Ideas for First-Time Interrail (4-day global pass) in June 2024

[Ayman Ilham]

So I have finally decided to take the plunge into this Interrail thing, starting off with a basic 4-day pass to test the waters. I reserved a cheapo hotel in Dusseldorf near the Hauptbahnhof for 3 nights in mid-June (not too early not too late) this year as after some research, I found this was the best place (in terms of both price and location) to use as a base for the places I want to visit. First travel day will be much lighter than I initially planned, as I've decided to fly Ryanair to Cologne/Bonn from Manchester instead of going down to London to get Eurostar (which would've arguably been more fun) due to my desired departures being fully booked. Thus, it'll just involve two Northern trains from my local station to Manchester Airport, followed by a short hop from Cologne/Bonn Airport (flight scheduled to arrive 1720) to either Cologne Hbf or Messe-Deutz to spend an hour or two taking in the city centre, before hopping on an ICE (or just whatever train comes first) to Dusseldorf to check into my hotel before 9pm. I was thinking of not using a travel day for these short train journeys and thus, saving a travel day to use more extensively later in the month, but that would only mean added costs for extra flights, reservations and accommodations so probably not the best idea budget-wise. The following days are where the real fun begins, on the other hand.

I have a rough itinerary sorted for Switzerland as follows:

• 0627 Dusseldorf HBF to Basel SBB 1047 [DB ICE] Consider alternatives in case this train is cancelled
• 1206 Basel SBB to Zurich HBF 1300 [SBB IC] Alternatively take a different train to Bern and then go to Zurich afterwards
• Explore Zurich, Bern and/or Lucerne but return to Basel by 6pm. Alternatively, consider returning by a more scenic route from Zurich via Stuttgart
• 1913 Basel SBB to Dusseldorf BF 2335 [DB ICE] Consider the 1713 and 1813 ICE departures northwards in case the 1913 is cancelled

However, the next two days I have many possibilities and keep in mind, the latter of the two days (where I check out of my hotel) I need to be back at Cologne/Bonn Airport for my 1740 flight back to Manchester. I have come up two possible itineraries for days 3 and 4 (see below) and thus would like some tips on which one I may have a more fun experience, whether it be the scenery en-route or the cities I pass through. Feel free to suggest any other possible itineraries I could do instead.

Option A: Covers two major cities on my bucket list (Berlin and Amsterdam).

• 0611 Dusseldorf HBF to Frankfurt HBF 0748 [DB ICE] Maybe consider a later train if more rest required
• 0902 Frankfurt HBF to Berlin HBF 1254 [DB ICE] Alternatively, consider Stuttgart and Ulm, Nuremburg or Heidelberg
• Explore Berlin and Brandenburg Region [DB S RB RE] or wherever I decide to go instead
• 1545 Berlin HBF to Dusseldorf HBF 2015 [DB ICE] Consider returning a more interesting way depending on which services are less delayed

Last Day if this Itinerary is Chosen:

• 0626 Dusseldorf HBF to Arnhem Centraal 0813 [DB RE]
• 0832 Arnhem Centraal to Amsterdam Centraal 0907 [NS IC]
• Explore Amsterdam and maybe Rotterdam if there is time
• 1208 Amsterdam Centraal to Cologne HBF 1521 [NS ICE]*
• 1124 Amsterdam Centraal to Arnhem Centraal 1228 [NS IC]
• Use Regional Express trains to get to Cologne via Duisburg if it's more reliable than ICE
• 1538 Cologne HBF to Cologne/Bonn Airport 1550 [DB RB] latest train to the airport before things get too tight

NB: I am aware that ICE International to the Benelux is reservation-compulsory for the summer, but they have good availability at the moment (I checked the reservation system with my pass) and are far cheaper than Eurostar.

Option B: Takes some potentially more interesting routes between Rhine-Ruhr and the Benelux.

• 0626 Dusseldorf HBF to Arnhem Centraal 0813 [DB RE]
• 0832 Arnhem Centraal to Utrecht Centraal 0907 [NS IC]
• 0918 Utrecht Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal 0955 [NS IC]
• 1111 Rotterdam Centraal to Brussels Midi/Zuid 1305 [IC Direct]
• 1322 Brussels Midi/Zuid to Luxembourg 1615 [NMBS IC]
• 1733 Luxembourg to Koblenz HBF 1956 [CFL RE]
• 2016 Koblenz HBF to Dusseldorf HBF 2158 [NX RRX]

Last Day if this Itinerary is Chosen:

