I was asked about “an adventurous trip by car for 7-9 days, approximately from August 3 to 11. If you want to see something beautiful, landscape, architectural, art history, medieval... There are some small towns, probably worth a look, between which you can move by car, but also inside them, so you can leave the car and go out, say, directly next to a landmark - a square-church-museum, and so on?..”
Know:
We have nearby exactly what my correspondents are asking in this case - and we (with my husband and guests) travel best by car and in Germany; we don’t have to go far for examples of wonderful travel (may Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland forgive me !But I am for the Rhine).
Very good
In this regard, it is very good to go along the Rhine - castles, landscapes, vineyards, small towns... On the Rhine everything is small (but the river is majestic) and looking out of the window is a real pleasure (we even stare out the window on the train))) - Very beautiful. The key word in this case is small towns. Along the Rhine - from Bonn (80 km from Dusseldorf) to Koblenz - the "romantic Rhine", the British adored this route since the 19th century.
I assure you that in the Bonn-Koblenz section with stops in the wine-growing region, you will be very comfortable by car only in the closest to Düsseldorf (as a starting point on a trip with a visit to the Cologne Cathedral - where would you be without it!). There are parking lots, you don’t have to walk far (or quickly). But there are also excellent routes for lovers of hiking (: along it from Wiesbaden to Bonn you can walk for a long, long time along the Rhine)
These are cities and castles, from this list look, read and search, take a look:
- Ahrtal – Ahrweiler - Altenahr
- Andernach
- Bad Breisig
- Bad Godesberg - Godesburg
- Burg Sayn
- Rheinaue
- Poppelsdorfer Schloß
- Maria-Laach - Laacher See
- Erpel
- Hammerstein
- Koblenz - Schloss Stolzenfels
- Königswinter - Drachenfels
- Cochem (Burg Cochem)
- Trier
- Burg Eltz
- Neuwied
- Rheinbrohl
- Rhöndorf
- Schönburg
- Unkel
Just look at the map: it’s not difficult and you need to move along the shore, stop and stare, go to castles and museums, just sit down and look at the Rhine. And ride this car route It’s best to go at a slow pace with numerous stops to fully enjoy all the delights of the Rhineland villages and vineyards and get a taste of the local wine (during the inevitable numerous tastings).
Behind each of these points on the map there are wonderful (small) museums, churches, restaurants, views, castles - yes, you can spend a wonderful day at each of the points. I recommend, for example, combining: Linz+Sinzig / Linz+Königswinter/ Linz+Remagen.
And you can also go on a “voyage” along the Moselle River (it flows into the Rhine at Koblenz) - it’s also very beautiful, picturesque, delicious, with castles and without crowds (without “stress”). And everything with the prefix Bad is mineral springs and bathing resorts.
The “special part” of the Rhine is the Middle Rhine Valley.
Find Bingen (on the left bank of the Rhine) and Rüdesheim (on the right) on the map - they form the so-called “southern gate of the Middle Rhine valley” - and this UNESCO recognized cultural landscape site, extending 65 km downstream of the river to Koblenz. Castles (“more honest” and “less trampled” than Neuschwanstein) - a huge choice.
In Schönburg Castle (my “name” - Schönburg>AufSchönburg> 55430 Oberwesel> hotel-schoenburg.com))) you can spend the night and have dinner with a panoramic view.
Linz on the Rhine is wonderful, Königswinter (Bonn) is beautiful, Semigorye is beautiful!
Announcement.
Where to look for Burgundy? Also on the Rhine!
The distance between Dusseldorf and Amsterdam is only 265 km. You can overcome it in just a few hours, and you can independently get from point A to point B in several ways. Which one is the most convenient, you will decide for yourself in about fifteen minutes - read the article...
But first, a piece of advice that might be useful to you.
A two-hour sightseeing tour takes place daily in the center of Amsterdam. It starts at 15:00 near the main entrance to Central Station.
If you are traveling to Amsterdam for the first time, then a tour is a very good way to quickly get to know the city. Its cost is €20.
It is better to book a car in advance to guarantee availability. Booking in advance is cheaper. The rental price also depends on the duration. Gasoline prices in Germany are slightly lower than in Holland: 1.56 euros for standard 95 versus 1.86 euros.
Fuel up to capacity in Germany!
With the most conservative estimate of fuel consumption of 8l/100km, you will spend 18.5l on a one-way trip. The cost of such a trip will be 29 euros. This is another 1,500 rubles to the rental cost. Overall a trip by car will cost at least 5,000 Russian rubles. This is when taking into account car rental for one day.
