nz101

Hi, could anyone help me out a little here please. Arrive in Frankfurt Christmas Eve for 3 or 4 nights. Just wondering what might be a good day trip from Frankfurt - thinking about Rothenberg - any ideas most welcome. I will be using the train, don't speak German, and female travelling alone.

Russ

There is one Christmas market in the area that you can visit AFTER Christmas - Speyer's is open until from 11 until 9 every day. Speyer is a lovely town as well.

Marksburg Castle would make for a good daytrip too and is open the day after Christmas and beyond for tours:

www.marksburg.de

PalenQ

marking for later comment

Mainhattengirl

Do you already have hotel arrangements? Pretty much everything shuts down as far as restaurants and stores on Christmas Eve by about 14:00. So you will need to find a hotel that is doing dinner on this evening. The 25th and 26th are also holidays, but restaurants and many museums will be open. There will be lots of concerts going on, like at the Alte Oper or in the churches too, some of which have magnificent organs.

For day trips, the choice is wide open, depending on what your interests are. Mainz, Bad Homburg, Kronberg, Seligenstadt, Heidelberg, Darmstadt, Marburg, Büdingen, or Königstein are a small sample of near-by towns with interesting sights. Going down the Rhein to Marksburg, is easy as Russ recommended.

nz101

Thanks so much. As yet I haven't booked accommodation, but planning on something basic near the main railway station, one that will include breakfast. I'm glad to hear that museums will be open, as I'd like to visit some. I'm open to any gorgeous towns/cities in the area, as long as its realitively easy and painless to get to by train!
Mainhattengirl, you mentioned going down the Rhine - will there be boats running at this time of year?
Thanks Russ for the Christmas market advice - yes I would definitely love to see one, I will make a note of marksburg.
Also I have heard so much about Rothenburg - is it really worth it, with the hassles of about 4 train changes?
Thanks everyone for the help.

minnehappylis

We have been in Germany twice over the holidays. Find a hotel with a good restaurant; you may find little open. Going into an old church for services is neat even if it is not of your belief system. The Christmas markets are charming. We have stayed at the airport Sheraton in Frankfurt; it is literally connected to the train station and airport. I think it is about 3 stops/ 15 minutes to the old city center from there. It is kind of pricey, but we found it convenient when catching AM flights/trains. Have fun!

LSky

All good tips. You have many months to practice some rudimentary German.

Mainhattengirl

For Christmas Eve, you will need a hotel that serves dinner. Seriously, there are no restaurants open on the evening of the 24th.

There are lots and lots of lovely hotels in the city, so there is no reason to stay at the airport. If the weather is decent, you may want to stroll around some of the old neighborhoods, or take a walk in a park or along the river. Staying in the city is a much better option.

If you let us know what your budget is, then I can make some hotel suggestions.