10 Day Itinerary Help Please

Why would you not spend some time in Frankfurt if you are landing here? City is chock full of historical sites, old churches, dozens of museums, etc.

Thanks! The itinerary is flexible now so Frankfurt may be possible. I have to consider the limited. Time I have for the entire trip, 10 days.

We did something similar to this 2 years ago, but if you are just doing trains, this I think is the smoothest:

Frankfurt (Land, maybe stay 1 night)

Rothenburg (2 nights – stop in Würzburg on the way)

Munich (3–4 nights – take one day as a day trip to Neuschwanstein/Füssen)

Dresden (2 nights)

Berlin (3–4 nights)

We were thinking of going to Baden-Baden (directly from Frankfurt),
Fussen, Munich, Rothrnburg, possibly Dresden and Berlin, of course. Is
that too much?

Yes, I'm sorry to say.

Sounds like your "for sure" destination is Berlin. A minimum of 3 full days should go to Berlin. That means you arrange to arrive in the afternoon on night #7 and fly out on morning of day #10. I suggest the following steps (with numbers) for a revised travel plan.

That leaves Days #1-6 open for discussion. To minimize packing and unpacking time, limit your number of overnight destinations; and to make the best use of your train journeys, I think it's best to leave extreme-southern Germany (Munich + Fuessen) out of your plans.

1) FRA airport is quite close (45 minutes by direct train) to the Middle Rhine gateway town of Bingen. 2 nights there would provide time for a Rhine cruise, a castle tour, some old-world towns, and Germany's most scenic train ride.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Maeuseturm_Burg_Ehrenfels_Bingen_Rhein.jpg

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/rhine-castles-a-turret-studded-meander-along-the-rhine

https://media01.stockfood.com/largepreviews/MjE4Mjg4NzMyMA==/70415720-Paddle-wheel-steamer-Goethe-at-the-Rhine-river-Bacharach-with-Stahleck-castle-Rhine-river-Rhineland-Palatinate.jpg

https://www.marksburg.de/en/

https://www.seat61.com/places-of-interest/rails-down-the-rhine.htm

2) Day 3: You may need some additional time in the Rhine towns in the morning. Arrange to leave Bingen by 1 pm to reach Rothenburg by around 5 pm. Spend 1-2 nights here.

3) Day 4 or 5: Travel to what is considered one of Germany's best-preserved cities, Bamberg, with UNESCO World Heritage status. Bamberg is fabulous town right on the main route to Berlin (unlike Dresden.) Your train route makes a stop in Wuerzburg on the way to Bamberg. Stop there for several hours on the way to check out the Residenz Palace and the city's other charms (W'burg station has lockers for your bags.) Spend 2 nights in Bamberg. You'll have at least a full day there this way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC8z4btdhq4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPFHDkS7tJc

4) Day 6 or 7: Move on to Berlin (for 4-5 nights in Berlin.) But just as you made a stop in Wuerzburg on the way to Bamberg, you should make a stop over in Erfurt, which is also on the main route to Berlin and is definitely worth seeing. Put your bags in a locker and have a look around before completing your journey to Berlin.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/erfurt-simple-unspoiled-germany

I think you will find the train journeys doable in a reasonable amount of time. Check the DB schedule to see if you agree.

Personally, I don't see Frankfurt as a destination I would include with just 10 days.

Thank you both. Great ideas. Have to look at the sights you suggest. Can’t wait for the trip!