Drop our car in Frankfurt, leaving us a little more time around the Rhine and get the train to Brussels, then London from there? Or drop our car in Cologne in the evening, see the Cathedral in the morning, get the train to Brussels/London in that afternoon?
I think I know, but I just want some opinions...
Posted by
Texan in CA
4408 posts
How about this (if you can work out your schedule) - Plan A, but plan a stop for 1-2 hours in Cologne to see the Cathedral? I stop there every time I'm in the area - I'm addicted! It's literaly next to the train station...leave your bags in the cool lockers at the train station (allow time to leave/retrieve your bags - around 15 mins total or so).
Posted by
OP
Marengo, USA
95 posts
How long is the drive from Frankfurt to Cologne? I'm not keen on spending too much time on the road between the two. If we can "land" in Cologne, then leave from there, it gives us a little down time before we head to England.
Posted by
Texan in CA
4408 posts
I don't know; I take the train... Maybe someone else has the answer...other than what you can learn from Michelin, etc.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"How long is the drive from Frankfurt to Cologne?" About 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on traffic.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
8955 posts
You don't say where you are coming from or what you have already seen while in Germany, so that information would be helpful to us in making suggestions about what to see or do. That said, you might want to take some time to see Frankfurt, one of Germany's older and most historic cities. Then, rather than take the 55 min. trip on the ICE trains that run though lots of tunnels, I would take the slower, regional train to Cologne, as it runs along the Rhine, allowing you to see all the vineyards and castles. This train only takes about 2 hours and 15 min. to go from Frankfurt to Cologne. You could still get off the train and see the cathedral if you like as it is right next to the train station.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"That said, you might want to take some time to see Frankfurt, one of Germany's older and most historic cities. Then, rather than take the 55 min. trip on the ICE trains that run though lots of tunnels". Concur completely, you can barely see anything on this stretch during the day, and nothing at all at night. The A3 mostly follows the same course as the ICE track, but you can see a little more from a car. Limburg has a interesting cathedral, there's a schloss sitting on top of a hill in the middle of Montabaur, and a you can also see a hill-top monastery as you pass St. Augustin. On a clear day, some of the mountain vistas are pretty impressive, but just as often as not when I've driven this route, the view is obscurred by thick fog. Jo's suggestion, though, is probably the most scenic.