• 0513 Dusseldorf HBF to Berlin HBF 1016 [DB ICE]
• 1141 Berlin HBF to Cologne HBF 1540 [DB ICE]
• 1552 Cologne HBF to Cologne/Bonn Airport 1605 [NX RRX]
• 0611 (or 0709) Dusseldorf HBF to Frankfurt HBF 0748 (or 0848)
• Explore Frankfurt and surrounding areas like Mainz and Heidelberg [DB S RB RE]
• 1209 (or 1226) Frankfurt HBF to Cologne MDtz 1315 (or HBF 1333) [DB ICE]
• Start leaving Cologne city centre for Cologne/Bonn Airport around 3pm [DB S]

UPDATE: I have revised some of the possible itineraries and added extra notes factoring the unreliability of ICE, as some of you have pointed out. Delays of up to half an hour I can manage (I've checked today's DB departures for reference and found that usually the average delay is 10-20 minutes), but it's the cancellations that can screw things up, as I have found that the specific ICE service I plan to use was cancelled today (based on DB real-time info) so there's nothing stopping it from being cancelled on the 11th June when I intend to use it.

 

[Alfonso]

We are all different, but this itinerary doesn't seem to include much in the way of interesting trains, landscape, or destinations. It also seems odd to return to the same city for gour overnights.If you want to go to Switzerland then don't stop at Basel or Zurich but go through the alps, preferably over the Bernina Pass, and spend the night in Northern Italy, then I'd head North through Austria to Salzburg or Vienna or Berlin.

 

[rg177]

I would also warn against doing an out-and-back day trip to Switzerland like that on ICEs. You can almost guarantee a delay on both. I'd recommend staying overnight somewhere in Switzerland and making the most of it there.

Similarly with the plan to go out and back to Berlin. It's highly likely that the 12-minute connection on the way back won't be made. ICE services just aren't reliable.

 

[43096]

I would also warn against doing an out-and-back day trip to Switzerland like that on ICEs. You can almost guarantee a delay on both. I'd recommend staying overnight somewhere in Switzerland and making the most of it there.

Similarly with the plan to go out and back to Berlin. It's highly likely that the 12-minute connection on the way back won't be made. ICE services just aren't reliable.

Olten is a good place to stay in Switzerland and is allows you to easily cover much of the country in a day trip. Olten itself is a fascinating railway location in itself - even if only for the sheer volume and variety of trains running through.

That said, if I was doing a first trip to Switzerland, then the Rhatische Bahn from Chur/Landquart is simply an unbeatable experience.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

We are all different, but this itinerary doesn't seem to include much in the way of interesting trains, landscape, or destinations. It also seems odd to return to the same city for gour overnights.If you want to go to Switzerland then don't stop at Basel or Zurich but go through the alps, preferably over the Bernina Pass, and spend the night in Northern Italy, then I'd head North through Austria to Salzburg or Vienna or Berlin.

It's because I booked a hotel for 3 nights in Dusseldorf (was a pretty good price for the location), as it seemed easier than checking into a different hotel each time. I would've gone for a night train to Switzerland, but I wasn't sure how much sleep I'd actually be able to get compared to a hotel. As it'll be my first time travelling on long-distance trains in Continental Europe, I wanted to get a taste of some of the cities on my bucket list beforehand (namely Amsterdam, Berlin and Zurich) before getting deeper into the more interesting stuff. Perhaps in future Interrail journeys, I may give myself time for something much more scenic like what you've mentioned. However, I do plan to go to one or two more scenic cities nearby in Switzerland like Bern or Luzern, as I like hopping on long distance trains to see new cities the way I did the All Line Rover in Britain last year. How scenic are the routes to Luzern and Bern from Basel and/or Zurich? I've heard Koblenz to Luxembourg is fairly scenic too. If I had more time, I'd have definitely gone for Innsbruck for more spectacular Alpine scenery.

I would also warn against doing an out-and-back day trip to Switzerland like that on ICEs. You can almost guarantee a delay on both. I'd recommend staying overnight somewhere in Switzerland and making the most of it there.

How big of a delay are we talking? Perhaps I can alter my hotel reservation at Dusseldorf down to 2 nights so I can stay one night closer to Switzerland instead, as I also looked at accommodation in Weil-am-Rhein just across the border from Basel, but maybe I'll save that for another Interrail adventure next year with my wife. Also, I'm quite happy with the location of the hotel I've already booked so far.

Similarly with the plan to go out and back to Berlin. It's highly likely that the 12-minute connection on the way back won't be made. ICE services just aren't reliable.

That rules out Option B then, unless I swap out Berlin for a closer city like Frankfurt.

