VH

Our family is staying in Paris for five days next week, then leaving to head toward Frankfurt(via rail?)where our plane departs four days (and nights)later. We have never been to Germany and aren't sure where to stop over on our way to Frankfurt with the limited amount of time we have. Friends have suggested many different places -- Swiss Alps, Heidelburg, Cologne, Brussels, etc -- all of which sound great but we're not sure what to choose! We'd definitely like to take a cruise on the Rhine river and see a few castles; seeing the Alps would be great too. Any suggested itinerary for our four days would be greatly appreciated!

Pam

We did this route last year, with stops in southern Holland, Luxembourg and the Belgian Ardennes. It's a lovely route as well as a great historical tour. Bastogne (Bel.) and Diekirch (Lux.) were of particular interest. We enjoyed having a car, as it allowed us to stop in small towns and points of interest at our leisure.<BR><BR>Because we had an early flight out of Frankfurt, we stayed at the Sheraton, which is actually connected to the airport/train terminal, and was quite nice. From there, you can easily take a train into town for dinner, etc.

CharlieB

With only 4 days between Paris and Frankfurt, I would suggest a train to Cologne, perhaps with a stopover in Aachen. Spend a day in Cologne,and have dinner in the old section along the Rhine Esplanade enjoying a glass of "Koelsch" - then take a Rhine cruise to Mainz and spend a night there rather than in Frankfurt. It is only around 30 minutes to Frankfurt Airport from Mainz via train. Enjoy

trying

We've done the opposite, kind of. Although the other suggestions are very valid, another thought would be to train through Metz and Lux. to Trier, spending some time in each (perhaps staying in Trier); Hit Cochem, Burg Eltz, Rhinefels and Bacharach (or other towns and casltes along the Moselle and Rhine). All can be done by train, though it is a long but beautiful hike from Moselkern to Burg Eltz and no where to stash luggage (at least when we went there).

VH

All great suggestions, thanks. One brought up another question: can you take a Rhine cruise from one city to another one way with luggage?

VH

Cancel my previous question re: Rhine cruise one-way. We have rented a car and are definitely driving from Paris to Germany (ultimately ending in Frankfurt four days later). Given this, any other suggestions for an itinerary? (a cruise on the Rhine is still a must for us)