Germany - Mainz
 

After going back and forth, I've decided to stay in Mainz as opposed to Frankfurt. I will be taking a train from Paris to Mainz (if I can figure out which one ... there may not be one on August 19). I will be flying out of Frankfurt Airport mid-morning of August 20th. I envision arriving in Mainz, doing some shopping, strolling the streets, and spending the night in Mainz. Getting up on Sunday and training to Frankfurt Airport.

With this being said, any suggestions as to what part of town to stay in? I've read there are two different train stations (I think?). I love the smaller stores (toys, etc...).

Also, any good recommendations on where to stay. Anything with some charm that isn't too far from the train station? I went to the Mainz web site but I didn't have any luck pulling up a list of hotels/B&Bs. Frommers has a very small list of hotels and Tripadvisor's reviews are a bit outdated.

Any help would be great! Thanks!

This is probably NOT what you want to hear but in case things don't work out...you want THE view of the Rhine in Mainz..then stay in one of the Grand Hyatt rooms at the Hyatt on the top floor....breathtaking.

OK, so it is a taxi ride to the RR station and shopping...worth the trouble for the memorable view but I understand if your sensibilities are different from mine.

Have a great trip

I second the Hyatt Regency,it's a five minute walk to the Sud Bahnhof where you can take the S bahn to the Frankfurt Airport in 22 minutes. I've stayed at the Hyatt twice and the rooms are better than the Hilton (been there way too many times).

Both hotels are a bit of a walk from old town, however not a bad walk, I did it all the time. Old town is nice enough and there area plenty of of souvenir shops as well as dept stores for you to shop.

I always pitch my favorite restaurant in Mainz: Heiligen Geist (close to the Hyatt)which is an old church converted into a restaurant with a designer touch with reasonably priced food & wine. No table cloth.

Thank you Intrepid and DAX. So I can take the Mainz Sud Station direct to Frankfurt Airport? Now, if only I can find a train from Paris to Mainz that gets me into Mainz early enough so that I can enjoy the old town. I will also check into the hotels. I don't think I am going to have too much time in Mainz (maybe 4 hours) as I'm thinking a train from Paris probably wouldn't get in until 3-4ish. Does anyone have experience with the Ibis hotel? I may have butchered the spelling.

The train schedule I pulled up off of bahn.de and pasted below. What does "runs not every day, 15., 16. Jul, 19., 20. Aug" I need to travel this route on August 19. does this mean that I'm SOL?


Paris Nord Sa, 19.08.06 dep 06:55 THA 9409 THALYS
Köln Hbf Sa, 19.08.06 arr 10:50
Köln Hbf Sa, 19.08.06 dep 11:18 IC 2013 InterCity
Mainz Hbf Sa, 19.08.06 arr 13:11 5 a/b

Duration: 6:16; runs not every day, 15., 16. Jul, 19., 20. Aug

Anyone?

katzen:
I looked the train schedule up at bahn.de and found no problem with August 19 Saturday, leaving Paris Nord at 6:55 am, arrive Koeln at 10:50 (change)--track 5a/B, Leave Koeln at 11:18, arrive Mainz Main train station at 13:11....
IT does RUN on this date!

Sorry,
I looked at the german only site--it does NOT list date travel restrictions...

Thanks for taking the time to look Rachw! I was able to find the schedule on bahn but at the very botton in small print it has "runs not every day, 15., 16. Jul, 19., 20. Aug." I take that as meaning it doesn't run on July 15, 16 and August 19, 20. I've never run into this before so I'm not 100% sure that is what it implies. I hope not as August 19 is my travel day. Yikes!

Hopefully someone else can help me with this.

Hi katzen,

I pass hotel Ibis whenever I walk from the Sud station to Hyatt, it looks quite nice from the outside, looks new & clean. It's even closer to the Sud bahnhof (about a 3 minute walk). Simply walk toward the right when you get out of the Sudbahnhof and pass a white movie theatre/cafe complex then you'll see hotel Ibis across the street on the left side of the street.

I checked the Bahn.de site. Yes, there is a train on Aug 19 otherwise that specific train itinerary would not appear for that day. That fine print below is just to let you know that the same schedule is not available everyday in case you want to do it on a different day. I know it's rather confusing.

