Side trip from Speyer
 

I was wondering if someone can suggest a sidetrip from Speyer that is accessible by train and not more than 2 hours away.

I will be in Speyer for 1 1/2 days on a river cruise and would like to visit a nearby town. The cruiseline offers a daytrip to Heidelberg for $115 per person and I feel that it's too much.

Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Twee

How about a day trip to Heidelberg by TRAIN? When I was staying at a family friend's in Speyer sometime ago, I did it. It seems less than 1 hour with no change. My friends took me by car to nearby small cities/towns, one of which an American president (Clinton?) visited but I don't remember the names at all. That was more than 15 years ago and I have not returned since then.

You can indeed do Heidelberg easily on your own. Take the direct S-Bahn from Speyer train station.
Tickets: your best option is
- if you are going alone, the "Ticket 24", a 24 hour pass for 1 person (13 €),
- if you are going with someone else, the "Ticket 24 Plus", a 24 hour pass for up to five people travelling together (19 €).
Since a single ticket is 8 € one way, these passes are worthwhile.
They are also valid on the bus in Speyer and the buses and trams in Heidelberg. The walk from the train station into the city centre is doable (15/20 minutes) but the tram or bus can save you some walking.

In case it's a clear sunny day, another worthwhile option is the palace and park in Schwetzingen. A baroque palace and garden and a lovely 18th century landscape garden with several small buildings in all styles. Hardly known among foreign visitors and much less overrun than Heidelberg but at least as beautiful. You need good weather, though.
http://www.schloss-schwetzingen.de/e...me/268239.html
Going to Schwetzingen requires changing trains in either Mannheim or Graben-Neudorf.

Are you traveling alone or in a group? If you are a group you might consider renting a car and exploring the Neckar River Valley. Charming villages with castles on the hills.

Thank you everyone for your help.

I'll be going with my husband so renting a car is not an option for us, as we are hesistant to do any driving in Europe.

I'm going in early December so the weather might be an issue.

I would like to visit Heidelberg for sure but don't know how much time I'll be spending there before heading back to Speyer.
If I have extra time after Heidelberg, I would like to visit another town nearby if possible.

Twee

>I'm going in early December so the weather might be an issue.

WEather may be only an issue in the sense that it may be cold, grey, rainy or foggy and some outdoor sights may not present themselves in the best light. In December the palace gardens of Schwetzingen, or the wineyards of the Weinstrasse (around Neutsadt, Deidesheim, Bad Dürkheim etc.) are probably not that appealing.
Heidelberg and the Neckar valley (you don't need a car for it) are definitely worth a visit. The S-Bahn towards Eberbach runs every 30 minutes.