Estela50

My husband and I are planning to travel to Germany July 11Th - July 27Th. My daughter lives in Ramstein so we want to take advantage and go to as many places as possible including Paris, London and any other country we can squeeze in. Problem we don't have a clue how to plan our time. Does anyone have any suggestions or websites that can help me plan out out time without wasting any of it. Thanks in advance.

laurie_ann

Many guidebooks have example itineraries. Check some out at your local library. With your ideas you could leave from Germany and fly to London, take high speed train to Paris, then train also and back to Germany with 4 to 5 days in each place. That is enough time for those two cities and a daytrip out of each one. Then back in Germany you could do the Rhine or Mosel rivers or the Strasbourg area for a more relaxing countryside part. Those areas of Germany have a number of nice smaller cities that are a good balance to London and Paris.

adrienne

This post sounds so familiar. Were you planning on spending any time with your daughter? Why do you want to squeeze places into an itinerary rather than enjoy London, Paris, and Ramstein at leisure? Since your daughter lives in Germany why not see places in Germany rather than leaving for another country?

London and Paris need about 5 days each for a first time visitor. You can fly into London, take the train to Paris, take a train to Strasbourg/Colmar area and then to Ramstein. That will fill up your 16 days without too much running around. An alternate would be to see Belgium rather than Strasbourg and then on to Germany.

MmePerdu

I agree wholeheartedly with Adrienne. Sometimes when you ask questions here you get the answers you need, not necessarily the ones you thought you were asking. London, Paris and time with your daughter and environs will be more than enough for the short time you have. If the dates you mention include travel time from and to home then you have 2 weeks. Many people are sorry when they try to "squeeze" too much into the days they have but, in my experience, very few are sorry when they've taken the time to enjoy where they are.

suze

I would start with a guidebook. Seriously and I mean this with kindness. The internet is great for getting details, but when you have absolutely no idea of where you want to go or what you want to do, I find a printed guidebook (with good maps) a lot more helpful.

traveldug

I agree with the previous posters. Consider spending plenty of time locally and get an appreciation for that area, then just pick a couple of other places and spend multiple nights there. If you go to too many places too quickly, everything blends together and you don't appreciate any of it. (I'm speaking from experience).

Try picking up a Rick Steve's travel skills handbook, and some local guidebooks for places that may interest you. The Fodor's Germany book is excellent. Once you know where you want to go, I have had great luck with the europeandestinations.com website. You plug in where you want to go on what dates, then it lets you pick trains,planes hotels, tours, activities, everything and piece them all together in advance for a decent price.

AisleSeat

Looks like yiu have about 16 days on the ground so try to decide on 3-4 cities. Stay long enough to really get a taste of them then decide what you will do on the next trip. London, Paris and Rome are the top three for good reason. They all have a LOT to offer. Pardon my ignorance but is your daughter at Ramstein AFB near Frankfurt. If so you will have tons of airline options to go anywhere you want to go.
Don't try to replicate a "big bus" tour, you will drive yiurself crazy. Once you narrow it down come back here and I'm sure you will great advice and suggestions for your trip. Happy planning.

traveller1959

I am not so skeptical. Of course, it is tempting to see the metropolises if you are so close to them.

And of course it is possible to get a first impression. The train from Ramstein to Paris takes 2:52 - you can see Paris almost in a daytrip! (better stay there for two or three nights)

Same with London. From Ramstein to Frankfurt Airport driving time is about 1:15, and it will be the same time to Hahn Aiport (the base of Ryan Air). Both airports offer tons of cheap flights to London (1 hour flight time). Again, you may stay there two or three nights).

I also recommend exploring the surroundings of Ramstein in the remainder of your time. You have the option to see

- Heidelberg and Speyer,
- the Rhine Valley with romantic towns, castles and scenery,
- Alsace with wine villages and historic cities,
- the Romantic Road with picturesque towns

You can do these sidetrips as daytrips or with one or two overnight stays.

This kind of itinerary will lead to back to Ramstein, so you can see your daughter.

ira

Hi E,

>go to as many places as possible including Paris, London and any other country we can squeeze in...[in 2 weeks]

Make sure that you go to Belgium on Tuesday.

ira

Seriously,

You have 2 weeks. I assume that you would like to spend a couple of days with your daughter.

You have time for a reasonable visit to Germany.

It would make a more rushed visit to Germany and one other venue.

However, if you think that flying into London for 3 days, flying to Amsterdam for 3 days, training Berlin for 3 days, going on to spend 2 days with your daughter and then taking the train to Paris before flying home will be fun, enjoy your expedition.

Train schedules are at www.bahn.de

bardo1

<i>"My daughter lives in Ramstein so we want to take advantage and go to as many places as possible"</i>

NONE of the experienced European travelers here wish to be enablers or accomplices to such a bad initial premise...

AT MOST pick 10 days in the middle of your trip and drive to Luxembourg, Belgium, then head south toward Paris (STAY there 2 or 3 nights!), and then wind your way back to Ramstein maybe stopping at Reims, Nancy or Metz along the way.

Guenmai

"ira on Aug 8, 12 at 5:32am
Hi E,

>go to as many places as possible including Paris, London and any other country we can squeeze in...[in 2 weeks]

Make sure that you go to Belgium on Tuesday."


Ira....LOL! But, shame on you. But, that movie was hilarious. I remember laughing my head off when it first came out. I'm going to have to buy a copy of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5yk8...eature=related

Happy Travels!

Guenmai

I agree with those who suggest to buy a guide book. For a first timer, I suggest doing some guide book research first and then coming back and posting specific questions. Happy Travels!

Shanna

Hello. I live near Ramstein too. While the immediate area around the base is not too great, once you get outside of it (really only a few miles) the Rheinland-Pfalz is a beautiful area with a great deal to see: beautiful rolling hills, villages tucked into valleys, castles abound. Paris is 2 hours away on the ICE train from Kaiserslautern. Strasbourg France is a good day trip with a nice old center. There's medieval cities like Trier, Speyer, and summer is great for the medieval fairs (google marktkalendarium for a list by city). Then, a really great day trip is the Weinstrasse. The Weintour at the south end is just across the border from France. I'm sure your daughter will have a lot she'll want to show you. Or you could fly into London, take the aerostar to Paris, then head to Ramstein (train to Kaiserslautern). I love this area of Germany and in summer the wildflowers are incredible, everyone's house is decorated with flowerboxes, and each village is florally decorated as well. You can have dinner at a castle, Berg Lichtenberg. There are lots of good restaurants in Landstuhl (in spite of what some people say about restaurants in the area). The casket restaurant at Bad Durkheim on the Weinstrasse has the best saumagen, a Pfalz 'delicacy' - have it with a dry riesling. Whatever you decide, give your daughter time to show you the Germany she has come to know. This area is so easy to visit - almost everyone speaks some English. Gute fahrte (happy travels - but the spelling may be off).