BTW, when you get to Mainz Hauptbahnhof, take the local connecting train (about a 5 minute short ride)to Mainz Sud-bahnhof from gate 6A (you'll arrive on gate 5 A/B). Buy your ticket all the way to Sud bahnhof as below:
THALYS 9409 Paris Nord ab 06:55
Köln Hbf an 10:50
IC 2013 Köln Hbf ab 11:18
Mainz Hbf an 13:11 Gate5
Regiobahn Mainz Hbf ab 13:22 Gate 6
Mainz Süd an 13:25

There is an S bahn that goes directly into the Frankfurt Flughafen, I think S9 or S8, I can check it for you if you can't find it on Bahn.de.

The Gutenberg museum and the cathedral stain glass windows are the most popular tourist attractions ( I never saw them). The Opel car factory also offers free tour if you're interested. In the spring & summer,there is usually a boardwalk style ride park with food stands along the Rhein riverbank toward the Hilton hotel in the north. Have a nice stay in Mainz!

My husband and I had stayed in Mainz on our way to South Africa last October and stayed in the other Hilton in town (not the one on the Rhine). We were very comfortable there and found it easy to walk to see the Chagall windows, walk along the Rhine, tour the Gutenberg museum, take in a toy store or two, and then eat at the restaurant mentioned in another reply: Heiligen Geist. (Note: I don't think this restaurant takes credit cards or at least Visa.)

Wherever you stay, hope you have a great time!

Thank you Dax and Sapphire for the very helpful information!! Dax, that is exactly the information I was looking for. :) I do believe it is the S8 that takes you direct to Frankfurt Airport (I recall reading that somewhere). Sapphire, I can't wait to find some great toy stores. :) I went to mainz.de and was able to pull up a great shopping guide. It looks as if Market area, the Alstad and the Pedestrian precint (city mile) have great shopping. I'm not sure what time the stores close in Mainz but I'm assuming I'll only have 4/5 hours to shop. Hopefully this will allow me enough time.

Does anyone know how long it takes to cover the main districts (City Mile, the Old City and the Market) by foot?

The shops close at 6PM on Saturdays. I also arrived on a Saturday noon last January and was given a list of important things that I had to get for my wife. The shopping area is not as big as you think and Mainz typically does not have the biggest/flagship store branches, but rather medium sized stores, however the town atmosphere is significantly more quaint than Frankfurt.

I would rethink the Hilton in Mainz. The airline that I work for dropped our "hotel contract" with them after 20 years because the rooms were getting so seedy. The last time that I stayed there in December was the first time that I have ever had to ask for a new mattress for my bed-gross/flat and full of whatever........Mainz is a cute town for shopping and eating. My favorite restaurant in town is the "Hanzel and Gretel" on a side street off main shopping area.Have a great time!

Thank you Dax and Dutyfree!! I'm thinking of staying at the Hof Ehrenfels which is right behind the DOM in the Allstadt. http://www.hof-ehrenfels.de/eng/index.htm I haven't read too much on it other than one poster on Tripadvisor said the showers were a bit dirty and I think that was from years ago. I've also emailed them twice and never got a response for a reservation. Has anyone heard anything about this particular hotel?

Dutyfree, Hanzel and Gretel .. what a cute name for a restaurant. I'll have to try that!


Thank you everyone for the great replies!

Dax, I am thinking of now staying at the Hyatt Regency. Would you say it's a hike from the Hyatt to the shopping areas (alstadt, market, etc.) knowing that I'll only be there for the afternoon/evening.

I found a rate on-line for 144 (can't remember if it was USD or Euros). Is this a good deal or should I try to bargain a bit?

Thanks again for your help!

Katzen, the Hyatt is really a lot nicer than all the other hotels and the service is also the best. Their restaurant probably has the most impressive gourmet presentation in Mainz (nouveau continental dishes). They also have a grand lounge that you can order food till late. The Aller Heiligen restaurant however is cheaper and more traditional German.

It's an easy 15 minute walk to the shopping area (Am Brand/ Markt). The first 5 minutes is not as attractive as you have to cross a busy road but you'll immediately enter the meandering alleys which have more charm. BTW Mainz is nothing compared to Provence and Paris where you'll be coming from, so don't get your expectations too high.

The other hotel to consider for half the price of Hyatt is the Mainz City Hilton (as suggested by Sapphire) which is also close to the shopping area but I've never stayed there. I'm just not sure of how nice the area is near the Hauptbahnhof. My sister used to live on the hills way up behind the Hauptbahnhof which is nicer than in the immediate area of the Hauptbahnhof, but that was way back then. I remember she used to tell me that hotelwise it's better to stay near the Rhein, so I've been staying next to the Rhein for my meetings.

