Taking Grandma back home...
 

I will be taking my grandmother back to Germany to look up the places she remembers from her childhood. She left shortly after WWII and I am afraid that many of the places she remembers will have changed greatly or been destroyed altogether. I am wondering if anyone has any experience and/or advice. She is not in the best of health but I really want to help her see and do as much as possible. We will be traveling in early April and she especially wants to do a day cruise on the Rhine. Is this possible in April? How do I make a reservation if it is? Thanks for the help!

<BR>Hello Audrey, I can't give you specific advice other than yes, a Rhine cruise is certainly doable and highly recommended but I mainly wanted to tell you I think it's terrific you are doing this! This will be so special. I always wished I could have taken my parents to Norway while they were alive, and my husband regrets not being able to take his dad before he died to Italy and now in recent years his mom couldn't possibly make the trip. And I wish could take my still-living 98 years young grandma to Norway too, but I can't get her off the farm! I hope you both have a wonderful and memorable trip, and tell us about it when you return.

Audrey <BR>Check the website www.loreleyvalley.com It's an extremely "busy" website with an awful lot of print, but you'll find information and links on the left hand side of the screen regarding Rhine cruises. Regarding your grandmother, where are the "places she remembers"? Knowing those we might be able to better advise you.

Thanks for the website info, it looks like a cruise will be doable. As for where we are going - she literally wants to get off the plane (in Frankfurt, most likely) and go where the wind takes us. Karlsruhe was where she spent a great deal of her childhood, so I suppose that would be a great place to start. As a rule, I love to travel without any set plans. I must admit, however, that I am a bit nervous about doing this with Gram. I am hoping to gather enough info to make it as easy as possible on her. My sort-of plan is to fly into Frankfurt and spend a week or so meandering to Munich and take the train over to Vienna for a few days. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! <BR>P.S. Thanks for the moral support, too!

Dear Ms Baker, <BR> <BR>The site www.loreleyvalley.com tends to look at the stretch between Rudesheim and Boppard. From 2 April the Koln-Duesseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt company run boats from Mainz (am Rathaus) at 1000 to St Goar at 1315, with connections from St Goar at 1545 to Koblenz at 1800. Your agent can book by fax on +49 221 20 88 345. Over the Easter weeknd, 2 to 5 April the boat might get full: otherwise there's no need to prebook, as demand will be light. Indeed, your grandmother will need an overcoat, scarf, and gloves. <BR> <BR>Sunbdays excepted, direct trains to Karlsruhe leave Frankfurt Airport railway station at 0856 and then each hour: they take an hour, and they have restaurant cars and snacks. Easter apart there's no need to prebook: you buy your tickets and your grandmother's senior traveller's reduction card at the airport station, using credit cards and speaking English. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. You are both very welcome to Europe. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR> <BR>

I forgot to say that Frankfurt is greatly changed since 1941, but Mainz, the Rhineland towns, Munich and Vienna are little changed. I donb't know about Karlesruhe. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines