December in France & Germany
 

We're visiting family in Mannheim this December; we are considering flying into Charles de Gaul (skipping Paris this trip) and taking the train to Epernay or Reims. Spend two nights in Champagne region, rent a car there and then leave for Mannheim, Germany. I speak some French and my husband is dying to visit the Champagne area, plus it's a two hour drive to my family from here. We will spend long weekend with German relatives and then drive to Rothenburg, using this town as home base for three days or longer. Has anyone been to Christmas fairs in this region? Also, should we loop back and spend a few days in the Bacharach and St. Goar's area? Where would you go? Traveling, it may just my husband and myself or two additional couples. Thanks!

The first question which comes to mind concerns the car rental. Are you planning to drop it off in Germany or driving back to Paris for a flight home?
(I'm thinking drop-off charges here)

Planning on dropping the car off in Germany, either at Frankfurt airport or maybe my relatives will drive us there. I've only rented cars in one country, do you know if they even allow drop off and pick up in different countries? I still need to arrange that part, obviously still in the beginning stages of planning :o)

Car-rental agencies are only too happy to let you rent a car in one country and drop it off in another, as they have very high charges for doing so--typically around $300.

Here's information on German Christmas markets:

http://www.learn-german-online.net/l...nachten_en.htm

How many days once you head to Rothernburg do you have to travel? I would stop at Rothenburg and then continue on from there. You might want to go to Lauscha, this is a town in former EGermany where they make that the glass Christmas ornaments and blown glass. I was there a few years ago, I am sure that they have improved things for tourists since. You could also head to Bad Wimpfen, they have an old time german market on weekends only. They town is very historic and the booths line the streets instead of a square. We stopped at one of the markets along the Rhine, nice but(Assmannshausen) it was nothing special, the Rhine area is better in the summer. You also have the most famous market, Nurnberg,a bit commerical but a nice city, if you can catch the latern parade, a special event to see. Glenn

We did a trip similar to yours last Christmas except we stayed with friends in Heidelberg after flying in to Paris. We picked up a car at CDG and drove straight to Reims for the first night to get a little further down the road. The cathedral at Reims is worth a look and the Christmas market there was one of the best we visited including those in Rothenburg, Salzburg, and Munich.

One thing you might try to get around the big drop fee on the car is to ask if they have any cars with German tags on them so you can take it home for them. I have done this and have gotten luck in the past.

Three days in a tourist enclave like Rothenburg would drive me batty--it's worth seeing as they have made it real pretty, but it is a very artificial atmosphere. How many Christmas shops can you stand to look at?

I'd say one night in Rothenburg would be more than sufficient, then go to a real town somewhere.