Olten is a good place to stay in Switzerland and is allows you to easily cover much of the country in a day trip. Olten itself is a fascinating railway location in itself - even if only for the sheer volume and variety of trains running through.

That said, if I was doing a first trip to Switzerland, then the Rhatische Bahn from Chur/Landquart is simply an unbeatable experience.

Thank you for your suggestions. I may consider Olten for a future trip, perhaps with EasyJet flights to Geneva (best timings from Manchester) and using a Switzerland pass to really focus on the country. For now, I want to check out the main cities, of which I have chosen the easiest to reach from where I'm staying in Germany. Speaking of Chur, I did consider heading towards that direction, but to get off at Sargans so I can get a bus to Liechtenstein. Perhaps I can skip Bern/Luzern and go there instead? I still want to explore the centres of Basel and Zurich for at least an hour each, as they both look like amazing cities.

 

[rg177]

How big of a delay are we talking? Perhaps I can alter my hotel reservation at Dusseldorf down to 2 nights so I can stay one night closer to Switzerland instead, as I also looked at accommodation in Weil-am-Rhein just across the border from Basel, but maybe I'll save that for another Interrail adventure next year with my wife. Also, I'm quite happy with the location of the hotel I've already booked so far.

Up to half an hour is quite common. I can see today one service was 45 minutes late and turned at Basel Bad Bhf (the Swiss don't look too kindly upon late-running trains from abroad and will terminate them at the border if needs be).

However, it's a case of how long is a piece of string. DB reliability at the moment isn't great - so it's more of a general warning than a guarantee of disruption. In any case, staying closer to Switzerland is sensible.

On cities - I quite liked Bern. Basel is pleasant enough but I wasn't all that impressed by the centre of Zurich. The lake there however is stunning and you can easily hop on/off S-Bahn services along it.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Up to half an hour is quite common. I can see today one service was 45 minutes late and turned at Basel Bad Bhf (the Swiss don't look too kindly upon late-running trains from abroad and will terminate them at the border if needs be).

However, it's a case of how long is a piece of string. DB reliability at the moment isn't great - so it's more of a general warning than a guarantee of disruption. In any case, staying closer to Switzerland is sensible.

On cities - I quite liked Bern. Basel is pleasant enough but I wasn't all that impressed by the centre of Zurich. The lake there however is stunning and you can easily hop on/off S-Bahn services along it.

Ouch, and I thought Britain had the short end of the stick (well, at least the ICE trains are probably far nicer than any British train will ever be)! I wouldn't mind getting off at Basel Bad to be fair, as it would mean I get to explore more of Basel as a bonus while walking to the SBB station. In any case, I have revised some of my itineraries (eliminating tight connections) to take this into account.

 

[nwales58]

Just in case you don't already know ...

15/06 Köln and Dortmund (and Berlin)
16/06 Gelsenkirchen (and Stuttgart)
17/06 Düsseldorf (and München, Frankfurt)
18/06 Dortmund (and Leipzig)
19/06 Köln (and Hamburg, Stuttgart)
and so on - a certain large football tournament where people may also be making long distance journeys between cities and generally causing congestion.

I would try to guess the major flows and plan not to be travelling in that direction on the day.

Before the flight I would plan to get back to Köln an hour or so earlier (more if using long distance IC/ICE) for safety. If the 1245 from Arnhem goes wrong unless ICE125 rescues you you're unlikely to reach CGN before 1635 which I'd find uncomfortably tight as your flight will start loading at 1715.

Otherwise, replan on the day as things degenerate and all will be fine.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Just in case you don't already know ...

15/06 Köln and Dortmund (and Berlin)
16/06 Gelsenkirchen (and Stuttgart)
17/06 Düsseldorf (and München, Frankfurt)
18/06 Dortmund (and Leipzig)
19/06 Köln (and Hamburg, Stuttgart)
and so on - a certain large football tournament where people may also be making long distance journeys between cities and generally causing congestion.

I would try to guess the major flows and plan not to be travelling in that direction on the day.

Before the flight I would plan to get back to Köln an hour or so earlier (more if using long distance IC/ICE) for safety. If the 1245 from Arnhem goes wrong unless ICE125 rescues you you're unlikely to reach CGN before 1635 which I'd find uncomfortably tight as your flight will start loading at 1715.

Otherwise, replan on the day as things degenerate and all will be fine.

Luckily I'm flying back on the 13th before all this starts. And thanks for the tip, so general rule of thumb is nothing too ambitious on the last day.

