8 Days in Bavaria

I would suggest going along the Rhine/Mosel. Head towards Rothenburg, Baden Baden and then end in Munich

2-Rhine sleep in either St. Goar or Bacharach, explain castles, ride on the Rhine
2-Rothenburg do Nightwatch tour, visit the church, walk the wall and visit the Crime and Punishment museum
1-Baden Baden visit the baths, casino or wonder towards the Black Forest or the open air museum
2-3-Munich 2 days in Munich and one for visiting Dachau or Neuschwanstein or Salzburg or one in Munich and 2 side trips

I would also suggest getting the RS Germany book. It covers all this area.

First, I would get a more comprehensive book than RS. I buy and like Rick's book but use it in conjunction with a more comprehensive guide. I like the Michelin Green Guide for laying out a trip.

So much depends on what fires your imagination. I really like the Middle Rhine myself, including the two towns mentioned: Bacharach and St. Goar.

I also like Rothenburg, and it has good tourist services like hotels and restaurants. I like Würzburg, Bamberg and Regensburg more. It would do well to read about several places and see which really appeal to your idea of interesting sights. Between Regensburg with its wonderful medieval buildings and Munich lies Landshut. It is a small town with beautiful pastel facades. A different experience from all above. It also has a castle.

Munich is a tough one for me. I have stopped there 5 times and always enjoyed it but never have had enough time to really get a feel for it. Short stays in large cities just do not work for us. My wife lived there 2 years in college and enjoys it, though not as much as towns listed above.

Your need to do a bit of reading, at least on-line, to have a good starting plan in your mind.

If you have a chance to spend a night(s) in a castle then by all means do it. There's not quite so exciting to a tourist than spending the night in an actual castle. Look at Castle Veldenstein (near Nuremberg) or Castle Colmberg (near Rothenburg OdT)

Hotel Burg Veldenstein closed.
http://www.burghotel-veldenstein.de/

"Which cities should we stop in this itinerary?"

Area 1: Rhine Valley (Maybe 3 nights)
Linz am Rhein
Braubach for a tour of Marksburg Castle
St. Goar for a tour of Rheinfels Castle
Bacharach

Area 2: Franconia (maybe 5 nights)
Würzburg - see the Tourist information pages
Bamberg - the old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site; brewery-restaurants and pubs
Vierzehnheiligen Basilica (near Staffelstein)
Nuremberg - WW II history, great pubs
Iphofen
Ochsenfurt w/ old town wall and towers
Bad Windsheim - visit the Freilandmuseum

If you decide to go with Russ's #2 option, I would also recommend a trip to Coburg, to visit Germany's best castle (in my opinion). And if you'll have a rental car, consider exploring Franconian Switzerland. Despite the name, it looks nothing like Switzerland (in my opinion), but the region is chock full of scenic old villages, castles, and interesting rock formations.

Thank you for all the repliesn