Our son will be studying abroad in Europe next semester, and the rest of the family (4) is planning to visit for a week - 3/29 - 4/7. We plan to fly into Frankfurt and leave from Paris. We would like to spend 4 days in Germany and the remainder in Paris. Any suggestions? I have just begun to research our options am thinking of renting a car and driving from Frankfurt to Munich for the first half of the trip, and then taking a train from Munich to Paris. Our kids are 20, 24, and 26 and this will be the first time we've been to Europe together.
Posted by
Germany, Germany
813 posts
Your plan of a few days in German and the rest in Paris sounds fine. If you're taking the train and there'll be 4 or 5 taking the train that week, you should book immediately, including seat reservations. The Easter holidays weeks are super busy on the trains. Having said that, although the train from Munich to Paris is good, you should also look into flights to save time and money. You can sometimes flights cheaper than the train.
Posted by
Paradise
7068 posts
4 days for Germany isn't much. That's about what you'd need to see Munich and maybe do a daytrip somewhere. Flying into FRA will mean renting a car and driving 4+ hours when you may be jetlagged. Once you're in Munich, the car will have become an expensive handicap. By train, the trip will take 3.5 hours and $200-$500 for the family. If you absolutely want to see Munich, then fly into Munich. Then you have just one 6-8 hour train ride to Paris and no car worries or expenses. From MUC, a trip into the center of Munich by train will run you only 20€ for the family with one Airport-City Day Ticket. The same ticket can be used for transport within Munich. If you are set on flying into FRA, then I'd suggest skipping the long trip to Munich altogether and seeing things on the Frankfurt side of the country - like the castle-cluttered Middle Rhine Valley and the Mosel Valley: Rick's Rhine video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8tsU7H1O2w MOSEL RIVER One especially nice base town for the Mosel is Cochem. Burg Eltz is near Cochem and one of Europe's top castles. Trier, Germany's oldest city, is on the Mosel too. From Trier, Paris is just 3-3.5 hours. Advance-sale tickets can be had for as little as 39€ at the DB website.
Posted by
OP
Canfield, Ohio, USA
2 posts
Thanks for the advice! Based on this feedback, we now plan to stay in the Rhine and Mosel river valley areas for the first 4 days, then to Paris for the last 4 days. Any additional suggestions are welcomed. Thanks!