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Munich, Rothenburg, and the Romantic Road

Hi Everyone, My husand and I are backpacking in Europe this June and we have a question for anyone with any experience in the Munich and Rothenburg areas.

We are arriving in Munich on the overnight train from Venice at 6:30am. Our plan is to rent a car as soon as the car rental agency opens (around 8am), drive down to Fussen area, visit Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau (King Ludwig's) castles, then drive up either the autobahn or the romantic road to Rothenburg. We'll spend whatever is left of the evening roaming Rothenburg, take the night watchman's tour, spend the night, walk around in Rothenburg again early in the morning before the crowds arrive and then leisurely drive back down the romantic road, stopping as we please until arriving back in Munich, dropping off our rental car and spending the night in Munich. A few questions:

  1. Is the "Drive from Munich to Fussen, tour castles, drive to Rothenburg plan" do-able in a day? If so, should we take the romantic road from Fussen to Rothenburg or take the autobahn, since we'll be driving the romantic road the next day at a more leisurely pace? 2. Does anyone know how long it really takes to drive from Rothenburg to Munich via the Romantic Road (without stopping and/or with stopping)? From what I can find it's about 125 miles from Munich to Rothenburg via Romantic Road...this about right? 3. Anyone have a good and budget (meaning under 60 euros for a double) accomodation suggestion for our night in Munich. We really just need a place to sleep before our train ride out the next morning, nothing fancy. 4. Any other suggestions?

(Although we're really open to any suggestions, we really want to rent a car for this leg of the trip, so we'd rather not have a ton of suggestions to skip the driving and take the train, unless you've personally rented a car for this area and found it not worth it.)

Thanks! Krissi

Posted by
7209 posts

I've personally drive on the Romantic Road for several miles until I just couldn't take it anymore. Too many stops and winding turns. Yes, it's good for a few miles - but maybe not the whole way. www.viamichelin.com will give you driving times and https://www.romantischestrasse.de/?lang=uk will give you some interesting facts about the Romantic Road.

My other thought is that Munich is a very nice city with lots to see and do. Don't short change your time there - especially since you're "already there" when you wake up from the night train.

I would also spend at least 1 night in the area of Neuschwanstein. The little town of Horn Schawngau sits at the base of the castles and is a very very pleasant place with some very nice and relatively cheap hotels...try the Hotel Helmerhof. It's full of rolling pastures with cows and their bells, bicycle paths, good restaurants (Hotel Helmerhof), and very nice views of the castles especially when they are illuminated at night.

Posted by
7209 posts

Also don't miss the alpine luge that's 5 minutes away, castle Linderhof in Austria is just over the hills a short drive, and then there is the Crystal Therme pools/sauna/therapy center in the little town, too...easily walkable from Hotel Helmerhof. Yes, This area definitely deserves at least 1 night.

Posted by
32363 posts

Krissi,

I didn't realize you had posted this twice?

Have a look at my reply to your questions in the "To The West" section.

Cheers!