We are flying into Frankfurt and staying with friends in Heidelberg. We are planning on doing the Rhine on the the morning we land on our way to Heidelberg. My question is are we giving ourselves enough time to do the Rhine if we rent a car sometime around 11 and need to be in Heidelberg in the evening? What is the best way to do the Rhine. Should we drive it in our rental car or should we park it somewhere and take a boat or the train. Do we have time to walk around Bacharach and go to Rheinfels castle? Also from Heidelberg what are some recommended day trips any of you have done.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Assuming you're flying across the Atlantic, I would NOT recommend driving along the Rhine on your first day. Even if you don't feel tired from the jet-lag, your reaction times will be little better than that of a drunk. And the traffic around Frankfurt and Heidelberg can be unforgiving. I'll let others debate on the best way to see the river via train, car or boat, but I would not recommend driving it until you've had an adequate night's sleep.
Around Heidelberg, there's plenty to do. The Neckar river valley as it cuts through the Odenwald is very similar to the Rhine, both in geography, scenic towns and castles, but virtually ignored by most foreign tourists. The nearby towns of Speyer, Heppenheim, Ladenburg, Weinheim, and Lorsch are all very attractive and well-preserved. Schwetzingen has a large baroque-era Schloss and garden complex. You could spend weeks hiking and exploring all the scenic castles and villages of the Odenwald region alone. On the other side of the upper Rhine plain, the Deutche Weinstraße is also worth a visit if you'll have a car.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
When jet-lagged, taking a one-hour train to Heidelberg sounds like more fun that driving in the opposite direction, which might add up to about 4 hours driving time.
Posted by
Mahone Bay, Canada
328 posts
If you rent a car at the airport and drive to the Rhine it will take you an hour, give or take. So, you'll arrive around noon. The drive to Heidelberg will take at least another hour, depending on where you depart from. That gives you 4-5 hours in the Rhine area. Yes, you can see some of it but you will be cramped for time and won't see as much as you have listed.
I'd suggest heading straight to Heidelberg instead. Spending what you have left of the day exploring the city. Then, do the Rhine as one of your day trips from Heidelberg. You'll be able to start a lot earlier and give yourself more time to see and actually enjoy it.
Tom's right, even if you don't feel tired it is still dangerous to be driving jet lagged. I suggest you keep your driving to an absolute minimum on the day you arrive.
Enjoy your trip! We're heading back to the Rhine/Heidelberg area in 5 weeks ... can't wait!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Do you even need a rental car? Don't your friends have a car? Are they planning on showing you around? Anyway, I wouldn't advise renting a car until you get to Heidelberg, and considering how good the public transportation is in Germany, maybe not even then.
You can easily do the Rhein gorge from Mannheim with a Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket day pass for 27€ for two people. The S-Bahn from Heidelberg to Mannheim would cost 5,20€/person, each way, or 14,40€ for a two person VRN Tageskarte for unlimited travel on that route for a day. If you do it on a weekend, a Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket, for unlimited rides on regional trains throughout Germany, would cost 44€ for up to five people.
For travel from Heidelberg up the Neckar, or up the Rhein to Baden-Baden, there is the Baden-Württemberg-Ticket, another regional train day pass, for 27€ for two.