Paris - Cochem - Cologne - Paris
Oct 23rd, 2013, 06:02 AM
#24
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Thanks L Sky just checked - it's even more ex than cologne, and transit at Frankfurt.
I think Frankfurt & Paris are the only plausible solutions, direct flights and cost a few thousands cheaper.
Cologne/Dusseldorf cost double of that. I rather risk a 4hr train ride back to Paris than spend a couple of thousands more per adult.
I think Frankfurt & Paris are the only plausible solutions, direct flights and cost a few thousands cheaper.
Cologne/Dusseldorf cost double of that. I rather risk a 4hr train ride back to Paris than spend a couple of thousands more per adult.
Oct 23rd, 2013, 06:35 AM
#27
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Thanks cowboy, Brussels is Belgium? Checked no direct flights as well, transit from either paris or Frankfurt and can be up to a couple hours more. I am coming from Singapore - I think the direct flights are only to the megacities or airports.
I think my heading is quite misleading it's no longer Paris - Cochem - Cologne - Paris.
The possibilities are:
1. Paris - Cochem/Burg Eltz/Trier/xx - Luxembourg - Paris
2. Paris - Cochem/Burg Eltz/Trier/xx - Cologne - Frankfurt(by way of highspeed train as advised by Hans)
3. Paris - Luxembourg - Cochem/Burg Eltz/Trier/xx - Frankfurt
I think my heading is quite misleading it's no longer Paris - Cochem - Cologne - Paris.
The possibilities are:
1. Paris - Cochem/Burg Eltz/Trier/xx - Luxembourg - Paris
2. Paris - Cochem/Burg Eltz/Trier/xx - Cologne - Frankfurt(by way of highspeed train as advised by Hans)
3. Paris - Luxembourg - Cochem/Burg Eltz/Trier/xx - Frankfurt
Oct 23rd, 2013, 06:46 AM
#28
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Can I confirm if my understanding of the travelling distance is correct?
Paris - Cochem - 4.5hrs
Paris - Luxembourg - 2.5hrs
Cochem - Luxembourg - 2hrs
Cochem - Frankfurt - 2.5hrs
Cochem - Cologne - 2hrs
Paris - Cochem - 4.5hrs
Paris - Luxembourg - 2.5hrs
Cochem - Luxembourg - 2hrs
Cochem - Frankfurt - 2.5hrs
Cochem - Cologne - 2hrs
Oct 24th, 2013, 02:15 AM
#29
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"how did you get to burg eltz? heard so much of this place but it seems rather hard to get to it."
Not hard usually, but probably hard with a toddler.
The standard approach to Eltz involves a train to Moselkern station + a walk/hike of 45-50 minutes. But between May and October you can take the train to Moselkern or Treis-Karden + the Burgenbus or Castle Bus (there are 4 buses per day, and they run on weekends and holidays only):
http://burg-eltz.de/en/arriving-by-/...transport.html
"Can I confirm if my understanding of the travelling distance is correct?"
Paris - Cochem - 4.5hrs: This is 3.75 hours if you use the 9:10 departure from Paris (and it's only one change of train.) The 7:06 and 13:10 departures also take about 3.75 hours.
Paris - Luxembourg - 2.5hrs
Cochem - Luxembourg - 2hrs
Cochem - Frankfurt - 2.5hrs
Cochem - Cologne - 2hrs
You've overestimated slightly for the fastest connections, but yes, these are about right.
Not hard usually, but probably hard with a toddler.
The standard approach to Eltz involves a train to Moselkern station + a walk/hike of 45-50 minutes. But between May and October you can take the train to Moselkern or Treis-Karden + the Burgenbus or Castle Bus (there are 4 buses per day, and they run on weekends and holidays only):
http://burg-eltz.de/en/arriving-by-/...transport.html
"Can I confirm if my understanding of the travelling distance is correct?"
Paris - Cochem - 4.5hrs: This is 3.75 hours if you use the 9:10 departure from Paris (and it's only one change of train.) The 7:06 and 13:10 departures also take about 3.75 hours.
Paris - Luxembourg - 2.5hrs
Cochem - Luxembourg - 2hrs
Cochem - Frankfurt - 2.5hrs
Cochem - Cologne - 2hrs
You've overestimated slightly for the fastest connections, but yes, these are about right.
Oct 24th, 2013, 03:24 AM
#30
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Louise, Russ came to my aid with the answer you needed. We, of course, drove to Burg Eltz.
Burghausen is unfortunately on the complete other side of Germany. It was a different trip, and yes, it was snowing. It was early March as I believe.
The photos of the Cochem area were taken in early May.
Have you considered adding somewhere on the Rhine for your extra stop?
Burghausen is unfortunately on the complete other side of Germany. It was a different trip, and yes, it was snowing. It was early March as I believe.
The photos of the Cochem area were taken in early May.
Have you considered adding somewhere on the Rhine for your extra stop?
