LindyinLA

Thanks to the strike in Spain I now have an unexpected day and a half in Germany.Any suggestions near Frankfurt? Train-car-boat all acceptable.We leave on 9/14 so not much time to research. Danke

joannyc

Mainz, Boppard, Rudesheim, or Bachrach?

BigBlue

Wiesbaden, although not a small town, is a beautiful city on the train line just to the west of the Frankfurt airport. It can be used as a place to spend the night while visiting places like joannyc suggested above and offers some wide variety of lodging choices, many within easy walking distance of the main station.

Russ

Mainz isn't a small town, but its old town area feels that way. It's only 25 min from FRA. Nice place.

St. Goar is a good village for a short visit. Like all the villages, it has a cruise boat dock. It's in the most scenic spot in the Rhine gorge, has its own castle and decent hotel and dining choices, and there's a ferry there so you can cross the river to use the rails on the other side for places like Braubach, home of Marksburg Castle, the best one to visit on the Rhine:

www.marksburg.de

JulieVikmanis

We like Aschaeffenberg. Nice castle with park to walk in, pleasant place. If the Post Hotel is still there, they do nice food.

lindy27

We stayed in Sankt Goar and enjoyed it. We also daytripped to Mainz and I think it would be pretty nice to stay in and is closer to Frankfurt.

This is the place we stayed in Sankt Goar and would recommend, clean, good space, and a decent breakfast http://www.hotel-zur-loreley.de/st-g...any/index.html

There is a castle on the hill in Sankt Goar and you can also do a Rhine cruise from there. Mainz had a nice church and the Gutenberg Museum.

joannyc

Yep... also agree with St. Goar and Marksburg Castle.

DalaiLlama

Heidelberg - the station is below the city, take the tram up to Bismarckplatz and wander about this romantic old town. Less than an hour from Frankfurt Hbf.

You know the song "I left my heart in San Francisco?" Long before this became a hit, there was the ancient German song "Ich hab' mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren" - means the same thing... You'll see why.

Mainhattengirl

Bad Homburg or Kronberg.

Kronberg has a lovely castle built in the 1200's, a very nice Old Town, a wonderful old church with a very interesting painted barrel vaulted ceiling and is only 22 min. away from Frankfurt. Beautiful view from the Taunus mountains. This was and still is an artists colony.

Bad Homburg has a castle ruin, a gorgeous park, the residence of the Kaiser, a very nice casino, a luxury thermal spa, and a great pedestrian shopping street. Also nice views from the Taunus Mountains. Plus is that you could visit the Saalburg, a reconstructed Roman fort or Hessen Park, an open air musuem. Bad Homburg is a 30 min. ride on the S-bahn from Frankfurt.

quokka

Marburg, the old university town with its fairy-tale flair.
http://www.marburg.de/detail/24695

SelfPropelledTripod

I was about to make my first Fodor's post with (basically) the same question. Thanks for all these helpful tips!

What about Darmstadt? I've heard there is wonderful Jugenstil architecture there. I'm not a total Art Nouveau fan, but I have a good friend who is, and when we travel together, I really enjoy seeing things a bit through her eyes. Would anyone recommend Darmstadt versus the other choices suggested above?

(I have less time than the OP. I'm breaking up a long flight with an overnight somewhere near FRA, so I'll only have an hour or two in the evening, and an hour or two in the morning. In the past, I've stayed in Mainz or near the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof.)

DalaiLlama

With so little time I wouldn't even bother with leaving town. While Frankfurt (M) is no cutesy place with the artifice of the Disney-esque Rothenburg, it is not entirely devoid of charm.

If you go to the Altstadt around the Römerberg you'll see art galleries, nice cafés, art museums and the historic musem nearby that might still be open depending on how soon you arrive, courtyards and architecturally interesting angles, the music school where there might be a free recital to enjoy...

And if you wish to really revive yourself between flights, a quick S-Bahn trip takes you to the Hallenbad Höchst for a swim, a sauna, and even a bistro meal, it stays open til late on many nights (see www.bbf-frankfurt.de/Pdf/Winterbaden2010_11.pdf)

SelfPropelledTripod

Thanks, DalaiLlama! It's funny -- I've flown through FRA a million times, and I've overnighted near the Frankfurt Hbf a handful of times, but I've never taken the time to visit the city.

However, I've found a cheap hotel in Darmstadt, and the Hotel Excelsior that everyone recommends in Frankfurt is booked solid for my arrival date. Unless I find a better deal in Frankfurt, I'll end up with a very brief visit to Darmstadt. Given how little has been written in the Forums on Darmstadt, I guess I'll write a trip report, even if it's based on only a few hours of sightseeing.

Mainhattengirl

There is a great Hundert Wasser building in Darmstadt. Some nice museums, a beautiful Russian Orthodox chapel, and a pleasant pedestrian shopping zone.

When are you traveling here? There are plenty of other nice hotels in Frankfurt with the same price range as the Excelsior. Have you looked north of Frankfurt though? There are some wonderful towns in the Taunus mountains.

SelfPropelledTripod

Thanks, Mainhattengirl! Those are some of the most positive comments I've heard from anyone about Darmstadt.

I'm in town next Thursday night. I'd love to explore a bit further afield, but my flight arrives quite late, and I fly out the next day, so I'm trying to stay very close and well-connected to the airport. In the past, I've always just taken the S-bahn to either Mainz or Frankfurt and stayed near the respective train stations. I'll look at a few more Frankfurt hotels if I get a chance, but it sounds like if I end up in Darmstadt, it should be fine. So, depending on hotels, it'll be the Frankfurt Altstadt or else Hundertwasser in Darmstadt...

EastBerlin

Darmstadt was badly damaged in the War. Some of the post war construction is socialist inspired blah!!!! That said the "Matildenhohe" artists colonie and museum is well worth visting. This the site of Joseph Maria Olbrich's Hochzeiturm or "Wedding Tower" and a set of famous art nouveau mansions built and occupied by many of the early twentieth centuries leading architects. The art neuveau design elements are terrific. Great museum and book store. Highly recommend. If you are not an art nouveau fan you may bnecome one. This occured here because the Grand Duke of Nassua Hesse wanted to establish Darmstadt as leading art city. Many members of the Vienna Secession took up the Grand Dukes offers and moved to the Matildenhohe.

SelfPropelledTripod

Thanks, EastBerlin! I had an enjoyable stopover, but I've been too busy/lazy to post a trip report yet. I've got a ton of photos. I didn't have time to visit the museum, just walk around the Matildenhohe area, which was beautiful...