My daughter and I are headed to Europe next Spring Break. We are landing in Frankfurt and headed to Paris. It's a long flight from Canada, so not up for the full train ride when we land. Where is a good place to get off the train in between? Aiming for a bit of a smaller town, ideally with something a teenager would like!. We are just using trains for travel and our feet (we are good walkers).
Posted by
99 posts
I know you want to stop but the train is a 4-hour journey. I made up a date for second-class tickets for 2 are 125 dollars. We get 1st class tickets nonrefundable (yes, we take the chance) for 115 for 2. There is one change, Karlshuhe Germany where you change trains, but you have 33 minutes. You can catch a snack with that time. By the way you board the train at the station in the airport.
Posted by
Paris
7304 posts
If you really want to stop, then maybe Strasbourg ?
Not all Frankfurt-Paris trains go thru Strasbourg but some do.
Or you could look into Heidelberg.
However, I'd grit my teeth (or fall asleep) and just stay on the train all the way to Paris. The worst but will be getting from the airport to Frankfurt main station (I don't think the Paris trains stop at the airport). Once you're on the train... An extra 2 hours won't tire you that much.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7897 posts
The top sight on the way is Strasbourg. I think Nancy or Metz may have some attraction, but I haven't been to either. Louvre Lens is on my museum list. Perhaps out of the way, but Lille is a nice visit, a nickname "Little Paris", and a superb art museum.
Assuming you chose Frankfurt to get a non-stop or a low price, I would encourage you to re-calculate using a second flight from Frankfurt to Paris. Bought from a partner with the transatlantic flight, it could cost as little as zero. If you want to see Frankfurt, that's different. It's more common for Americans with GI parents (?) to believe that Frankfurt is the gateway to Western Europe ....
I know the travel world has changed, but surely Paris still has competition between airlines? I don't know about your arrival time, but since you can't get into the room and take a shower at 8AM, we find the second flight no imposition. Sometimes our room is ready!
I don't want to overstate the case, but there is some risk with an advance purchase, no-exchange, no-refund train ticket when you don't really know your flight/immigration time with precision. You could be forced to buy a walk-up fare if the flight is delayed.
Posted by
99 posts
Yes, the train does stop at the Airport.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Already booked the ticket to Frankfurt so that part is a done deal (essentially using Air Canada points, etc. and ability to cancel for low fee in case the world goes sideways again - and all the flights went through Frankfurt anyway and then on to Paris if flying from Vancouver). So now I just need to decide if we want to just grin and bear it (because we are landing early) or stop somewhere along the way. It is really my daughter's trip as her school trip was cancelled 3 days before they were supposed to leave due to COVID-19, so I will check with her to see what she wants to do.
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi,
Is your train trip on the ICE or TGV? Depending on the departure, the last stop in Germany before shooting non-stop for Paris is Saarbrücken or in France is Forbach (Lorraine).
If you do decide to break up this ride, you'll have to get off at Forbach, transfer to Metz or Nancy. I've been to Metz a few times, haven't seen Nancy, which I would recommend over Metz. I went to Metz mainly for the historical reasons and sites, having been fought over in 4 wars.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Teenager consulted. Straight to Paris it is.