bonn to frankfurt
 

i am flying from prague to bonn airport on german wings on friday 10/22 arriving 14:40. i have a flight back to us from frankfurt on sun 10/24 leaving at 9:45. i am using points to stay sat night by the frankfurt airport. but my question is where should i stay fri and sat nights. we are 2 girls in our 30's and have never been to germany before. should we rent a car and drive down or take the train? any suggestions also on a unique place to stay. thanks in advance

I would suggest that you spend the two days and nights in Cologne, where there is a fair amount to see.

I would not rent a car; trains are very good and punctual in Germany.

i just realized that i asked for rec for fri and sat nights but i already have a hotel at the airport sat night before my early sun flight.

You'll have time to cruise down the Rhine on Saturday. Head down to Koblenz and stay there on Fri, then take the cruise down Rhine on Sat, and then take the train back to Frankfurt Sat eve.

It might depend on what you like to do. If you want to go out at night (e.g. where there is a lively restaurant and nightclub scene), you probably don't want to stay in Bonn or end up in a small town. The suggestion about Cologne might be a good one. Another option might be Wiesbaden (very close to Frankfurt; a spa town where we stayed the night before our flight; seemed quite lively, but probably not trendy). A few months ago, my fiance and I drive down from Bonn to the Mosel River valley (much prettier than the Rhine River, in our opinion). We spent one night in a castle (with a Michelin-starred restaurant) on the way down to the river, and then drove up and down the river, wine-tasting. If you like food, and have a hankering to stay somewhere exotic like a castle, this might be a better option. Also, I don't like bikes, but if ever there was a place to convert me into a cyclist, the Mosel river valley would be it. If you'd like to get a little exercise with your wine-tasting, you could rent bikes and ride along the valley. If you like ancient history, you could even drive as far east as Trier, and explore the site of one of the largest cities in the Roman empire (but probably no nightlife to speak of).

Take the train from Bonn to Frankfurt airport (check www.bahn.de for schedule), check into your hotel,then take the airport shuttle train (S-Bahn)to Frankfurt main station (Frankfurt Hbf.) and from there the subway or streetcar to the Schweizerplatz in the Sachsenhausen suburb of Frankfurt. All along Schweizerstrasse are the famous apple wine bistros. Lots of fun, lots of activity and good basic German food.

If you are only looking for one night, you might want to check into your FRA hotel a day early and then use that as a base for exploring the area close to Frankfurt. Many people on this board like to dis Frankfurt, but I think you might enjoy 2 days in the city. World class ballet and opera, great museums, etc. It is an easy train ride to Heidelberg, Marburg, Darmstadt, etc. This will save you from extra packing, unpacking, etc.

If you're looking for restaurants/nightlife/shopping, then stay in Cologne by all means. Great cathedral as well. If you're looking for sightseeing/hiking, then I would suggest the cruise down the Rhine, from which you'll see castles on every hilltop. At the end of both options it is very easy to hop on a train to Frankfurt.