Oct 24th, 2013, 04:06 AM
#31
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phieaglefan, I'm getting uneasy after some nagging from my hubby and decided to just stick to 2 bases - one at paris & one at cochem & take daytrips around them (without having to change hotels)& then fly out of Frankfurt.
From cochem (after 2 days at cochem itself), I am thinking of taking a one day trip to the burg eltz and another day trip to trier. Will you recommend another one nearby?
From cochem (after 2 days at cochem itself), I am thinking of taking a one day trip to the burg eltz and another day trip to trier. Will you recommend another one nearby?
Oct 24th, 2013, 04:24 AM
#33
This is an old town on the Mosel, between Cochem and Trier. www.en.bernkastel.de
If you are still looking for hotels, this is a good site for reviews and easy to cancel reservations.
Just have to make sure it says 'free cancellation'.
www.booking.com
If you are still looking for hotels, this is a good site for reviews and easy to cancel reservations.
Just have to make sure it says 'free cancellation'.
www.booking.com
Oct 24th, 2013, 04:53 AM
#34
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Louise writes, "I am thinking of taking a one day trip to the burg eltz and another day trip to trier. Will you recommend another one nearby?"
From Cochem, a daytrip to the Middle Rhine Valley is very do-able. See my previous post on this thread for details (Oct 22, 5:48 am.)
However, I think I would like to suggest a short river cruise on this outing. This is an easy way to enjoy the scenery at a slow pace without wearing out the toddler.
- Do the trip on a Saturday or Sunday when you can use the R-P ticket/daypass explained above prior to 9 am (you can do this on a weekday too but because you start before 9:00, you'll need additional tickets for the short trip between Cochem and Treis-Karden.
- Catch the 8:58 train from Cochem along the Mosel River to Koblenz, change there for Bingen (Rhein) Stadt station, arrive 10:59. (Don't get off at the Bingen (Rhein) Hbf station, or the walk will be longer.) The train to Bingen follows the Rhine the entire way. Walk to the KD boat dock once you arrive (a few minutes.)
- Purchase cruise tickets to St. Goar. The normal fare is 18.70 per adult, but you receive a 20% discount by showing your R-P ticket, so only about 15€ each. Catch the 11:30 northbound boat to St. Goar (arrive 12:55.) This cruise takes you past numerous castles and villages in the most scenic part of the Rhine Valley.
- Get off in St. Goar, have lunch, then play it by ear. You can visit Rheinfels castle if you want. Or you can walk 1 block to the river and stroll the river promenade and enjoy the best views in the valley. You can walk around the town (very small town, mostly flat, easy to do.) If you feel energetic, you can board a train south to Oberwesel (5 minutes) or Bacharach (10 minutes); these are 2 of the towns you passed previously on the train and on the cruise boat. Both towns are a little larger than St. Goar, but they have some handsome buildings and are very nice for a stroll.
- Return on any regional train to Koblenz and then to Cochem whenever you are ready.
You will not need to pay anything for the train trips after your cruise since they are all covered by the R-P ticket.
From Cochem, a daytrip to the Middle Rhine Valley is very do-able. See my previous post on this thread for details (Oct 22, 5:48 am.)
However, I think I would like to suggest a short river cruise on this outing. This is an easy way to enjoy the scenery at a slow pace without wearing out the toddler.
- Do the trip on a Saturday or Sunday when you can use the R-P ticket/daypass explained above prior to 9 am (you can do this on a weekday too but because you start before 9:00, you'll need additional tickets for the short trip between Cochem and Treis-Karden.
- Catch the 8:58 train from Cochem along the Mosel River to Koblenz, change there for Bingen (Rhein) Stadt station, arrive 10:59. (Don't get off at the Bingen (Rhein) Hbf station, or the walk will be longer.) The train to Bingen follows the Rhine the entire way. Walk to the KD boat dock once you arrive (a few minutes.)
- Purchase cruise tickets to St. Goar. The normal fare is 18.70 per adult, but you receive a 20% discount by showing your R-P ticket, so only about 15€ each. Catch the 11:30 northbound boat to St. Goar (arrive 12:55.) This cruise takes you past numerous castles and villages in the most scenic part of the Rhine Valley.
- Get off in St. Goar, have lunch, then play it by ear. You can visit Rheinfels castle if you want. Or you can walk 1 block to the river and stroll the river promenade and enjoy the best views in the valley. You can walk around the town (very small town, mostly flat, easy to do.) If you feel energetic, you can board a train south to Oberwesel (5 minutes) or Bacharach (10 minutes); these are 2 of the towns you passed previously on the train and on the cruise boat. Both towns are a little larger than St. Goar, but they have some handsome buildings and are very nice for a stroll.
- Return on any regional train to Koblenz and then to Cochem whenever you are ready.
You will not need to pay anything for the train trips after your cruise since they are all covered by the R-P ticket.