 

[nwales58]

Couple of other ideas within long day reach from D:

Harzquerbahn (not on Interrail but fun) - out to Wernigerode back from Nordhausen or vv

Schwarzwaldbahn (Karlsruhe)-Offenbach-Villingen for Stuttgart, or Immendingen for Ulm then try the Ulm-Stuttgart Neubaustrecke.

With a bit of time to spare in Karlsruhe try an S-bahn service which is a tram (Rastatt, Heilbronn) but it's a train - IR is valid on AVG-operated services.

Ditto Luxembourg, get off at Pfaffenthal to see the amusing double parallel funicular up to the main road. They're rich.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Couple of other ideas within long day reach from D:

Harzquerbahn (not on Interrail but fun) - out to Wernigerode back from Nordhausen or vv

Schwarzwaldbahn (Karlsruhe)-Offenbach-Villingen for Stuttgart, or Immendingen for Ulm then try the Ulm-Stuttgart Neubaustrecke.

With a bit of time to spare in Karlsruhe try an S-bahn service which is a tram (Rastatt, Heilbronn) but it's a train - IR is valid on AVG-operated services.

Ditto Luxembourg, get off at Pfaffenthal to see the amusing double parallel funicular up to the main road. They're rich.

I was thinking of possibly getting a TGV Duplex (no reservation required as long as I don't cross the border to France) to Karlsruhe from Frankfurt so that's a nice shout. Perhaps I could go there instead of Berlin (saving the latter for another time), what do you think?

 

[30907]

I was thinking of possibly getting a TGV Duplex (no reservation required as long as I don't cross the border to France) to Karlsruhe from Frankfurt so that's a nice shout. Perhaps I could go there instead of Berlin (saving the latter for another time), what do you think?

You've given yourself very little time for Berlin, and the journey back isn't exciting (at least you are going out via Fulda-Erfurt-Halle which is better).

TBH I don't think a single base for Amsterdam, Switzerland and Berlin makes much sense.

But enjoy the trip, whatever you decide!

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I realise you are being cautious on your first trip, but you are wasting opportunities by returning to Düsseldorf each evening. You could easily do a circular tour to take in all the cities on your bucket list if you stay somewhere different each night. The secret is to travel light and it is very easy to find and book cheap hotels in advance these days.

So something like:-

Day 1 Düsseldorf - Basel - Zürich.
Day 2 Zürich - München - Berlin.
Day 3 Berlin - Amsterdam.
Day 4 Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Venlo - Köln / Bonn Airport.

Düsseldorf is nothing to write home about although the river frontage is quite pleasant. Zürich is very rich and glitzy in the new town, but surprisingly perhaps, cheap hotels can be found in the (very pleasant) old town on the other side of the river. I wouldn't bother with Frankfurt - it is the dullest of the dull of German cities in my view.

 

[BavarianTrain]

Good evening,

I would be very careful with longer distances in Germany.
Especially on the Rhine Valley Railway between Offenburg and Basel, there are disruptions almost daily.
I would plan with these delays. If possible, try to get away from Basel an or two hour earlier.
If you catch a train via Koblenz, it is recommended to get on and take a window seat.

The idea from @nwales58 with the Neubaustrecke Ulm-Wendlingen is very good.
From Ulm you can get to Munich, Lindau (beautiful port city with view to the Alps on the other side of the Bodensee), Nuremberg, Nördlingen via Donauwörth (very popular by tourists. Bavarian Railway Museum (BEM)).

If you still have a bit of time after your check-in in Düsseldorf, maybe a trip to Wuppertal would be something for you. I'm just saying the oldest suspension railway in the world. (20 minutes from Dusseldorf)

I wish you a nice trip with many new impressions. Greetings from Germany.
(Written with the support of Google Translate)

 

[Ayman Ilham]

You've given yourself very little time for Berlin, and the journey back isn't exciting (at least you are going out via Fulda-Erfurt-Halle which is better).

TBH I don't think a single base for Amsterdam, Switzerland and Berlin makes much sense.

But enjoy the trip, whatever you decide!

You'll be surprised how much of a city I can cover within a few hours, but then again I suppose Berlin has far more to explore than, say, Leeds or Newcastle. Either way, I'll probably revisit Berlin to explore it properly anyway, so I might as well check it out briefly beforehand. Could you suggest a more interesting way back to Rhine-Ruhr?

