mainz
 

we are going to mainz this march. my husband will be attending a business meeting for 2 days and another 3 days to explore germany. initially we were planning to go to berlin after mainz then frankfurt however someone advised me not to pursue it bec so much time will be wasted on train travel.

a. any ideas as to what or things to do in mainz for 2 days.
.
b. how is the weather / climate during march?

c. my plans for the 3 days ( free days) are the following:
1. Mainz- cologne - bonn - frankfurt
a. what train to take if we will go to cologne?
b. what train will we take to go to Bonn? do we need to stay there overnight?
c. how about Bonn to frankfurt? i read somewhere that we should take a train ride from bonn to frankfurt since the scenery is very nice.
based on my research the railway system in germany is complex and confusing. i dont know whether we should take the eurorail/eurostar/bahn to go to the places
2. mainz - munich - frankfurt.
our flight details is manila_frankfurt - manila so basically, we need to be in frankfurt on the 5th day
which of the two is more feasible and also worth visiting?
this will be our first time to germany. any suggestions is highly appreciated. thanks

c. Bonn is a pretty little city with lots of gelato-coloured buldings. Yes, a train ride is nice, a Rhine cruise even nicer. The most popular section is Mainz - Koblenz.

Don't be confused by the rail system. Deutsche Bahn (www.bahn.de , just pick the English language option at the top) is the rail system that covers the country and each city has its own local trains (Mainz and Wiesbaden are connected to Frankfurt by the S-Bahn (a local suburban train)). Eurail is a rail pass which covers much of Europe but for just a few days I would not bother with it as I don't think you would save much money. There are many people here who will jump on with good advice about rail travel, just be patient. Eurostar is the high-speed train that travels between London and various points in France and Belgium, so it doesn't come into question for you.

With so little time I would just explore the area between Frankfurt, Mainz (maybe a quick stop in Cologne for the cathedral), and the small towns of the Rhine / Rheingau. There is actually quite a bit to see in Frankfurt too, especially the Museumsufer (one side of the river is all really good museums). In Mainz see the 1000-year old Mainzer Dom, the Chagall windows of the Stephanskirche, the Gutenberg Museum, the Museum fuer Antike Schifffahrt (museum for ancient ship travel - there are lots of signs of the Roman presence in Mainz) and the old town. If you go to Bonn I would not bother to stay overnight - just make Mainz your base and see the area from there. It's also possible to get to the airport quickly from the Mainz -Wiesbaden area; it takes about 40 minutes to the airport so you needn't necessarily relocate to Frankfurt on the last day.

Lavandula

Just another thought - the area *between* Mainz and Frankfurt is not so inspiring, whether by road, S-Bahn or river - densely populated and in part industrial. So don't factor that into your sightseeing!

Lavandula

Jeanette: You have already received dozens of suggestions here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...y-Germany.html

Do you have some questions about those suggestions?

You are now suggesting something completely new - Munich - which isn't exactly close to Mainz. Have you read anything about Munich? If there is something you really want to see in Munich, and if Munich sounds better to you than the other suggestions (which are all much closer to Mainz,) and if you don't mind the 4-hour train ride each way and the cost of that trip, then you should get tickets to Munich and spend 2 nights there - then travel back to Frankfurt for your final night.

But in general, I don't think that many people would recommend a trip to Munich if you have just 3 nights. It's a long distance from Mainz, and there are many nice places to visit that are much closer. Many of them are discussed in the tripadvisor thread above (see link.)

What do you want to see in Cologne and Bonn? It is easier to travel to these cities from Mainz than it is to visit Munich, but you should probably read more about all these cities first and look closely at the advice that you've already received before you decide.

. any ideas as to what or things to do in mainz for 2 days>

Yes get the heck out of Mainz, a city apparently blitzed in WW2 and thus pretty ho-hum modern. Yet there are many gems nearby - the Rhine and Rhine cruises for one - best cruise from Rudesheim to Boppard - www.k-d.com for schedules - Rudesheim is a short train ride from Mainz.

In Mainz do not miss the exquisite stained glass windows (by Chagall) in St. Stephen's church. I've seen a lot of stained glass and these windows are incredible.

