Deb_curtis
Traveller
5 comments
Posted 9 years ago
Hello,
I could use some assistance planning a trip we will be taking in May. It will be me and my 4 twenty year old daughters and nieces. They are college students, so budget is of the utmost importance. We have a friend in Amsterdam that will be showing us around. Other than that we are complete newbies. I have been to Heidelberg once and absolutely loved it. (Many moons ago!)
We are arriving in Amsterdam May 11, and departing May 14. The plans are to journey down through Germany and arrive in Paris on May 20.
I have no idea of the best places to visit on our way to Paris. We have considered flying from Munich to Paris on the 20th. However, I've started to wonder if we should just take the trains through Germany and into France arriving in Paris. I would rather go to fewer places and see more with less stress.
Any advice or opinions would be welcome! Renting a car in Germany is also an option.
Thank you!
Deborah
Deb_curtis
Traveller
5 comments
I should add this as well...
We will be leaving Paris on May 24 and flying into Italy. We are thinking of flying into Florence and working our way down to Rome. We want to arrive in Rome on the 28th, with our flight home on May 30 I'm afraid that is too ambitious, and maybe we should just stay in Rome the entire week. We are avid archaeological and museum fans.
Any opinions?
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Hi Deborah!
To get to Germany from Amsterdam, the best option would be the frequent (about two hourly) ICE trains from Amsterdam to Cologne and further south towards Frankfurt and Basel. You can easily book advance tickets online via our affiliate links of German, Dutch or Belgian Railways: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/amsterdam-to-cologne[/u]
I cant give you much tips about archaeological sites, but you definitely should consider going to Trier, the former Roman city of Augusta Treverorum. The journey there from Cologne would take you along the scenic river Mosel railway from Koblenz; from Trier you could then take a local train to Luxembourg and then by French high speed train TGV to Paris; tickets via [ux]https://rail.shop/omio[/ux]
For long distance travel within Germany, you can book tickets through our affiliate link of German Railways at [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] - but there are also good offers available for groups when travelling shorter distances using local trains, such as Quer Durchs Land Ticket or Länder tickets. When you know more about your route we can figure out what could be the best options for you.
If you want to see Munich, you might think about the direct night train from Amsterdam: [u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/amsterdam-munich-cnl-419/11[/u]
From Florence to Rome there are frequent high speed trains operated by Italian Railways and private company Italo; you can book at [ux]https://rail.shop/omio[/ux] or [ux]https://rail.shop/italo[/ux]
Alternatively you can also travel with slower local trains which are very cheap when bought locally on the day - that way you could also add a short visit to for instance Perugia and Assisi on your way to Rome.
Tickets for the high speed trains can also be really cheap but have to be bought in advance.
Flo 8)
Deb_curtis
Traveller
5 comments
Hi Flow,
Thank you for the recommendations! I did tons of research last night, and I think the eurail family ticket would work for us. Since we have 5 in our group, we could pay 444 eu for travel in 3 countries, with 5 days of travel. In your opinion would this make sense?
I also think your travel plan is exactly what I was thinking. Amsterdam to cologne. Then down to Trier for a few days. I hadn't thought of stopping in Luxembourg, but that has my interest! But that may require us it get the 4 country pass.
Would we be able to take this travel path with the euRail family pass?
Thanks!
Deborah
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
The Eurail pass could be an option for you, but you should still compare regular fares using the links I posted above as you might get away cheaper using advance fare tickets. The main question would be whether you would use all your travel days; also you could save money by buying advance fare tickets in 2nd class.
If you want to go to Luxembourg, you could think about doing so as a day trip from Trier, day return tickets are available from 9,60€ per person (14,40€ in 1st class). You could then travel from Trier to Saarbrücken and get a ICE or TGV high speed train to Paris from there and a 3 country Eurail pass would still be sufficient.