As for the single base issue for long journeys, this is similar to what I did with the All Line Rover domestically in Britain last year. Basically, I mostly used my home (20-minute train ride from Preston) in Lancashire as a base to visit Aberdeen (furthest I've successfully done an out-and-back journey to within a day), Portsmouth and Bath to name a few. I still managed to have a decent day out in each city. The only exception to this was a night in Travelodge Plymouth (a city which was a good 7 hours away from home) to allow me to visit Cornwall the following day. Thus, I was hoping to achieve something similar on the continent.

I realise you are being cautious on your first trip, but you are wasting opportunities by returning to Düsseldorf each evening. You could easily do a circular tour to take in all the cities on your bucket list if you stay somewhere different each night. The secret is to travel light and it is very easy to find and book cheap hotels in advance these days.

So something like:-

Day 1 Düsseldorf - Basel - Zürich.
Day 2 Zürich - München - Berlin.
Day 3 Berlin - Amsterdam.
Day 4 Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Venlo - Köln / Bonn Airport.

Düsseldorf is nothing to write home about although the river frontage is quite pleasant. Zürich is very rich and glitzy in the new town, but surprisingly perhaps, cheap hotels can be found in the (very pleasant) old town on the other side of the river. I wouldn't bother with Frankfurt - it is the dullest of the dull of German cities in my view.

Thank you very much for your insight. I was thinking of this, as I initially planned night trains to save having to book accommodation (of course a hotel and all the privacy it offers is far more worthwhile), plus I do travel light in any case. However, I chose Düsseldorf specifically because it had the cheapest hotels (managed to bag the one I reserved for £39 a night) next to a major train station in West Germany. Plus, it's easier for me to manage one booking like a "home away from home" than book different hotels every night and have to worry about different check in and check out times.

On the other hand, now you've mentioned it, it is a good job I chose to pay later for my hotel reservation and can cancel or modify my booking at no extra cost up until a few days before the check-in date. Thus, I've opened up the possibility of cutting my stay down to 2 nights and then the 3rd night could be Berlin to allow some more breathing room. That way, I can comfortably spend more time in Berlin (for example) upon arrival without having to worry about getting a train back the same day, and then have plenty of time the next morning to make it back to Köln (maybe via Hamburg to make it a bit more interesting) with plenty of time to spare before hopping to the airport to catch my flight. I have over a month to decide my plans at the moment so that's a possibility.

Since my Ryanair flight into Cologne arrives in the afternoon (1720), all I'd be able to fit in for Day 1 is the journey from my local station to the airport in the UK, followed by the short hop to Düsseldorf from Cologne (where I plan to spend an hour at Köln Triangle before travelling onwards) when I arrive. I could fit in another short journey or two after checking in to the hotel, but I'd probably rather chill in Düsseldorf for the evening, walking to Rhineturm promenade and back, plus buying a few things from the supermarkets along the way before going to bed. However, I know I can still make the value of the pass for the remaining 3 days, so it's not a major issue.

As for Frankfurt, I've been to the city centre briefly during a layover on Lufthansa flights to take pictures of the city and I actually loved it. The skyscrapers and modernity there actually appeal to me, especially when you find it in the midst of an otherwise historical European setting with transit-oriented infrastructure.

Good evening,

I would be very careful with longer distances in Germany.
Especially on the Rhine Valley Railway between Offenburg and Basel, there are disruptions almost daily.
I would plan with these delays. If possible, try to get away from Basel an or two hour earlier.
If you catch a train via Koblenz, it is recommended to get on and take a window seat.

The idea from @nwales58 with the Neubaustrecke Ulm-Wendlingen is very good.
From Ulm you can get to Munich, Lindau (beautiful port city with view to the Alps on the other side of the Bodensee), Nuremberg, Nördlingen via Donauwörth (very popular by tourists. Bavarian Railway Museum (BEM)).

If you still have a bit of time after your check-in in Düsseldorf, maybe a trip to Wuppertal would be something for you. I'm just saying the oldest suspension railway in the world. (20 minutes from Dusseldorf)

I wish you a nice trip with many new impressions. Greetings from Germany.
(Written with the support of Google Translate)

Good evening, thanks for the helpful suggestions. I was initially planning to head back up from Basel an hour earlier, but that involved very tight connections at Mannheim and Frankfurt Flughafen which I'd have been guaranteed to miss with said ICE punctuality. Perhaps two hours earlier may be more plausible instead. I was thinking of going straight to the top deck for the best window views whenever I get on a double decker train, which I hope to get via Koblenz.

Perhaps I could go towards the Munich and Bavaria side instead of Berlin for this trip now you've mentioned it. It definitely sounds like I'll get better scenery down there, especially with the Alps. Do you know which routes down that way I can get those double decker IC2 trains? Those are another type of train I've always wanted to ride along with the fancy ICE, despite the chronic delays they seem to be suffering these days.

