estelleh
Traveller
4 comments
Posted 12 years ago
Hi,
My head is spinning with all the options on the various rail sites :) so I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.
We are going to be in Frankfurt on 12 September, and have to be in Amsterdam by 17 September. We'd like to take the Rhine Valley Scenic train, so as best I can figure, I need to get from Frankfurt to Mainz, then get onto the Rhine valley train, and then get a train from Koblenz to Amsterdam?
Any suggestions would be gladly received :)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi,
do you have a ticket yet? If yes, what kind of ticket, if no, what kind of ticket do you intend to buy? Do you want to make a round trip of Europe or just travel this route by train?
I would recommend the following route:
Frankfurt/Main Hbf 1142 - 1405 Köln Hbf
Köln Hbf 1446 - 1725 Amsterdam Centraal
The first train will take you along the Rhine valley. Of course there are several other connections available but this one is particularly good because:
- The train to Köln starts in Frankfurt, this means you wont have troubles getting a seat on the right hand side of the train. That is the correct side to see the river during your trip.
- There's a restaurant car available in case you want to have your lunch while riding along the Rhine valley
- Enough connection time in Köln to make a short visit to Cologne Cathedral which is just a few metres away from the station
Flo 8)
estelleh
Traveller
4 comments
Hi Flo,
No, I haven't booked anything yet :) - this trip has just come up, as my husband has meetings in Frankfurt & Amsterdam 4 days apart, which isn't enough time to fly back to South Africa.... So it's just a quick one-way from Frankfurt to Amsterdam!
Thanks for the suggestions - is the train from Frankfurt a high-speed train? Or would we be able to enjoy the scenery of the Rhine Valley?
Estelle
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hej Estelle,
yes, the 1142 from Frankfurt runs through the Rhine Valley via Mainz - Koblenz - Bonn. Do you know yet when you can/want to leave Frankfurt - if you do, and if it is just a single trip the best thing to do is to book rightaway via the DB Bahn link above. This link directs you to the official website of DB Bahn but we get a small comission to keep our servers running - at no extra costs for you of course. :)
Flo 8)
estelleh
Traveller
4 comments
Hi Flo,
I didn't disappear - just been running around frantically trying to get Schengen visas organised :| At least I now have a better idea of how the trip is working out. Please bear with me if I sound stupid - this rail thing is quite complicated for those of us who come from countries where travelling by train is a rarity!
Here's where we are at the moment: We land at Amsterdam Schipol at 10:30 on 11 September. We need to take a train from Schipol to Frankfurt airport (we are staying at the Hilton Frankfurt Airport) I'm guessing at around 12:00. Then on 13 September we want to take a train back to Amsterdam Main station, at around 13:00.
Browsing on the South African Rail Europe site, this is what I've come up with:
11/09 Amsterdam Schiphol @ 12:15 to Frankfurt Flug FE
Train 3543 - Reservation not included
ICE 125 - Reservation included
13/09 Frankfurt Flug FE @ 13:25 to Amsterdam CS
ICE 722 - Reservation not included
ICE 124 - Reservation included
So here's where I need some more help:
It would seem that a Benelux / Germany Eurail pass is a cheaper option than point-to-point tickets - does that sound right?
If I buy the tickets through you (which of course I would like to do, given your assistance :D ) how do I get the actual tickets?
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi.
You can book it here for best prices and special fares:
[ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]
Select AMS Schiphol Airport and Frankfurt(Main)Flugh.
Peter :)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hej,
these connections run both via the high speed line, _not_ through the Rhine valley! As Peter said, check this link for regular tickets - or buy the EuRail pass via our partner. Peter knows all the details about shipping. ;)
Flo 8)
estelleh
Traveller
4 comments
Ah yes, that is a good point - I assumed it would all be on the same line :| Have to think about that!
Peter, can you tell me how I would get the tickets I buy off your site?
Thanks!
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi,
as I explained above you need to go via Koblenz if you want to go through the Rhine valley and will have to change in Köln for the trains to/from Amsterdam.
Please use the schedule planner on [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] to look for possible connections, using the enter stopovers function to get a connection via Koblenz.
Flo 8)
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi.
The tickets you order at [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] are usually e-tickets. You can just print them out. Very easy and save, no shipping fees.
And like Flow mentioned, just add as extra stopover Koblenz or as well Boppard for example. You can even fill in a certain time you want to stop at a stopover like Boppard - for example fill in 01:00 to have a stop of an hour - or keep 00:00 if you only want to use the route and don't stop/exit there.
Peter :)
estelleh
Traveller
4 comments
Excellent - thanks! Then I can buy them through your site no problemo :)
One last question:
Is it worth spending the extra money on first class?
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
First class is definitely nice as you always get a seat without extra reservation which is EUR 4.
Also second class special prices are faster sold out. So compare it, as often first class isn't more expensive.
If I am right, 2nd class starts from EUR 39, first class from EUR 59.
Peter :)