The third week of November DH (M) and I will spend mostly in Belgium; at the end of the trip, we will drive from Ghent to Aachen, spending Friday night there and probably having the whole afternoon to see the Cathedral and a bit more. Saturday we will drive to Frankfurt, staying at an airport hotel for our early Sunday flight. That's about a 3 hour drive, preferably done in the daylight hours.

So, IF the weather is ok and IF we are "done" with Aachen and ready to head toward Frankfurt Saturday morning, and IF we have any sight-seeing energy left, is there any place you would recommend to stop at between Aachen and Frankfurt? Something pretty or historical not too far off A4 and A3, probably.

We have enjoyed Koln, Koblenz, Limburg, Weisbaden, and the Rhine valley already, and won't go back this time. (M has been to Germany many, many times; this is my 5th visit.)

Since both highways right and left of the Rhine lead you to your destination, here are some places in the order you pass them: The palaces Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl, Bad Münstereifel, Bonn (though maybe a bit too big), Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (here specifically Ahrweiler), Maria Laach abbey, Andernach, Weilburg and Idstein.

Thanks! I'll look at these. I've been to Idstein; Bruhl and Badmustereifel showed up on some other researching.

Interested in the Gurlitt exhibition at Bonn?

If you change your itinerary, you can include Luxemburg, Tier and parts of the Saar and Mosel Valleys.

You may also check side trips to Worms or Speyer.

Thanks, neckervd--We have had lovely times in all those places you list; Trier is my favorite German city so far, and I also especially recommend Worms. We've ventured south from Frankfurt a good deal in our travels; M has actually already been to Aachen.

This trip (which is tacked on to M's having already been there working for two weeks) we decided to stay mostly in Belgium (4 full and 2 half days, 4 nights), and that's firm (even if our specific itinerary each day isn't)but still looking for easy possibilities for that last day on way back to Frankfurt. We may just need to hang out in Aachen to rest and then go quickly to Frankfurt, as it's the end of 3 busy weeks for M. But Andernach looks especially interesting.