I missed your last question. I don't quite understand how you can bargain with Hyatt? 144 euro is their regular rate and to me it's worth the quality. I checked the Mainz City Hilton for Aug 19, it's only 72 euro. I've only stayed at the riverfront Hilton by the Rhein, so I'm not familiar with this other City Hilton as far as walking at night.

If the Hyatt doesn't work out (it was fully booked the night I wanted it in June) there's one called the Hammer or TOP Hammer that's a 3-star that looks decent, and a coupla good TripAdvisor reviews.

Thanks Dax and Annx.

Dax, I thought maybe they would offer a lower rate for August .. I was thinking I was in France still .... The Mas in Provence and the hotel in paris had "special" rates for August ... I agree that 144 euros is probably the best I'll get for this hotel. 15 minutes isn't too bad of a walk .. I'm a speed walker so maybe i'll cut it down some :) Thanks again for your help!

Great information. We plan to stay in Mainz, as well, at the end of our trip.

We were looking at the Mainz Ibis. Any thoughts about the Ibis?

Also, we will still have our rental car. We were planning to return it to the airport, rather than returning it in Mainz and taking the train to the airport. Is this a good plan?

Thanks!

withkids: I've only seen Ibis from the street, but I hope you're familiar with the chain. It is a basic hotel with no charm or service but clean and functional. It is just a couple of blocks from the Sud-bahnhof where you can train to the airport for 9 or 17 euro(50 to 75 minute ride). I've never returned a car at the Frankfurt airport, but by taxi it takes about 45 minute to an hour (morning traffic).

katzen: I would recommend taking a taxi from the Hauptbahnhof to the Hyatt since you probably have a big suitcase. I travel with asmall carry on but when my wife comes along we took taxis. If you're looking for toys, don't overlook dept stores like: KARSTADT (on Ludwigsstrasse, 2 blocks west of Markt, just follow Gutenbergplatz). Kaufhof on Schusterstr, 4 short blocks north of Markt.

BTW I can no longer find a direct S bahn to the airport on Bahn.de, I know they began working on the tracks around the airport last January but I could still go directly then, but now you have to go thru the Frankfurt Bahnhof and change train there to get to the airport which increases the time to around an hour or more. Since your priority seems to be shopping, you may consider staying in Cologne which is only an hour by ICE train to Frankfurt airport and it is closer from Paris by the Thalys fast train so you'll get there earlier. Don't mean to confuse you, but Cologne is a much bigger and better city to shop in. The magnificent Cologne cathedral is right in front of the Hauptbahnhof and the sprawling shopping area is just beyond the cathedral. It's probably ten times bigger than Mainz shopping, my wife swears that you can shop all day and still not see all the good stores. I can help you with Cologne as well if you are interested.

Thanks for the heads up Dax!! That would have been a big 'oh my' if I had been looking for a direct shot from the S bahn :) I will look into Cologne. What your wife said about the shopping sparked my interest :)

I will first have to check and see if I can get by train from Paris to Cologne. It was such a headache (I exaggerate a bit) for me to figure out (check out my old posts) what trains and schedules I could take to get me into Mainz at an early enough time so that I could enjoy the rest of the day shopping before my trip home. I know .. all of this for shopping. :)

Thank you so much for your help!

ok, it just hit me that Koln (my connecting from Paris to Mainz) is Cologne.

I also went to cologne.de and it looks huge ... I tend to like the smaller stores that aren't chains. I will have been in Munich, Rothenburg, Fuessen, Luzern, Paris and a few other towns for some good shopping. Dax, with this being said would you still recommend Cologne? I'm open to staying anywhere near Frankfurt ... Thanks!

I did check and I could get in around 10:55 from Paris (to Cologne). What is the train station at Frankfurt Airport called (Frankfurt Main Hbf or is that the main train station in Frankfurt?

I am now thinking Cologne may be a good choice. Any hotel recommendations near the cathedral/Dom? I'm assuming that is the same area as the Pedestrian shopping?

Thanks!

1.Dom Hotel(Le Meridien Hotel) is the grand dame hotel with the best location right in front of the Cathedral and next to all the shopping(140 euro).
2. Cologne Hilton (140 euro)is just 300 ft away from the train station. I've never stayed there but it looks good on the internet.
3.Sofitel Mondial am Dom (Don't get it mixed up with the Sofitel Dorint am Dom which is too far from the station/shopping). This Sofitel Mondial (90 euro) is a nice hotel just behind the cathedral & modern art museum. Very nice public rooms and great service. Nice avant-garde modern bedrooms/bathrooms although very small, but it's a bargain for the quality and location. Close to shopping and cathedral, but probably the furthest (7 minute walk ? )from the Hauptbahnhof among the 3 hotels.

