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Suggestions on where to stay between Frankfurt and Zurich

Greetings - my husband and I will be joining my Son and family in Zurich in March, before we all head to Wengen, Switzerland.

We (hubby and I) are flying in to Frankfurt two days before we meet them in Zurich. We're looking for suggestions on where to stay for the two nights. Would like to be about a two hour train ride from Zurich. We don't want to stay in Zurich for various reasons.

We're thinking maybe Freiburg, Germany. Looking for someplace with a quaint "old town area". We'll just want to relax and explore the area before heading to Zurich.

Should add we've never been anywhere in the Black Forest area, but it doesn't necessarily have to be there.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Posted by
8889 posts

Freiburg-im-Breisgau is good, nice little city. So is Basel, but that is only 1 hour from Zürich and can be done as a day trip.
The Black Forest is nice, but it is a place you need to travel around, not a single location. Needs a bit of planning.

I suggest crossing to the French side of the Rhine, Strasbourg or Colmar. Coming from Colmar, there are connecting trains to Strasbourg, and then trains Strasbourg-Colmar-Basel (1½ hours), and from there 1 hour to Zürich.
You could pick up a hire car for 2 days, and tour the Route des Vins d'Alsace (click here). There are some absolutely unbelievable little old towns in Alsace. Example, Kayserberg: https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4091/5017848954_76d4654620_b.jpg

Posted by
20218 posts

Gengenbach is a quaint walled town in the foothills of the Black Forest. You can get to Zurich with the regional express train that goes right through the mountains to Singen, then train to Schaffhausen then to Zurich. It is 3 hours and 20 minutes, which is above your 2 hour desired time.

Freiburg does work as far as time and convenience.

Posted by
705 posts

Someplace on Lake Constance/Bodensee--Friedrichshafen has a nice zeppelin museum; Insel Mainau (flowers and gardens) is near Konstanz, and Stein-am-Rhine is worth a visit. Have a great trip.