Led Away

This itinerary is based solely on the fact that Jack’s Cheap Flights said I could get a $300 round trip ticket to Frankfurt Germany.

This is an interesting one because Frankfurt has not been on my radar at all. And to be honest after this exercise it still isn’t lol.

But I did discover some other gems in Western Germany I wouldn’t mind visiting.

Now let’s see what fun we can get up to!

When to go?

Throughout January there are a number of flight combinations that will run you between $300 and $375 roundtrip.

January travel is so cheap because it comes right after the holiday season with all its Christmas markets and right before the February winter carnivals that proceed Lent.

Let’s look at this roundtrip Condor option for $305 Thursday, January 11th and returning Saturday, January 20th.

Now what do we know about Condor? I’ve never actually flown with them, so the below is sourced from some online research.

1. It is a discount German airline. While not a deal breaker I don’t love it for international travel.
2. This price includes no luggage other than a personal item that can fit under the seat in front of you. And the baggage fees are pretty astronomical – Carry on from $64 and Checked bag from $130. So if we want to bring anything with us our cheap ticket is already $128 more.
3. They have a solid three stars on Tripadvisor, but when I filtered by International flights there are A LOT of recent one star reviews from the US and Canada.

Is it worth taking one of the four Lufthansa flights for $586 instead? Again this isn’t an airline I’ve flown on before so I took to Google.

1. The major German airline Lufthansa’s hub is in our destination of Frankfurt.
2. Their Economy Light flight includes a carry on in addition to the personal item. And checked bags are about the same cost as on Condor.
3. Now what does Tripadvisor have to say? 3.5 stars which is nothing to sneeze at. However, the international flight toggle does bring up a ton of recent negative reviews as well.

Hmmm if we spring for the $695 Singapore Airlines option, can this even be considered a cheap flight anymore?

1. Despite being more than twice our original price this fare includes a personal item, a carry on AND a checked bag, making it the same price if we were to do the same upgrades on Condor.
2. We now have a whopping 4 stars on TripAdvisor with varied recent International reviews, but all in better than the other two airlines.

Here’s a quick recap of our options

Airline	Condor	Lufthansa	Singapore
Tripadvisor	3	3.5	4
Base Price	$305	$586	$695
Carry On	$64 each way	included	included
Checked Bag	$130 each way	$134	included

Conclusion: I’m not the most economical packer so I’d probably spring for the Singapore Airlines option. But if you’re willing to roll the dice and pay for an upgrade or two along the way Condor is still a viable option. Based on reviews and costs I would probably skip Lufthansa this time around.

Where to Stay?

My first instinct is to get the fuck out of Frankfurt. I know it’s a city in Germany, I think it has something to do with finance. It has never been on my list. In fact, Germany in general has never really been of interest except for Berlin which is…checks notes… four hours by train. Definitely, not in the cards for this trip.

Zooming out on the map some interesting prospects come to light.

Dusseldorf, Cologne, and Stuttgart, all places I’ve heard of, all within 2 hours by train. According to Rearview Mirror blog indicates that for beer you head north and for wine you head south, oh and Frankfurt may not be as boring as I think.

As I read about the wonders of each German town in CN Traveler a plan starts to take shape. I quickly lock in on Cologne. My gut is telling me it’s the city that is most my vibe. But we’re talking about 9 days in Germany, so I’m going to spread the love around.

Jan 12-16: Cologne

Jan 16-19: Stuttgart

Jan 19-20: Frankfurt

Cologne
I land at 5:45 am and will head straight to Cologne. It is highly walkable and there is plenty to see in the old town located to the west of the Rhine.

Accommodations
For our longest stay we want somewhere accessible and affordable. While most hotels are in $600 range there are quite a few gems for less than $400. I don’t see any moderate stays that seem better, but there is a splurge option that I could be enticed by.

Hostel die Wohngemeinschaft – $313
Private double room with a shared bathroom. Well reviewed hostel with breakfast included.

Airbnb – $390
Private apartment with great reviews in a great location.

25hours Hotel The Circle – $950
Private double room in a well reviewed boutique hotel includes breakfast.

Day Activities
There are plenty of things to do in Cologne, check them all out on Urban Wanders. On my personal must-see list for the five days in this city are:

• Lindt Chocolate Museum: €16
  As a chocolate fiend, I just have to make this stop a priority. Of note, they’re closed on Mondays in January.
• Museum Ludwig: €12*
  The biggest collection of American pop art outside of the US.
• Alter Markt tour: Pay What You Want
  Like most cities there is a free walking tour of Cologne available in English every day at 12:11 and 4:11pm.
• Carolus Thermen spa (day trip to Aachen): €38 spa and sauna access / ~$40 roundtrip train ticket.
  An hour and a half ride to relax in thermal baths.
• Dusseldorf (day trip): ~$30 roundtrip
  One of the cities on my initial list, it’s less than a half hour train ride away so might as well check it out.
• Romano-Germanic Museum: €6*
  Moved down the list because it is closed for renovations for the next few years. However, a satellite exhibit is open for a more limited experience.

*The Cologne Museum Card is €20 for 48 hour access to select museums.

Stuttgart
A picturesque city in the middle of the German wine country known for its green spaces (a little less important in January) and being a center of automobile innovation.

Accommodations
During our short stay a hotel is best. They’re generally affordable and I found two great options for under $250.

the niu Form – $229
No frills, but modern and good location to get around town.

List Five – Your British Guesthouse – $255
More of an apartment setup and is centrally located. The double room with a private bath is the cheapest option but you can get kitchen for a little more.

Day Activities
We have two full days in Stuttgart and quite a lot to see.

• Market Hall Stuttgart
  Considered the premier market in Germany, a great starting point for a day of walking around town.
• Ludwig Castle – €12
  Accessible by train ($20) or taxi ($80) this castle is one of the largest baroque buildings in Europe to survive in its original condition.
• SoleBad Cannstatt – €13
  Or one of the other many mineral spas in Stuttgart. The natural baths definitely seem worth a visit.
• Mercedes Benz Museum – €12
  I’m not a huge car person, but when in Stuttgart, right? The Porsche museum is closed in January during or visit so that is officially of the list.

Frankfurt
The city that began this whole thing. At least one night should be spent here, no? Also, as a rule it’s good to be in the city you’re flying out of from the night before.

Accommodations
There are quite a few hotels available for under $100 a night. But, for one night location trumps all.

LyvInn Hotel Frankfurt Messe – $89
Full bed and bathroom close to the train station.

Day Activities
We’ll want to arrive pretty early in the day so we can take advantage of all Frankfurt has to offer. With such a short time span we’ll mainly walk around.

• Römerberg Square
  Eat, drink and shop among the rebuilt medieval buildings.
• Kleinmarkthalle
  A large hall which houses an excellent food market.
• Museumsufer
  An area with 39 museums to take your pick of.

And then we head home. Happy tripping!