I just checked Bahn.de, all ICE trains to the FRANKFURT FLUGHAFEN Fernbahnhof leave at 54 minute after the hour (7:54, 8:54 etc) and it takes 47 or 57 minutes (depending on which departure hour) to get to the airport (arriving 8:51, 9:41, 10:51 etc). You need 15 minutes to walk fast to the airline check in counters, that is if you know your way. There was a time when the ICE train came 20 minutes late giving me a bit of panic, so give yourself an extra 45 minute to the schedule just in case. Have a perfect stay in Cologne! There's just a lot more energy in Cologne compared to Mainz. I can give you restaurant recommendations if that's important to you.

You will be sorry that you missed Düsseldorf. In Köln and in Düsseldorf stations there is an Ibis Hotel, practical and convenient and reasonable.

hopscotch is right, Dusseldorf has 3 great museums, a riverfront media center area,a unique Japantown, and a great nightlive in the oldtown jammed with bars and food concessions of all kinds. However, of most interest to you is probably, the most upscale shopping boulevard in the Rhine Valley called the Ko (short for Koenigstrasse). Dusseldorf is only half an hour north from Cologne by train/S-bahn. Honestly, I don't think you have time.

I'm not a big fan of Ibis, I'd rather pay an extra 13 euro to stay at the Sofitel Mondial to get the much better room and service even if I'm on a tight budget. The Ibis does, however,have a nice location being right in front of the train station. Still the hotel to stay is Le Meridien Dom hotel for your purposes.

Dax, thank you so much for being so helpful. You answered all my questions before I even had to ask them. :) I've done some research on Cologne and I'm debating between the following two hotels:

Dom hotel (Le Meridian) and Excelsior Ernst. Dom Hotel looks better situated. Prices are roughly the same.

I think I've narrowed down the major shopping areas to include:
Hohestrasse (beginning at Wallrafplatz)
Schilderstrasse
Neumarkt

A couple of questions I have (of course):
1. Are the streets I mentioned above pedestrian only?
2. Does anyone know if any of the streets I mentioned above have the smaller, quaint stores (toy stores, home stores, etc)... I'm not necessarily looking for the high-end fashion shops. Could the Neumarkt have these type of smaller stores???

Hopscotch, yes, I would love to see Dusseldorf (thank you for the recommendation) but I think for this trip Cologne is the furthest North I want to go .. it's also (I think) easier with me coming from Paris.

It costs 81 Euros for the train ride from Paris Nord to Koln HBF. Is there a chance I can get a PREM ticket or something a bit cheaper in the 90 days and under time frame? Thanks!

I've stayed at the Excelsior which has nice decent public rooms but not so great bedrooms. The Dom has a better location & more inviting appearance. The deluxe rooms are way better than the standard rooms, so it's worth the upgrade.

Unfortunately, I don't know the shopping particulars as much since my wife went on her own to shop. I do know that Schilderstr has the big dept stores, while Hohestr have plain regular shops except for the Media Markt, a multistory electronic supermarket that I tend to get stuck until closing time. My wife told me that some dept stores have two or even three branches within the entire shopping maze. I'd say 80 to 90 percent of the shopping streets are pedestrian only with endless crowd. There are also upscale indoor shopping passages somewhere.

In the past, our kids prefer going to dept stores for toys since their toy departments tend to be extensive and very good. There was one nice large toystore on Mittelstrasse which is not a pedestrian only street, hopefully it's still there. There have been more stores going under in Germany since the economy has slowed down; on the other hand I also notice that there are more sale and clearance signs everywhere than ever before.

I just realize that you are also going to Luzern where I go quite often to visit a few relatives plus I have spent considerable amount of time as a teenager there so I may know a few things in case you have any questions.

Dax,

Thanks for the information. We checked the Mainz Hilton on their website and the price was 93 euros/night. How did you get 72 euros?

Also, we have only stayed at one Ibis, in Casablanca, Morocco and we felt it was "okay." We need to get a good night rest, as I am hoping we stay away most of the flight home.

So, how do we get the 72 euro rate and is the Ibis okay?

Thanks!

