Frankfort to Amsterdam

FrankfUrt.
What stops do you make on the stretch between Koblenz and Mainz ? Have you selected any shore excursions yet for that stretch of the Rhine?

I hope you are not planning on driving after your flight? Please take a train.
There are any number of towns to visit, including Frankfurt, truly one of the most historic and important cities in Germany. On the Rhein, include Eltville, St. Goar, Ober-Wesel, Bacharach, and Mainz.

Check on drop-off in a different country charges before committing to driving.

Please answer stephen's questions about the Rhine River stops between Koblenz and Mainz that your cruise ship will make. There are some nice places to stop/stay/visit but there is no point in us directing you to places on the Rhine that your ship will visit.

Worthwhile places AWAY from the Rhine and on the most direct driving route from FRA airport to A'dam include Idstein and Limburg.

If you want some detours, the Mosel River Valley is a good option, as is Aachen and the town of Monschau nearby.

As others have said, the train is generally the better alternative on several grounds; all the places I've mentioned except Monschau can be visited by train.

Frankfurt has a lot to see before you head north. Have a look at some of the walks in Frankfurt on the Frankfurt on Foot channel on Youtube. Particularly check out the old town and the riverbank areas just south of downtown.

I agree that driving after a long flight is not a good idea.

When we did this cruise, the itinerary after Koblenz included Rudesheim and Speyer, although they skipped Speyer due to low water. They do that whole Middle Rhein gorge during the day (the only such part) because its the most (maybe only) scenic part of the journey.

I’ll second Nigel’s comments about Frankfurt. It’s a very interesting city. My husband and flew into Frankfurt this morning and did a nice walking tour with Frankfurt on Foot. I highly recommend them. I’ll also say something about your car comment. It’s a terrible idea to drive upon arrival unless you are coming from another European country. It’s also very expensive to rent in one country and drop the car in another. You can see much of Germany by train. You should decide where you want to go and if you really need a car, and how much you’re willing to pay.

I happen to like Cologne, Dusseldorf, Aachen, Appeldoorn (palace), and Hooge Veluue Park. ( can't check spelling here.)

You are making multiple Amerikanski mistakes by driving this long route. It is perfect for train. Returning the car inside Amsterdam is a nightmare. I've done it.

Thanks for all replys. We will be visiting Heidelburg, Cologne, Koblenz, Speyer, Breisach, and Colmar as pert of the cruise.

We go from Koblenz to Speyer. We have not scheduled any shore excursions until a side trip to Heidelburg

Thanks for all of the replies concerning car travel. We will be now travelling everywhere via train. Thanks again.

Good decision.
Have a great trip!

Day 1 Arrive FRA airport

• direct train to Mainz (25 min. from the "Regionalbahnhof" station in the airport.)

• Adjust your inner clocks while you see the town. Mainz has a large traffic-free pedestrian zone (see all the pink streets on this map of Mainz?) The Cathedral ("Dom") + the St. Steven's church ("Stephanskirche") + the Gutenberg museum are among the more popular sights but there are more as well.

• See the red/white "DB" logo on that map (bottom right)? That's one of Mainz's train stations, the "Mainz Römisches Theater" station, the one closest to the center of town where the market square and most of the action is - also close to the attractive city park ("Stadtpark.") There's a convenient IBIS hotel on Neutorstrasse just a block away. Neutorstrasse turns into Augustinerstrasse, the main pedestrians-only artery that takes you into the heart of town. The "Hof Ehrenfels" hotel, just off Augustinerstrasse, is an even more central hotel option.

• The other place for hotels is near the "Mainz Hbf" or Mainz' main station (see the DB logo on the left side of the map.) Several choices are available here, but the walk from here into the old part of town is longer, less attractive and more congested with car traffic.

As for days 2 & 3, it depends on what interests you. You might spend part of Day 2 in Mainz, then catch a train to the city of Cologne for the rest of your time. Cologne is a major German city popular for its cathedral, for its museums, and for the NS Documentation center, and it's right on the route to A'dam.

Or, after Day 2 morning in Mainz, you might catch a train to the much smaller town of Cochem on the Mosel River for the balance of your time. Cochem is a short detour off the main train route (change trains in Koblenz to get there.) Lovely old-world town with cobblestoned streets and several fun things to do in a beautiful natural setting.

Whatever you choose, come back to the forum later with your train questions.

KOBLENZ cruise stop: You will likely be offered a possible side trip to must-see Marksburg Castle in Braubach. FYI you can do this trip independently rather easily - from Koblenz Hbf station , it's only a 10-minute train ride to Braubach; a ticket for 2 people there and back should be around €20 or less. From the station you walk uphill (fairly steep, might be challenging?) to the castle.