 

[ABB125]

My advice would always be to plan to use the first train of the day, and never the last train back. This way, you have more backup options when the inevitable disruption occurs. Personally I wouldn't be too bothered by a change at Mannheim and Frankfurt Airport, chances are that the connecting train is also delayed!
The advantage of going for the earlier departure from Basel is that, if all else fails, you can simply wait for an hour in Mannheim to hop on the later train from Basel. There's plenty to see at the station, lots of food outlets etc as well. Or you could get a local train to Frankfurt, then catch the next ICE heading roughly towards Düsseldorf (just make sure to avoid one which takes the old route along the Rhine valley as it's much slower and you won't see anything in the dark!).
The other thing I would highly recommend is to plan backup options before you travel, so that you know roughly what to look out for when delays happen. See attached the last day of my Interrail trip later this month, and the backup options. (I will admit that the schedule is slightly tighter than I would like, but that's all part of the fun of Interrailing!) Obviously on the day, things might go absolutely fine. Or perhaps none of the backups will work. But in that case, I'll just see what happens, as I have an idea of what train services might come in handy. (I also have the expensive option of going via France instead as an absolute last resort.)

 

[Wandering Pom]

If you would find it helpful to have a paper or PDF timetable to refer to - especially if you have to re-plan on the move, due to delays - I recommend the European Rail Timetable. It includes inter-city trains in all parts of Europe, plus most regional trains, and a selection of the most useful suburban routes around major cities.

European Rail Timetable

Concise printed timetables, maps and guides for rail services in Europe

www.europeanrailtimetable.eu

 

[Ayman Ilham]

My advice would always be to plan to use the first train of the day, and never the last train back. This way, you have more backup options when the inevitable disruption occurs. Personally I wouldn't be too bothered by a change at Mannheim and Frankfurt Airport, chances are that the connecting train is also delayed!
The advantage of going for the earlier departure from Basel is that, if all else fails, you can simply wait for an hour in Mannheim to hop on the later train from Basel. There's plenty to see at the station, lots of food outlets etc as well. Or you could get a local train to Frankfurt, then catch the next ICE heading roughly towards Düsseldorf (just make sure to avoid one which takes the old route along the Rhine valley as it's much slower and you won't see anything in the dark!).
The other thing I would highly recommend is to plan backup options before you travel, so that you know roughly what to look out for when delays happen. See attached the last day of my Interrail trip later this month, and the backup options. (I will admit that the schedule is slightly tighter than I would like, but that's all part of the fun of Interrailing!) Obviously on the day, things might go absolutely fine. Or perhaps none of the backups will work. But in that case, I'll just see what happens, as I have an idea of what train services might come in handy. (I also have the expensive option of going via France instead as an absolute last resort.)

View attachment 157247
View attachment 157246

Thanks for letting me know, in which case an hour in Mannheim would be excellent, as that'll give me an opportunity to see another city as a bonus. In any case, I'd probably plan for a 5pm departure from Basel beforehand before 6-7pm to increase this window.

The change in Frankfurt to access more frequent ICE services definitely sounds like the best option, however. That would allow me to see a bit of Frankfurt (I wanna check out MyZeil and Romerburg, and possibly go up Main Tower) on the way as another bonus.

It might be interesting to go back via France to get in some TGV action, but then the £55 splashed on reservations (TGV Lyria from Basel followed by Red Eurostar to Düsseldorf) might be better spent on swapping hotels for the 2nd or 3rd night instead. One trick I've learnt to cut down the reservation costs is to get a TER from Basel to Strasbourg and then get a domestic TGV from there and that's already €20 (£18ish) saved, plus I'd be much closer to Gare du Nord upon arrival to Paris. However, I'd need a fair amount of time to try this out.

If you would find it helpful to have a paper or PDF timetable to refer to - especially if you have to re-plan on the move, due to delays - I recommend the European Rail Timetable. It includes inter-city trains in all parts of Europe, plus most regional trains, and a selection of the most useful suburban routes around major cities.

European Rail Timetable

Concise printed timetables, maps and guides for rail services in Europe

www.europeanrailtimetable.eu

Cheers, I might need this. One thing that it'll be handy for is to time which Paris to Frankfurt/Munich services are operated by the TGV, so I could sample one wholly within Germany (either Frankfurt to Karlsruhe or Stuttgart to Munich) without needing a reservation.

If you want to go to Switzerland then don't stop at Basel or Zurich but go through the alps, preferably over the Bernina Pass, and spend the night in Northern Italy, then I'd head North through Austria to Salzburg or Vienna or Berlin.

