itinerary arrive dec 6-Frankfurt , fly home from barcelona dec 26

Posted by bonll on 11/13/23 09:09 PM

hi looking for thoughts I have made no plans so far. Only have flight to frankfurt and barcelona.
looking for feedback, recommendations or tips or anything I should do or see. thx you I know its alot ha ha
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i'm thinking Frankfurt 3 days (day trip to Heidelberg), train to Luxenburg stay 1-2 days, fly or train to paris, stay 3-days, fly or bus to porto portugal stay 4 days, train to Lisbon stay 3 days, fly or train to madrid stay 3-days (day trip to Toledo) 2 days in Barcelona and leave.

Originally I was only going to Valencia, Malaga then Lisbon to porto then to Madrid-barc

I have been to Madrid, Seville, cordoba, granada before.

Posted by travel4fun

Bend, Oregon

11/13/23 10:55 PM

2570 posts

You will be arriving during the Christmas market season. I would check them out along the way. Know that lodging may be very limited in some areas. Cologne is 50 minutes from Frankfurt and has multiple markets. Heidelberg also has markers.

That seems like a lot of time on planes/trains. Especially if by “3 days” you mean two nights in a place. Seven places over how many nights?

Posted by Ms. Jo

Frankfurt, Germany

11/14/23 02:57 AM

9247 posts

What a rushed visit. Why would you even think about taking a bus from Paris to Porto????
Drop Luxemburg. You can take a train to Paris from Frankfurt in less than 4 hours. Add another day or two onto Frankfurt so you have time to visit the markets there, in Heidelberg, and some neighboring cities and towns like Mainz, Wiesbaden, Rüdesheim, Limburg, etc.

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

11/14/23 03:20 AM

28247 posts

There are no trains between Lisbon and Madrid. In theory there is bus service taking about 7-1/2 hours, but winter and traffic could affect driving time.

All of your statements about duration ("3 days", etc.) are about 1/2 day high because you aren't accounting for travel time. You haven't been to Barcelona before, so 2 nights there is a shame. If you haven't already bought your airline ticket, I'd drop Barcelona and fly home from Madrid. If you already have the ticket, I'd be inclined to fly from Lisbon straight to Barcelona since you've already been to Madrid. I say that even though I love Toledo.

I don't know what the Douro Valley is like in December. I'm guessing you plan a day trip there; otherwise, 4 nights in Porto is sort of unusual, especially in comparison to 3 nights in Lisbon and 2 nights in Barcelona.

Posted by Sam

Green Bay

11/14/23 04:11 AM

21217 posts

Fly Paris Orly to Porto. TAP has direct flights.

Posted by bonll OP

11/15/23 02:02 AM

24 posts

thanks for all the comments and recommendations.

Ends up we are saving Paris for another time and return to Germany as well.

so doing 3 nights in Frankfurt (1 day in Heidelberg), 2 nights in Luxemberg, fly to lisbon stay 5 nights in Lisbon 5 nights in Porto, fly to Madrid from Porto 3 nights in there (w/ day trip to Toledo), train to Barcelona 2 nights there.

(I have been to Barcelon before though I like the place Im ok with just nights there).