<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Actually we initially depart from Texas, land in London, and connect to Berlin. Little bro has put his UT MBA to interesting use and serves as a VP of accounting when big studio films do remote location shoots, so that is how we decided to spend some time in Berlin to connect with him. After landing in Berlin, we have 8 more days to fill, which is how we came up with several days in Berlin, taking a train, and ending up in Cologne for Christmas. We are flying direct back to Texas from Frankfurt, so it’s only the last night we stay in Frankfurt. I think an airport hotel is a GRAND idea, as by that time we’ll probably be ready to get home with as little hassle as possible. </p>
<p>After reading these suggestions, I’m thinking of staying a couple of days in Berlin, then adding an additional location before going on to Cologne. Surprisingly, there was still plenty of availability for hotels in Cologne around Christmas, at least for the luxury line of hotels, so our splurge in Cologne looks to be a possibility, with more “reasonable” accommodations for the rest.</p>
<p>The collective wisdom of CC is always appreciated. I’ve traveled quite a bit in France, but have neither been to nor have ever researched Germany, much less on the fly like this.</p>