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Rethinking my Switzerland to Frankfurt Itinerary June 28th PM to July 5th PM

Posted by on

Hello all,

As we plan part two of our trip, I am rethinking my idea of getting a rental car June 28th in Basel, and returning it July 5th in Frankfurt. The drop off charge can offset any number of trains, so I am rethinking my itinerary.

We are 2 adults and a 19 and 17-year-old. All are fit enough to walk as needed. We are taking a single backpack style carry-on bag each for our 18-day trip. All of us can carry them as needed.

We arrive in Basel from Nice ay 7:45 PM.
We leave from Frankfurt to USA at 1:35 PM on July 5th.

Our original idea was

Pick up the car in Basel, Drive to Lucerne.
See Lucerne
Day-trip (by train not car) into Interlaken Ost area
Then go to Southern Germany, Working our way up to Frankfurt by car (Munich, Freiburg, Tubingen, Bad Ulrach, Stuttgart, Besigheim, and Heidelberg Were ideas. We would pick 1-3 of those total).

Our new idea is:
Scrap the rental car, and make the rest of our trip with trains.

So. At the risk of asking the forum plan our vacation, I ask this:

What would you want to see on your first trip that gets you from Basel (Probably still do Lucerne and Interlaken), and then eventually up through southern Germany in 7 nights (Night one is burnt as we land from Nice at 19:45.

28 Lucerne
29 Lucerne (Day Trip into Interlaken)
30 Lucerne and train to ??
1 Stuttgart Area?
2Stuttgart Area?
3Stuttgart Area?
4 Frankfurt

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

Posted by
8889 posts

Hello again. you obviously like to have a car, and you are starting at Basel airport and ending at Frankfurt airport.
I would investigate if you could pick up your car in Lörrach or Weil-am-Rhein. Both places are suburbs of Basel, and can be reached by taxi from Basel airport without breaking the bank (or can be reached by public transport from Basel city centre). But, most importantly, they are both in Germany, so picking up a car in these places and returning it at Frankfurt airport does not incur an international drop-off surcharge.
You could still visit places in Switzerland with your *German" car.

Posted by
17 posts

Thanks Chris! I'll look into picking up a car in Germany! I'm not totally tied to even having a car. It's one of those things I've always done on vacation. I have little experience in Europe.

But... The more I read seasoned travellers, I am thinking of going the opposite, and using the wonderful transportations network.

I am flying into Basel as it was really cheap from Nice. We are flying into Rome, and out of Frankfurt as the tickets are free this way. Saving over 8K opened up a lot of other avenues on this trip.

Lubitsch, you have given me some great ideas. Maybe the Lucerne route is not the direction. I was drawn there by a side trip up to Eiger area. I've read so many books about that area, but don't want to stay a week there. I saw the scenic train from Lucerne to Interlaken OST and was attracted to that.

Posted by
1446 posts

I like Lubitsch's idea of Konstanz. We did a bike tour around lake constance a few years ago, and it is one of our best European memories.

My other thought is you could hit Freiburg / black forest area then up to the Rhein / Mosel.

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