Hey I’ll be traveling to Europe next year and planning to go to Amsterdam, Munich, and finally Switzerland (Lauterbrunnen & Lucerne). I was looking at the days I had available and came up with 3 days between Amsterdam and Munich and was wondering how I could best spend those days. Would going down the Rhine be achievable? If so, where would I fly or take the train to from Amsterdam in order to start that? I’ll be seeing Neuschwanstein and Rothenburg while in Munich so these don’t need to be considered. If anyone has any suggestions or tips, that would be super appreciated :) Thank you.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2400 posts
You could stop in Frankfurt as a half way point and spend time on the Rhine. From AMS it is 4.5-6 hours by train or a relatively short flight (1 hour, plus travel to airport, security/etc.). You could base out of Frankfurt or pick another town along the river (plenty of choices). If you search the forum there are plenty of discussions about what to do and where to catch the best river boats for castle views. You might want to mention when you're going, as the time of year could affect opening hours, boat schedules, business of hotels (e.g., conventions in Frankfurt), etc.
Posted by
Green Bay
20290 posts
I would suggest taking a train to Cologne (2 1/2 hours) and spend a bit of time there, then afternoon train to St Goar (2 hours) and spend the night there. Following day, take one of KD boats to Bingen or Mainz. If Bingen, then train to Mainz and spend the night there. Following day take a direct train to Munich (4 hours)
Posted by
Paradise
6676 posts
Would going down the Rhine be achievable?
Yes. Frankfurt is not on the Rhine. So if it's your goal to follow the Rhine, Sam's general routing suggestions makes good sense.
But the elephant in the room is this question... What do you hope to do on the Rhine?
Cologne has Germany's most visited tourist site - the very worthwhile Cologne Cathedral. And there are some good museums there too. But whether you stop there depends on whether Cologne interests you.
Remagen (south of Bonn) has an interesting WW II museum at the site of the Remagen Bridge
Further south, the Uppar Middle Rhine Valley (known also as the Rhine Gorge) is dotted with medieval castles (a few that offer tours,) vineyards, attractive old-world towns, chairlift rides to lookout points, great hiking and biking options. The scenery is terrific. River cruises are popular. It lies between Koblenz and Bingen, and UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage site.
Mainz is a nice city with some interesting museums and a nice vibe. The Cathedral there is interesting too.
Maybe you can fill us in on your interests if you are looking for suggestions.
I’ll be seeing Neuschwanstein and Rothenburg while in Munich
Rothenburg isn't in or anywhere near Munich. The efficient way to see it is to make a stop on the way to Munich. Trains that head to Munich via Würzburg put you much much closer to R'burg than you will be once you are in Munich!