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THE RHINE

If you want to visit the Rhine, you have to start by picking a side. From the U.S., the easiest travel connections are to Strasbourg, on the French side, which can be reached by air or rail via Paris or many other European cities.

The largest city along the Rhine, Strasbourg is also quite charming, with enlightening cathedrals, museums, a palace and grand Alsatian cooking and wines. Accommodations are available to fit every style and budget, from luxury hotels to bare-bones hostels. The town is small enough to crisscross on two legs, but if your limbs need a break, bus fare is 7 francs (about $1.20). And beyond the city, beguiling rural cottages and hideaway resorts are just a quick train ride away.

The principal town on the German side of the Rhine is Freiburg, a laid-back university center that features a festive schedule of small-town German celebrations and is surrounded by bountiful vineyards and the beauties of the Black Forest. Getting here is best by train -- with regular service from Basel, Baden-Baden, Freudenstadt and Donaueschingen -- or bus. The stations for both are a mere 10-minute walk from the town center.
March 25, 1997

For more information, contact:

French Government Tourist Office
444 Madison Ave., 16th floor
New York NY 10022
http://www.fgtousa.org

German National Tourist Office
11766 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 750
Los Angeles CA 90025
http://www.germany-tourism.de

A general note about travel information: A wealth of travel-related information is available online from a variety of sources -- guidebook publishers, database "travel agents," government-sponsored tourist information and private sites. You can access such information by doing a destination-based word search -- e.g., Amazon, Provence or Rhine -- using any of the standard search engines. The information above is meant to provide the essentials you need to know before planning a trip. It is not meant to replace a Web search. We strongly encourage you to explore the extraordinary resources of the Internet to find the information best suited to you. And don't forget our Table Talk area -- another great source of detailed advice!

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