markandmargot

We are considerinig a driving trip along the Mosel River, and don't have much to go on besides my partners very happy 14 year old (not ago, but when he was 14...) memories. We thought we'd fly to Frankfurt, rent a car, drive to Koblenz, then work our way south, crossing into France, seeing Nancy and Reims (Metz?), before dropping the car in Paris. We would arrive in Frankfurt on March 18th or 19th, and return home a week or so later on March 26 or 27th. We are looking for great landscape, architecture, art and food.... Is this doable? I know all of this time could be spent in Paris (!) but we only were thinking of a day or 2 there-- (we've been before, although its never enough-- but this is really about driving in the landscape). I had seen some news about flooding-- what would the drive be like in March? Thanks for any help!

kerouac

What you need to do is to change cars at the border. International drop-off fees are disgraceful.

markandmargot

Right you are, kerouac. I think (as per another forum's suggestion) we will drive back into germany, drop the car, and train it to Paris. thank you!

hausfrau

The drop-off fees aren't necessarily that bad...it just depends on how much your convenience is worth to you. (We've rented in France and dropped in Germany and paid about $80 extra.) On the other hand, if you can avoid driving into Paris, by all means, turn the car in beforehand!

I tend to cover a lot of ground in my travels and I love to drive, so I am trying to think about how I would do your trip myself. I would spend at LEAST 2 days in the Mosel (my favorite region of Germany). You will certainly want to take a trip to Burg Eltz and that would also give you enough time to drive along the river (gorgeous scenery) and stop at a town or two. I highly recommend Hotel Haus Lipmann in Beilstein. It is a tiny village topped by a ruined castle and the hotel is everything you could want - quaint building, comfortable rooms, lovely staff, and a nice traditional German restaurant. You will see many good reviews of it here and on Trip Advisor. If you prefer a larger town, we also enjoyed the Alte Thorschenke in Cochem. (Koblenz is a much larger city and not quite as charming - most people who stay there are without a car and thus want something convenient to the train.)

So...that gives you ~3 days to get to Paris and 2 days in Paris. I have not been to Nancy, Reims, or Metz so I will not pass judgment on those cities; however, if it were me I would probably choose only one or two of them and see more of the city rather than trying to squeeze them all into a short amount of time.

It's always difficult to predict what the weather will be in March. I lived in Stuttgart for 2.5 years and the weather at that time was very unpredictable. You might experience late winter or early spring weather - cold and rainy or balmy and sunny. You'll have to check the forecast beforehand and plan your wardrobe accordingly. When in doubt, layer! Flooding is of course even more unpredictable. You won't have much greenery yet, but you will still experience the incredibly steep hillside vineyards of the Mosel and its many lovely villages.

kerouac

I made a report about both Metz and the Pompidou Center in Metz some time ago. Links to both reports are on this thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...enter-metz.cfm

hetismij

You will need to check which hotels are open in March - many are still closed then due to the risks of flooding.
Fodorite favourite Haus Lipmann in Beilstein doesn't re-open until mid April for instance.

Burg Eltz doesn't open until April 1st.

markandmargot

hausfrau, do you remember what agency you rented from? Thank you for your suggestions. This trip was conceived as a very casual drive in the valley, strolling towns, climbing castle ramparts, sleeping wherever we found a zimmer. The France part really was a consequence of just following the river on the map and figuring it would work that way. Do you think the valley itself could offer a week of driving? hetismij is right, there are spots that dont open til April. kerouac, i just looked at your pompidou pix-- interesting mixed bag of a museum! We are painters, so museums are our bread and butter. If we get to Metz, we're there.

hausfrau

I believe we rented from Europcar. We had no complaints.

I didn't realize that Burg Eltz and Haus Lipmann would be closed in March. I still think you could easily spend a lazy week in the Mosel. You could certainly make your way to Trier, a lovely city with some fantastic Roman ruins. Another option would be to spend a couple days on the Rhine in combination with the Mosel. There are many castles and villages to explore and I would imagine at least a few of them are open year-round.

kerouac

Remich in Luxembourg seems to have tons of Moselle cruises for (principally) German tourists. That is right next to Schengen, of which most serious European voyagers should have heard.

hetismij

Again Kerouac they don't run in March. The river can be too high and too dangerous still in March.