Travel Germany and Europe by train
Live the dream
European train travel is something many Americans dream of when they think of visiting Europe. But how many of us have actually done it? If you are not sure how to catch the next train from Wiesbaden to Barcelona, Spain, don’t worry. You can start enjoying European train travel with a small day or weekend trip to Luxembourg City from almost anywhere in USAG Hessen. Train 15004 of the Regional Express (RE) departs Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof on Saturdays for Luxembourg City Gare station at 7:53 a.m. from platform 23. It even makes stops in Mainz-Kastel station at 8:19 a.m. and Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof at 8:37 a.m. Once on board, it’s easy to find a place to park your bike and find a comfortable place to sit. Best of all, large pull-down windows offer fantastic views of the Rhein River valley for the entire journey to Koblenz, one of the stops along the way.
Romantic Rhine
The rail route from Frankfurt to Koblenz rolls through the majestic Rhine Gorge and picturesque villages like Rüdesheim and St. Goarshausen. On a cool morning, you can lower your passenger window and feel the fresh breeze on your face. The most striking part of this leg of the trip is the scenery. Imagine vibrant green vineyards, tall valley cliffs on either side of the mighty Rhine, and a seemingly endless parade of over 40 castles passing by your window. Kids and adults will marvel at the passing ships, crane their necks upwards to spot a castle perched atop a cliff along the route, and feel like they are in a classic movie as the train slowly stops in quaint German wine towns. The Rhine Gorge is home to several United Nations Education and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites and attracts visitors from as far away as Japan. The train glides along the rails smoothly, winding alongside the Rhine, until reaching your next stop in Koblenz.
Go west
The next leg of our European rail adventure begins in Koblenz and follows the calm current of the Mosel River through deep valleys and across incredibly green fields to Trier. Once you arrive in Koblenz and transfer to your train bound for Trier, you may be surprised at the interior. Some German trains look more like double-decker jumbo jets inside than ground-bound wagons on rails. The family-friendly seating, climate controlled cabins, and huge windows make the scenic journey to Trier an absolute joy. The Mosel River valley is dotted with small wine villages with cliffs climbing up from the tracks. While watching from the safety of your comfortable seat you may even spot workers picking grapes in the vineyards planted on the side of the cliffs, depending on the season. The Koblenz-Trier route also features several tunnel passes and bridge passes that offer incredible views of the Mosel River valley and rolling, green pastures. The scenery is sure to leave you glued to your large window for most of the ride. The next stop on the trip will be Trier. There you will board another train bound for our next destination of Luxembourg City.
Almost there
Getting to Luxembourg City by rail is easy. Once you arrive in Trier and step off of the train, there is usually a train at a nearby platform bound for Luxembourg City’s Gare station. You can buy your ticket to Luxembourg from the conductor once you board the train for 2.50 euros per person. You may notice some slight changes in scenery as the train gradually steers a course away from the Mosel River and the landscape becomes less hilly. Rocky cliffs give way to gently rolling fields with cows laying at rest under shade trees. There is no huge Las Vegas-style welcome sign letting you know you have crossed the border into the small country of Luxembourg, but you may notice the people around you are speaking differently and village signs passing by are written in French. Congratulations, you have just become an international rail traveler. The capitol of Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, isn’t much farther to go.
You have arrived
Arriving in Luxembourg City is exciting. From the moment you step off of the train and into the train station you may notice many differences from the Germany you left behind. Signs are written in French, buildings look a little different, and people may even carry themselves differently. If you are making a day trip, you have a few hours to explore Luxembourg before you have to catch the train back to Trier and on to your home destination. If you would like to spend the night, there is a youth hostel in town (2 rue du Fort Olisy) and many hotels. Just be sure to make reservations in advance, because Luxembourg City is a popular weekend destination.
The city is almost always bustling with families and couples walking its scenic cobblestone streets, exploring winding passageways, and window-shopping. During the warmer months Place d’Armes and Place Guillaume II regularly feature open-air concerts, fests, and antique markets. There is even a farmers market on Saturdays at Place Guillaume II that features cheeses, wines, and handcrafts. Be sure to stop by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg’s palace to have your picture taken with unflinching soldiers in parade dress and maybe catch a glimpse of the duke himself.
More than a fortress
Luxembourg City has an amazing layout. The city center is built on a sandstone plateau and surrounded by steep cliffs and massive fortified walls. During several wars, it earned the reputation as Europe’s second most imposing fortress after Gibraltar, Spain. Take a stroll along Rue Sigefroi and Mtée de Clausen and you’ll see why. Located in the city’s eastern quarter, a massive fortress wall known as “the casements” contains miles of underground tunnels and rooms on several different layers. The underground complex has been home to generals, prisoners, and treasure since 963 A.D. You too can explore deep into its complex tunnels and look out across cliffs through holes once used to shoot cannons from. Be sure to explore the mysterious back streets of Rue de la Loge near St. Michael’s Cathedral while you are there. The street is home to the Greek restaurant TO KASTRO that serves a three course gyros lunch and opens its fascinating dining room deep underground in the evenings. You can also stroll through the restaurant entrance to find shops and passageways carved out of the stone face of the eastern cliff. With the many different levels and passages, you may feel like you are tunneling through a human ant farm full of restaurants, bars, and shops. With just as many attractions for the explorers as the window-shoppers, a trip to Luxembourg will be a hit with families and single Soldiers alike. When it’s time to return home, all you have to do is backtrack from where you came using a schedule. Be sure to read the European Survival Guide on page 24 to find out where to download a custom train schedule for your trip.
Ready to go
So what are you waiting for? A group of five can travel round trip to Luxembourg City for as little as 11 euros per person on the weekends from almost anywhere in Germany. That is an incredible value made possible by Deutsche Bahn’s (German train system) Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket. For an additional 3.50 euros you may even take your bike along. You can learn more about how to buy the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket and the restrictions that apply right here in Connection magazine. Just turn to the European Survival Guide on page 24 for details on how you can save a trainload of money seeing some of the most memorable landscapes in Germany. We even show you how to “Blog” your vacation memories for your deployed spouse, family, and friends in the For All of Your Life feature on page 28. And if you need you need any adventure gear like bikes and rucksacks, call your Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Outdoor Recreation listed on page XX or see their gear on page XX. Whether you have a large family or want to explore solo, traveling along the Rhine and Mosel rivers by train is a quintessential European travel experience you don’t want to miss. So go ahead, plan your adventure while the autumn sun is still shining warm and bright. And don’t forget to take your Connection magazine with you.