You'll spend one day traveling back and forth between Frankfurt and Munich or Berlin which gives you two days to experience those cities. You won't have time to go skipping all over Germany.

There are lots of things to do in Frankfurt and it's only about 40 minutes from Mainz on the train - an easy trip.

Mainz still has a lot of the old town to speak of -not nearly as dire as PalenQ paints it, and with quite a lot to see to think of it as a nice base; not all of it is flattened or modern. Quite a friendly city, with lots of good restaurant options. I lived across the river in Wiesbaden for a few years; also pretty, and untouched by the WWII bombings. Although it's elegant and beautiful there isn't half as much to keep the visitor busy as Mainz. Rüdesheim, on the other hand, is a convenient place from which to start and end Rhine cruises, but it is expensive and has hordes of tourists which make it less pleasant for me. I would not consider it a suitable place to stay for that reason. There is the possibility of other nearby townships in the Rheingau and on the Rhine that are somehow less of a tourist magnet but are equally charming.

Munich I would probably leave out of the mix altogether simply because it's just too far away and you have so little time. Save it for a trip where you can devote enough time to seeing it and its surroundings with sufficient time, unless you think you can't possibly live without getting there on this trip. There is a lot to do in the area Frankfurt - Mainz/Wiesbaden - Cologne, so make the best of your great opportunity.

Lavandula

thanks lavandula

russ, i highly appreciate your inputs. we did try your suggestion however based on the link you gave me, it will take us 5 days.
my friends who will be joining us are not adventurous so to speak. honestly i am also confused as to where to go because we have different interest. i myself love history so much thats why i wanted to go to places that have historical significance however two of my friends wanted to go to modern places. so confusing.

Frankfurt fits the bill as having both a very modern side, with the only skyline in Europe, and the historical side, being a Free Imperial city and the coronation city for the Holy Roman Empire too. Several medieval churches to visit including the Kaiserdom, the Justinus church, Deutsche Orden church, Alte Nikolai, Liebfrauen and St. Katherina, plus tons of museums, a lovely botanical garden - Palmengarten, and some very nice residential neighborhoods surrounding the city center. Farmers Markets abound, but a visit to the indoor Klein Markt Halle is a treat. You can dine in several different guard towers left over from the 1400 and 1500's, Eschenheimer Turm, Sachsenhausen Warte and Friedberger Warte.

Do visit Frankfurt Hoechst if you want a quaint neighborhood.

For travel to other small towns, consider Bad Homburg, Buedingen, Idstein, Seligenstadt, Eppstein, Kronberg, and of course the whole Rhein, between Mainz and Koblenz. On the DB website, just click on Local Transit to get the slow trains that travel right along the river. This way you get the best view.

"russ, we did try your suggestion however based on the link you gave me, it will take us 5 days."

I don't understand. WHAT will take 5 days? Going to Berlin? Yes. But if you read the link, then you must understand that the advice you received told you NOT to go to Berlin since you have only 3 days. The same thread also has many excellent alternatives that are very close to Mainz and don't take very much time.

"i am also confused as to where to go because we have different interest."

This is a problem for you to solve, but one way to do that is to go straight to Frankfurt, a mostly very modern city, as mainhattengirl suggests. There, your friends can enjoy city life, and you can see several historical sights (see m'girl's posts) and can also take outings to those old-world villages she mentions in the last paragraph.

Palenque writes, "Yes get the heck out of Mainz, a city apparently blitzed in WW2 and thus pretty ho-hum modern."

Hmm.

http://www.mainz-altstadtapartment.d...r/100_0907.JPG
http://0.tqn.com/d/gogermany/1/0/g/5/-/-/markt.jpg

Mainz, like Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and most other major German cities, was mostly flattened during the war, but there is still a small but very handsome Marktplatz and a nice old-town area filled with fine buildings, cafes and shops that is easy to walk. This area stretches from the Marktplatz in front of the Mainzer Dom (cathedral) to the south; the main artery is Augustinerstrasse. Be sure to step inside the Augustinerkirche on this street.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ainz_innen.jpg

The Dom is considered one of the better examples of Romanesque on the planet.

