot of time that way and risk having no time to relax.
Will you be flying in from the States? If so, I cannot emphasize enough not to underestimate the first day's jet lag - particularly since you are travelling with a little one.
May 27th, 2010, 01:54 PM
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Ditto Russ and Woyzeck. It simply doesn't make sense to visit Germany for only 4 days and then take off to Paris or Amsterdam for one of them. Particularly since you say you are interested in natural beauty...The Rhine/Mosel region is my favorite part of Germany (I lived in Stuttgart for 2.5 years) and has more than enough to keep you busy for 4 days.
I imagine your 5-year-old would go nuts over Burg Eltz. Another castle that is a big hit with kids is Burg Pfalz, in the middle of the Rhine river.
I imagine your 5-year-old would go nuts over Burg Eltz. Another castle that is a big hit with kids is Burg Pfalz, in the middle of the Rhine river.
May 27th, 2010, 02:20 PM
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"So I was thinking of dropping paris and instead going to Amsterdam.I don't think I will ever make a trip to Amsterdam specifically (just growing old for it now I guess )
So if we plan on doing that do you suggest going to amsterdam directly on first day and then coming back next day to may be stay in Rhine/Mosel region for next 3 nights.Can I go to FRA airport directly from RHINE/Mosel area ?"
Amsterdam is a relatively trashy city with a lot of good museums. But you don't care much about museums. I don't understand your interest in going there and almost immediately coming back to Germany. I don't recommend going there. If you've changed your mind and want to see some interesting museums and historical buildings, look into Trier and Cologne, or maybe Mainz.
If you just want to visit somewhere else in addition to Germany, you can take a train beyond Trier for a look at Luxembourg. It's an attractive city, and not very far.
"I would like to stay somewhere where if possible we don't have to checkout all the time.Or you think its better to book different hotels for all the nights to save on travel time."
I don't recommend moving every night to a new hotel. I suggested staying in Cochem for 3 nights and then one night near the airport. There's no need to stay in the other towns - just use the trains to daytrip there and return to Cochem. A group ticket (Rheinland-Pfalz tickets) for 5 people costs less than 30 Euros per day for travel within the region. The scenery, which is one of your priorities, is excellen from the train in this region, generally, so it makes sense to spend time sightseeing instead of packing and unpacking and carrying luggage around.
If you want to spend your final night in Cochem, it seems a bit far from FRA, but I don't know what time you have to be at the airport. Maybe that's possible. You'll have to check train schedules.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
)So if we plan on doing that do you suggest going to amsterdam directly on first day and then coming back next day to may be stay in Rhine/Mosel region for next 3 nights.Can I go to FRA airport directly from RHINE/Mosel area ?"
Amsterdam is a relatively trashy city with a lot of good museums. But you don't care much about museums. I don't understand your interest in going there and almost immediately coming back to Germany. I don't recommend going there. If you've changed your mind and want to see some interesting museums and historical buildings, look into Trier and Cologne, or maybe Mainz.
If you just want to visit somewhere else in addition to Germany, you can take a train beyond Trier for a look at Luxembourg. It's an attractive city, and not very far.
"I would like to stay somewhere where if possible we don't have to checkout all the time.Or you think its better to book different hotels for all the nights to save on travel time."
I don't recommend moving every night to a new hotel. I suggested staying in Cochem for 3 nights and then one night near the airport. There's no need to stay in the other towns - just use the trains to daytrip there and return to Cochem. A group ticket (Rheinland-Pfalz tickets) for 5 people costs less than 30 Euros per day for travel within the region. The scenery, which is one of your priorities, is excellen from the train in this region, generally, so it makes sense to spend time sightseeing instead of packing and unpacking and carrying luggage around.
If you want to spend your final night in Cochem, it seems a bit far from FRA, but I don't know what time you have to be at the airport. Maybe that's possible. You'll have to check train schedules.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
May 27th, 2010, 05:32 PM
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By the time you get off the plane and collect you luggage you will really only have 3.5 days - barely enough to see some of this part of Germany - never mind heading to another country 4 or 5 hours away - esp traveling with a small child.
I would pick a pretty town to stay for all 4 nights and do day trips in the immediate area by car.
I would pick a pretty town to stay for all 4 nights and do day trips in the immediate area by car.
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