3 Days from London to Frankfurt

Date / month or travel?
Realistically you have 2 full days.
I would save Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels for a upcoming journey.

Opt. A) I would fly over to Frankfurt, base yourself in Mainz or Wiesbaden (S-Bahn connection) and enjoy the Upper Mid Rhine valley 1 or 2 days.

Opt. B) Fly to Berlin. First day Hoho bus, Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten with two T34 tanks, Topography of Terror (age of teen?) and a few top 10. Day 2 former concentration camp and memorial Sachsenhausen or site of surrender with some Soviet weapons for husband. On Tue train to Frankfurt and fly-off. Normally too less time for Berlin ...

What do you mean by "World War II history"?
- Combats and weapons?
- Nazi terror?
- Holocaust?
The things are often mixed up wrongly.

when is the trip? This summer, football in Germany and Olympics in Paris may throw curve balls into plans....

Thanks!
We have been to Berlin before so won’t do that option this time.

Timing is early June.

We will only be traveling by train.

Thanks!

I agree with others to say you really don’t have enough time for a train trip to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam. How much of London have you experienced in the past? There is just so much to do there I’m sure the extra 2 days will be well spent. Assuming you’ve been to the Churchill War Rooms. If not, it is well worth the time for WW II history. You could also take a day trip to Richmond or maybe Bath.

I’m not familiar with Frankfurt, but since you will be flying home from there, you could take the train from London just after your cruise disembarks and spend your remaining vacation in Frankfurt. I have not worked out the timing of a train but it really might be better to fly on a low cost airline from London to Frankfurt. Just some thoughts.

Have a great trip.

Does your cruise really finish in London itself? Or Southampton or Portsmouth or elsewhere? We finished a cruise in Southampton and flew from there directly to Amsterdam. No reason to go to London unless that's where the ship actually docks or you decide to spend your intervening days there.

Since you have always wanted to see Paris, go there. If you are the type that is go, go, go, then you can see quite a bit in a short time. If you are the more relaxed type, see the Eiffel Tower, Arc, boat on the Seine, eat a good meal, wander around. Maybe you will want to visit again, maybe once is enough

You can take a Eurostar train from London St Pancras International at 1504, connect at Brussels Midi, and arrive in Frankfurt at 2131.

Buy London to Frankfurt as a through ticket with DB and the Brussels connection is also protected.

Then spend all your time in Frankfurt.

You are unlikely to be arriving on a cruise at London Tilbury or Greenwich, so will almost certainly be arriving at Southampton- 70 miles away which most of the American cruise lines incorrectly call Southampton (London) or something similar.

You could leave Southampton at about 1030 by train to London Waterloo then tube to St Pancras and be in plenty of time for check in at 1330.

You would buy a ticket from Southampton to London International CIV (not to London Waterloo). That protects your Eurostar connection if the Southampton train is late

Make life easy for yourselves. Head to London on Saturday and spend the rest of the day and night in London. Maybe see a play. Travel from London to Frankfurt starting early on Sunday. Getting to Frankfurt will take some time either flying or by train. See Frankfurt on Monday. Not the most exciting city, but it has some nice sites. Heidelberg is only an hour away by train. You can also go on a Rhine river cruise for the day on Monday. This way you are already in Frankfurt on Monday for your flight home Tuesday. Less stress and rushing from place to place.

I don't find Frankfurt the most interesting city in Germany, but it certain has more to do than you can find in two or three days. The Search box here, top center, will show you MANY past discussions of What Can I Do in Frankfurt. It's too bad you can't fly home from London or Bristol. Don't forget to observe the (90? minute) advance check-in for Eurostar Immigration, which is done BEFORE boarding the train, not in the arrival country. You will not be taken if you are late for the paperwork.

I can't endorse the overhead of another hotel check-in. I mean, you would be crazy not to wake up in Frankfurt the day you fly home; The penalty for missing a summer advance-purchase flight is too severe. Do you know you have to check-in three hours before departure? If you had booked a flight home from Paris or Amsterdam, it could make sense to go there. But I try to avoid mixing the UK and the Continent.