Where to go in Germany and how to travel while there

We spent a week in Germany this summer. Flew to Frankfort. Important, if you rent a car, be sure you reserve it a the right Frankfort, there are 2 and it is possible to reserve a car in either city. Get one with a GPS and be sure that there will be someone there to switch it from germanr to English and show you how to use it. We had a BMW and it's GPS was far more difficult to use than my Garmin.
We went to the Rhine valley. Stayed in Bacharach. Wonderful place! Lots to see and do, don't miss Eltz Castle.

If you can get there, overnight in Rothenberg ob der Tauber and take the night watchman's tour.

Useful information on traveling in Germany is here:http://www.germantravel-info.com/index.htm#table

Thanks so much for your input. As we research, we realize there are just SO so many possiblities. All of your experience is very helpful.

I agree, you don't need to go to Prague. Munich is closer and you could easily spend 12 days in Bavaria, but there is so much to see around Frankfurt that I wouldn't advise it.

There is a lot to see in Frankfurt and in Mainz. You could easily spend a week on the Rhein and Mosel. A few years ago, I spent 5 days on the middle Rhein (Bacharach, St. Goar, Boppard, Braubach, & Koblenz). Last month I spent 4 days on the Mosel (Cochem, Beilstein, Zell, & Bernkastel-Kues). I did it kind of leisurely; some might spend a little less time, but, then, I didn't see Burg Eltz (closed). If you have more time, go down the Rhein to Köln or up the Mosel to Trier and Luxembourg.

Except for Köln and Luxembourg, all those towns are in the German state (Land) of Rheinland-Pfalz, which comprises almost all of Germany between the Rhein and the French border. All four of you (up to five people, actually) can travel on regional trains and buses all over Rheinland-Pfalz for an entire day with a Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket for €27 (less than €7 pP).

From Frankfurt you can also go to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, as suggested, for an overnight trip. While there I would recommend seeing Würzburg and, maybe, Bamberg; Nürnberg is also close. You could also use the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket to go to Karlsruhe and take a local train from there to Baden-Baden or to Freudenstadt in the Black Forest.

Lee as always, has really great suggestions and his train travel advice is about as spot on as you can get.

What to see in the Frankfurt area? I do like Heidelberg, I think the view from the castle is so beautiful. Your teens might enjoy a visit to the Frankenstein castle ruins in Darmstadt - also a great view. Near Bad Homburg is the Saalburg, which is a reconstructed Roman fort. The Mainz cathedral is extremely impressive as is the area all around it. Weisbaden has a cool rope course that your teens might like. Köln is so close, that it is easy to visit too and I really like the slow train ride on the Rhein river.

Frankfurt has a lot of pools to visit and if the weather is bad, I recommend Rebstock Bad, as it has a wave pool, slides, etc. There are so many small towns all around the area to visit, perhaps look at a map and then start googling them to see what each has to offer. I can give you suggestions for what to do in Frankfurt of course, if you want them.

I have always rented a car, but today I would not because of the increased cost of fuel and lack of parking space.

Stay with the train. Research the cost of passes vs buying point2point tickets to be sure which method is cheapest.

Hey Coni Jo! Since you have access to an apartment there I'd definitely use Frankfurt as a home base for a couple of day trips. Jo has given lots of suggestions for things to do in and around Frankfurt on several other postings on this site. Be sure to check them out. From Frankfurt you can easily take day trips to the Rhine Castles, Wiesbaden, Koblenz, Darmstadt, Fulda, and Heidelberg. Each of these cities offer numerous worthwhile sights. Also, the famous spas at nearby Bad Homburg are an excellent place to pamper yourself. If your heart is set on a trip to Prague there are a number of smaller German cities along the route from Frankfurt that are well worth a stopover, and all of them are easily accessable by rail. These include Wuerzburg, Bamberg, Bayreuth and Coburg.

Here are links to websites for some of the cities I mentioned in my earlier post. Hopefully, these will help you in determining which places might interest you.

http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=stadtfrankfurt_eval01.c.124836.en

http://www.darmstadt.de/en/content/contact/

http://www.bamberg.info/www_tks/homeen_268_89_7_f.htm

http://english.wiesbaden.de/

http://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/content/index_eng.html

http://www.wuerzburg.de/en/index.html

http://www.bayreuth.de/english/tourist_information_357.html

http://www.stadt.coburg.de/gastcoburg.asp?uid=386&mid=201&iid=3035

For four, I would rent a car. It's cheaper than four train tickets.

Another alternative if you can use it is the beautiful weekend pass that is good for five people for a day (but only on the slower trains). It's perfect for taking a day trip from a home base to something nearby.

While in Frankfurt. I would probably try to see Munich and some Romantic Road towns/cities. Wurtzburg is my favorite but you should look at guides and see what interests you.

Since you mentioned Prague and that's in the wrong direction from Paris, maybe see Dresden and Prague on a few day trip.

On the way to Paris, I would probably do Rhine Valley, Mosel Valley, Trier, Metz, Reims then Paris and give yourself time for plenty of stops on the way.

You won't want a car once you get to Paris. You may get significantly lower drop charges in Trier and train from there but you will have to check it out vs the price of train tickets.

Considering that everything in Germany mentioned by Brad (Rhine Valley, Mosel Valley, Trier) is in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket would be a better choice than a "beautiful weekend pass".

The "Beautiful Weekend Pass", officially known as the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket, is valid on a Saturday, a Sunday, or a holiday for travel clear across Germany, over state, (Länder) borders. It costs €37 for one to five people.

A Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket is valid for the same travel within the borders of the state of Rheinland-Pfalz (see map, 4th page of brochure), which includes everything between France and the Rhein below the Mosel and some parts of the right bank of the Rhein around Koblenz. It also includes travel in Hesse on the right bank of the Rhein from Wiesbaden to Rheinland-Pfalz. It is valid all day (after 9 AM weekdays) and costs €27 for five people, €19 for a single person).

I would rent a car. It's cheaper than four train tickets.

No way!

When I was planning my last trip to Germany, I got a quote for a car that was much too small for four people and their luggage. The quote just for the car, without CDW coverage, for 13 days, was $491 ($38/day). Fuel, according to Michelin, would have been another $14/day, or $52/day, total, much more than the €27/day for a Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket. My transportation for that trip cost me $20/day, including two all day trips by express trains, from Cochem to Bad Harzburg and Walkenried to Karlsruhe.

If you can arrange your travel to use the buses and regional trains in that area, you will find it far less expensive than a car.

As long as you are within the Verkehrverbund (transit district) Rhein-Mosel, which extends from Oberwesel, just down the river from Bacharach, to the Rheinland-Pfalz border near Bonn, and up the Mosel beyond Cochem, you don't even have to use the Rheinland-Pfalz-Ticket. You can use a VRM Minigruppenkarte (all day pass for up to 5P for buses and regional trains). This costs a maximum of €20, less for shorter trips.

All of you have been such a great help. There are so many places to look on the internet and having one spot with so many people willing to lend their expertise has helped to narrow our search. Thanks for all the time y'all are taking to respond.