Frankfurt to Munich June 2016

And you are not flying directly to Munich because your frequent flyer miles won't take you to Munich, right?

Rail travel in Europe, particularly in Germany, is nothing like here in the US. Trains are fast, frequent, and can be relatively inexpensive. All trips (10) combined, I've spent almost 5 months in Europe in the last 15 years and never used (or needed) a car, and 85% of my travel has been outside big cities, where some people erroneously claim you have to have a car.

I might spend one night near (outside of, I'm not a big city kind of guy) Frankfurt. That way you don't have to make a long train trip (or drive) right after you arrive, with jet lag. That would also allow you to take advantage of a Bahn Saver Fare from Frankfurt to Munich.

I think Bacharach would be a nice place to rest after your long airplane trip. It's on the scenic Rhein gorge, about an hour from Frankfurt airport. You actually might want to spend a few days on the Rhein before going to Munich. At today's fares, 4 adult could travel from FRA to Bacharach for 34€ on a Gruppentageskarte (day pass for up to 5 people). The next day you could travel to Munich on a Saver Fare. There is a one change connection by Regional Express to Bingen and a EuroCity (EC) train from there in 4½ hours. Saving Fare tickets are non-refundable as of the day of travel and go on sale at the lowest price 92 days in advance. For 92 days from now (Mar 7) the fare is 88€ for 4 adults.

Agree with Lee about trains in Germany. There are two train stations right at FRA - the Regionalbahnhof (for local trains to places like Bacharach) and the Fernbahnhof (Fern means "distant" - use this one for destinations like Munich.) Just follow the directional signs from the terminal. Using trains means no rental contracts, no parking hassles or fees, no traffic jams, no long rides in the back seat, no designated driver, no potty or fill-up stops, no shuttling to/from the rental outlet, and very importantly, no shady rental agencies (many FRA agencies in particular have a rep for scamming customers out of their vacation $ with phony damage claims, etc.)

I see from your other post about France that your trip is in June/July. Also agree with the notion of a stay on the Rhine upon arrival. There are direct trains to the old-world Rhine towns of Bingen - Bacharach - Oberwesel - Boppard every 2 hours or better, and in between, trains with a short stopover and change of train in Mainz. It's roughly an hour to any of these places.

The Rhine Valley between Bingen and Koblenz is stuffed with castles (like Marksburg) and attractive towns that you can visit by cruise boat and by train. Group day passes for Rhine area trains and buses are inexpensive and also cover some ferries (like the one in St. Goar ) and provide a 20% discount on day cruises with KD.

You can find schedules and fares for Germany and from Germany to France at the link below. Note that summer saver fares won't be shown until 91 days prior to your travel dates.

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

Agree that Germany is easy without a car. Trains and cars offer different experiences, you have to decide.

I'm wondering if you are giving the 4 adults accommodation requirements their due. You can rarely put more than 2 adults in a hotel room, so I hope you are budgeting for 2 hotel rooms every night, or some kind of house/apartment. Europe is challenging for families compared to North America when it comes to accommodation.

I'm one of the few who is not that big a fan of Munich, so maybe don't rush there. There are many things to see along the way. If you know when you buy your ticket, there are a host of places where you can take 4 or 5 hours for a free stopover and use the luggage lockers at the station.

Frankfurt has so much to see, but we can't seem to get Lee to even take a peek. Museums, more history than you can shake a stick at, and with great Farmers markets and festivals.

Try this hotel which has rooms for 4: http://www.hotelexcelsior-frankfurt.de/cms/index.php/en/room-for-4/room-for-four

"I'm one of the few who is not that big a fan of Munich, so maybe don't rush there."

I've always been lukewarm about Munich as well. If you land at FRA, proceed to Munich, and are then proceeding to Paris from Munich, I do think dropping Munich altogether might be a consideration. Besides the Rhine, there are dozens of excellent German destinations much closer to Paris - Trier for example. It's Germany's oldest city, with lots of Roman history; it's also near the French border and just 3.5 hours from Paris by train.

Hi,

On car vs the train I would suggest the train in your case. Elsewhere in Germany going to the outlying villages of big cities, the car would be helpful. Going from Frankfurt to Munich, however, you don't need to rely on a car, all the more so after landing.

"On car vs the train I would suggest the train in your case. Elsewhere in Germany going to the outlying villages of big cities, the car would be helpful."

Depends on the village. Leaving big cities like Munich by car means traffic; if your destination is on a train line, it becomes an easy choice. A city the size of Munich or Frankfurt sends off trains along rail lines that are like the spokes on a bicycle. You can see this in the train line maps below. Outlying villagers need to get into Munich and back home again, and you can use the same system they do.

http://www.bahn.de/regional/view/mdb/pv/deutschland_erleben/bayern/regionales/diverses/2015/mdb_185091_20130717_sk_by.pdf
http://www.muenchnerubahn.de/bild/sehrgross/schnellbahn2004dez.jpg

"Depends on the village" Maybe it depends on the specific Bundesland as well. I found that having car in Brandenburg was a lot more convenient, way less time consuming, much easier in just getting me there to the specific site, ie, a military skirmish site and the plaquet (Gefecht) from the campaign of 1813, a history museum, or the British WW 1 military cemetery, etc in villages around a metropolis like Berlin, such as Großbeeren, Wustrau, Stahnsdorf, or even Wünsdorf near Zossen.

For the OP public transportation from Munich to its outlying small towns and village would suffice.

I would suggest taking the train from Frankfurt to Munich. You won't want to have a car in Munich. It's difficult to find anywhere to park if you are in the central part of the city, and you won't need (or want) a car when you are there.

We were in Germany in October, and took the train in the opposite direction - from Munich to Frankfurt. It was fast, comfortable, and economical. It was also very easy to navigate the train station. The main train station in Munich is about a 20-30 minute walk from the Marienplatz and the other site seeing areas, or a quick trip on a connecting local train line.