Alsace and Romantic road scenic drive suggestions

Fyi- returning a car in a different country is very expensive.
And no, you don't have enough days for your proposed itinerary.
I think you need to do a little more research, define your interests, read some guide books, and come back here with more specific questions. Perhaps read some Trip Reports here.
Good luck!

For that period of time, I would consider a much smaller loop from Strasbourg. The cute little villages can be found in Alsace. You could spend 4 nights or more exploring that area. Then go over to Germany and explore the Black Forest area: Gengenbach, maybe. Return the car to Strasbourg (or anywhere in France to avoid big fees), then train to Amsterdam.

Already aware of fee to return the rental car in a different country. Had I more time to plan a last minute trip, I would have gladly read the library of guide books I have.... however, people DO have different reasons for asking for advice. This just happens to be an area that I'm unfamiliar with, have had about a 2 weeks to plan a 2 month trip to Europe and struggling with this portion. Please try to offer up some useful advice other than telling me to research. Thanks

Thank you travel 4 fun... that's some good stuff!

At a glance it's bit of rushing around (I'm not into short stays, one September I was happy in a three week Riquewihr rental, but that's me). My suggestion is more in line with 4fun's. I'd skip the Romantic Road or Alsace.

For ten nights. Quick train from Strasbourg to Offenburg for car rental - this can be dropped off later in Würzburg for about 50USD using Autoeurope (probably a Europcar rental). Rent an apartment in one of the Alsace wine villages for a week, lots to see and do around here within an hour or so, including some of the Black Forest villages: Basel and Freiburg as well. Relaxing pace.

From Alsace to Wurzburg a great stop-off town is Bad Wimpfen.

If you decide to add the Romantic Road route and want to include Rothenburg. On the first day stay in one of the wine villages around Colmar (3 nights). The drive to Fussen will be about 5 hours, stop off in Meersburg or Lindau. Two nights in Füssen will give you a full day to see the castles and Füssen itself (the Fussen core is not large but there are some nice, easy walks close by). Drive to Rothenburg for two nights, stopping off at Nordlingen or Dinkelsbuhl (some people apparently manage both at a rush). From Rothenburg to Würzburg, a couple of options: Bad Windsheim and Iphofen one route, Weikersheim and Bad Mergenthiem the other route - overall, I'd choose the latter option. Two nights in Würzburg, as Würzburg itself is worth a full day.

Trying the include it all makes for a very busy schedule, but from reading your Ireland itinerary it may fit in with your style of travel.

Semd me a PM if you want any more info.

If you get to Strasbourg, you might want to consider a stop in Gengenbach in the Black Forest. I stayed there for 4 nights in May of 2022 and absolutely loved it!. It's very charming and has been called a "chocolate box" village. It has a beautiful Altstadt and lots to see and do, including many hikes in the area. I could easily have stayed longer.

It's very near Strasbourg - I took the train there on a day trip and I think it was a 30 minute trip. The town also has quite a few very nice restaurants. I had some excellent meals while staying there. You might enjoy the the Vogtsbauernhof, an open air museum - it was wonderful and easily reachable from Gengenbach by car. https://www.vogtsbauernhof.de/en

ETA: just saw that travel4fun also recommended Gengenbach - consider this a second! :)

Thank you nice people for your wonderful suggestions! Additionally, if you were to choose 2 towns to stay in.... I prefer something on the smallish side, but not so small that there's only 1 restaurant to choose from. : )

I keep hearing the following in no specific order. Fussen, Koblenz, Colmar, (FR), Wurzburg, Gigenbach, Rothenberg and a few others... favorites?

Just as an FYI, the description of the Romantic Road as a scenic drive is a misconception, in my opinion. It is a drive between picturesque towns: not the same thing! You do have some pleasant scenery, but it is more about the destinations than about the journey.

You can pop into Gengenbach once you have picked up the car, on the way to Alsace. Take your pick from the wine villages around Colmar. The main ones are Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Kayserburg and Eguisheim. They are all good bases in their own way. I particularly like the non-touristy village of Bergheim, which contains about half dozen restaurants (hardly any shops).

As I wrote above, with your full tour in mind I'd choose Füssen and Rothenburg on the way to Würzburg, where you drop off the car. Würzburg is a small city and worth a two night stay. Koblenz in nowhere near your intended loop.

Hi Kim,

I lived for several years in a little village right in the middle of Alsace, just outside Colmar. I’ll throw in my thoughts about an itinerary.

I would take the TGV (train) from Paris to Strasbourg, perhaps consider spending a night there to give yourself time to visit the cathedral and Petit Venice and get your first taste of choucroute garni, the regional dish of Alsace.

Next morning, get back to the train station and rent a car. Drive a little north to the Alsatian pottery villages, Betschdorf (for rustic stoneware) and Soufflenheim (terra cotta). There’s a history of pottery making in this area since the 12th century.

After lunch, drive south, past Strasbourg, and make your way to the Route de Vin in Obernai, and turn south to begin your scenic drive. Stop in Orschwiller to visit the Chateau d’Haut Kœnigsbourg in the afternoon. I would suggest you book yourself into the village of Riquewihr for at least three nights. Spend a couple of days exploring the Route de Vin, especially the villages of Keyersberg, Ribeauvillé, Bergheim, and Eguisheim. Go to the tasting rooms. Find special little family run restaurants. In Wintzenheim, there is a fantastic chocolaterie, Grimmer. All chocolates are made on site. Take a hike through a vineyard.

Take a day to go into Colmar. Visit the Unterlinden museum, the Dominican church, the cathedral. Duck into the cafe L’Almandine, directly across from the cathedral, and have a meal or a snack.

A general note about Alsace. Not as much English spoken, as compared especially to Paris. Learn a few polite French words/phrases. Most smaller businesses close from noon-2pm for lunch. Most restaurants only serve lunch from 12-2. Getting a meal earlier or later will be a challenge. Dinner, most restaurants don’t open until 7pm. And, finally, most stores are closed on Sundays. Restaurants and museums are likely open.

When you depart your Riquewihr accommodations, drive through Colmar and set a course east, in the direction of Germany, toward the town of Neuf Breisach. Cross over the Rhine into Germany. Drive to Freiburg. I don’t know as much detail about Germany, as I do France, so I’m just going to share with you some highlights.

From Freiburg, head into the Black Forest. Spend a night or two somewhere, take a hike, go Triberg and look at cuckoo clocks. Take a scenic drive up the Black Forest High Road (https://www.black-forest-travel.com/high-road/), ending up in Baden-Baden, where you’ll stay for long enough to visit at least one of the hot spring spas. Two nights would be ideal. Going to “the baths” is a quintessential European experience. There are some swim suit optional ones, but also places where they’re a separate area of the spa. Most places will rent you a suit, a towel, and a bathrobe…or bring your own.

From Baden-Baden, you can arrive 90 minutes later back in Strasbourg, where you’ll catch your train to Amsterdam. Enjoy!