This area of town is a healthy distance from the main train station in Mainz, where architecture does tend toward post-war blah. Someone who stumbles out of the station for a look around might have the same impression as Palenque has. But Mainz merits a closer look.

And there's nothing ho-hum about the way Mainz parties. Fasnacht (Carnival, Feb 16-22) Johannisfest (June 22-25) Wine Market (Aug 23-26, 30-Sep 2) and Christmas Market (Nov 29-Dec 23) will no doubt offer up lots of fun this year again.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4032/5...fc0b402b_z.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/o...l/38000714.jpg
http://www.mainzer-rhein-zeitung.de/...einmarkt_6.jpg

We enjoyed Mainz for two days in May 2009.

http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Germany...8285709_jkCdVw

We principally enjoyed the cathedral & its square, Chagall's windows in Stephanskirche, and the Landesmuseum. The whole city and the river front was appealing to us.

If you wanted something smaller and attractive for a day trip, perhaps Bacharach a bit north on the Rhine.

http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Germany...8283554_GZVSKN

There are many more choices in this area. Frankfurt is one possibility as mentioned. We also like Würzburg which is two hours by train. Our pictures from April 2006.

http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Travel/...1401769_wVgpqQ

I will follow my own advice and be in Würzburg in March.

Regards, Gary

I love Köln, but with the limited time you have I would not go that far, same for Bonn and Munich.

If it was my trip I would see Mainz on the first two days while my spouse was in his meeting (I would also take naps to get over the jet lag) I would then spend one day going from Mainz to Koblenz along the east side of the Rhine, stopping along the way at Rüdesheim, Braubach (to see Marksburg) and whatever else looks interesting. I would spend the next day going back to Mainz along the west side of the river, stopping to see Boppard, St Goar (with its incredible castle ruin called Rheinfels) and Bacharach. On the third day I would head into Frankfurt and stay somewhere near the airport.

If it were in my budget I would also rent a car and use it for my trip to Koblenz and back. This way we could go at our own pace and leave our luggage in the car while sightseeing.

Obviously you have to decide what you want to do, but my advice to you is to assume you will be back to Germany and take your time to enjoy yourself. It is too easy to try to cram too much into the time you have, and then you will end up worn out and stressed.

http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/#timetable

Check out this link to the Wunderbar German Railways schedule English page - read the box that gives several useful tips on using bahn.de that novice users may not know - but for the types of trains you are taking you really do not need schedules as trains go everywhere all the time in this area - be sure to get some kind of Lander Card - regional train pass for a day for 29 euros for up to five folks - just be sure to avoid anything but a regional train, which is fine for you as you are not traveling far.

I enjoyed the smaller town of Speyer on the Rhine a whole lot - just a few minutes from Mainz.

based on my research the railway system in germany is complex and confusing. i dont know whether we should take the eurorail/eurostar/bahn to go to the places>

the German Railpass can be a huge bargain if moving between regions and if wanting flexibility and especially if going first class (there is a significant comfort factor between classes - it ain't that 2nd class is a cattle car but first class much more relaxed even - anyways a full fare ticket Frankfurt area to Munich could make much of a railpass pay off (not Eurailpass but German Railpass, valid in Germany only (also valid on K-D boats on the Rhine, which with time on my hands in Mainz would be near the top of my list of things to do there- any www.bahn.de the German Rail site has all the fares to compare to any pass. If you were staying always in one region then no to the pass as your fares would be low and there are the bargain Lander or regional passes, which however do not allow you to go between two far-removed regional like the Frankfurt and Munich regions.

OP - see the current thread asking Speyer vs Worms as towns to visit if one had to chose one - both of these towns have world-famous cathedrals on the Rhine and are very close to Mainz.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...r-vs-worms.cfm

Speyer vs Worms - and IMO you cannot go wrong with either one and with your time you could do both easily in the same day.

Marburg to me was a real gem - a lively university town lying under an old town on a hill dominated by a vast castle and cathedral complex. Lots of trains from Frankfurt - not very far out.