If you only had 12 hours to do some shopping in quaint stores which city would you choose and why? I will be arriving in one of the above towns (haven't decided which one yet) on a Saturday afternoon in August (around 12:00) and will need to depart Sunday morning for Frankfurt Airport.

I will have spent 3 weeks in Germany, Switzerland and France and am looking for a cute, quaint place with some good shopping to finish my trip ...not necessarily the most expensive, modern 'well' known stores .. but the smaller, mom/pop stores.

I first thought Mainz, then I thought Cologne now I just don't know. I will be taking a train from Paris to whichever city I choose (which has by no means been fun figuring out).

Cologne or Mainz ... Which would you pick and why?

Thanks!

Anyone?

What about splitting the difference (between Mainz and Cologne) and visiting Bacharach on the Rhein (on the rail between the two). Nice small shops, lovely half-timber architecture, partial old city walls, and a couple of traditional restaurants--one set in a house from about 1500--not to mention a reiverside promenade for a relaxing evening walk to cool off and watch passing ships?
R

I've been to both and whereas Mainz may offer some of that "quaintness" which might be lacking in Cologne, it cannot EVER match the Cologne cathedral and that, alone, is worth a trip to Cologne IMO.

However, you can easily do that in a couple of hours and then go ON to Mainz or anywhere else along the river.

Fast (57 minutes) rail service direct to the Frankfurt airport is available from Cologne as well.

Just a thought: Wiesbaden was the only city that was spared from bombings. Unfortunately I never spent much time in the shopping area there. Maybe you can start a new posting about Wiesbaden shopping. It has some more of the uptown quaintness of a spa town/city.