Hi, everybody!

Two good friends of mine are getting married in Sackingen, Germany this July. I really want to go, but since I'm taking the bar exam 3 days after the wedding, I'll have to plan carefully to make the trip as stress-free as possible. So I'm hoping to get some good advice here on a variety of things.

First off - where would be the best place to fly into? I may not rent a car (unless other friends fly with me), so rail access to Sackingen or someplace nearby would be great. The family of the bride (whom I think we're staying with) will probably be able to pick us up if there isn't a rail station right at Sackingen.

Second - any tips for reducing jet lag on the way back to the U.S.? I've been to Europe 5 times before, but I always had the luxury of recovery time on the trip back. My jet lag has usually been worse coming back, as well. With the bar exam on Tuesday, and my flight back on Sunday, that will be a huge concern. Incidentally, this trip would take place after 2 months of intensive bar review courses and study, and I'll bring things with me, so I'm not too concerned about my preparation level - just my tiredness.

Thanks for any tips you guys can give!

Take care,
Linds

Linds - Sorry but I can't find Sackingen in either mapquest or the German Rail site - so it must be rather small. Given the "-ingen" on the end pretty much places it in Swabia. If so, Stuttgart would be the major city. Get a little more info from your friends and maybe I can help out a little more.

You might check if it's Bad Säckingen which does come up on the DB site (and which viamichelin sends you to when you enter Sackingen). If so, it's quite close to Basel (30-40 minutes by train). Frankfurt and Stuttgart are both ~3 hrs. Strasbourg might also be an option.

Enjoy your trip.
Paul

Thanks for the replies so far.

It IS Bad Sackingen (sorry), and it's in the Black Forest region. I think it's right on the Swiss border, so flying into Zurich or Basel really would make sense. I've flown to Zurich from London before (Swiss Air - fabulous service!), so at least I'm familiar with that airport and city.

I guess I should give you all a bit more information. I think I'll be flying out of Houston. I'm not sure if Swiss Air flies out of there, or if Zurich tends to be as cheap to fly into as Frankfurt (sometimes you can find deals). I would like to find a reasonable price on that flight when the time comes, but my real concern is getting there and back with as little strain as possible.

Anyone else out there been to this area? How accessible is it from Zurich, Basel or Frankfurt without a car? I've never rented a car in Europe before - is it pretty painless? Also, does anyone have tips for beating jet lag on the return trip?

I know I must be nuts to even contemplate this with the bar exam looming a couple of days later, but maybe a little travel will be just the thing I need by then! Thanks again for all the help so far!

Linds,

Frankfurt is about 3.5 hours by car away from Bad Säckingen.

Zurich- Kloten airport is about 69 km, with an estimated driving time of 39 minutes according to MS Autoroute.

Basel- Mulhouse airport is some 48 km and 38 minutes away- also according to MS Autoroute.

Renting a car and driving in Europe is absolutely "painless" IMHO. You should be aware that most vehicles are stick shift, though. Automatic transmission is usually available at a surcharge or higher classes.

Regarding Jet- Lag, I would like to assure you that I find it a lot harder to adjust when returning to Europe from the US (as you are "losing" a night flying into here) than on the way from Europe to the US. As your visit here will be considerably short, I would guess, that you might get along pretty well, as it is unlikely that you'll really adapt the Euro- Time- Zone.

Have fun
hsv

Linds:

There are direct trains from the German railway station in Basel to Bad Säckingen. You may want to check the timetables at:

http://www.rail.ch/index_e.htm

(Be sure to insert "Basel Bad Bf" as starting point). The journey will take about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of train.

When arriving at Basel/Mulhouse airport, be sure to take a taxi and tell the driver to get you to the *German* railway station, called "Badischer Bahnhof".

As there are no direct flights from Houston to either Zurich or Basel next summer, your best bet probably is to travel to a major European gateway and connect from there to Basel/Mulhouse (London and Paris come to mind).

Public transport from Zürich to Bad Säckingen is not easy (to tell the least), as it involves at least 2 train or bus changes.

Hope this helps, enjoy your trip.

Phil.