We arrived in Frankfurt on time despite a slight departure delay in Houston. The overnight, non-stop flight was nearly 10 hours long but we dozed and slept and felt refreshed when we arrived around noon. Following Rick Steves' instructions to the letter (provided in our trip packet), the airport signs directed us to the airport train station and we arranged to take the next train with the most direct route to Trier for $75 each. We shared our first German bratwurst in the airport while waiting for the train.
Our train ride was fast and quiet. The trip took three hours and included two changes, one which required us to run through the Koblenz station from one level to another, dragging our luggage up a flight of stairs, because our second train was late - a perfect example of why it's a good idea to follow Rick's advice to travel light. Our route hugged the scenic Rhine River. Then we traveled beside the equally scenic Mosel River and departed at Trier. The countryside along both rivers is dotted with small villages, old castles on top of mountains, and rows of grapevines climbing steep cliffs.
Leaving the Trier train station, we again followed Rick Steves' directions to find our hotel, http://www.residenz-trier.de/, which was a colorful 15-20 minute walk through the old town and outdoor market area of Trier, on cobblestone streets with really long German names. This was our first navigation test of the vacation since neither of us knows the German language.
The most unusual but interesting thing about our hotel is that it is also a residenz for the elderly, so our room is essentially a small apartment with a bedroom, living room and kitchen. (Our room/balcony was on the second floor.)
The accommodations are very nice and very convenient for exploring on our own. We will stay here three nights and meet our tour group tomorrow afternoon. YOLO!!