We want to quickly leave from Frankfurt by train to a charming little down with reasonable hotel rates on our way to Rim or Paris. Any suggestions. Thank you

You might try researching Freiburg in the Black Forest area of Germany. There are a couple of direct trains from the frankfurt flughafen each morning. Freiburg is a very interesting town, and it is possible to go from there to Paris via Karlsruhe or Basel.

J.

There are many ways to get to Paris. Freiburg is a very nice city, (though not really in the Black Forest.) You could also stay in Heidelberg, but neither of these places is a "charming little town", really.

The most scenic way to go with the most charming towns would probably by way of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. Cochem on the Mosel or Bacharach on the Rhine would be best bets for train travelers. Both are villages with lots of cobblestones, half-timbered homes, scenery, and their own castles, with lots of dining choices. Then proceed along the Mosel train route to Trier and Saarbrücken for your trip into Paris. This route provides wonderful scenery with vineyards and castles clinging to the cliffsides much of the way.

Russ has a good idea. I would go to the Rhine/Mosel area.

Rothenburg is also a great town to visit but it would be heading about 2 hours east and south.

Do the Mosel.

Don't know about hotels, but Darmstadt sounds interesting.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/artnouve...ys/germany.htm

With the exception of Mathildenhöhe with its art nouveau buildings, I would not qualify Darmstadt as "charming".

I second the Cochem idea ~ we were only passing through on the way to Burg Eltz ( you must go there) and I thought it would be a charming place to stay over for a night.

Gengenbach was also nice, stopped there on rec'd of a Fodorite. Don't know about the train.

Cochem! I couldn't remember the names of the towns on the Mosel, and I don't have my map of Germany handy. I absolutely agree. Much better as "charming town" target.

Thanks, Russ, for the clarification re Freiburg/Black Forest. No map, and all I could recall was that we visited that very interesting town while staying in Triberg, which is Black Forest.

Best wishes, BeBe.

By the way, I have to confess ignorance and mention that I don't know what "Rim" refers to.?

BeBe,

West of Frankfurt you'd be hard pressed to find a more scenic - or charming - part of Germany than the Mosel. While Cochem would make a nice stop, I prefer the smaller village of Beilstein. To my mind, it's the most appealing stop along the Mosel. (To reach Beilstein without wheels, you'll need to take a taxi or short bus ride from Cochem.) Located just upriver from Cochem, Beilstein isn't as large as its neighbor - thus has fewer amenities - but it features castle ruins, with a splendid bird's-eye view of the Mosel, more than enough dining and sleeping options, and a general ambience that's hard to beat. One noteworthy and utterly charming Beilstein accommodation is the Haus Lipmann. You're sure to receive a warm welcome here.

See www.hotel-haus-lipmann.com

Another Mosel option is Zell. Like Beilstein, it's small, peaceful, and well prepared to welcome tourists. Zell has a pleasant pedestrian zone, and for fans of German traditional music, there's live outdoor concerts on summer weekends.

Best of luck.

Wow, thanks ExplorerB, I put Haus Lipmann and Beilstein on my bookmarks for next time we go to Germany! Looks lovely

Yes, Beilstein and Hotel Haus Lipmann make a very nice base for exploring the Mosel. It was so nice to come back to such a quiet, relaxing town after a full day of exploring up and down the river. And Hotel Haus Lipmann is one of the best combined lodging/dining experiences we've had anywhere.