I'm daydreaming (the step before planning) a trip for two for about 14-15 nights next summer, and cannot seem to settle on what to do for about 2/3 of the trip. So far I know that we will spend something like 5 days in and around Madrid, then the rest is hazy. Until recently it was this: 5 days in and around Madrid Fly to Frankfurt, cruise up to Bonn, stay a few nights, maybe visit Köln but really treat this as a time to relax Spend the rest of the trip in Nürnberg, with a couple day trips maybe Regensburg, Bamberg, Coburg Fly back from Nürnberg, or train to a bigger city to fly depending on costs In my heart I've wished rather to go to Konstanz instead of Bonn, but that makes Nürnberg much less convenient. It was going to be a long train ride but at least just on one train. Now I'm thinking maybe: 5 days in and around Madrid Fly to Zurich, train to Konstanz and spend 3 or so days there relaxing
Spend the rest of the trip in Zurich, and fly back from there I really had in my mind to go to Bavaria but Konstanz is tucked right there into Switzerland! Any advice on whether it's worth sacrificing half a day with two connecting trains from Konstanz to get to Munich instead of Zurich (as someone who hasn't been to Europe I don't know whether that's much of an inconvenience)? Are there ferries from Konstanz to, say, Lindau or Friedrichschafen, which we can use as part of our commute that would just happen to be like tours of a beautiful lake? Or a completely different angle on this - if you were spending time in Konstanz, where else would you visit in the same trip, if limited to Germany speaking parts of the continent? Are there common pairings of locations that people go to, Konstanz and (blank)? Thanks!
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7884 posts
Darren, do I understand you to say this is your first trip to Europe? There's nothing wrong with this itinerary, but it doesn't make as much sense for a first visit. And are you under this impression you must visit only German-speaking areas because (perhaps .... ) you speak German? You need very little German to visit Germany or Switzerland. BTW, do you know how expensive Zurich is? If you know what your travel style is from previous (U.S. ?) trips, I should not preach to you. But hopping around from Madrid to Germany to Switzerland is an unusual way to start exploring Europe. Will your local travel be by train or car? It might be helpful to me and other respondents if you explain why you have chosen Bonn over Koln. Also, I don't think anyone here would recommend riding a day-boat from ... near? Frankfurt to Bonn. It's not relaxing, it's a waste of time, if it can be done.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
Without knowing why you chose some of your locations it is a bit hard to make suggestions, but I have been to all the places you are considering and I would agree that Zurich is so expensive, and not one of my favorite places. If it were me and I wanted to travel Spain, Germany and Switzerland I would probably go to the south of Spain (beautiful and exotic) instead of Madrid, fly from Malaga to Frankfurt, (will you drive in Germany?) get a car and explore the south and definitely go to Bodensee (Lake of Constance) One of the most beautiful places in the world... I prefer to stay in either Lindau or Friedrichschafen, but it is all beautiful. I would probably skip Zurich and if you really wanted to visit another country with mountains I would take the drive to Salzburg. You could fly home from Munich. You can also do lots by train but I loved driving the surrounding area of the lake and exploring all the towns on my own. It would be a bit of a road trip, but an amazing one and the roads are great.
Posted by
OP
Los Angeles
9 posts
Tim, much of this is quite vague. The boat would of course not go from Frankfurt to Bonn, but a portion of that trip could be done on the Rhine. It seemed like an opportunity to slip a boat ride past the castles into our trip. Why Bonn over Köln? There is not be a satisfying answer - I have read about each, and the feel of Bonn seems more like me, somehow. I've seen it described as slow-paced with a large amount of outdoor cafes (though it seems like much of Germany is that way, and much of Germany seems cool to me, at times I'm tempted to just throw city names in a hat and pick two). That's very good to know about Zurich, I guess we'll pass on that one. Our budget is not exceptionally high. Overall, personally, I'm looking to be somewhere beautiful. It's true that I speak Spanish and German, though the association goes the opposite way of what you may think: I want to go to Germany on account of the same fascinations that draw me to study the language, read the poetry, watch its movies. (Spain is my wife's choice, though I have a similar affection from afar as I have for Germany.) So we are not going on this trip to acquaint me with Europe, per se, but to go specifically to Spain and to Germany. What is the reason that it is odd or unwise to visit these two countries? Travel between would be by plane. My preference is to do as much by foot as possible and public transportation as necessary. So Konstanz seems great because of the combination of being historical, beautiful, and small. I want to go somewhere that is amazing to be, having things to do is a plus though of course I wouldn't want to run out of activities should I be in a mood to do something. Does all of this help? Thanks again and in advance. It seems like it would be more convenient to stay in Friedrichschafen and visit Konstanz from there, especially if we also do want to go to München and/or Nürnberg.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"It might be helpful to me and other respondents if you explain why you have chosen Bonn over Koln." I would MUCH rather stay in Bonn than Köln. Bonn retains most of it's Guilded Age elegance, whereas Köln, apart from a few noteworthy historic buildings, could be any large modern city in Germany. Zurich is a nice enough city, but like the others, I probably wouldn't spend too long there. What time of year will you visit? Yes, the Bodensee is gorgeous, but if you visit between the months of October and April, the scenery disappears behind a curtain of gray haze for weeks at a time. It would be low-yield to visit at this time or year. On a clear day, the view from Lindau towards the Alps is one of the most stunning in Europe. On a cloudy day... it's just a lake.
Posted by
OP
Los Angeles
9 posts
As early as June but probably late July-early August.
Posted by
southwest, Missouri, U.S.A.
1717 posts
Hello Darren. Given your interests, I think a good travel plan for you is :
After five days in Spain, fly from Madrid to Zurich, and travel from Zurich to Lindau at lake Constance. Travel from Lindau to one destination in Germany, such as Nurnberg. Fly from Munich to the U.S.A.