I just realised that I could take a more scenic route back from Zurich via Stuttgart on the IC2 double deckers.

 

[BavarianTrain]

As far as I know, there are no continuous IC2 connections through the Middle Rhine Valley.
If I were you, I would try to catch an ICE T-Train (tilting technology) via Koblenz (relatively easy).
Above all, the inclination in the curves gives the whole thing a certain flair.
I mean, there are connections from Cologne to Vienna Hbf via Koblenz and Frankfurt. (takes much longer than the high-speed line)

On the subject of Berlin: Berlin is very big, but also very crowded (and dirty) (especially Brandenburg Gate and Bundestag) Small tip. You can visit the dome of the Bundestag. To do this, however, you have to register well in advance via the website of the German Bundestag. Click here

Regarding your Basel excursion: From Basel you can get to Schaffhausen very easily. There is the largest waterfall in Europe. Basel is also supposed to be beautiful.

 

[dutchflyer]

Currently in day 28 of a 2-MO IRail (My 20th or so) and having passed+changed Dus yesterday-and stayed in HTLs there at least a dozen times the last 3-4 yrs: On Sat I passed/changed in Basel, as making a tour via Swiss always gives the idea that then one gets real value for money for that pass-looking at normal fares.
Can only confirm/repeat what has been said so often: DB is NOTOrious for late running or cancelling. Though my trip yesterday was within even the 5-min margin. You had better look at how often trains run on a certain sector and just take whatever comes along.
DUS-and about any German city-has dozens+more HTLs near/around the station (in fact the former offices of the main stat. are now an Ibis-Styles) and when there is not a Messe going on (trade fair/show) its daft easy to find rooms (BF will cost extra) for around 50€-if even much cheaper its likely bad quality in a big city (you can still find these in minor villages though). The BAHN hotel is also close by, but not that fance (anymore).
Oh-if never been there-most (and DUS is even by far not the worst) german main stations=HauptBahnHof may need getting used to-all these people milling around (looking for left bottles for the 25 ct. deposits) are not that criminal
On your day 1: note that the cheaper tix for that ride are NOT valid in IC/ICE!! ONly the locals. They are Verbund-style and thus also have a limited time to use them (is not printed on them).
If you fancy and maybe have some days in between: the 49€ Deutschland ticket=a monthly (calender month only and MUST be cancelled day 10 the latest to end subscription)-NOT valid in IC/ICE, but on ALL local transit, also the varous tramways, buses, metro etc. is well worth its price even if one uses it only for 5-6 days. That would also cover the ride airport-Dus. Unless you have managed to have the end of month in the stay.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

As far as I know, there are no continuous IC2 connections through the Middle Rhine Valley.
If I were you, I would try to catch an ICE T-Train (tilting technology) via Koblenz (relatively easy).
Above all, the inclination in the curves gives the whole thing a certain flair.
I mean, there are connections from Cologne to Vienna Hbf via Koblenz and Frankfurt. (takes much longer than the high-speed line)

On the subject of Berlin: Berlin is very big, but also very crowded (and dirty) (especially Brandenburg Gate and Bundestag) Small tip. You can visit the dome of the Bundestag. To do this, however, you have to register well in advance via the website of the German Bundestag. Click here

Regarding your Basel excursion: From Basel you can get to Schaffhausen very easily. There is the largest waterfall in Europe. Basel is also supposed to be beautiful.

After doing some researching, I found that there is a Zurich to Stuttgart service which uses those IC2 double-deckers (and incidentally goes via Schaffhausen), so that's definitely an option on the way back from Switzerland. The route appears to be very scenic too, probably more so than the Rhine Valley corridor to Basel. I could probably look for one of those ICE-T services to Koblenz from Cologne if I feel in the mood for going to Luxembourg. For Berlin, what I was planning is to get an S-Bahn from the Hbf to Alexanderplatz, then walk to Brandenburg Gate taking in all the sights on the way, then walk down to Potsdamerplatz and browse the Mall of Berlin. Afterwards, another short hop on the S-Bahn back to Hbf to get whatever ICE will take me back to Rhine-Ruhr, or at least closer to it.

