15

Going to Eurodisney only makes sense if you also go to Paris. Plan on staying in Paris for at least 4 days or you won't be able to see anything.

I think what you haven't taken into account is that the weather can be quite bad in November. There is a reason all those theme parks are closed, it is usually just too cold and dreary.

It is early October, but I've already taken out my winter stuff bc early one morning we had just 2 degrees C here. Ok, during the day the temps went up to 18 C and sunshine. But a stiff wind and frequent rain make any outdoor stuff less pleasant as you might think.

November is simply off season. All summer attractions are closed and the winter attractions (Christmas markets, skiing ranges) are not yet open.

BTW, if you go to Baden-Baden visit one of the spas there.

http://www.carasana.de/en/welcome/

16

Do you want to stay at Frankfurt or just in a nice town close to Frankfurt airport? In the second case, check Mainz.
From Strasbourg you have direct trains to Eurodisney: 2 1/2 hrs one way

17

Hello there,

Thanks for your revert. I am happy to stay in Mainz as well as long as it is easily reachable from Frankfurt airport. The reason I wanted to keep Frankfurt as the base is because its easier to find an apartment there (though am not having much luck!).

Are day trips from Mainz easier to make to other places ... just like from Frankfurt ?

I am planning to keep about 4nites in Paris. Notice the Paris pass is quiet expensive. Have heard its cheaper to buy metro tickets directly as the pass is more if people want to do the museums / cathedrals etc. I guess if the weather is bad anywhere, the best option is to probably get into a hypermarkets (e.g. Ikea sort of stores which may be on the outskirts) and am sure the ladies in the group wouldn't mind window-shopping around...

Please add your thoughts around...

Many thanks again for your inputs.

Cheers!

18

Mainz is a good idea as a base and has the advantage of being in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. This opens a Länder-Ticket along the Rhine to Koblenz, one of the most scenic railway in Germany. Also you could do Länder-Ticket to Ludwigshafen and then normal fare to Heidelberg; from Frankfurt in Hessen this would not be possible on Länder-Ticket-Base.

Freiburg or Baden-Baden, I would do the decision on the basis of getting accomodation and price. Both cities are nice and give close access to the Black Forest. Freiburg has young population, university, many alternative, eco-people. Baden-Baden is a bit more conservative, art exibitions, opera, casino.

The scenic railway line across the Black Forest is the Schwarzwaldbahn from Offenburg to Villingen with more than 30 tunnels. Direct trains from Baden-Baden. But the Kinzigtalbahn, the Murgtalbahn or the Höllentalbahn (from Freiburg) are scenic as well.

19

Thanks for your insights AnhaltER1960! Truely appreciate it.

If I have 4nites in Mainz (any recommendations on self-catering apartments/sites ..please PM me!), i can do the following on the Lander Tickets

Day trip to Koblenz
Day trip to Heidleburg (any idea on the duration and cost if i take a Lander ticket + the other ticket that you recommend, change of trains?)
Day trip to Frankfurt (possibly some bargain shopping .. hypermarkets/outlet shops or an IKEA(some of the ladies want to go to an IKEA! i know it sounds weird)

I have a sunday coming during this stay (arrival tentatively by 08Nov and stay for 3-4nites)... what would you recommend for a Sunday (surely the shopping bit is not possible as most of Europe is closed... unless there is a flea market somewhere)

Move to Baden Baden or Frieburg for 2nites and do a day trip to Blackforest. Can i do a combination of the scenic train from Offenburg to Villengen and return via the other route ? Would the Lander tickets apply for such a journey (trying to save costs here for the group!). Whats there at the destination to see or do after taking the train from Baden Baden or Frieburg...?

Proceed from here to Strasbourg (if its worth it )and then Paris or Switzerland...

Thanks again for patiently responding to my messages... its of great help...

Cheers!

20

If I have 4nites in Mainz (any recommendations on self-catering apartments/sites ..please PM me!) Sorry, no

i can do the following on the Lander Tickets

Day trip to Koblenz Yes, Länderticket Rheinland-Pfalz

Day trip to Heidleburg (any idea on the duration and cost if i take a Lander ticket the other ticket that you recommend, change of trains?) Länderticket Rheinland-Pfalz until Ludwigshafen, then get a VRN (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar/Trafic consortium Rhine-Neckar)-Ticket 24 Plus, Preisstufe 4 (price stage 4) at the vending machine or desk. Price is 15,60 Euro, good for up to 5 ppl, also good for local transport in Heidelberg. Approx 90 minutes from Mainz Central to Heidelberg central station, change trains at Ludwigshafen.

Day trip to Frankfurt (possibly some bargain shopping .. hypermarkets/outlet shops or an IKEA(some of the ladies want to go to an IKEA! i know it sounds weird) Get RMV (Rhein-Main-Verkehrssverbund)-Gruppenfahrschein (group ticket) for Preisstufe 5 for 25,70 Euro. Good for 5 ppl and good in all transport in Mainz and Frankfurt. IKEA is a bit of a journey, since most of them are in some business districts in the outskirts and easily accessible by car, but not by public transport (as you would not transport your furniture by public transport as well). From a quick look the Koblenz IKEA seemed to be closest to the main station, therefore accessible by public transport or shortest taxi ride. But you may wish a look yourself here for adresses and opening hours: http://www.ikea.com/ms/de_DE/customer_service/ikea_oeffnungszeiten.html

I have a sunday coming during this stay (arrival tentatively by 08Nov and stay for 3-4nites)... what would you recommend for a Sunday (surely the shopping bit is not possible as most of Europe is closed... unless there is a flea market somewhere) train trip along the Rhine, also Heidelberg. In some tourist hotspots along the Rhine for example there might even be shops open. But indeed do your shopping bit on other days.

