Hello,
My husband and I will be in Germany for eleven full days starting the last week in July. We'll be flying into Frankfurt and out of Berlin.
Our original plan was to rent a car in Franfurt and drive to Bacharach. This would be our home base for two full days as we explored the Rhine Valley. From there we would drive to Rothenburg for one night, to Baden-Baden for two nights, one night in Fussen, three nights in Munich, one night in Nurnberg, and then a train to Berlin for the remaining three nights. After getting a bit of feedback from friends who have traveled there, I feel we might be stretching it a bit on the single overnights. Can anyone suggest a better route for less one nights stops? We will have a car for the southern part of the trip. Thank you!
Posted by
24 posts
I totaled 13 nights, but say your trip is 11 days, am I misreading something?
Visiting Rothenburg between Bacharach and Baden-Baden seems out of the way to me. I would move it to either before or after Nürnberg.
I understand that some people don't like switching hotels everyday, but if you're okay with it then there is no reason to stay somewhere longer just to conform to someone else travel style.
Some people will say you need to stay 2 nights somewhere in order to have a full day there, but if you can see/do everything that interest you in less than a day, then why spend more of your time there if you would rather be seeing/doing something somewhere else?
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9222 posts
You are traveling in a zig-zag, north, then south, then north again. Also, driving after a long flight is considered to be very dangerous. Taking a train that first day is safer and advisable. Why not stay in Wiesbaden or Bad Homburg over night and experience the same baths as Baden-Baden?
I would drop those 2 nights in Baden-Baden and add them on to Berlin.
Posted by
NSW Australia
703 posts
one suggestion , for what its worth, have you considered the mosel ? we used Bacharach as a base for a few nights and it was very good. We are not unhappy that we did. but if we did it again we would stay on the mosel. while we enjoyed the rhine, driving around the mosel river area was nicer. smaller and the towns seemed more quaint. just an observation. depends on what you want to see? the days are long so you can see a lot in one day.
on our trip we drove from Rothenburg to Bacharach no problem.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
I'll bet you didn't know you can get from the Frankfurt airport to Bacharach faster by train (56 min) than by car (66 min according to ViaMichelin, and that's if you know your way), and you don't have to take the time to pick up a rental car. The fare from RMV, the Frankfurt metro, is only 11,80 per person, one way.
I'll bet you also didn't know that you don't need a car to explore the Rhein Valley. There are rail lines along both sides of the river, with ferries across at several points, and day cruise ships up and down the river, that stop in nearly every town.
I wouldn't even want a car for that part of your trip.
Also, don't go from Bacharach to Rothenburg, then back to the Black Forest (Baden-Baden), then Füssen. That's too much backtracking and you are going to be just an hour away from Rothenburg later, when you are in Nürnberg. Go from Bacharach to the Black Forest (and I think someplace like Gengenbach would be a better view of the Schwarzwald than Baden-Baden), then to Füssen, and do Rothenburg while in Nürnberg.
Posted by
Kenner, LA, US
41 posts
We are going to do a similar trip later in the year & I see many
people on the site making the comment that you don't need to be driving the one hour from Frankfurt to the Rhine gorge area after arriving in the morning from the states. Probably good advice. Two questions: can you rent a car in Boppard? Also, how long does it take to get from the Frankfurt airport to the train station to get to Boppard?
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Frankfurt airport station (Frankfurt Flughafen Regionalbahnhof) is underneath terminal 1. A lot nearer than the car hire pick up.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
"how long does it take to get from the Frankfurt airport to the train station"
I've never timed myself. I would guess about ½ hr, but that would depend on how far out you are and on which terminal and concourse. It not actually under Terminal 1, it's under the building across the access road from Terminal 1, but you get to it by going down stair or escalators inside Terminal 1, then through a mall under the access road.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
There are two stations at Frankfurt airport. The Fernbahnhof (long distance station) is indeed across the road from terminal 1. This is the station for High Speed trains (ICE) to other parts of Germany. The Regionalbahnhof (local station) is under terminal 1. This is the station for S-Bahn and other local trains to Frankfurt or other surrounding towns, including stopping trains on the Rhine valley lines (Bacharach, Boppard etc.).
They are both well signposted and they have different platform numbers so there is no confusion.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9222 posts
Lee, it confuses people when you tell them the train station is someplace else besides in Terminal 1. This is its' location. Just because a basement extends out under a building does not mean it isn't part of that building anymore.
The Regional train station is on the lower level of Terminal 1.
You can access it directly with one escalator from B-1 on the top level or with escalators at Arrival Gates A-1, B-1, or C-1 on the next lower level. You don't have to cross any streets unless you are outside having a cigarette. Even then, you could walk back inside the Arrival Hall and go directly downstairs to the Regional Train station.