Düsseldorf is just 30 minutes from Cologne. If you are not limited in time, be sure to take a trip to this most beautiful city in Germany. , as easy as from Düsseldorf. If you decide to travel to Cologne, we will tell you about this city, advise you where to go and which Eau De Cologne to buy.
Bus Dusseldorf - Amsterdam
The bus to Amsterdam takes twice as long as the train. The minimum travel time is four and a quarter hours. The cost of an adult round trip ticket is approximately the same as the cost of a train ticket.
Persons under 26 years of age are considered teenagers and receive discounts on tickets. Students and pensioners are eligible for discounts. The minimum cost of a bus trip is 48.6 euros.
Buses from Dusseldorf to Amsterdam do not run every day; you need to check the schedule in advance. As in previous cases, pre-booking guarantees the availability of tickets and their relatively low cost.
Long, but inexpensive and comfortable.
The bus schedule for the dates of interest can be found here - bussystem.eu. You can also book and pay for your ticket here.
Amsterdam with excursion
Day trips from Düsseldorf to Amsterdam can be booked in advance. The price of such excursions starts from 20 euros. The positive side of one-day bus tours is their low cost. Such a trip costs half as much as traveling by train. Another argument for a one-day excursion is the opportunity to see everything at once.
One of the largest European capitals is not worth watching at a gallop.
However, there are also negative aspects. The quality of such tours leaves much to be desired. They are suitable only for a superficial acquaintance with the country. The abundance of places and attractions makes your head spin, but in the end you don’t get a full picture. But to check in in Holland, a one-day tour is enough.
If you come to Europe for the first time, a bus tour for one day will help you decide on the next country to visit. But such travel is usually very tiring. The excursions are rushed and you won't be able to see half of what's worth seeing. A one-day tour may be canceled due to a “shortage” of tourists.
Inzel organizes trips better, provides competent guides, but specializes in longer trips. According to reviews from tourists, Victoria has a larger range of one-day tours, but the quality of the organization suffers.
For those tourists traveling around Bavaria, the best way to travel is by train. It is best to travel by rail with a travel document, which gives both a group and individual discount.
Air travel
The flight from Düsseldorf to Amsterdam takes only 50 minutes. However, the cost of tickets and the distance of airports from both cities make travel by air impractical. The minimum price for a one-way ticket is 8,000 rubles.
Convenient and fast, but very expensive.
For those who have urgent matters awaiting them in Amsterdam, this option is suitable. For idle tourists, the cost of the flight completely eliminates the benefit from the time spent.
How to travel around half of Europe in 2 weeks?
If you plan to visit more than one country/city during your trip, but do not want to waste time traveling, then you need to choose a city from which you can get to the cities/countries you are interested in in a maximum of 2 hours.
The ideal location for such a route is Dusseldorf.
One of the advantages of this city is that it is a point of entry into many cities and countries, as it borders Holland and Belgium.
Distances from nearby cities/countries worth visiting from Düsseldorf:
- Dusseldorf — Amsterdam ( 228.2 km) the time by train will take approximately 2 hours 22 minutes.
- Dusseldorf — Brussels ( 204.4 km) time by bus will take approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.
- Düsseldorf - Cologne (43.6 km) by bus takes approximately 43 minutes.
- Dusseldorf - Frankfurt am Main ( 228.1 km) time by bus will take approximately 2 hours 21 minutes.
You can find out how to buy tickets yourself.
That is, you can go to most places and return back on the same day.
If you wish, you can fly from Dusseldorf to Rome for a couple of days; a low-cost airline, for example, RyanAir, will take you there in 2 hours.
See how to buy football tickets in Rome.
The city itself is inexpensive enough to rent a place here while you travel to other places.
You also have enough time to get to know Dusseldorf properly; set aside 3-4 days to get to know the city. In addition, you can do great shopping here, and even go to fashion week.
There is a large airport in Dusseldorf, from where you can also fly to nearby countries.
I offer you a ready-made itinerary with accommodation in Dusseldorf.
The trip itself lasts 14 days.
- 1 day. You are in Dusseldorf, get acquainted with the city, visit one of the famous beer halls of the city.
- Day 2. Dusseldorf. Continue exploring the city, visit the Rheinturm tower, and devote the rest of the day to shopping.
- Day 3. Travel by train to Amsterdam. Night in Amsterdam.
- Day 4 A day in Amsterdam. Train ride back to Düsseldorf.
- Day 5 You are flying to Rome.
- Day 6 Rome. Football. Coliseum.
- Day 7 Fly back to Dusseldorf. With an early flight, a day in Dusseldorf.
- Day 8 Trains in . Night on the town.
My independent trip to Europe began with another sale of air tickets from Lufthansa. My colleague Irina and I jumped at the Dusseldorf-Moscow-Dusseldorf offer for 3,500 rubles, told our friends and bought 6 tickets the very next day.
