We are trying to plan a trip to Paris and Germany for July 1-14, 2007. I feel like this is late to be planning it as it is more my style to research, research, research well in advance. There will be 3 of us traveling. We do not have plane tickets yet. We were considering open jaw into Paris and out of Munich. I am getting much better airfares returning out of Cologne or Frankfurt instead of Munich though. We will spend 5 nights in Paris and then want to take a train to Germany, but I do not know how to plan the itinerary. Munich and the surrounding Bavarian area/castles are our 2nd priority as our teenage son is obsessed with Munich and then I would like to see scenic small towns like Rothenburg. We will have 8 nights for Germany. Would it make the most sense to take train from Paris to Munich and then explore that area for several nights and then drive or take train or other suggested transportation up the Romantic Road and other scenic areas ending up in Cologne or Frankfurt? I am lost trying to figure out what to do. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for any advice and suggestions.

You can take the train from Paris to Munich. It takes about 9 hours. For details see www.bahn.de

A time-saving alternative would be taking a flight from Paris to Munich. Inexpensive connections are offered by www.dba.de or even www.lufthansa.de. Flight tickets may be less expensive than train tickets.

Munich can be explored on foot. For the Romantic Road, I recommend renting a car. Rothenburg is already halfway to Frankfurt. If you want, you can extend your trip with a nice scenic drive through the Rhine Valley up to Cologne. Cologne is a VERY interesting city.

For details, see my GoLists:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/MemberPro...5AF91&c=cl

Hi, Mauitammy! We are also taking our teenage son to Paris and Germany. Our trip is at end of March, first week of April. I spent months researching our trip. There will be 3 of us, also (me, my husband, and 17-year-old son).

We are flying into Paris for 3 nights (from Atlanta) and then flying to Munich. When we get to Munich airport, we are picking up rental car, driving to Garmisch area, and spending 3 nights there. Then driving to Rothenburg for 1 night. Then driving to Munich train station, turning in rental car, and then staying in Munich for 2 nights. So we have a total of 3 nights in Paris, 6 nights in Germany.

We are using frequent flier miles for our plane tickets, so I can't help you with flight prices, but if there is anything else I can help you with, please let me know.

I think flying out of Cologne or Frankfurt makes sense of you find cheaper fares. Driving direct from Munich to Frankfurt is about 5 hours, tack on an additional 1.5 hours from Frankfurt to Cologne, to give you a sense of timing. I always fly in and out of Frankfurt.

The train from Munich to Frankfurt airport is 3 1/2 hours with no changes. Or from Rothenburg, 2 hours 45 minutes, with changes in Steinach and Wurtzburg. These trains do go right to the airport. So if your flight leaves in the afternoon from Frankfurt, you could get there without spending your last night at the airport. If you visit Rothenburg last, you could take the train as far as Wurzburg for you last overnight---haven't been there, but I believe I have ssen it recommended as a nice town within travel distance (1.5 hours) of the Frankfurt airport.


In Munich, you might try Hotel Uhland:

http://www.hotel-uhland.de/enwelcome.html

It is a 10-minute walk from the Munich Hauptbahnhof, in a nice neighborhood. They have triple rooms. The one I stayed in last time was huge! And it is overall a pleasant place.

I forgot to mention--you could take a night train from Paris to Munich. By the time you consider the saving of a hotel night, it is often more cost- and time-effective than the discount flights (you leave from and arrive in the downtown; no airport transport and waiting time involved).

Your instinct to research will be rewarded. A carefully planned trip will cover twice the sights with half the stress. "Winging it" is fine if you have all summer to wander, but most of us have only two or three weeks and our time in Europe is precious.

I would train to Munich, then, when you are ready to leave the city, rent a car and work your way up to Frankfurt via (in part) the Romantic Road, which passes through Rothenburg. Small detours from the Romantic Road can take you to Nuremberg and Bamberg.

If you choose Frankfurt as your end point, try to arrive a day or two early and visit the nearby Rhine Valley. The stretch between Rudesheim and Koblenz is unforgettable. It seems that there is a castle on every hill. Frankfurt itself is not particularly interesting.

Some people become unnecessarily overwhelmed during the initial planning stage. Decide where you will start and end, nail down one or two places in the middle, then connect those dots with places that look interesting but are not logistically unrealistic. Once you've narrowed down the possibilities, planning is great fun (although it also can involve some painful choices).

It sounds like you have already settled on Paris as the starting point, and Munich as either an end point or a middle point. If the airfares for the different return possibilities are dramatically different, allow price to determine whether you return from Frankfurt or Munich, then start connecting dots.

Thanks so much EVERYONE for your kindness in helping me. I will do some research and then be back with more questions I am sure!

Working on the itinerary. I would appreciate suggestions and advice.

Arrive Paris July 1 for 5 nights. Hotel to be determined.

July 6 take train to Munich for 3 or 4 nights. My teenage son is obsessed with Munich. He would probably like to see Eagles Nest though, too. Is that too far away to go in a day?

July 9 or 10 travel up the romantic road to Rhotenburg? Should we spend the night in Rhotenburg or where?

July 11 and 12 stay at Castle Hotel Auf Schoenburg. What do we do in this area? Rhine boat trip? Should I add another night? Now I read in a old post here on Fodors that this area is not that pretty and that the Mosel area is probably the storybook image that I am looking for. I really wanted to stay here, but not if it is not a good area to see gorgeous scenery and also there is no air conditioning. Is that a problem in July?

July 13 check out of Castle and go to Frankfurt or Cologne to fly home to US on July 14. Where should we stay the last night for 11:00 am flight home to US?

The Castle Hotel is too far away to make it to FRA or CGN for flight in AM, correct?

How does any of this sound? I am obviously still confused, but trying to figure things out and get some sort of itinerary in place before I buy plane tickets. I don't want to be checking in and out of hotels too much. I think it takes too much time away from having fun.

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, stay a night in Rothenburg. It's nice to be there at night after the other tourists have left. And you can take the Nightwatchman's walking tour.

We stayed at the Schoenburg Castle at Oberwesel, and took the boat along the Rhine. But we liked the Mosel best; the river is smaller and lined with vineyards, the towns are the cutest and there's Burg Eltz, a great castle. (It's been continuously occupied since medieval times, and is not a pile of rocks like so many.) With a car you could do the Mosel as a daytrip from Oberwesel.