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Originally Posted by shoegirl2219
Actually, I've been looking all week. The cheapest flight I've found so far is out of Dayton to Cologne (Koln), Germany. It's running about $200-$300 cheaper than flying straight into Paris.
Still not sure if that's where we'll start our trip or not. Anyone been to Koln? Like/Dislike it - tell me why!  |
Köln has an amazing gothic cathedral, the largest gothic cathedral in the world, I believe. But beyond that, Köln is typical of the Northern Rhine German cities--an industrial town. There's not much there aside from the cathedral. Worth seeing if you're on your way through, especially as it's literally across the street from the train station, but it's not worth a trip in and of itself unless you're
really into gothic cathedrals.
Also, don't forget that there are lots more budget airlines than just RyanAir, etc. In fact, I'd say RyanAir is one of the worst of the probably 50+ budget airlines in Europe. Check out Skyscanner.net for the best way to find budget flights.
Where are you flying in/out of? The same city? Open-jaw? That's seriously going to affect what you can do.
Do not make the same mistake that most people make on their first trip to Europe of trying to see way too much in too little time and spending more time in planes, trains, or airports than actually doing things. So you have one week after you leave Britain, maybe less after you factor in travel to/from the Continent... Stay in Paris for 3-4 days, then maybe make a day trip or two out of Paris (Normandy, Loire Valley (Chateaux), etc). Take it from someone who just spent six months travelling Europe--travel takes up much more time than you'd think, and it isn't worth it. It's better to get a good feel for one or two places than a window view of 5.
Edit: You could easily fly into Köln and work your way south along the Rhine. Once you get out of the industrial area, the Rhine becomes a beautiful (if touristy, but so is most of Europe) area, with castles literally about every 400 yards along the Rhine. Renting a car is probably the best way to tour this area. And there are tons of great wineries in the area as well, so try to fit in a few tours if possible. You could easily spend a great, leisurely week along the Rhine like that, spending the night in castle hotels overlooking the river, taking riverboat cruises, touring vineyards, etc, with maybe time leftover for a 2-3 day trip somewhere else, maybe south-eastern France or even the Alps if you're really wanting to do more travelling.