We are planning a 2 week trip next month, flying in and out of Frankfurt. We are spending the first 2 days in Koln, to meet up our son who will travel with us. We are scrambling to come up with a plan.
Cities/area we would like to possibly see are:
Koln (only obligatory stop)
Bruge
Amsterdam
Rhine Valley (Bacharach/St Goar)
Baden Baden
Frieburg/Staufen
Munich
Berner Oberland/Murren/Gimmelwald
Any suggestions for a plan?
Probably your best bet is to buy Rick's Germany & Austria 2008 and Switzerland 2008 and read his descriptions and then make your own decisions. You would list your total # of full days on the ground for sight-seeing, and in another column list the destinations that have made your short list. Then make an allotment of days, remembering that one night stands are not as relaxing as staying 2 nights.You say 2 weeks: let's assume 14 days minus the flying in/flying out days and 2 days in Koln, so we're down to about 10 days/nights after Koln. You can realistically do about 5 destinations in 10 days, due to the travel time to get from destination A to B. You said next month, if this means August, book your accommodations very soon, because August is the busiest month in Europe and you don't want to be showing up without hotel reservations in August.
Julie,
Last summer our family spent a wonderful week along the Mosel river from Koblenz to Trier. I highly recommend a visit to this part of "storybook" Germany! Our itinerary included The Netherlands (Delft, Den Hague, Harlaam, Amsterdam, Arnhem and Appeldorn) and Belgium (Brussels and Leuven) but this part of Germany was the highlight of our trip (we also spent a day in Koln).
Glenn
Thanks for your help.
Glenn,
Can you give me more details on your Mosel Valley stay? I have Rick's Germany book, but am wondering in what town(s) you stayed? Did see the area by boat, car or train? Any details would be appreciated..
Also, if you only had a few days to spend in Belgium and the Netherlands, where would you choose to spend your time. OR would you scratch that for more time in the Mosel Valley?
Hi Julie,
We stayed 4 nights, last October, in Cochem (actually Valwig, just across the river) along the Mosel. Gorgeous area! A visit to Burg Eltz (close to Cochem) is not to be missed!
Our recent pic's are at:
www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/index.html
Hope this helps.
Paul
http://picasaweb.google.com/Tom.Luann.Fitzpatrick/Germany_2006
Hi Julie,
This Bavarian slideshow may give you some tour ideas... Tom and Luann Fitzpatrick seem to have had the time of their lives... Gute Reise! P
Hello Julie. Because you will be at an airport of Frankfurt, and at KOLN, I recommend : at some point in your trip stop at either St. Goar or Bacharach in Germany (at the Rhine River) for 3 nights. That would give you one day for a boat ride on the Rhine River (preferably from Bingen to St. Goar), and one day to visit the medieval castle Marksburg (it is a much better castle than Burg Eltz, in my opinion). Ride in trains, via Koblenz. Travelling between Koblenz and Braubach (Marksburg), riding in a bus can be best, but not on Sunday. And if you want to visit the medieval castle Burg Eltz, I recommend having overnight accomodation at Cochem one night.
