Trips from Cologne

Hello:

We (husband, wife and 3 kids, 7, 10, 12)are visiting Cologne during Thanksgiving 2009 for a company business trip but are taking the kids along. We have 4 days/3 nights available (Nov 26th thru Nov 29th ) as well as 2 days/1 night (Dec 5th and 6th) at our disposal for sightseeing..We have already seen the area around Cologne on previous trips.

For the first part, we would like to visit the Bernese Oberland area (Lauterbrunnen, Grindlewald, Jungfrau).

For the 2nd smaller slot, we are thinking of visiting Netherlands and/or Belgium or going to Salzburg.I have been to Salzburg before when I was very young and dont remember much now. Which places has the most to see from a nature photography perspective and are doable over a weekend?

We are getting a rental car for the entire period as part of our business trip. Are these trips doable by car ( I have driven in Europe before) or should we use train ( what are the route options?)..

If train, what type of tickets should we consider and will they give us any discounts in Bernese Oberland areas and can you suggest any do%26#39;s / dont%26#39;s for the trip.

What will the weather be like?

Thanks

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for drive times, go to www.viamichelin.com - that will give you driving routes, along with estimated fuel and toll costs.

Bern is about 5 hours%26#39; drive time, according to Michelin, so count on 6-7 hours counting pit stops and a meal -- that%26#39;s a big deal for Europeans, but might not be such a big deal as Americans.

It would be far more logical to use the 2-day period to visit Amsterdam (2-1/2 hours) or Brussels (2 hours), as they%26#39;re quite a short drive away -- if you go all the way back to the Alps to visit Salzburg (6-1/2 hours), you%26#39;ll be spending the lion%26#39;s share of your 2 days in the car -- not much fun!