Oct 24th, 2013, 07:35 AM
#36
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Thanks Russ you have just prepared another day of my itinerary for cochem base and I think I am all set there.
btw, just curious - what is the difference between lander tickets on bahn.de & the rheinland-pfalz ticket on vrminfo.de? Thanks!
btw, just curious - what is the difference between lander tickets on bahn.de & the rheinland-pfalz ticket on vrminfo.de? Thanks!
Oct 24th, 2013, 11:40 AM
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"...what is the difference between lander tickets on bahn.de & the rheinland-pfalz ticket on vrminfo.de? Thanks!"
Understanding the system isn't easy at all. Good question.
"Länder Tickets" means "state tickets" - it's a term that DB uses to refer to all the different daypasses offered by all the different German states that offer them. The Rheinland-Pfalz ticket is the daypass offered by DB just for the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. DB also offers the "Bayern Ticket" for Bayern (Bavaria,) the "Niedersachsen Ticket" for Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony,) etc., etc.
VRM is one of several local transit authorities. It covers a smaller area (mostly) within the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. VRM offers daypasses for its area of authority also. For daytrips from Cochem to Trier, Cologne, Bernkastel, and Bingen, however, part of your train travel lies OUTSIDE of the VRM area, so their daypasses are not useful to you; you need the R-P ticket for Bingen, Bernkastel, and Trier. For Cologne, even the R-P ticket won't cover your trip completely.
For daytrips to Moselkern and back (+ walk to Burg Eltz) the regular fare is 9.10 round trip per person from Cochem = 18.20€ total. The minigroup ticket (daypass) is 18.40€ (for this distance), so just buy the regular-price tickets instead of the daypass.
There is one daytrip where the VRM mini-group ticket might work for you. For a weekend daytrip to Burg Eltz (using the train to Treis-Karden + the bus to Burg Eltz), the VRM ticket is valid and at 21.20€ for 2 adults, it's cheaper than two regular-price round trip fares (about 31€) and of course cheaper than the R-P ticket (26€) too.
Understanding the system isn't easy at all. Good question.
"Länder Tickets" means "state tickets" - it's a term that DB uses to refer to all the different daypasses offered by all the different German states that offer them. The Rheinland-Pfalz ticket is the daypass offered by DB just for the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. DB also offers the "Bayern Ticket" for Bayern (Bavaria,) the "Niedersachsen Ticket" for Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony,) etc., etc.
VRM is one of several local transit authorities. It covers a smaller area (mostly) within the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. VRM offers daypasses for its area of authority also. For daytrips from Cochem to Trier, Cologne, Bernkastel, and Bingen, however, part of your train travel lies OUTSIDE of the VRM area, so their daypasses are not useful to you; you need the R-P ticket for Bingen, Bernkastel, and Trier. For Cologne, even the R-P ticket won't cover your trip completely.
For daytrips to Moselkern and back (+ walk to Burg Eltz) the regular fare is 9.10 round trip per person from Cochem = 18.20€ total. The minigroup ticket (daypass) is 18.40€ (for this distance), so just buy the regular-price tickets instead of the daypass.
There is one daytrip where the VRM mini-group ticket might work for you. For a weekend daytrip to Burg Eltz (using the train to Treis-Karden + the bus to Burg Eltz), the VRM ticket is valid and at 21.20€ for 2 adults, it's cheaper than two regular-price round trip fares (about 31€) and of course cheaper than the R-P ticket (26€) too.
Oct 26th, 2013, 02:09 PM
#38
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Stayed 3 nights in Cochem in September. We went to Bielstein one day. This is one of my favorite villages; even more quaint than Bernkastel/Keus, Zell or Cochem. You can't get to it by train, but you can take a river day cruise or the bus. The boat goes through the Fankel Locks. (We rented bikes, but with a toddler this wouldn't work for you). We also went to Burg Eltz. It did sound complicated to get there without a car, but turned out to be pretty easy. We knew we didn't want to hike 90 mins. through the forest each way. We took the train to Karden, where we got the bus to Burg Eltz parking lot. From there we hiked about 15 mins. through a beautiful forest to the castle. The hike was nearly my favorite part of the whole day. I love the Mosel River villages, but I also love the Rhine. Bacharach is my favorite village there and is a good place for a first or last day of your Europe trip. Train connections are easy.
Apr 16th, 2014, 12:04 AM
#39
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Due to work commitments, we have shortened our trip to max 10 days & I am unable to go cochem- luxembourg any more - we will save that for another trip within germany.
I will be spending 7 days in paris (with some day trips out of paris) and the remaining 3 days in another location, probably amsterdam. Any advice for day trips out from paris or amsterdam?
Many thanks.
I will be spending 7 days in paris (with some day trips out of paris) and the remaining 3 days in another location, probably amsterdam. Any advice for day trips out from paris or amsterdam?
Many thanks.
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