Taking a trip to Frankfurt, Germany, any suggestions?

[trixkid89]

Airfare is so OUTRAGOUS! I've been checking for quite some time now but can't get anything under $1100.00 flying out of Chicago (I live in Cedar Rapids, IA).
I have AAA but they haven't been real helpful in any information. Grrrr!
Would like to know of any tips, great places to see that we shouldn't miss, discounts etc... There are 4 adults & 2 teens that will be traveling for 12 days and are renting a van to get around. We are planning to see Paris and the Swiss Alps. If there is time maybe another border coutry. Appreciate any information.

 

[crisi]

Flying into Amsterdam is usually the cheapest option. Give that a try.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I don't consider $1,100 an outrageous RT airfare from the US to Europe. For the past several years, I have found the average cost to be more like $1,200. You might want to check the fares for Icelandair; they are sometimes cheaper and you can add a stop in Reykjavik for free.

I think you are planning on doing a lot for a 12 day trip. Two of those will be taken up by travel, more time by driving. Personally, I'd fly into Paris and would concentrate on travel in France.

Keep in mind that your US car insurance most likely will not cover you in France. Use a credit card which will provide insurance (such as an AMEX gold card), or you'll have to buy coverage elsewhere. Also, many gas pumps, toll roads, etc. only take chip and pin credit cards, so be sure you have one of these.

The last time I rented a car in France, I bought an SD card with a map of France for my Garmin; it was very helpful.

I haven't found flying into Amsterdam to be cheaper than any other major European cities, plus it's not convenient if you don't want to visit the Netherlands.

 

[wiigirl]

Flying into Amsterdam is usually the cheapest option. Give that a try.

Plus Amsterdam is a BEAUTFUL city.

 

[supersnoop]

There didn't seem to be much to do in Frankfurt when I was there. We like Brussels (and other Belgium cities) and Cologne. We took the train between cities and never had not needed a car.

We did not enjoy Amsterdam. Paris has a lot to do; we could easily spend a month there. The Belgium towns (Brugge, Ghent, Antwerp) are amazing.

 

[ZehnJahren]

Frankfurt is usually one of the cheaper places to fly in, so that's disheartening; I'm planning to fly to Cologne next year and was expecting less than that from Chicago as well! I saw flights last year in the mid $700 - $800s. What time of year are you planning on going? There are different school breaks in Germany than here and airfare jumps (for example, the Pentecost break in May sees higher airfare).

I can't say as other posters do that you should focus on France; I love Germany and think every town there is gorgeous. I especially loved Cologne, Aachen, and Bonn. It does seem you might be a little ambitious if you're wanting to see some of Germany, some of France, and the Swiss Alps all in the span of less than two weeks - do you have your itinerary all mapped out? You might end up exhausted!

 

[ekatiel]

Visit Freiburg (about 2 hours south of Frankfurt, close to both the French and Swiss borders). It's a really neat little city that I got to spend a semester in when I studied abroad. http://www.freiburg.de/pb/,Len/225923.html

 

[LindaBabe]

I second try flying into Amsterdam. I'd skip Paris, and certainly would never drive to there. It's a LONG BORING drive from Germany to Paris.

I would fly to A'dam, spend a day or two there - Ann Frank House, Rijksmuseum, canal boat ride - drive south through Netherlands, cross into Germany - visit Achen, Cologne, Rhine river going south, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, cross black forest to Switzerland, Zurich, Interlaken, whatever else you have time for in Switzerland, then drive back to A'dam and fly home. (I lived in Bitburg, Germany, for 9 years and used to guide tours in the areas mentioned)

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree that Amsterdam is a fantastic city and would be great for teenagers. I've been there many times and always find interesting things to do. I do think it would be odd to fly there if you want to visit Germany and France.

I also agree that Frankfurt is not really a great tourist destination.

Personally, I'd ditch the car rental idea and would fly into one city, train around, then take a train or a cheap flight on a discount European airline to the second major city I wanted to visit, then would fly home from there.

OP, I suggest you get a good guidebook, visit tripadvisor.com, and narrow your travel plans a but.

 

[uk_wildcat]

I lived in Frankfurt growing up and while it is a great city to live in, there aren't too many tourist attractions there. I would recommend visiting the Garmisch/Munich area to see the Alps, castles and other touristy places.

 

[lcj19]

I currently live in Germany. There are some museums and such in Frankfurt, but most of the beautiful sights will be in other cities, Schwangau, Rothenberg, Trier, and along the Mosel and Rhine rivers. I have pictures and village names in the PTR in my signature if it will help you out any with places to see.

I can tell you that the tolls from Germany to Paris using the A6 is alittle less than 60 Euro round trip.

 

[DawnS]

I just booked airfare for myself and two children from Louisville to paris for this summer and paid right at $1000 each. I thought that was actually a great rate, I have been looking for awhile now. I definitely don't think it will go lower than that.
We are in paris for 4 nights/5 days then we are flying to Frankfurt Germany. We plan to visit Rothenburg, Munich, Innsbrook and Lucerne, then Heidelberg and back to Frankfurt for the flight home. We will be gone almost 3 weeks.

 

[mickeyhereicome]

We spent a month in Germany when my husband had to do a TDY at Landstuhl. I bought the Rick Steve's book off ebay for Germany and Switzerland. They were very useful and informative books. They list all the popular cities and towns and tells you about them. Some even have walking tours. I also went to his website and looked at his tours and modeled our 8 day vacation after them. In 8 days we went to Munich/Garmisch, Baden Baden, Black forest, Switzerland, and back to fly out of Frankfurt. We leased a car, cheaper for the time we were there. We also visited Trier during the month and thought it was a great town.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I lived in Frankfurt growing up and while it is a great city to live in, there aren't too many tourist attractions there. I would recommend visiting the Garmisch/Munich area to see the Alps, castles and other touristy places.

Ditto, for 12 days I'd do Munich, some Bavarian towns and also head into Austria.

I usually check all the major airports and multi city flights for the best deal I can find. I've had good luck with lower prices flying into Brussels.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I am trying to find a flight from Nashville to Frankfurt to see my BFF when she has her baby. I haven't seen anything under $1100 either. Somehow she usually flies to the USA for $800ish.

 

[kawc1945]

This is all great info. We are considering Germany for our trip and appreciate hearing from those who have been there/live there.