Currently in day 28 of a 2-MO IRail (My 20th or so) and having passed+changed Dus yesterday-and stayed in HTLs there at least a dozen times the last 3-4 yrs: On Sat I passed/changed in Basel, as making a tour via Swiss always gives the idea that then one gets real value for money for that pass-looking at normal fares.
Can only confirm/repeat what has been said so often: DB is NOTOrious for late running or cancelling. Though my trip yesterday was within even the 5-min margin. You had better look at how often trains run on a certain sector and just take whatever comes along.
DUS-and about any German city-has dozens+more HTLs near/around the station (in fact the former offices of the main stat. are now an Ibis-Styles) and when there is not a Messe going on (trade fair/show) its daft easy to find rooms (BF will cost extra) for around 50€-if even much cheaper its likely bad quality in a big city (you can still find these in minor villages though). The BAHN hotel is also close by, but not that fance (anymore).
Oh-if never been there-most (and DUS is even by far not the worst) german main stations=HauptBahnHof may need getting used to-all these people milling around (looking for left bottles for the 25 ct. deposits) are not that criminal
On your day 1: note that the cheaper tix for that ride are NOT valid in IC/ICE!! ONly the locals. They are Verbund-style and thus also have a limited time to use them (is not printed on them).
If you fancy and maybe have some days in between: the 49€ Deutschland ticket=a monthly (calender month only and MUST be cancelled day 10 the latest to end subscription)-NOT valid in IC/ICE, but on ALL local transit, also the varous tramways, buses, metro etc. is well worth its price even if one uses it only for 5-6 days. That would also cover the ride airport-Dus. Unless you have managed to have the end of month in the stay.

I was considering BAHN Hotel, until I found that the (usually) cheaper Domo Mondial happened to have some rooms with private bathrooms. The latter, which I have currently reserved for £39 (€45) a night, I have noticed looks very basic and dated but for my needs (just a safe private space to stay overnight a stone's throw away from a Hbf), it'll do the job according to the reviews I have read. As for day 1, that's exactly why I'm aiming to get an ICE (just whatever comes first as they'll be frequent on that corridor) from Cologne to Dusseldorf (after I've enjoyed some views of the city from Koln Triangle) to make sure I at least get some value out of that travel day.

The idea from @nwales58 with the Neubaustrecke Ulm-Wendlingen is very good.
From Ulm you can get to Munich, Lindau (beautiful port city with view to the Alps on the other side of the Bodensee), Nuremberg, Nördlingen via Donauwörth (very popular by tourists. Bavarian Railway Museum (BEM)).

If you still have a bit of time after your check-in in Düsseldorf, maybe a trip to Wuppertal would be something for you. I'm just saying the oldest suspension railway in the world. (20 minutes from Dusseldorf)

I've just had another great idea; instead of going to Berlin after Frankfurt, I stay on that Munich-bound train as far as Wurzburg, which I've found has a really nice castle. Thereafter, I back-track to Frankfurt hopefully in time to catch the daily TGV Duplex (another train on my bucket list) as far as Saarbrucken, which has a direct bus service to Luxembourg. Thereafter, it's back to Dusseldorf via Koblenz. Final day, I decided a different itinerary to allow me to see a bit of Rotterdam, as I really love the modern architecture over there and it's less complicated for me than Amsterdam as I'd be happy just chilling outside Centraal station and taking in the surroundings. I allowed enough breathing room on my return to Cologne this time, so I can make it to the airport in good time. What do you think of this?

DAY 3:
0611 Dusseldorf Hbf to Wurzburg Hbf 0900 [DB ICE]
1024 Wurzburg Hbf to Frankfurt Hbf 1136 [DB ICE]
1256 Frankfurt Hbf to Saarbrucken Hbf 1459 [SNCF TGV]
1515 Saarbrucken Hbf to Luxembourg 1630 [CFL Bus]**
** Does anyone know how I would reserve this?
Otherwise it'll be regional trains the long way round via Metz, which actually appears to be a rather picturesque city.
1733 Luxembourg to Koblenz Hbf 1956 [CFL RE] or an hour later if previous leg done via Metz.
2016 Koblenz Hbf to Dusseldorf Hbf 2158 [NX RRX]

DAY 4:
0626 Dusseldorf Hbf to Arnhem Centraal 0813 [DB RE]
0832 Arnhem Centraal to Utrecht Centraal 0907 [NS IC]
0918 Utrecht Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal 0955 [NS IC]
1058 Rotterdam Centraal to Brussels Midi/Zuid 1208 [Eurostar]*
1225 Brussels Midi/Zuid to Cologne Hbf 1415 [NMBS ICE]*
* Yes, I am aware reservations are compulsory for these two trains, but the total fee comes to £27.50 on the Interrail website, which is fine for me.
1538 Cologne Hbf to Cologne/Bonn Airport 1550 [DB RB] latest train to the airport before things get too tight.