I guess you've decided on staying in Cologne, rather than Mainz, so here's my input:

Both the Dom Hotel and Excelsior Hotel Ernst are fabulous hotels. The Dom underwent renovations a few years ago. It has lots of old-world charm and commands a great location, right on the Domplatz.

Our room, at the Dom Hotel was just an average room, albeit very comfortable. The bathroom was the highlight of the room. Service was wonderful and the restaurant was very nice...al fresco dining, if you choose.

Because we were there, during renovations in July, their air-conditioning was not working. Because of this, we walked over to the Ernst and secured a room there, after one night at the Dom. From the moment we walked into the hotel, until the time we left, we were treated like royalty. The staff...from the doorman to the manager...were all superb and the most friendly we've ever encountered during our travels.

Our room was a jr. suite and it was sensational...especially the A/C. Large room with sitting area, unbelievable bathroom, tons of closet space, etc.

The Ernst has a lovely piano bar and one of the best restaurants in town, the Hanse Stube. It's one of our favorite hotels.

While both hotels are close to the train station, the Ernst is closer. You just walk out the front door of the Hauptbahnhof...walk up the stairs...and it's just a few feet down on the right.

The Dom entails walking a wee bit further up, on the right side of the Dom, if you're facing the front of the cathedral. Both hotels are a terrific choice, but, for my money...it's the Ernst.

Val

withkids, there are two Hiltons in Mainz, the Mainz City Hilton is closer to the Hauptbahnhof is thelesser one and costs 72 euro. I'm not sure about Ibis because I've never seen the inside. I've only stayed at one Ibis some 15 years ago in Nurnberg and it was clean and funcional.

Val, I'm glad you posted your experience. I had the opposite experience because the Excelsior put me in the standard room which was very plain and I felt that the staff was all talk whereas

whereas the Dom gave me the deluxe room. If you book the Excelsior through www.hrs.com,you get a free minibar, all you can drink which was nice. The staff told me that they extend that courtesy only to hrs customers as their special customers, I'd rather get an upgrade to the Junior suite like you did.

Dax - Sorry to hear you didn't find the Ernst to your liking. You, obviously, travel quite a bit and, therefore, know that not all hotel rooms...even in 5 stars...are created equal.

Don't get me wrong! The Dom Hotel was superb. The staff could not have been nicer when I complained about the A/C being unavailable and were completely understandable when I told them we would only be staying 1 night, out of the 3 nights we had booked. Temps reached almost 100 degrees F by 10:00 a.m. each day and it was stifling. Also, our room, at the Dom, was very noisy as we had to keep the windows open to try to get air circulation. Were it not for the renovations going on, I would have been quite pleased with the Dom.

We just walked into the Ernst and lucked out. They gave us a jr. suite for 180 euro and it was really grand.
Beautiful upholstery and all the amenities. I did not feel the staff was being gratuitous at all. We had some lovely conversations with every staff member we encountered. Same with the staff at the Dom Hotel.

Both hotels lived up to their reputations. I think the working A/C improved my "attitude" at the Ernst. It was such a relief to get out of the heat and into the comfort of our room, at the end of the day.

Regarding Mainz - We had a 1 night stay in Mainz last fall. I also chose the city because of it's close proximity to Frankfurt Airport and the ease of taking the train straight to FRA. I considered all the "high end" hotels, along the Rhine, but decided to try an inexpensive hotel that provided easy access to the Hauptbahnhof. I chose the Hotel Schottenhof for 56 euro.

Upon leaving the train station, we literally walked across the street, walked about 30 paces and hit the hotel's front door. I almost didn't go in, as I wasn't impressed with the exterior of the hotel. I'm soooooo glad I ventured in!

The receptionist was lovely...the hotel had an elevator...our room was one of the most comfortable we've ever stayed in (great mattresses)...and we had a very enjoyable stay.

The walk to the market square and cathedral was about 5-10 minutes and we felt completely safe, even walking late at night.

We took an early morning train to the airport and the ease of walking, almost right across the street, to catch the train was a real plus. For the money, the Schottenhof can't be beat. We didn't get to try breakfast (included in room price), so I can't comment on that, but it's a great choice, in Mainz, if your major concern is getting to the train station.

Somebody recommended staying at the Castle Hotel Schoenburg in Oberwesel. This would be a fantastic idea. It is exquisite! The original poster might have to change trains in Mainz, but this castle hotel would be well worth that small inconvenience.

While I'm at it...how to you post links into these replies? I can't seem to do it.

Val