Germany

Sorry, but even if it's doable I don't think it's advisable. You will be there 12 days, but you can't really count your arrival and departure days. So now it's at 10 days. I like to plan by how many nights I will need lodging. For every 2 nights you spend in a location you get one full day there. You have 11 nights. I'm assuming you leave Chicago on the 27th and arrive on the 28th. You want to go to 6-7 cities/regions, and you have to travel from and back to Frankfurt. I think you need to cut down your list a bit so you don't just see Germany from the inside of a train. Geographically Berlin is the odd man out in your wish list. Besides Munich and the castles you mention Bavaria. Where else in Bavaria besides those places do you want to go?

Do you have a copy of RS Germany Guide Book yet? If so, great. If not, I would suggest you get one ASAP as it has lots of very useful information that I used on my trip to Germany in June of this year. If you need to get a copy of that guide book, it can be ordered elsewhere on this web site. The sightseeing priorities that you have listed is too excessive for the amount of time tht you will be in Europe. Plan on two nights in each stop you finally decide on making, that way you will not be spending all of your time unpacking, packing, checking in, checking out, and traveling from one place to another. I spent 3 nights just in Frankfurt where I arrived from Seattle before moving on to my next destination. I have no connection to the RS organization. Happy travels

Hi Demetrius, I recommend the following itinerary: 10/28 Arrive in Frankfurt. 10/29 Train to Berlin 10/30 Berlin 10/31 Berlin 11/01 Berlin 11/02 Train to Munich 11/03 Munich 11/04 Munich 11/05 Train to Rothenburg 11/06 Rothenburg 11/07 Train to Fankfurt with a stop in Wurzburg
11/08 Fly home. Save Salzburg for another trip. Check bahn.de for train schedules. You can save a lot of money if you book early.

Thanks Sean & Charlie. Your information will be very useful in planing my trip.

Hi, In Berlin and Munich you can most definitely get good, safe, cheap accomodations, "the basics, nothing expensive or fancy" even without wifi connection if that's what you want.

Hello Demetrius. Yes, your proposed travel plan is doable, if you delete "Bavaria & Tirol". At some of your places for overnight accommodation, you would be there one night, and travel the next day. I think you know that.
You could go to Neuschwanstein ("castle" of King Ludwig 2) as a day trip from Munich. And the next day you could go on a day trip to Salzburg from Munich. And the next day, train from Munich to Frankfurt. I think the travel plan suggested for you by Sean would be less stressful, and more enjoyable. You would see medieval Germany at Rothenburg. And if you have time for visiting Wurzburg : it is a pleasant small town to see, and many people liked the exterior of the Bishop's palace there, slightly more than the exterior of any royal palace in Europe. (not all people who went there would agree with that).

Hi, Decide whether you're going to focus on which area, the Middle Rhine, Bavaria, or Berlin. Cheap accomodations can be had in Berlin-Charlottenburg, several small hotels and Pensionen on Kantstrasse, Grolmannstrasse, Mommsenstrasse. Also the Meininger Hotel 3 mins next to Berlin Hbf., take the Invalidenstrasse exit.

If you buy train tickets at bahn.de now, you may save a lot. The cheap tickets go quickly. The downside is that they are usually non-changeable and non-refundable. If you aren't going to lock into trains, then there's no reason to buy now.

Three far-flung regions in fewer than 10 days (depending on whether you spend the first and final days sightseeing or in transit) amounts to little more than a check-list of places to be seen but not experienced. If you divide your time between two regions, you will actually get to experience instead of spending so much time in transit. Since you are landing in Frankfurt, you can at least salvage the first day by spending the first night near by, possibly along the Rhein or Mosel. Three or four nights would be better to explore the western border region, say between Cologne and Heidelberg. Then, choose between Bavaria and Prussia for the second half of your journey, making sure the final night is close enough to Frankfurt to be at the airport in time for your flight home. Since you will be flying out of Frankfurt, Bavaria would be easier and quicker to tour and still get back to Frankfurt in time for your flight home. If you choose Berlin instead of Munich, I would look into cheap flights there and back to save travel time.