or not?
My family (with two kids 9 %26amp; 13) will be traveling to Paris next March, specifically flying in to Frankfurt from the US and then taking the train, to eventually stay in an apartment in the Marais.
And my question for you seasoned travelers is this: since our time in Paris will be sadly limited, does it make sense to immediately catch a train (TGV?) from Frankfurt after we arrive (around noon) for the sake of not wasting any valuable time, OR do we follow the advice of many of our friends and sit tight in Frankfurt and catch our breath that first day, begin to get used to the time change, get a good night%26#39;s sleep, etc, and then the next morning catch a train to Paris hopefully rested and refreshed?
Time is just so precious, I hate to waste even half a day.
Thanks for any advice.
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If it was just adults, I%26#39;d say go to Paris immediately. But you have two young children, and I honestly can%26#39;t say I know how they%26#39;ll react to the long night%26#39;s flight from Colorado to Frankfurt, and then a train ride on top of it.
I will say this: if you all aren%26#39;t veteran travelers, you might find that %26quot;jet lag%26quot; and feeling quite tired won%26#39;t be cured by stopping for one day in Frankfurt, I suspect that advice will be a bit overrated in terms of its restorative effects. It will help some, but don%26#39;t expect to feel like a million dollars if you take that extra time in Frankfurt.
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I guess there must be a reason that you can%26#39;t fly into Paris.
But given the circumstances and the train schedules [i.e., one with only one change], I don%26#39;t see how you can avoid staying overnight in Frankfurt.
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I would get on the train and head to Paris, sleep on the train to catch-up and then you are ready to go.
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I agree with PeterM. Take the train to Paris. You can sleep on the train and be ready to go when you arrive in Paris.
The one night in Frankfurt will not help that much with jetlag.
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Well, taking the train immediately puts you in Paris approximately nine hours later, because you aren%26#39;t leaving until after 3pm. And that%26#39;s after an international flight. There is waiting for the train and an interruption in any sleep when you change trains. You miss dinner. When you settle into you apartment it%26#39;s time to go to bed. All of this only saves about seven hours of time in Paris. Plus you haven%26#39;t had time shopping for groceries or other neccessities.
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First off, thanks for the response. I really appreciate all your insights.
To answer one question from Francophool; the reason we%26#39;re flying into Frankfurt rather than Paris was simply the airfare deal. We found a great fare, booked it, and then decided after the fact where we were going for sure (France was always the goal, but Provence was seriously considered as our first destination - as it is, we%26#39;re planning on going there afterward.)
And signothetimes53, I%26#39;m afraid you might be right about the lasting effects of the jetlag on us neophytes, but I%26#39;m not sure what choice we have besides staying in Frankfurt far longer than we%26#39;d like to.
One alternative would be sort of splitting the difference, instead of training all the way to Paris (which doesn%26#39;t seem to be a direct route anywhere I%26#39;ve looked) instead we take a shorter trip to Strasbourg before passing out. This would have the benefit of not just getting us onto French soil (yeehaw! as we say out west here... well, occassionally... if we%26#39;re cowboys, which I%26#39;m not...) but also providing maybe a more pleasant environment to enjoy before we sleep. And the next morning a TGV direct trip would be available, with many more departure times to choose from.
But still. There goes the time.
If it weren%26#39;t for the kids, I%26#39;d be all over that train as soon as the jet hit the tarmac.
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Oops.
Sorry Francophool, I was posting the above just as you were posting the above.
And you really hit the nitty gritty reality. Specific train times. As apposed to my theoretical speculation. And it paints a stark picture.
Part of my fantasy though, in my defense, was based on the fact that (I swear I read somewhere) there was going to be a direct high speed train connection from Frankfurt to Paris via TGV or ICE or something by next March, that would make the travel time in the neighborhood of 3hrs or so. Was I dreaming this?
And the advice I%26#39;ve gotten about battling jetlag seems to consist mostly of doing everything possible to stay awake. So, I figure... if you%26#39;ve got to keep moving, why not keep moving?
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If you take the direct (no train changes en route) 13:01 (01:01 PM) ICE train from FRANKFURT-Main Hbf. to PARIS-Gare de l%26#39;Est it is a direct shot to Paris in 3:49 hrs--arriving at PARIS-Gare de l%26#39;Est in central Paris at 16:50 (4:50 PM)--and pretty uneventful. Even in 2nd Class, these high-speed trains are moderately comfortable, so you can sit back, %26#39;..catch your breath..%26#39; and relax a bit aboard the train en route. You will arrive in Paris in sufficient time to arrive at your accommodations, have an early dinner...and perhaps an earlier than usual evening to rest and sleep. If you stay in Frankfurt overnight---leaving in the morning---you will add the better portion of an additional day %26#39;..traveling..%26#39;....with all of the potential aggravations and stresses that involves. Continue onward the same day and the following morning you will wake up refreshed from a good night%26#39;s sleep IN Paris.
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You are arriving in Frankfurt at 12 noon, so I foreseen gettting the 1:01 train to Paris as not likely or practical. Immigration, luggage then the train station.
You (hopefully) wnat your kidsmto look back at this trip fondly, not like the Battaan Death March.
Have you checked Air Berliner for a cheap flight to Paris. Somtimes there are fares cheaper then the train. And flight time is way less.
Google %26quot; cheap airlines%26quot; and look into it.
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You can check the details and schedules for the Deutche Bahn--German railways--here--
www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
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