Thoughts on Heidelberg
 

i was planning on staying in Heidelberg for 2 - 3 nights before heading to Cochem.
The more I read from other traveller's, it' seems like it is just a touristy town. We
will be arrivng in Frankfurt 1st of Oct. and we're planning on heading directly to Heidelberg
to recover from the long flight. Is there a better town to stay in close to Frankfurt?
We will not have a car. We do want someplace that is not too sleepy. As always, I look
forward to all comments. We have seven days in Germany, not counting travel and will train to Amsterdam for return . Really want only two bases and do day trips. So are
Heidelberg and Cochem good bases? I have also looked into Koblenz. I really do need
to make up my mind. HELP!!!

Oh crickey! Heidelberg does have tourists and there is a reason tourists go to Heidelberg but too touristy? No. It's really becoming annoying when people make such comments. As I stated in a previous post...is Paris too touristy? is Rome too touristy? London? Should a person miss seeing what these places have to offer because there are too many tourists? I don't think so.

I agree with what your saying for the most part... But I was
wondering if it was a good base town? I usually travel during
off season anyway...I just can't get into the hoards of tour buses. Thanks for your thoughts.

I guess I'm prejudiced, but I remember Heidelberg in the 60's when it was a real town. There have always been a lot of tourists there and also a lot of American military. But the last time I was back a couple of years ago, I was disappointed in it. The Hauptstrasse is no longer a real German street. There's a Hagen Dazs on the Hauptstrasse for goodness sake.

The castle is stunning, and I would still see Heidelberg, but I wouldn't spend much time there.

Just my opinion. Perhaps other posters will have better advice.

I used Heidelberg as a base for 5 nights when I toured Christmas Markets in the area. It was wonderful! A perfect-sized town, IMO. Small enough to be walkable, but large enough to have some great restaurants and shops. I stayed in a comfortable hotel that was across the street from the main bus/tram hub, and just one long block to the Alstadt.

On a previous trip we used Boppard as our "home base". Very nice small town on the Rhine, with a great promenade along the river. A town like this, or Cochem that you mentioned, would be better than Koblenz. Boppard was just a few miles from Koblenz and we were through there several times. Too large and modern for my tastes, although there is a nice Alstadt that is good to visit for a day trip.

We rely on public transportation when we travel in Europe. Both Boppard and Heidelberg had good train and bus connections to many interesting cities and towns.

I forgot to mention that there is an exellent, economical shuttle transfer service from Frankfurt to Heidelberg that will drop you off at your hotel. Much better than schlepping luggage on a train after a long flight.

www.tls-heidelberg.de

There was a McDonald's on the Hauptstrasse in the 80's. Still no reason for not visiting or even staying there. It's only a Hagen Daz for heaven's sake. Try to find any European city that doesn't have a Mc Donald's or Hagen Daz or even a Starbuck's. Sorry we can't go back in time however much it appeals. Heidelberg, IMO, would make a good base, but Boppard is nice too.

I couldn't find a hotel room in Frankfurt a few years back because of a book fair in town. Not wanting to drive the same day as getting off the plane, I took the train in the lower level of the airport to Wurzburg overnight before returning to Frankfurt and driving to Heidelberg. Wurzburg looked to be a wonderful town but I didn't see much of it because it rained the whole day (in mid October).

Rick Steves didn't give Heidelberg a good review and recommended that people skip it. I couldn't disagree more. I really liked the town and would like to revisit it, but I don't know if it will work for you as a base. I left earlier than planned because of rainy weather so I didn't get to some of the regional towns I had planned to visit.

As for too many tourists, I believe that Octoberfest ends the first week in October, so most tourists are going to be in Munich.

I've been to Heidelberg several times. It's a decent town, but fairly dull -- just my humble opinion. You can see the town's highlights in a few hours -- the castle ruins, the river and a walk along the river banks. The Hauptstasse is one chain store after the other and mediocre restaurants abound.

I would not want to spend half my trip there, if I only had 7 days, like you -- there are sooo many other more appealing places to stay in Germany.

However, that said, Heidelberg does have good transport connections to Frankfurt Airport and the rest of the region, including a train that runs to/from FRA every hour, which I've taken several times. Check www.bahn.de for schedules.

If you do choose to base there, you may find lodging to be more expensive in Heidelberg than elsewhere (I sure did), and most hotels are located on the opposite side of town from the train station. It's a 15-20 minute walk from the historic district to the station, or you can take the bus/tram. The Ibis is a basic budget hotel right next to the station, which may be convenient for you.

Gute Reise!

How about Mainz?