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A suggested itinerary for traveling southern Germany

We are a family of 4 (2 adult children) traveling for 8 full days in Germany (leaving on the 9th day). We arrive in Frankfurt on July 28th and return home from Frankfurt on August 6th. We would like to see Munich, Salzburg, Rhine Valley and possibly the Black Forest. Can anyone suggest an itinerary for us. We don't know how long to stay in each place or whether it makes sense to rent a car or take trains. We would like to see the Neuschwanstein Castle, the BMW factory and do a cruise on Rhine between St. Goar and Bacharach. Are there any other "must see" sights. Can anyone please offer any help on an itinerary - Day 1, Day 2 etc.

Posted by
6591 posts

Are there any other "must see" sights.

Berlin
The Königssee
Partnach Gorge
Ludwigsburg
Herrenchiemsee
Vierzehnheiligen
Rathaus Tübingen
Cochem

There are dozens and dozens of amazing places in Germany that I could add to my list, none of which are in the destinations you mention, and all of which make it really, really tough to define "must-see." There are so many great choices.

You may not think so now, but your sightseeing hours will be compromised because of the amount of ground travel you are attempting. You should reduce the mileage. So my itinerary will do that but also toss in some very nice places that require less travel. You'll lose a couple of locations but you'll have more time with your feet on the ground - and fewer changes of hotel, maybe less time in the car or train depending on your choices of outing.

7/28-29: Arrive FRA. Train from FRA airport to Würzburg (1.5 hrs.) for 2 nights. W'burg is on the way to Munich. Get adjusted to time change. You can see most of it on foot. Don't miss the Residenz (ENGLISH tours at 11, 1:30, 3 and 4:30) and adjacent Hofkirche (chapel.) Also...

Rick's page on W'burg
Goldene Gans Biergarten
zum Stachel restaurant near the Main River and Market Square
W'burg must-sees

You might have time for an outing. How about the little wine/artists village and old-world town of Iphofen, only 25 min's from W'burg by direct train? See photos and guide below.

Iphofen photos
Iphofen guide

7/30 - 8/2: train to Munich for 4 nights.
You will have to make some choices here about activities and outings. It's a big city with lots of stuff to see and do. Day tripping to N'stein is possible but you spend much of the day getting there and back (nearly 5 hours) plus a long uphill walk with the tourist horde - around 60-90 minutes round trip to the entrance for a crowded 30-minute tour. Also it's not a real castle; it's a palace with a fake castle exterior that's only about 60 years older than Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Salzburg isn't much closer (about 3.5 hours round trip by direct train) but it's far more rewarding IMO. You might want to see Regensburg (3 hours round trip by direct train.) It's a UNESCO World Heritage site, a great old-world city.

(to be continued...)

Posted by
6591 posts

(Part 2)

8/3-5: Train to the Middle Rhine Valley (St. Goar) for 3 nights. You can stay 3 nights,or 2 nights with a final night in Mainz (just 25 minutes by direct train from FRA airport.) Best cruise is Bingen to St. Goar. So on 8/3 use the train to reach Bingen, walk to the boat dock, and board an afternoon boat to St. Goar (1.5 hours; cruise at 14:30 or 16:30.) That way you see the river for the first time from the river instead of from the train. St.Goar is a good base town for outings by train (very central) and for access to the opposite river bank as there is ferry service there.

If you make the 14:30 boat back in Bingen you might have time to tour Rheinfels Castle and museum on 8/3. It's a fairly easy walk from the center of town.

On the 4th and 5th you can take train outings to the old-world wine towns of Boppard, Oberwesel and Bacharach on the west Rhine Bank, and on a 2nd day you can visit Marksburg Castle in Braubach and perhaps Rüdesheim, both on the opposite river bank. Marksburg is a completely intact medieval castle. The walk up from town takes about 20+ minutes each way or you can take the Marksburg Express shuttle. Maybe have a traditional German meal in Braubach's old town.

Take the train to Mainz on 8/5 if you have a flight out early in the morning. If it's later, you can stay a 3rd night in St. Goar but you have to figure with about 1.5 hours on the train from there.

I or someone else can help with train ticketing advice if this sounds good. You could do this by car but a car in Munich and doing any day trips out of and back into Munich is a pain.

Posted by
19052 posts

I don't know why some people are so determined to bash Neuschwanstein, particularly suggesting Herrenchiemsee as a better alternative.

Yes, it takes almost 5 hours round trip to get to/from the ticket kiosk at Hohenschwangau. From there, according to Google Maps, it's a 26 minute walk up to the castle and a 21 minute walk back down (47 minutes round trip, not 60-90). But the round trip from Munich to the ticket kiosk on Herren Insel is at least 4 hours, if you take the steam streetcar from the station in Prien to the boat dock in Stock, longer if you walk, and the walk from the ticket kiosk to the palace is only about 20 minutes less, round trip, than for Neuschwanstein. Both buildings are accessible by guided tours (approx 30 min) only.

And, Neuschwanstein is unique, while Herrenchiemsee is just a partial and inaccurate, late 19th century replica of the Versailles Palace.