Move to Baden Baden or Frieburg for 2nites and do a day trip to Blackforest. Can i do a combination of the scenic train from Offenburg to Villengen and return via the other route ? Yes, you can combine several routes. This will be a full day trip then, however

Would the Lander tickets apply for such a journey (trying to save costs here for the group!). Whats there at the destination to see or do after taking the train from Baden Baden or Frieburg...? Yes, Länderticket Baden-Württemberg will do.

Proceed from here to Strasbourg (if its worth it ) definitely

and then Paris or Switzerland...

Thanks again for patiently responding to my messages... its of great help... Youre welcome

Edited by: AnhaltER1960 (format&typos)

21

Hello all LP'ers,

Thanks for your inputs... this is what I am planning to do with the group...

08Nov: Arrive in Frankfurt (Thursday)
Stay either in Frankfurt or Mainz (any recommendations which is a better place?)
09Nov: Either shopping/exploring day of Frankfurt/Mainz(as Sunday everything is closed!). Will take a 2-day pass from Frankfurt airport (if we stay in FRA)
10Nov: Day trip to Koblenz (Saturday)- Lander tickets
11Nov: Day trip to Heidleberg (sunday)- Lander tickets
Option .. I can use Sunday to change base to Friebourg(Germany)as Heidleberg will be closed for everything it being a sunday?

12Nov: Move to Friebourg - Lander Tickets(?) (monday)
13Nov: Day trip to Strasbourg/Colmar - any regional tickets?? Can I cover both places on a day-trip?? (Tuesday)
14Nov: Day trip to Blackforest/cuckoo clock factor(ies) - any regional tickets?? (wednesday)
Option: If i keep Strasbourg as my base.. I will be able to save one-day to visit this town(?). Though not sure how expensive it would be to travel from stransbourg to Blackforest for a day-trip as compared to Friebourg-Blackforest. Any special regional trains?

15Nov: Move to Lucerne. Take ticket only upto Basel as will take a 4day Swiss Pass. (thursday)
16Nov: Explore Lucerne/mountain peak (Friday)
17Nov: Move to Geneva early morning (Saturday). Keep luggage at train station. Visit the city and take evening train to Paris.
18Nov: Explore Paris - full day.. hop-in/hop-off bus or any other suggestions? (Sunday)
19Nov: Possibly visit Disney Land / shopping (Monday)
20Nov: Departure in the afternoon to India.

The reason I am spending so much time in Germany is partly due to the cost factor of train travel which turns out quiet low on the Lander/Regional tickets as compared to Switzerland/France.

Let me know your thoughts. Am ok to reduce days in Germany by choosing lesser day trips by skipping one of the cities - Heidleberg/Koblenz/Manheim...whichever is easily accessible/scenic (remember I have some senior travelers)

Thanks all for your valuable inputs...

Cheers!

22

Hello again... time seems to be running out but finally managed to get my Visas!

08-11Nov base in Frankfurt and day trips on 09-10Nov.

11Nov - Travel from Frankfurt to Freiburg. Any Landertickets here?

11Nov-14Nov base in Freiburg. Getting an apartment for 09 of us around Seepark area for around 600EUR.

Is there family/group ticket for tram/train travel within Freiburg and the Blackforest region?

The KONUS Card (which I was banking on!) would not apply as Freiburg stay does not permit issuance of this card though the VAG Trams can be used on the KONUS card issued elsewhere in the region :(

Am happy to stay in any other smaller town near Freiburg where I can get a Konus card and do day trips to Freiburg/Strassbourg or Kolmar region and of course 1-day around the Blackforest area. Not sure do all apartments in that region mandatorily have to provide with a Konus Card. Can I purchase this card during one of my day trips while doing black forest (even if based in Freiburg)?

Any suggestions before I confirm the Freiburg stay?

Proceed on 14Nov from Freiburg to Lucerne via Basel (any suggestions on group train fares upto Basel (if Konus card is not available)as I will have a swiss pass for 4days from Basel)

Thanks!

23

Most of the questions you put again and again have already been answered above.
Nevertheless:
will you have a Konus Card or not? I don't think that you can get one if you stay at Freiburg.
If you have one, it is valid up to Kehl (Strasbourg), Brisach (Colmar) and Basel (Switzerland). A somewhat decent visit of Strasbourg needs a whole day. So it doesn't make sense to combine it with Colmar. Visit Colmar from Freiburg (via Brisach), it's really close! A train ticket from Kehl (Germany) to Strasbourg (France) costs 2 EUR/one way.

If you have a Konus Card, you must not ask for a group ticket for the Hoellentalbahn. If you haven't any, buy a Laenderticket. You've got all info about it above, long ago!

"The reason I am spending so much time in Germany is partly due to the cost factor of train travel which turns out quiet low on the Lander/Regional tickets as compared to Switzerland/France" ????????????
With the Swiss Pass for 95 EUR/pax (children free), you can travel around Switzerland during 4 days, from Lake Geneva, Zermatt and Ascona up to Bernina Pass and Constance and you get free entries into almost all museums.
A Geneva - Paris train ticket, bought in time, costs 25 EUR. If you haven't bought it already, you will now have to spend 89 EUR/pax for Saturday 17th November in the evening, resp 103 EUR if you buy your ticket at the last possible moment.
So it's up to you to decide whether you want to pay almost nothing or quite a lot for train travel in France.