I don’t know why, but we canceled a trip around the outskirts of Dusseldorf immediately, decided to see Paris and Amsterdam, and in Dusseldorf itself it was planned to spend the evening after arrival and the last full day before an early flight home.
Why so few? Yes, actually, there are not many tourist attractions in Dusseldorf, so a day and a half was enough for us to do shopping, walk around the old town, and appreciate the local cuisine and beer. So, why go to Dusselrodf?
DusseldorfDusseldorf
WHY GO TO DÜSSELDORF? Here are the main reasons
1. Cheap flight
In fact, an air ticket to Dusseldorf, if you buy it 4 months before departure, will cost you a ridiculous amount of money compared to the prices for direct flights to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels (from 3,500 rubles). Surely, someone will think: “What a comparison! Paris and Dusseldorf.” And I specifically compared it with these cities, because getting to them from Dusseldorf is not difficult by high-speed train.
2. Relatively good weather throughout the year
Düsseldorf is located in western Germany, almost on the border with the Netherlands. Unlike the equally popular Berlin, Dussel is not so cold in winter. Well, for example, we were in February, the weather was about +15.
3. Convenient location for traveling around Europe
From Düsseldorf it is very convenient to get to such popular tourist cities as Paris (4 hours by train), Amsterdam (2.5 hours by train), Brussels, Bruges. It is also advisable to buy tickets for European trains in advance, because the cost increases as the travel date approaches. We bought tickets for French trains
The journey takes 2.5 hours for 21 euros with a seat reservation.
If we had more time, we would definitely get to Brussels and Bruges and travel more around the Netherlands. In general, I mean that there are many options for routes from Düsseldorf, both by train and by bus (Eurolines). If you like to always be on wheels, then you can take a car and drive around different cities without being tied to the public transport schedule.
4. Interesting routes from Dusseldorf around Germany
In addition to trips to neighboring countries, you can create an interesting route around Germany, visit ancient castles, and see the famous cathedral in Cologne.
5. Shopping
This is another important reason why you should visit Dusseldorf. Firstly, there are excellent German department stores within the city: GALERIA Kaufhof (excellent selection of shoes, beautiful tights, cosmetics, accessories, clothing), D?sseldorf Carsch-Haus, C&A, etc. There is also a full range of the usual budget brands. And for those who are accustomed to luxury things, there is a whole street in Düsseldorf, popularly called Kö, with a truly royal selection. In addition, there are outlets in the suburbs of Düsseldorf, but more on that below.
6. Belly celebration and lots of beer
Düsseldorf is famous for having the longest bar counter in Europe due to the large number of beer bars on one street. They are all similar, they feed you so much that you can’t do without Mezim.
ROAD FROM DÜSSELDORF AIRPORT
It is very convenient to get from Dusseldorf airport to the city on your own by public transport.
Method number 1. First, you need to follow the signs to the stop of the unmanned sky train. In just a few minutes, the robot train will take you to the railway station. Here you will need to take the regional RE train to Dusseldorf Central Station, the journey is also a few minutes away. It’s impossible to get lost, because there are signs, electronic boards everywhere, and people all go there.
Method number 2. Take the regular S-Bahn train. Called “Terminal S” / S - Bahn 11", it also goes to the central station, the journey takes 15 minutes.
Method No. 3. Take a taxi for about 25 euros versus less than 3 euros by train.
Dusseldorf Airport website: www.duesseldorf-international.de
OUR HOTEL IN DÜSSELDORF
Arriving at the central station of Dusseldorf, we were a little delayed because there was no clear map. We asked the guards which direction our Madison Hotel was, which was supposed to be a couple of minutes walk away.
It is worth noting that the area around the station is quite quiet and clean; our hotel was located on this street. The hotel did not evoke any strong emotions, it was ordinary. We also couldn’t appreciate the breakfast, because the next day we were leaving for Paris early in the morning. By the way, for this reason we chose a hotel near the station, so that it would be convenient to leave. The station is even visible in the photo.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 2For our last 2 nights in Düsseldorf we also booked near the Ibis Duesseldorf City station. For a comfortable and inexpensive stay, I highly recommend this hotel.
We quickly checked into our rooms, took a shower, and even lay around for half an hour after the flight. But we gathered our strength and went to look for the old city of Dusseldorf, focusing on the spiers.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 3On the way we came across a rather funny store with glamorous chairs.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 4SIGHTS OF DÜSSELDORF. Or what we saw in a few hours
Finally, the dull residential streets ended, we saw the first attraction of Dusseldorf - the ancient church.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 5 Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 6But now the more modern part of Dusseldorf has begun with shops and offices. Mmmm, the shops, they attracted me so much, but I had to say a proud “no” to them and wait to return to Dusseldorf at the end of the vacation.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 7The old part of Düsseldorf has several nice streets. The old town is correctly called Altstadt.
