Plan for vacation in Germany
 

I start to plan our trip for next year. Mainly, we want to see the cathedral in Cologne aand then, Rhine Valley. We want to make the trip by train, to enjoy landscape and architecture, and not to be in a hurry.

I would like to have your remarks / suggestions regarding our plan:
1.From Frankfurt airport - train to Cologne.
2. hotel here for 5 nights. Visits from here:
- Cologne
- Bonn
- Aachen
- Munster
(each of them - day trip by train; except Cologne, of course)
3. Then, by train to Bacharach
Stay here for next , let's say, 10 days.
Visit from here, by train or cruise:
- Koblenz
- Luxembourg
- Frankfurt
- Boppard
- Wiesbaden
- Mainz
- Cochem

4. From Bacharach, by train to Frankfurt airport, to go home.

I think to make this trip in May, hoping to have a good weather (we hate the hot weather, but I do not want rain). Maybe September is better, but the day will be shorter then.

Also, can you recommend a good pension in Bacharach, near railway station, with nice view? What about hotel in Cologne?

What do you think?
Thanks in advance.

Liliana

Any advices? Please help, I see that my message will go from first 50...

Nobody can help?

You will have lots of time to explore this region in depth.

Overall, your plan sounds okay. But I would definitely split the 10 days between the Rhine and the Mosel. Spend 3-5 days in Cochem and do your daytrips to Luxembourg and the other terrific towns and sights that are in this area - Trier, Burg Eltz, Traben-Trarbach, Beilstein, and Bernkastel (requires a bus from Wittlich train station, but you should do it.)

Other sights/towns on the Rhine you don't mention: Ruedesheim, Boppard, Marksburg Castle in Braubach, Linz (beautiful town north of Koblenz), Oberwesel, a train ride from Remagen up the beautiful Ahr River valley, another train ride from Koblenz up the Lahn River valley, a train ride to the gem town of Idar-Oberstein up the Nahe River Valley (known for its wines) and the WW II museum in Remagen (housed in the supports of the old Luddendorff Bridge that fell after the taking of the Rhine by Allied troops.) I would visit all of these before spending time in Koblenz or Wiesbaden, both of which are small and pleasant cities but really unexceptional and very much like many other cities in Germany. Mainz should probably be lower on your list of must-do's as well, but it's worth a visit if you have the time.

Have a great trip.

Thaank you so much, Russ. I know that I have time, but I enjoy a lot preparing a vacation in advance.
I'll start to read about the places you named.
Thanks again.