I am looking for further guidance for travel in September 2025. We are looking at two itineraries, one is RT SEA/FRA and the other is open jaw – SEA/FRA + CDG/SEA. Both have similar or identical elements, except that option #2 includes 3 nights (2 days) in Paris at the end. Comments and recommendations requested … especially for Baden-Wurttemberg, Black Forest (BF), and Rhine, as well as for Alsace, Dijon/Burgundy and Lyon. We have never been to (or near) any of these places, other than two visits to Paris (7 nights and 5 nights).
Since this 30-day trip involves about 12 to 16 nights in Germany and 14 to 18 nights in France, I am posting in General Europe.
Itinerary 1
- Arr FRA and train to Trier. 6 night/5 day cycle trip from Trier to Koblenz plus one more night in Koblenz to spend a day on the Rhine from Koblenz to Boppard or St. Goar. Should we go with or without bike for the one Rhine day? (7 nights, so far)
- Koblenz to Strasbourg by train? Bus? 2 nights in Strasbourg and then cycle trip to Colmar, with one night in Obernai, one night in Ribeauville, and ending with 2 nights in Colmar. (13 nights, so far)
- Train to Dijon. 2 nights Dijon, then cycle trip to Chalon-sur-Saone, with one night in Nuits St. Georges and one night in Beaune. Spend that last night in Chalon. (18 nights, so far)
- Train to Lyon. 3 nights in Lyon. (21 nights, so far)
- Train to Freiburg in Breisgau. 2 nights in Freiburg. Rent car. Drive through BF to Ravenna Gorge, Triberg and spend one night in Triberg or Schiltach. Continue through BF to Tubingen (one night), via Burg Hohenzollern. Then to Geislingen an der Steige (to visit my wife’s friend for two nights) – driving either through Stuttgart (for Mercedes factory) or via Schloss Lichtenstein (to see another castle) Which? Why? (27 nights)
- To Heidelberg (two nights) (Turn-in car somewhere. Stuttgart, Heidelberg or FRA?)
- To FRA and fly home on Day 30.
Itinerary 2
- Arr FRA – Train to Heidelberg. Just one night Heidelberg. Then travel the next day in the afternoon to Geislingen an der Steige perhaps by train, perhaps by rental car, perhaps by train to Stuttgart and then by car. 2 nights Geislingen. (3 nights, so far)
- Rental car trip to BF, via Tubingen, Triberg and Gengenbach (3 more nights)
- Journey to Koblenz. (Not sure of logistics; turn in the car somewhere and then by train) 2 nights in Koblenz. (8 so far). Then bike UP the Moselle to Trier (5 days on bike; nights in Treis Karden, Zell, Zeltingen, Trittenheim & Trier) (13 nights so far)
- Train to Strasbourg. Not sure how to do this; looks like we need to go through Metz, France, and perhaps on two different train systems.) 2 nights in Strasbourg, bike to Colmar (2 nights, as Itinerary #1); 2 nights in Colmar at end as above. (19 nights so far)
- Dijon, Bike Burgandy and train to Lyon, as in Itinerary #1 (27 nights so far, incl. 3 in Lyon)
- Train to Paris for 3 nights/2 days. (30 nights. Fly CDG-SEA on day 31)
Itinerary#2 drops one night in Heidelberg and drops Freiburg entirely. ADDS Gengenbach (BF) and Paris.
I look forward to all thoughts as to sights, castles, wineries and restaurants & whether to go to - or skip - the MB Museum in Stuttgart. Also, thoughts on #1 vs #2. If we go to Paris, it will be to see Notre Dame après le feu et le restauration, and the Louvre and/or d’Orsay which we visited in 2010 but not in 2023. Perhaps the Cluny, which we have not visited.
(3 self-guided cycle trips - Moselle, Alsace & Burgundy are likely to be arranged through https://www.levelovoyageur.com/en/)