I'll be in Germany for a week in August. I'll be staying in Frankfurt and using it as my hub. Any towns/cities you recommend within a day trip (preferably train) of Frankfurt? Interests include history, photography opportunities, culture experiences. This will be my first time in Germany. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.

I'm a car nut, so the Nurburgring is top of my list.
Followed by the Mercedes, Porsche & BMW museums.

Hubertus knife, in Solingen

Take the train to Munich (Munchen) and a local bus/streetcar to Dachau concentration camp. https://europeforvisitors.com/...u-transportation.htm

Start here and use as resource.

Frankfurt is central but away. Due West is the Mosel Valley and Rhine Valley, where the Rhine river winds through, small idilic village and Germany's wine growing region. South Eastern Germany around Munich is Bavaria, where a lot of American's impressions of Germany are from. Gingerbread houses, alpine villages, lederhosen/dirndil's, Octoberfest. Nuremberg also in Baveria is a very active city with a impressive old town, there's a year round Christmas market (also America's impression) where you can find a lot of unique holiday keepsakes.

Rothenburg ob de Tauber.

Heidelberg is beautiful! Munich is a must. I really enjoy Freiburg as well.

Heidleburg is close and a nice day trip. Untouched during WWII.

Stuttgart is a short train ride and both Porsche and Daimler AG are there.

Day trips to Netherlands and Belgium as well if you're a WWII buff.

Take the train from Munich (after seeing Dachau) to Garmisch/Partenkirchen. Garmisch is right at the bottom of the tallest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze. Beautiful town, lots to see. Take the cog train to the lodge at the top.

Bad Homburg is nearby Frankfurt and is a really interesting town. Other suggestions above are all great; Bavaria is my favorite.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Takr the train to Munich (Munchen) and a local

That train ride one-way is going to be around 4.5 to 5 hours with a regular train and maybe 2.5 hours on the ICE, just so the OP understands if he's planning on day trips.

OP: Frankfurt itself is a good place to explore and I would also say check out Stuttgart (Porsche museum, etc), the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Nuremberg.

You MUST also get a Doner Kebab while there! Turkish immigrants answer to the Greek Gyro, but WAY better!




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doner_kebab#Germany

If you like beer: Train to Munich. Then take the S8 Herrshing. Hike or hail a cab to Kloster Andechs. Enjoy!

If you're a Cold War buff, Checkpoint Alpha and the Fulda gap are pretty cool to see. There is a neat museum, and some of the original barriers are still there. Stop by the monestary in Kreutzburg for the world's best Bier (in my opinion).

Head west to the Reingau and other wine growing areas of the Rhine. Summertime is wine time on the Rhine. If you can find a wine festival, all the better. Plus there are LOTS of cool castle and villages to explore along the Rhine.

In Mainz there is an interesting museum on Gutenburg and the first printing press, etc.

Good call on Rothenburg, it is a drive, but a great experience.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
I'm a car nut, so the Nurburgring is top of my list.
Followed by the Mercedes, Porsche & BMW museums.

I'm a gear head and enjoyed the Porsche museum as well renting a 911 for an hour in Stuttgart. MB and Porsche are in Stuttgart. There's a train stop right at the Porsche museum. The factory tour is well worth it, but you'll want to reach out to them ASAP to reserve a spot. South of Stuttgart is Tubingen, a cool old town. Hohenzollern Castle is neato too.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Takr the train to Munich (Munchen) and a local

That train ride one-way is going to be around 4.5 to 5 hours with a regular train and maybe 2.5 hours on the ICE, just so the OP understands if he's planning on day trips.

OP: Frankfurt itself is a good place to explore and I would also say check out Stuttgart (Porsche museum, etc), the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Nuremberg.

You MUST also get a Doner Kebab while there! Turkish immigrants answer to the Greek Gyro, but WAY better!




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doner_kebab#Germany

Aw man. What I would give to get to the Markt Platz in Darmstadt. Used to hit a place that was owned by a Greek family. Thin sliced leg of lamb, not that processed loaf stuff. A side of fried goat cheese as well. I'm drooling thinking of it.

If you're a "Cathedral person" (I am), do Heidelberg, Cologne (Köln); Aachen, Trier, and Strasbourg (France); also Munich (München) if you go that far. The Astronomical Clock in Strasbourg Cathedral is world-famous.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
I'm a car nut, so the Nurburgring is top of my list.
Followed by the Mercedes, Porsche & BMW museums.

I'm a gear head and enjoyed the Porsche museum as well renting a 911 for an hour in Stuttgart. MB and Porsche are in Stuttgart. There's a train stop right at the Porsche museum. The factory tour is well worth it, but you'll want to reach out to them ASAP to reserve a spot. South of Stuttgart is Tubingen, a cool old town. Hohenzollern Castle is neato too.

It'll be a while before I scratch that part of my bucket list.
I could probably spend a whole day in the MB museum.

There used to be a bar/fleabag hotel/whorehouse across from the Hauptbahnhof in Frankfurt. I wasn’t aware of all the varied services they offered when I checked in but figured it out pretty quick. Maybe it’s still there. I’m not recommending a visit, though.

You'll be close to lots of American military and if you have access to the posts, there is plenty of stuff to do with MWR. If not, you can still check out their websites to see what is recommended close to where you will be. Here is one example. CLICK HERE

Personally, I could take a week in Frankfurt and never really even get out of town. So much to do, so little time. If you do travel, I like Trier. Cool old Roman town with ruins and a nice tourist market. Another suggestion I have is to do a Volksmarch somewhere in the Idar Oberstein region. While there try some Spiessbraten. Outside of those suggestions, a Doner Kebab is highly recommended. Plenty of old castles all around the Rhine and Mosel River Valleys. Garmisch is well worth the trip and it'll be a nice cool spot in August and the water coming off the Zugspitze is beautiful.

Have fun whatever you choose.