starting in Frankfurt

Corinne, I usually pick a car up and go upon arriving in Frankfurt. However, I have stayed at the Hilton in Frankfurt which is nearby a pedestrian outside walk that has stores and restaurants. Not what you want though. I can definitely NOT recommend what used to be (maybe still is) a Best Western near the Banhof. If you have a mind to catch a train down to Heidelberg I can recommend Der Europaische Hof hotel. May be pricey but I have stayed there a few times and thought the location was good. Heidelberg is close enough that you can pick your car up at the airport and only drive a short distance. I know you did not want to do that but this may be close enough not to be difficult to do. Good luck

If you let us know the dates of your travel and your budget, then we can give you better suggestions for a hotel in Frankfurt. There are some beautiful residential neighborhoods with some lovely B&B's and hotels in the city. Many for under 100 euro per night. The S-bahn from the airport into Frankfurt only takes between 11-17 minutes depending on where you get off the train, and will cost 4.10 euro. A taxi will cost about 30-35, depending on traffic and where you are going. Count me in as someone who thinks it is very wise not to drive after a long trans-Atlantic flight. Plus picking up your car from the airport costs more money than getting it in the city.

There are some nice and affordable hotels along the train route from the airport into the city. What are the dates? Also what do you mean by charme? Private, family run B&B-type? Or a nicely designed boutique hotel? The Best Western Hotel Scala is in the heart of the city center and is only a short walk from the Konstablerwache train station (direct train from the airport). A taxi from the airport into town is between €40 and €50, the train is €4.10. A hotel near the fairground is a bit further from the city center but the taxi ride is only around €30 from the airport...

Thanks so much for your detailed responses. The trip begins in Frankfort for a few days August 1 then winding over a week's time to Basel and then a month in Switzerland. I would like to see Stassburg /Colmar. Perhaps someone has stayed there and found a great spot?
My new motto is "If not now, when?!!!"

Near Colmar is the small village of Eguisheim. A delight to stay in and only a few minutes from Colmar, the Wine Route and the somewhat longer drive to Strasbourg. We loved Equisheim which is completely surrounded by the old ramparts. Several types of restaurants to choose from. Colmar is very nice also, but we were ready for a smaller town at that time. If interested I will look up the name of our hotel and the price, etc. We were happy with it.

Corinne, just for future reference, it's FrankfUrt. Helpful when looking up info on the internet. Otherwise, you'll end up with info on Frankfort, Kentucky.

Hi Corinne, I responded to your email last night but I must be doing something wrong so will answer here. We stayed at the Auberge des Trois Chateaus in a 2nd story room facing the town and main street (quiet). Wonderful view of the fountain, the storks nesting on a nearby roof top and lots of flowers everywhere! It is still around 65E and breakfast is 8E, and was wonderful. The name of our favorite restaurant that specialized in Torte Flambes remains a mystery as we neglected to note it in our travel journal.
Happy travels!