Going to Germany first time
Oct 6th, 2004, 10:46 AM
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Going to Germany first time
Myself and my wife are going to Frankfurt on 27th Dec (leaving Chicago
on 26th) and coming back on 2nd Jan'05. Going to Paris by train or flight is also in our mind. This is our first visit to Europe.
How to best spend our time around Germany and Paris during New Year and during rest of the vacation time?
My preference is to spend the New Year night in Paris. But, can we make it back to Frankfurt by 11 AM on 2nd Jan to catch flight back to Chicago? I am going to see my German friend in Frankfurt. Outside
Frankfurt we are going to be all by ourselves. How to save money on
travel and accommodation?
Is it going to be too expensive to spend New Year in Paris? What are my options?
on 26th) and coming back on 2nd Jan'05. Going to Paris by train or flight is also in our mind. This is our first visit to Europe.
How to best spend our time around Germany and Paris during New Year and during rest of the vacation time?
My preference is to spend the New Year night in Paris. But, can we make it back to Frankfurt by 11 AM on 2nd Jan to catch flight back to Chicago? I am going to see my German friend in Frankfurt. Outside
Frankfurt we are going to be all by ourselves. How to save money on
travel and accommodation?
Is it going to be too expensive to spend New Year in Paris? What are my options?
Oct 6th, 2004, 11:32 AM
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Hi,
Congrats on planning your first trip to Europe!
If I were you, I wouldn't spend too much time in Franfurt. Although its a nice city, there really isn't much there. Also be careful not to overextend yourself. Germany is a large country full of terrific places to visit. You could easily spend a week in one or two places in Germany. If you want to add Paris, I would probably suggest looking into either an overnight train or else a flight. A good website to look for low-budget flights within Europe is http://www.whichbudget.com/. For your trip, and the fact that you have to be back in Frankfurt for your flight home, a flight to/from Paris would probably work better.
Good luck!
Tracy
Congrats on planning your first trip to Europe!
If I were you, I wouldn't spend too much time in Franfurt. Although its a nice city, there really isn't much there. Also be careful not to overextend yourself. Germany is a large country full of terrific places to visit. You could easily spend a week in one or two places in Germany. If you want to add Paris, I would probably suggest looking into either an overnight train or else a flight. A good website to look for low-budget flights within Europe is http://www.whichbudget.com/. For your trip, and the fact that you have to be back in Frankfurt for your flight home, a flight to/from Paris would probably work better.
Good luck!
Tracy
Oct 6th, 2004, 11:40 AM
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Sorry, I just noticed that you want to get back to Frankfurt the morning that your flight leaves. An overnight train could be an option. According to raileurope.com, there is an overnight train that leaves Paris at 22:27 and arrives in Frankfurt the next morning at 7:01. This would leave you enough time to get to the airport for your flight home.
Oct 6th, 2004, 11:49 AM
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About the fastest rail connection between Paris and the Frankfurt airport station would take between 5 and 6 hours during the day; some take longer.
Overnight, you may have to change trains once, early in the AM (around 5:45 AM) in Heildelberg..you could get to the airport around 7:00 AM
I would definitely look into a cheap flight between Paris and Franfurt.
Overnight, you may have to change trains once, early in the AM (around 5:45 AM) in Heildelberg..you could get to the airport around 7:00 AM
I would definitely look into a cheap flight between Paris and Franfurt.
Oct 6th, 2004, 12:20 PM
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Not counting Dec. 27 (you will be somewhat jetlagged) and Jan. 2, you have 5 days. Don't leave Germany.
Both train travel and driving are easy. However, it's hard to make suggestions without knowing your interests. Nonetheless, Heidelberg, areas along the Rhine and Mosel Rivers, Rothenberg and Munich spring to mind for a first trip. Ask your friend for suggestions. Hopefully, you done some basic research on your own.
Personally, with such a limited amount of time I would not go to Paris. Even if you fly, you will still take up precious time getting to and from the airports, checking in and just plain waiting for your flights.
Both train travel and driving are easy. However, it's hard to make suggestions without knowing your interests. Nonetheless, Heidelberg, areas along the Rhine and Mosel Rivers, Rothenberg and Munich spring to mind for a first trip. Ask your friend for suggestions. Hopefully, you done some basic research on your own.
Personally, with such a limited amount of time I would not go to Paris. Even if you fly, you will still take up precious time getting to and from the airports, checking in and just plain waiting for your flights.
Oct 6th, 2004, 12:47 PM
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I agree with the other writers that cramming Paris into your schedule makes for an awfully tight schedule. Also, because of the uncertain weather, I would not follow any itinerary that includes driving. (That kind of knocks out Rothenburg).
Af\ter your visit with your friend, get on a train to Munich (Muenchen) and make that your base. Enjoy the city, it has much to offer (yes, there is a life in Munich after the Oktoberfest!). If the weather is great, take a day trip by train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and ride the cog railway up the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain). If the weather is so-so, but you want to see something besides Munich, take the train to Salzburg for a day. It's just a couple of hours. To save time, take a cab from the Bahnhof (RR sation) to the Altstadt (old city center). It's not very expensive.
After Munich, return by train to Frankfurt, either using a train that stops at the airport (Frankfurt Main Flughafen), or take the S-Bahn shuttle from the Frankfurt main station (Frankfurt Main Hbf.) There are several hotels near the airport and one, the Sheraton, in the airport. It's very much a business hotels. So, because of the holidays, you may get a good rate there. I have stayed several times at the Steigenberger Avanace Airport Hotel. It has a nice restaurant attached to it, the Untere Schweinstiege, and a shuttle to the terminal; takes about 10 minutes.
You can get all the necessary train information on www.bahn.de
For train schedules, check
Af\ter your visit with your friend, get on a train to Munich (Muenchen) and make that your base. Enjoy the city, it has much to offer (yes, there is a life in Munich after the Oktoberfest!). If the weather is great, take a day trip by train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and ride the cog railway up the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain). If the weather is so-so, but you want to see something besides Munich, take the train to Salzburg for a day. It's just a couple of hours. To save time, take a cab from the Bahnhof (RR sation) to the Altstadt (old city center). It's not very expensive.
After Munich, return by train to Frankfurt, either using a train that stops at the airport (Frankfurt Main Flughafen), or take the S-Bahn shuttle from the Frankfurt main station (Frankfurt Main Hbf.) There are several hotels near the airport and one, the Sheraton, in the airport. It's very much a business hotels. So, because of the holidays, you may get a good rate there. I have stayed several times at the Steigenberger Avanace Airport Hotel. It has a nice restaurant attached to it, the Untere Schweinstiege, and a shuttle to the terminal; takes about 10 minutes.
You can get all the necessary train information on www.bahn.de
For train schedules, check
