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need help with Itinerary

We are looking for suggestions for this trip: My partner and I are planning a month's visit, beginning end of May, 2015 in Amsterdam for 4 days, and ending in Hamburg June 16 for a week's meeting. We will take the train from Amsterdam to Koln, spend about 3/4 of the day there, pick up our rental car and drive to Bielstein where we are thinking of staying for 3 days, visiting towns along the Rhine and the Mosel, staying in Bielstein. Then drive through the Black Forest, staying a night in Frieberg ending up at the Bodensee for a night. (alternately visiting Frieberg for the day but spend 2 nights in Bodensee or vice versa). We'll drive to Munich. Right now we've only given ourselves 3 days and nights in Munich (we'll drop the car when we arrive) before taking the train to Prague where we stay 4 nights and 4 days, before going to Berlin (6 mights). The plan is to arrive in Hamburg the evening of the 16th.

Our concerns: too long along the Rhine and Mosel, etc. But we want to spend time enjoying the countryside visiting small towns. My partner has never been to Germany. I've never been to Berlin or Prague. We will have plenty of sight seeing time in Hamburg have a weekend free so are thinking of spending two nights in Copenhagen. We will get a Eurorail pass for 2 or 3 countries, depending upon what works. Suggestions/changes.

Also - any recommendations of places to stay (we prefer B&B's or similar, if possible), cars vs. trains for this itin, or anything, thanks!

Posted by
2588 posts

3 days is not too much time in the Rhine/Mosel.

For a smaller town on the Black Forest, consider Gengenbach - www.stadt-gengenbach.de

Individual point to point train tickets bought in advance might be a cheaper option. Others will probably offer info on this. www.bahn.de

Posted by
11294 posts

Before you even think of buying a rail pass, read this, from The Man In Seat 61: http://tinyurl.com/bkw4u6c

You will most likely do MUCH better with pre-booked discount tickets, unless you really need full flexibility on multiple segments (and it sounds like most of your dates are fixed, so you probably won't).

Posted by
31 posts

Thank you both - we will read your links tonight! much appreciated.

Posted by
16895 posts

A 6-day, 4-country Select Pass fits all the train rides you've mentioned and costs $378 per person in 1st class (no 2nd-class option for travelers 26 or older). It gives you full flexibility to hop on these trains without reservations. The cost savings of a 2-country pass would be eaten up by the extra distances/tickets in the other 2 countries.

In comparison, full-fare 2nd class tickets would add up to about $550 per person and advance-discount tickets for specific dates and times might cost less than half that price - estimate $250 if you could book these soon through the DB web site, locking in dates and times.

I've based this comparison on trains for:
Amsterdam-Cologne
Munich-Prague, then to
-- Berlin
-- Hamburg
-- Copenhagen
-- Hamburg