At this time, obviously, people were returning home from work, trams were in great demand.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 8 Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 9As you can see, old Düsseldorf has typical German architecture.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 10When a tram approaches, it literally takes up all the free space, beeping loudly so that all the people with cameras have time to jump away.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 11By the way, the trams in Dusseldorf are packed in the evening.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 12But this is a pedestrian street of the old city, with many bars and restaurants. A little later we returned to it and sat down in some restaurant, with a key above the front door (I don’t remember the name). Nobody liked the restaurant. The elderly Frau did not understand a word of English, the food was simply disgusting. I ordered goulash, but they brought me black pieces of meat floating in liquid.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 13Right in the center they sell seedlings and funny figurines for decorating your dacha.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 14Folk art on the streets of Dusseldorf. Where would we be without him?
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 15Despite the fact that Düsseldorf is a very important transfer point for many tourists, most of the people on the street are locals who are in a hurry to get somewhere. Still, Dusseldorf is not a tourist destination.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 16But this is the main shopping area of the city and the town hall. Even now, there is a market here on weekends, but today is Tuesday, so we weren’t able to look at the delicacies.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 17 Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 18Meanwhile, elderly Germans in various costumes began to gather in groups on the streets of the old city. Some even wore palace outfits and wigs. This was obviously the beginning of some kind of carnival, but for some reason we didn’t find out which one. But it looked funny.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 19Finally, we almost reached the Dusseldorf embankment.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 20 Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 21The tower, which is the remains of the entire complex, houses a museum.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 22It is unusually calm and good here. Quiet, old Europe.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 23It's the end of February, but the weather is quite good, at least not cold, although cloudy. Everyone is walking leisurely and riding bicycles.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 24And this is the Rhine and the embankment. If we had more time in the city, we could have taken a boat ride on the Rhine. In the background there is a television tower with an observation deck. Unfortunately, we didn’t go up there, so I don’t have a bird’s-eye view of Dusseldorf.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 25In search of dinner, we walked back to the pedestrian street of Düsseldorf.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 26At 5:30 in the morning we were already standing on the platform of the Dusseldorf station, waiting for the train to Paris. Probably from this moment our journey through Europe entered an active phase.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 27A warm, soft, comfortable train, on which we even managed to get some sleep before another long day in Paris. The train takes 4.5 hours, but the time on the road flew by in a flash.
Dusseldorf in a day: sights, shopping, route around Europe photo 28THE LONGEST BAR COUNTER IN EUROPE. And about food in general.
Düsseldorf has a huge number of beer bars. If you put all the bar counters of the bars and measure them, you will get the longest bar counter in Europe, and some say even in the world. It seemed to me that all the bars are quite standard, without any special differences in interiors or menus. But don’t really believe me, because we haven’t visited even 10% of all establishments.
SHOPPING IN DÜSSELDORF
I really enjoyed shopping in Dusseldorf. We didn't go to expensive stores, but we did buy a bunch of casual clothes, great shoes from Clarks, Ecco and other brands.
I really liked the selection of shoes at the Kaufhof department store.
ShoppingThe street in the city center is full of inexpensive clothing stores such as H&M, C&A, New Yokker, Mango, Esprit and many others.
For brands and exclusive items, go to Kyo Alley, or in other words, the Royal Alley. I can’t express my impressions because I didn’t get to her.
In general, taking into account cheap air tickets to Dusseldorf, going shopping is very profitable.
There are Esprit, S"Oliver, Tom Tailor outlets near Dusseldorf, it has been written about them
HOTELS IN DÜSSELDORF
Returning to Dusseldorf at the end of our trip to Europe, we spent the night at the Ibis hotel, located near the train station. I recommend the hotel.
If you are going to travel by train, it is very convenient to book a hotel near the station. There is no dirt and noise, you don’t have to imagine our Kazansky railway station. Here you can choose to book a hotel .
I recommend booking your hotel as soon as you buy your tickets. Better yet, before paying for tickets, see if there are hotels for your dates at a normal price (a good three-ruble note is about 2,300 rubles per night). The fact is that many exhibitions are held in Dusseldorf, some of which lead to the fact that there is little choice in hotels and prices are inflated. so don't delay, book right away.
The overall impression of Düsseldorf was very positive. I was pleased with the shopping and the general atmosphere of the city. I just wrote this review and was wondering if I should buy tickets for the weekend? You have your visa, it’s time to update your wardrobe. I want to go to Dusseldorf
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