horseymen

Hello, experienced travelers,

I am hoping some of you can share your insight. I have spent 1-2 hours searching to see if anyone has experience to share on driving from Frankfurt to Paris. A majority of discussions on this have people dissuading people from driving and taking the train.

We are staying in Europe for 6 weeks and I think it would be easier for us to have a car. We plan on driving from Frankfurt to a Marriott just outside of Disneyland Paris for 3 weeks (free parking!) and then from Paris to just outside of Rome at an SPG hotel (free parking!) for 3 weeks and back to Frankfurt to fly home.

We have 2 3 year old girls, so the idea of our first transatlantic flight and then dealing with public transportation seems more stressful to me than spending 5 hours on a highway learning to drive in Europe and picking up some countryside at the same time.

So to that end, I am wondering if anyone has any specific recommendations about this drive? We will be effectively taking a red-eye which will land around 2am our time at home, but I believe 9 in Germany. I typically stay up until 4-5am anyway due to work schedules - so assuming I can get a nap on the airplane (and I'm a pretty good napper), I should have no problem driving for the 5 hours. Our girls love taking naps in car seats, so they could nap in the car as well. For those worried about the endurance issue, I have no problem pulling over at a rest stop/gas station and taking a power nap if I'm feeling groggy.

I see two major routes Google Maps offers - one through Luxembourg (longer) and one pretty much staying on the same road. Any thoughts - given view/ease of drive/quality of places to stop? 30 extra minutes for a much easier/prettier drive would be worth it.

Also - does anyone have any recommendations on places to eat/stop along the way? Any brand name travel centers like Bucee's or Love's that should be a fairly reliable place to stop?

Any chain restaurants that are fairly American friendly or American period (i.e. McDonald's) to consider along the route?

We plan on doing more cultural/local things at a slow pace, which is why we're staying for 6 weeks, but the very first day, the first time ever dealing with foreign languages, new customs and 3 year old twins, I'd like to keep things as mundane and predictable as possible as we dip our toes in the water. I don't view this as a once in a lifetime trip (I hope it becomes a yearly trip with my newfound love of manufacturing miles!) - so I am not viewing this trip as a stressed boom-boom-boom get as much in, see as much as possible. For the first day, easy is preferable to fun.

But there is very little about the Frankfurt to Paris drive other than immediate recommendations to do the high speed train, talk about one-way dropoffs and things to that end, so I'd like to learn from someone(s) who have made the drive and has experience at it.

Thank you in advance for your help.

VivoPerLei

Others can comment on the drive and scenery, but my best advice for you would be to spend one night at one of the airport hotels at FRA before commencing this journey. TATL flights in Y that get in early morning are exhausting. I've been doing it forever and still the drive to my house is tiring. You will be here six weeks - you and your family will enjoy the drive so much more after a day with sleep, rather than fighting to stay awake for it. My two cents

cbn42

I don't know if you've been to Europe before, but if you haven't, I would suggest you pay close attention to lancebanyon's advice and not try to drive as soon as you get off a transatlantic flight.

Also, I would reconsider driving and think about taking the train. As you note, most discussions focus on dissuading people from driving and taking the train instead, and there is a very good reason for that. Trains in Europe are nothing like trains in the US.

But regarding the drive, I would go for the direct route. I can't think of any particular reason to go through Luxembourg. Note that the drive will take you longer than an equivalent distance on a US interstate.

UAPremExecflyer

I would echo the cautions and advice of lancebanyon and cbn42.
There are a number of hotels around Frankfurt Airport that you could check-in to for your first day to give yourself 24 hours to acclimate and get some sleep. Or you get a room in Frankfurt, itself. No more than a short train journey away.
It sounds like you are going to Europe for the first time and renting a car for six weeks, and of that time, the car will be parked for most of that period?
Why are you incurring that unnecessary expense and headache of driving?
Are you renting a manual car or an automatic one?
The latter are much more expensive in Europe.
Also, you want to eat McDonald's in Europe? Why?
Also, you are staying outside Rome ... how far outside?
I can understand your desire to take a nice long vacation and use miles/points to cover airfares and hotels, but it seems to me you are not setting yourself up for a wholly successful trip here.

RTW1

I see nothing wrong with driving this route.... especially if, like you, you have plenty of time. And having a car, especially with a family is going to be so much more flexible than taking trains/plains.
Driving long distances after a TATL flight might indeed not be the best way to go, why not find a decent place around FRA to stay for your first day to familiarize yourself in a less crowded environment.

Just be aware that driving speeds on average will be "somewhat" higher than in the US. Keep looking in your mirror when in the left lane on the German autobahn at 120 km/h, someone might be driving 180+ km/h -). And traffic around the major cities can be a bit hectic as well.

But why you would stay for 3 weeks at a Marriot in Disneyland or 3 weeks in Rome beats me. Having a car is for driving, not for parking it 2 x 3weeks. Take a trip driving around Italy, that's the experience to go for.... Not eating McD at Disney when in France/Italy. Food along the major highways will be just as bad as in the US, no tips required here.

