First Time to Europe and I have a ton of questions . . .

My first response is one that will be echoed by other posters as well: pick one - Berlin or Paris - for your free week-end. I am sure that both of you will enjoy your time far more actually sightseeing, than spending all those hours staring out of a train window...

Berlin and Paris can occupy you well and easily for several days each !

Post a separate question in the Germany Forum, asking for suggestions of things to do for your week. Make sure to mention Ludwigshafen in your post title, like: "What to do in/around Ludwigshafen for a week?"

Everything is bigger in ......... Europe, so pick one city and do it well.

As usual I am the minority here and say if ya wanna see both for a minute - do it! You can sleep when you're dead I say! If you have just one day in Berlin take a bicycle tour - you can cover a good portion of the city and see the highlights. You won't have time for museums but you can get a feel for the city and figure out if you want to return at a later time for a longer stay. You can leave luggage at the train station while you tour the city and pick it up before getting on the night train to Paris. The lockers are hard to come by so just plan on leaving it at the left luggage kiosk - you'll pay more but will not waste time looking for a locker. Since you will know your dates buy Point-to-Point tickets - ASAP. Spring for a sleeper compartment if you can.

When you arrive in Paris your hotel there should hold your bags until your room is ready and after check out the day you leave.

This travel style is not for the faint of heart but can be a blast if approached with right attitude!

Don't worry for a minute about the languages - never a problem - learn a few polite phrases is each - then do your best.

Love Heidelberg - we spent six days there just chillin'. The old city is great - it's a university town so it has a fairly young population.

Most of all - have a great time!

Ludwigshafen to Berlin is a five hour train trip, why take a night train?

Paris and Berlin in one weekend would be a blur for me. Whichever you choose, language won't be a problem, you will mostly be speaking to people in sales or hospitality. A few words or phrases will serve you well.

If you choose Paris for your weekend, you may find a cheap roundtrip airfare.

Texas Traveler,

welcome.

Just to let you in on a secret, speaking french or german isnt that big of a deal. the secrets out that a majority of Americans are monolanguage so they take pity on us and will humor you with speaking English if they can. If they cant, they will tell you so and not shoot you.

The biggest thing to do is the learn a few of the words that you will use everyday there just as you would in Texas. The only issue you may have is the drawl that will come out. And that would be a kick in the pants to witness and hear. Not that im making fun of you.

If you want to travel to Paris i dont see why not. I really didnt dissect your itinerary so if it was me, i would see if you have the time to do it or if you would do some minimal planning to plan it into your trip.

as far as the train goes, i will let the others give their recommendations.

also, just so you know that that the trains overthere are sooooo nice. I dont use a car unless its necessary.

good luck and happy trails.

At the travel rate you describe, you will not "see" Berlin or Paris. I agree that your best plan is to stick with Germany and concentrate your time there, but not because of language issues. You can do quite well in Paris with just a few polite phrases and some understanding of the culture.

• Go to the DB BAHN website (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en) to research all the routes you want to take and the costs involved including euros, time, number of train changes and number of stops along the way. Be sure to click on the map to see the route. You will see why you are likely to be advised to stay in Germany. In general, rail passes are no longer the best option. Go to the Man in Seat 61 (http://www.seat61.com/) for information and advice about that.
  
• Please note when you start with "Frankfurt (Main) Flugh" in the "from" box, a drop down box with the arrival terminals will appear. You need to know which one to select to get accurate "from" information on that first leg from the airport to Heidelberg.
• Whatever you decide to do, try to get someone to give you a ride from Ludwigshafen to the Mannheim Hbf. It's only 2.5 km and will take about 5 minutes, but will save you lots of stress and time. If no one can, take a taxi.
  
• My next recommendation is to ditch the night train plan and leave as early as possible on Friday so that you can get to Berlin in about 5 hours on an ICE train without any changes and see something along the way. The routes look like they wouldn't be faster, but they are. The price is 266 euros for 2. Check into a hotel and have a great 1st night in the city.
  
• I would not recommend the night train because there really isn't enough time to get any decent sleep on any of the ones listed after 20:00. (There are no night trains listed before 20:00 that stop at the Berlin Hbf.) The best looking night train to me leaves the Mannheim Hbf at 23:59 and arrives in Berlin at 07:19 for a total of 7 hours and 20 minutes. But, there are 9 (count 'em) stops between Mannheim and Berlin which will involve lots of jerky motions and noise. My night train nights are long over, because I can't sleep through that and I'm exhausted the next day -- worse than jet-lag.
  
• If you click on the fares for that journey, you will see that for 2 people to sleep by themselves, the only option is a Double Deluxe Cabin which will cost you 480 euros. If you don't mind sleeping with strangers, you can join 2 others in a 4 person couchette for 276 euros.
  
• I know nothing about the Bahn Card (which can make things cheaper) or any other kinds of German options that also can. Perhaps others or the Man in Seat 61 can help with that.
• Finally, if you fly home from Frankfurt in the morning, do not plan to arrive in Frankfurt from Paris or Berlin the same morning. Give yourself a substantial cushion of time or you may miss that flight. It takes about the same amount of time to get back to Frankfurt from Paris or Berlin: 4 - 4.5 hours with 0 or 1 change.

Having said all that, it is actually closer to get to Paris from Mannheim than it is to go to Berlin (by .5 or 1.5 hours depending on whether you take a train with 0 or 1 change). So you could skip Berlin and spend more time in Paris.

