We're away from here tomorrow...

blindman

margaretclare wrote: »

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First night on board, second night at Xanten, then 2 nights at Cologne (the cathedral is a must-see), then Worms (very old historic place), then Freiburg (to see the Black Forest) then 5 nights at Friedrichshaven on Bodensee (Lake Constance). We plan to relax there and also see a little of the neighbouring countries - Austria, Switzerland, France - and the Rheinpfals (waterfall) which is another must-see.

We have a Peugeot 206 and although we're wrinklies, we both drive.

We've planned it and looked forward to it for sooooo long. After Cologne the road runs alongside the Rhine - it's called the Romantic Route.

Not sure about when/how coming back, may find somewhere else to stay on return journey, may stay longer, who knows. That's just the kind of people we are - a package tour or coach trip would not do because we don't like being regimented, we like to do our own thing.

I'm not sure about your research for this trip.

The Romantic 'Road' is nowhere near Koln.

The road doesn't stay by the Rhine.

I've lived in Germany for 8 years and have done most sof these roads.

Are you hoping to see the Rhine in Flames?

I have never heard of the Rheinpfals

Anyway have a good holiday wherever you are going

Incapuppy

blindman wrote: »

I'm not sure about your research for this trip.

Are you hoping to see the Rhine in Flames?

I have never heard of the Rheinpfals

We used to camp at Koblenz every year for the Rhine in Flames - thanks for reminding me about that Blindman

I think the OP means the Swiss Rheinfalls (on the Swiss border near Lake Constance) I have been and it was lovely. I can recommend Meersburg on Constance too, plus IIRC you can take a boat trip over to see some lovely gardens on an island.

If you have time I can also recommend the Moselle Valley - very picturesque.

odowdchr

margaretclare wrote: »

I'm determined not to be like that. The first time DH and I crossed the pond together, everybody said we were mad because it was about 3 weeks after 9/11. We crossed North America up and down and across, went by train from Chicago to Seattle then to Vancouver - had a fantastic time. People were cancelling their travel bookings in droves, but we just went.

Often the best time to go.....life carries on for people but the press can make it sound like an uninhabitable warzone.....causes the same mentality as when Americans wouldn't visit Britain in case they got caught in an IRA attack.

Myself and the OH have the uncomfortable knack of booking holidays in places due to be visited by havoc.....we did Turkey when Ocalan of the PKK was threatening in the mdeia to "set the coasts ablaze".....nothing to worry about.
We arrived in Taba 10 days after the adjacent hotel was blown up in the Sinai bombings, visited India while they were lining up a million troops on the border with Pakistan and pointing nukes at each other, were in Thailand when they had the recent army coup, then had the misfortune to be in South India for Muslim v Christian election violence and riots....never had anything but warm treatment.
If anything, it's safer because everybody "ups" their awareness and responsibility.

briona

blindman wrote: »

I have never heard of the Rheinpfals

I think the waterfall is this one – Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen in Switzerland (just across the German border).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine_Falls

Unfortunately it doesn't have very good reviews on virtual tourist – scroll to the bottom of the page – but it looks pretty!

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Germany/Land_Baden_Wuerttemberg/Bodensee-73704/Tourist_Traps-Bodensee-BR-1.html


EDIT: Too slow to type – Incapuppy beat me to it! I can also highly recommend the Mosel Valley though – I go there three or four times a year! Gorgeous!

Incapuppy

Another idea for extending your stay is to go to Bavaria (on one of our many trips to the area we took the outlaws and spent 3 nights at Lake Konstanz and 3 nights in Garmisch-Partenkirchen).

I can highly recommend visiting Oberammergau and the Garmisch area - you could go up to the top of the Zugspitz, perhaps visit some of Mad King Ludwig's castles - the most famous of which is a bit further on near Fussen - Schloss Neuschwanstein (used, I believe in the filming of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

margaretclare

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. Obviously other trips to Germany will have to be planned for the future. There's a relative's grave at a British Military Cemetery in Hannover I have to visit some time, but not this trip. Bavaria is a trip on its own, as well as Mozart and Wagner country. It was DH who talked about the 'Romantic Rhine' route and when we went on that coach trip Christmas 2006 we actually saw the road alongside the river. Not before Koln, I agree.

Places of history - yes. Whether they were used in films - no. I'm famous in the family for having visited Orlando, Florida and never went to any of the Disney sites! Real life was providing enough fantasy at that stage in my life.

Yes, it's that waterfall and yes, we do want to see it. DH used to visit near there on business and he's seen it before - he wants us to see it together.

We're away from here late afternoon to catch the ferry sailing at midnight - have dinner somewhere in Suffolk, a leisurely drive up. See you all when we get back.