Aviatrix

I can see why someone would want to drive, rather than take a train, when travelling with young children - but like everybody else here I would advise (strongly!) against attempting this journey straight after an overnight flight. You say it's your first transatlantic flight - so you have no first-hand experience of what it does to your body. Listen to the frequent flyers here, who know what it's like. Don't tempt fate. You're going to be a danger to yourself and to others.

The other thing i was going to say is this... are you sure you really want to do this, with two children as young as three? You mention Disney, so I presume you're going to spend a few days there... but what other child-friendly activities are you planning? I can't think of much that one could do in Paris or Rome that would appeal to pre-school children. Wouldn't they get a lot more out of playing on a beach?

Hite

I will second the thought to not drive the entire route immediately. I always have to drive 3 hours from FRA to our factory and it is brutal every time.

TH310

Whenever we have driven in Europe we have had a GPS with voice guidance which really helps in the cities. Make sure it works in Europe and is set up in English! Also, I have heard that you can lease a car rather rent when going for long periods of time which can save on money. I think you will enjoy having a car, but you might want to try the train for a day trip for future reference.

My husband loves to ride trains and in the past week we have gone from Zagreb to Budapest and from there to Prague. (I prefer flying but have to admit it was not bad.) The kids might even enjoy it if you get a compartment. Lastly, I would also suggest some beach time if you can squeeze it in.

UnitedFlyGuy

A bit off topic but general travel related & questions. Travel is different for everyone but I don't understand at all why you would A) rent the car to only use it in free parking lots b) go to Europe for Disneyland and McDonald's.

Obviously you have more planned for three weeks but seems a bit strange.

remyontheroad

I actually think you're thinking about it the right way.

The car is a good idea and it's fine - certainly to start. Just be aware that you will spend a fortune in tolls!

I agree with the good advice here about not hitting the road on the first day, but after that I think that you will quickly get a feel for things and might want to become more adventurous.

IF you can figure out a way to commit to the car, say, only for three weeks and then extend or not depending on how you feel.

Or book your first few nights in hotels and then decide later whether to extend or go out exploring, you might have some opportunities for better adventures.

As far as driving is concerned, I think one of the most noticeable differences you'll see is about changing lanes at high speeds in on highways.

People tend to follow what I think of as the Ski Slope rules - at least in the parts of France where I've clocked 1000s of Kms. Even if you're in a lane coming up behind them to pass, they will pull out and expect you to not hit them.

It's freaky until you just get used to it. I joke that lots of French people don't believe in the relationship between speed and distance. But every time you are passing, just be aware that someone is very likely to pull out at an insane moment.

Also, note that people use blinkers differently.

We tend to use them to say - I'm about to move.
Many people in Europe use them to mean - I'm in the process of passing someone.

So if you see a truck, for example, with a blinker on in the middle lane, it most likely means it's passing a slow car in the right lane. Not that he's about to go into the left.

Finally, I would not give this advice to many people, but in the interest of keeping your family happy, sane and relaxed, food at rest areas is probably better than you would expect it to be.

Not gourmet cooking by any means, but at least in France (never spent any real time in Germany) you will probably be pleasantly surprised compared to what you'd expect at a US rest area.

Have fun!

Steve Weagant

Take the train. Minho driving jet lagged is putting your families life on the line. The train is much easier. Instead of trying to drive on strange roads in a strange car you are sitting on the train looking out the window with your daughters. Plan longer connections so you don't have to rush.

VivoPerLei

Almost forgot one thing- if you arrive at that time on a weekday forget about hitting the ground running at autobahn speed. You will likely encounter very heavy stop and go traffic, swearing to yourself that you've never seen so many trucks before

Ocn Vw 1K

Please follow the thread as it moves to the Europe forum for more discussion. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

Aviatrix

Unless it's a Sunday! No trucks on Sundays, except those with special permission (like food deliveries)

Parrotfish

I would drive, esp. with kids and luggage for a long trip. I would break it up though, to at least three segments. Day 1: Frankfurt to Metz, and take a detour up the Rhine after you pass Mainz. Have lunch at one of the inns in the terraced vineyards. Metz has the new Pompidou Centre satellite, among other attractions. Day 2: Metz to Rheims. See the champagne vineyards and the greatest Gothic cathedrals. Day 3 Rheims to Paris. Each segment is just over 2 hours.
A GPS is obviously helpful, especially navigating in city centers.
n.b. I have driven in almost all countries in Western Europe, and I have done this very route. You get to see significantly more than on trains, not to mention the convenience of cars when traveling with kids or elderly. There are some cultural differences in highway driving, as others have noted, but I find them easy to adjust to. If you aren't comfortable with stick, upgrading to automatic is well worth the money, especially in urban or hilly situations.