jleal

Hello,

My husband and I will be traveling to Tuscany this May (staying in Pienza) and then want to travel to Germany, around Heidelberg. What is the best and fastest way to get there? Rail or air? If air, any recommended airlines?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Johanna

Aramis

Florence to Frankfurt is probably the simplest flight connection - Lufthansa flies it direct. Rome - Frankfurt is another option but it is about an hour farther from Pienza.

You do, however have to consider getting from Pienza to Florence (2 hours or so if driving - I don't know about modes of transport) and Frankfurt to Heidelberg (50 minutes by train).

A train from Florence to Heidelberg takes at least 9.5 hours with 3 changes. Once you add 2 more hours to get to Florence you have a 12 hour day with, probably 5 bus/rail connections.

Spend your 2 hours getting to Florence, then fly, and then it's 50 minutes to Heidelberg from the Frankfurt airport rail station, with just one change in Frankfurt city.

It's a pretty big travel day either way considering the required 90 minute or so pre-flight arrival requirement at the airport. Have you considered breaking ti up with a rail trip and an overnight, halfway - say Zurich? Or, if you still want to get there faster, go from Pienza to Florence the day before you leave, sight-see, have a nice dinner, stay by the airport and you are off early the next morning for a quick flight and train to Heidelberg..

iris1745

You could consider Rome to Cologne. It's about a two hour flight on German Wings. Very inexpensive. Hire a car and then it's about a 2 and 1/2 hour drive to the Heidelberg area. Richard www.kayak.com

Mimar

Or Air Berlin, Florence to Stuttgart.

iris1745

Mimar gives you great advice. Air Berlin, about 1 and 1/2 hour in the air. Then, about 1 and 1/2 hour drive from the airport to Heidelberg. www.kayak.com Richard

Aramis

Air Berlin is cheaper to STR in May than Lufthansa for a one way booking, but if you book a return on Lufthansa to FRA (just don't take the flight back) the costs are about the same, depending on the day.

Lufthansa offers 3 non-stop flights daily to FRA, Air Berlin just one to STR.

STR to Heidelberg takes almost twice as long as it does from FRA, but that is only 40-50 minutes more on the best connections.

Palenque

If you go by train you pass thru the heart of Switzerland so if you have a day or two to spare you could stop off at say the fantastic Berner Oberland region around Interlaken - to me the essence of the Switzerland picture etched in our minds' eyes

but to go straight thru Rome to Heidelberg would be about a 10-12 marathon ride. Overnight trains once ran to Basel but no more. I'd fly unless i wanted to stop off in Switzerland.