To echo what others have said, you must choose between Paris and Berlin. To do both, and with back to back night trains to boot, is a recipe for disaster and a spoiled vacation.

Next, you need to understand that you will have jet lag the day you arrive. You really want to slow down that first day and a plan to immediately travel and sightsee is not going to be fun.

I suggest that you head on down to Ludwigshafen on the Saturday and relax. You will be exhausted. Take a day trip on Sunday to Heidelberg.

It seems you are sorted out with ideas during the week.

For the Friday afternoon - Sunday night timeframe, maybe choose Paris as it is closer to Ludwigshafen and will make for a nice weekend trip. You'll arrive in the evening, have a full day on Saturday to explore and can have a morning before heading back to Germany.

Finally, you don't need a pass. Passes are overpriced and for your itinerary in particular would be a huge waste of money. Just buy your ticket from Ludwigshafen to Paris from DeutscheBahn, www.bahn.de. This is the official rail company of Germany. DO NOT USE RAILEUROPE. Even if you decide to do both Berlin and Paris, you still don't need a pass - it will be cheaper to buy tickets from DeutscheBahn.

Have a great trip and remember - you'll be back!

Believe it or not - not everyone suffers from jet lag. We land and I am ready to hit the ground running - I stay up until the normal bedtime of my new time zone and wake the next morning on time Not everyone requires x number of hours sleep a night. Everyone's experience is different - some folks can sleep fine on a plane or train. For me I do just fine with 5 hours sleep a night - especially if I am traveling and am very excited to be where I am. For some folks this may be the trip of a lifetime so why not cram everything into it? I treat every trip like it may be my last and squeeze everything out of it that I can. Things happen circumstances change - I don't ever want to find myself saying "I wish I had gone to _______ on my last trip instead of staying those extra days in _______" I don't travel to Europe to relax - if I want that I go to a resort or a cruise where there is someone to tend to my every need. So if you tend to be a person that likes to move at a fast pace then by all means do so in your travels. If you prefer to move at a slower pace at home then that will most likely suit you in traveling as well.

Christi,

I * know * where you are coming from... believe me when I tell you that my husband remembers trips when our pace was akin to the Road Runner's!

However, given the OP's own schedule, her scenario is logistically insane...

And this is their first trip to Europe and likely first time dealing with jet lag. As they won't know how it will affect them (to me it feels like I have the flu for a day), it seems best to be a bit conservative on the first day.

Actually, when I read the OP's plan for their arrival week-end, I found it quite do-able.

It is the week-end at the end which is problematic. They will need to be in Frankfurt on the Monday night, for a Tuesday return plane, and the husband will be working a full day on the Friday and should probably anticipate a dinner that night at the end of his business stay.

Which only leaves Saturday, Sunday and part of Monday to visit both Berlin and Paris from Ludwigshafen - that's the rub.

Jet Lag doesn't bother me either the first day. I think your plan about site sightsee in Heidelberg on Saturday is a good idea. It is a fun town with lots of energy. I did a summer program there in college and I remember a lot of shops being closed on Sunday. Granted this was almost 20 years ago and things could have changed. The tourist shops are always open though, so if you do decide to go on Sunday there are still places to shop.

It looks like you will be along the Rhein so there is a lot to do in that area. The Neckar is also a beautiful river to explore.

I am normally on of those people who would try to cram everything in to one trip, but you are right in between Berlin and Paris. So trying to go to both will have back tracking. So I would pick one as well.

Have a great trip!!!

" I did a summer program there in college and I remember a lot of shops being closed on Sunday. Granted this was almost 20 years ago and things could have changed."

Still the same. Restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops and historical/cultural/leisure sites are open, all other stores are usually closed.

Hi,

As this is your very first trip, the basic problem confronting you given your time constraint is that a decision on choosing either Paris or Berlin has to be made. That was the choice I had to make on my first trip, I chose Berlin. On doing both the only way I see how you can visit he two is to cut out the time alloted for Heidelberg, even at your quick pace. It boils down to a matter of priorities amidst the excitement of seeing both Paris and Berlin....great choices but can you pull it off with the time you have?

No need for a rail pass not under your traveling cicumstances.

I agree that not everyone is so adversely affected by jet lag, you may not get it. Two years later after the first trip, I landed in Paris, was so thrilled that it was Paris, I had planned a thorough museum visit, jet lag or not, had to get there and did. I can count on not getting it by sleeping on the ten hour direct flight. The other options for doing both cities is that you can fly from Paris to Berlin, or vice versa, or use the night train option riding the CNL train. That's direct. I've taken that too. On such a whirlwind visit, it can be done depending which options you use, but you have prioritize. Flying intra Europe seems to me wasting too many day light hours unless you land by noon.

Have to agree with Christi... if this is what you want to see and are prepared for a whirlwind...then go for it. You will probably catch just enough of both locations to know if you want to return. (which you probably will:))
But, I am also one who wants to travel with 'no regrets'... first few times to Europe I am all for the whirlwind, crazy itineraries.
You can always slow down if you are fortunate enough to return.

I also do not suffer from jet lag nor do most of the friends or family I travel with. Just get your adrenalin going, drink lots of water, get fresh air and take a 15 minute nap if you need it. Don't waste your first day by worrying that you will be tired.