My friend and I will be in Strasbourg for 3 days in July. She has never been to Germany and would like to take a short day trip there on one of the days. We were thinking about going to Baden-Baden, but after reading comments about how it's mostly a spa/resort town, I'm not sure that's the best place for us to go. She would just like to experience a little slice of Germany and possibly go to a biergarten. We love hiking and being outdoors, so we are not looking to visit any museums while there.
Would anyone have any suggestions on a town we can visit by train?
Posted by
Green Bay
20080 posts
Try Gengenbach, only 40 minutes with a train every hour with a quick change in Offenburg.
Posted by
1 posts
Try Heidelberg - about 2 hours away by train. It has a beautiful day hike up a mountain/hill to overlook the city. The city itself is beautiful and historic looking with a mix of old cathedrals and great German restaurants. The Rhine runs right through Heidelberg so taking a cruise down the river would also be great.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
Heidelberg is one of my favorite places in this part of Germany... yes, there are plenty of tourists... but that's because it is worthy of tourists. A great place for wandering around, shopping, eating and having a hike or ride up to the castle. And although I have only driven there I am sure there is some nice countryside to see along the way from the train.
Posted by
OP
Portsmouth, NH
29 posts
Thank you all so much!
Should we buy train tickets in advance, or just buy them the day of in Strasbourg? Do they tend to be very expensive?
Posted by
Green Bay
20080 posts
Depends on where you are going. Strasbourg to Gengenbach and back is just an everyday fare with no benefit for advance booking.
Posted by
San Francisco
14507 posts
Hi,
Heidelberg is a good suggestion but if you don't want to go that far, I'd suggest Rastatt.