Frankfurt...???
 

Hi all,

My husband and I would like to go to Europe for our one anniversary. I found a great airfare to Frankfurt - is it worth it to go for 10 days?

There are a wide range of opinions on Frankfurt, but I enjoy it. I personally like Frankfurt, but maybe just for a couple of days. OR you could use Frankfurt as a base for various day trips. Either way, you'll have a great time....if it's a great airfare, why not?

Frankfurt is a major hub to many other places in Europe. Within a very short period of time you could be in Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam. If it's a great airfare, check to see what it would cost you to go on to a destination that you really want.

Hi N,

Ditto Shellio.

I wouldn't recommend 10 days in Frankfurt.

((I))

You can go to Rhine and / or Mosel valley - very close and very nice. You do not have to stay in Frankfurt.

Frankfurt is what it is -- a financial center, not cultural or social. Fortunately, it's quite close to many cities and places where you can get culture, beauty, romance. After you land in Frankfurt, use it as a base for day trips OR take a short trip to a place that has what you consider exciting and romantic (the Alps, the Rhine, Munich, etc)

As a matter of curiosity, when are you going, from where are you flying, and what's the fare, incl. taxes/fees?

Our next trip will probably be to Germany, so it would be helpful to know where you found a good deal.

Frankfurt itself is not like Paris or Rome where you would want an extended stay. Germany itself, however, is a wonderful destination, and has great public transportation, and is also easy to drive in if you want to rent a car. The main areas if you have never been before are the Rhine/Mosel rivers / Heidelburg / Romantic Road (numerous beautiful old towns) / Bavarian Alps. You can easily fill 10 days.

Thank you so much for all of your advice.

We bought the tickets last night on American for $494.20 roundtrip (that is with all taxes).

We depart LAX on 12/11/06 and return on 12/21.

My husband and are both in the hotel industry - he with Marriott and I w/ Hyatt. Marriott has an "Employee Tradeout" program during the holidays where you can book 2 complimentary nights at all hotels - if still available.

We arrive Frankfurt at 7:10am - do you think it is a good idea to hop on a train to Cologne? I was able to book 2 free night at the Marriott there on 12/12 & 12/13.

I also have 2 free nights booked at a Frankfurt Courtyard Marriott on those dates if needed...

On 12/14 & 12/15, I have 2 free nights at the Renaissance Amsterdam and a Courtyard Marriott in Paris - So we will go to either one of those. We spent 6 nights in Paris on our honeymoon last year and my husband has never been to AMS.

But how long does it take to get from Frankfurt to Amsterdam?

There are other cities in Germany where we can get comp rooms, but I am unfamiliar w/ Germany. I thought of Colonge from reading posts on Fodors.

Any other suggestions for us?

Thanks so much

Here is the website for the German railway system:

www.bahn.de
(click on "international guests" for English.
you can check travel times there - it looks like less than 4 hours to Amsterdam, about 6 to Paris.

It's hard to answer your questions without knowing what you like (big city vs. small quaint towns), but Germany is famous for its Christmas markets - I know Nurmberg has one.

I wasn't too fond of Cologne, there are certainly other places that are more typically "German". Write back with some more info about your likes/dislikes and you will get some good advice here.
Do you feel comfortable renting a car, or would you rather use the trains?

We want to stick to trains - we will save renting a car for another time.

We love taking pictures, visitng churches, shopping, museums... Nothing to hectic. We just want to relax and enjoy our time there together and look at beautiful scenery. We took a day trip to Assisi on our honeymoon last year, and that was the most memorable time in all of our honeymoon.

I was able to book 2 comp nights at the Marriott Heidelberg on 12/16-18. Is it worth it? What is the best way to get from Amsterdam to Heidelberg? How long does it take?
Thanks so much in advane - I am getting so confused

Hi nalas,

You may be "getting so confused" but I bet you are getting some people on this forum so frustrated with your open ended questions. What is "worth it" means something entirely different to everyone here.

Do you have a map of Europe? A guidebook?

You don't want to go Frankfurt - Amsterdam - Heidelburg, too much back and forth. Heidelburg is very nice, one of the most visited places in Germany with good reason. (I spent part of my honeymoon there).

It sounds like you are trying to plan all your days around where you can get a Marriot. That might complicate things a little.
If you are set on going to Amsterdam, why don't you spend a few days in Heidelburg 1st, then travel north to mayble Koblenz for a few days, where you could take a cruise on the Rhine or the Mosel, then go on to Amsterdam. Just pack light and you will be fine traveling by train. If you are not set on Amsterdam, and want to see more of Germany, you might do the Rhine, Heidelburg, then by train to Munich or Salzburg, Austria. Other possibilities are staying in a springs resort such as Wiesbaden (near Frankfurt), or Baden Baden in the Black Forest.
Get the Fodor's guide to Germany and they will have lots of ideas. Don't stress too much, it's all pretty!

I like staying at the Renaissance Amsterdam because the rooms are bigger and it's close to the canal where Anne Frank's house & the Westerkerk(church) are located. It's also very close to the Centraal train station. The fast ICE train from Frankfurt to Amsterdam takes about 4 hours, and if you pick certain ICE trains it will only cost you 39 euro instead of 97 euros. Do your research on Bahn.de, there is an English version as well. When you're in Amsterdam you'll see billboards advertising ticket to Frankfurt or Koeln(Cologne) for the same special price. These specials are available everyday on a limited basis so the earlier you buy the better your chance of getting them. I would buy them on the internet and print the train ticket before you leave the US to make sure you get that special price.

BTW, Hyatt has the best/top hotel in Mainz which is just 20 minute west of Frankfurt. The Hyatt is a 7 minute walk from the South train station in Mainz so it's convenient to travel by train. I've walked from the Sud bahnhof to Hyatt in the winter with no problem.

The best Hyatt in Germany for me is in Hamburg (Park Hyatt) followed closely by the Berlin Grand Hyatt. I'm a big fan of the Hyatt but lately I do stay at the Marriott when there is no Hyatt. I also like the Berlin Marriott. The Hyatt in Cologne is nice as well but it's located across the Rhein river from the famous Cologne cathedral where the Advent /Christmas market is located. It maybe rather freezing to cross the bridge on foot in December, but you can always take a taxi/train or U bahn just a couple of blocks in Cologne. There is also a nice enough Renaissance at the edge of Cologne old town but again is a bit of a walk from the cathedral.

I believe the Marriott in Heidelberg is a bit removed from the oldtown so it's rather inconvenient even though the property itself looks nice from the outside. You can visit Heidelberg by train as a day trip from Mainz/Frankfurt. While Heidelberg is one of the favorite destinations for Americans, many Germans don't really understand why we want to go there.