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Frankfurt to Bologna via France in 2 weeks

Posted by on

Hi everyone
This is my first time on the forum and I've looked through some of the other questions and responses and I see a lot of people getting really valuable information from other travellers - I can really use your help with this one.
This will be my first time in Germany and France since a childhood trip so I really don't have any experience at all with where to go, other than the guidebooks that I have just started reading. We are flying from Canada to Frankfurt on May 8, 2015 to celebrate my 50th birthday, and then are making our way over to meet friends in Bologna May 23 to go for a 2 week cycling trip in Italy and Croatia. In 2 weeks before Italy, here's what I was thinking of doing, and I'm hoping for some help putting everything together (and please let me know if this is unmanageable!)
Part 1: Germany
- castles on the Rhine (is there a 1-2 day trip that anyone can recommend?)
- Rick Steves recommends the Romantic Road, and it sounds delightful to me (is this something we could rent a car for, and stay overnight in one of the towns? Are there any day trips cycling that are recommended (we don't want to haul our gear so a one-day trip to explore the area is best)
- one or two castles that aren't right on the Rhine, e.g. Neuschwanstein (and there is another one really close to it too I seem to recall)
- other possibilities include Munich (I will have a friend living there) and maybe the winding roads in Rudesheim (it's the only town I remember from Germany from my trip as a youngster), but these aren't deal breakers if I don't get there.

- and I ask this for my husband...is there really a Werthers candy factory in Germany, or is that just a north american myth?
Part 2: France
- Then we want to make our way to Paris for 2-3 days sightseeing (maybe by train from Frankfurt or Munich?)
- Not sure if we will have a chance to see anything in central France, but then perhaps we could take the high speed train from Paris to Nice
Part 3: Riviera to Italy
- A day or two in the riviera... I don't know if I want to spend a lot of time in Nice (by this point we won't have a lot of time!), but everyone I talk to recommends Monaco, and it sounds like there are some other incredible places to see
- perhaps then take a train across the riviera towards Bologna.

My questions:
1. Is this doable in 2 weeks? My list of things that we "must do" are the Rhine, Romantic Road, and Paris. The riviera is a bonus.
2. Should we rent a car in Germany or are the trains a better option?
3. Is there anything you can recommend for the timing or route for this trip that will make our travel as efficient as possible (not too much back tracking).
4. Things we like to do include walking, exploring, climbing towers and checking out the view, and most importantly checking out the local cuisine (mostly bakeries, local markets, etc., rather than fancy places). We love to check out beautiful buildings and views, and have the patience for maybe 2 museums per week :-) Based on this, please let me know if there are any "MUST DOs" that you can think of.
5. I was trying to research the train routes especially the last leg to Bologna and am having problems finding routes and prices. Perhaps I'm not using the right website - where should we look?

Thanks!!
KH

Posted by
32750 posts

be careful of your prospective dates for Monaco. The 2015 Monaco Grand Prix (Formula 1) are the 21st to 24th of May and it will be an absolute madhouse with astronomic prices and no availability for many miles around for at least a week before.

Posted by
32750 posts

question 5:

the train which goes along the Cote d'Azur, the French Riviera, right along the coast in many places is a double decker local regional train which makes several stops between Cannes where it begins, through Antibes and Nice, then through the underground station in Monaco and then through Menton (the lemons will be lovely) and crosses the border into Ventimiglia where it ends.

Timetables for this very frequent train can be found at the DB website. Get tickets from the machines in the stations. No reservations possible, advance tickets would not be any cheaper on this Regional train.

In Ventimiglia you change onto Italian trains. I'm not aware of any Italian trains which cross into France there any more. Again you can use the DB site to find train times through to Bologna. You will have one or two changes of train because there aren't direct trains between Ventimiglia and Bologna.

See the Rick Steves page about timetables which is pretty good for finding what you need - the only thing on that page I disagree with is his comment to use his fare map which tends to be overpriced to encourage pass sales. Use Trenitalia for actual prices in Italy.

You will see that changing in Milano Centrale (only 25 minutes, you may need to hustle) you can take an InterCity to Milan, changing onto a super fast Freccia train to Bologna you can do the Itakian segment in under 5 and a half hours.

Or, via Genova (Genoa in English), it takes 90 minutes more, with changing at both Genova Piazza Principe and Milano Rogoredo (only 12 minutes there but it is a smaller station).

Or, you could have a night in Milan and, if you plan ahead and are persistent you can see the Lat Supper.

Posted by
2404 posts

Are you taking your bikes with you? From Rothenburg on the Romantic Road, there are several cycling possibilities. We rode on the bike path north to Creglingen to see the altar there and then rode back on small roads, a very nice ride. There are also 4 rides around R'burg that you can find online (sorry I don't have the link with me )

On the Rhine, take the boat ride (going from south to north, with the current) from Bingen or Rudesheim to Boppard. I would then backtrack to St. Goar and visit Burg Rheinfels castle ruins. Stay at one of the smaller Rhine towns. I have always stayed at Bacharach.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you everyone. This is super helpful and will get me started planning my itinerary. No we won't be bringing bikes (we are renting in Italy), but perhaps we'll be able find some for a day trip rental. Happy travels! K

Posted by
4684 posts

According to Seat 61, from this December on the Thello company are introducing daily through express trains from Marseille to Milan, which should improve France-Italy services from their current state.

Posted by
4132 posts

Happy birthday! So here is my opinion.

If you only have 2 weeks, skip France.

Don't get me wrong, you can do what you've laid out. And I love France.

But with 2 weeks, your itinerary entails a lot of time in transit. Use the German rail site to scope out how long some of those train trips are.

So I just think you'd likely have a better trip focusing on Germany and Italy. Believe me, you will not reach a point where you say, Why are we spending so much time in Italy? (or Germany). Not in 2 weeks.

Italy has a Riviera too, closer to Bologna than Nice is.

Posted by
4132 posts

Happy birthday! So here is my opinion.

If you only have 2 weeks, skip France.

Don't get me wrong, you can do what you've laid out. And I love France.

But with 2 weeks, your itinerary entails a lot of time in transit. Use the German rail site to scope out how long some of those train trips are.

So I just think you'd likely have a better trip focusing on Germany and Italy. Believe me, you will not reach a point where you say, Why are we spending so much time in Italy? (or Germany). Not in 2 weeks.

Italy has a Riviera too, closer to Bologna than Nice is.

Posted by
4044 posts

Bologna itself deserves a few days, for its scenic collonaded streets, long university history and tantalizing cuisine. Plus the tourist presence is more to the scale of the city in high season than Florence or Venice. It's convenient for day trips, including four-wheel vehicle factories.
Basic train research sites: www.seat61.com; www.Bahn.com; www.en.voyages-sncf.com/en/
You will find many travel-forum posters disagreeing with your friends who think Monaco is essential. For my kind of travel, your schedule is at least twice too crowded. Go to fewer destinations and enjoy them more.

Posted by
1501 posts

Agree to keeping it to two countries. As much as I hate to say it, skip France. If it were me, I'd skip Germany and keep France in the lineup, but you're really wanting to go to Germany, so do it.

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