I am trying to set an itinerary for our visit to Germany. We're planning to drive down from Berlin, stop in Dresden for a few hours and stay in Nuremberg that night. Then take a day for Nuremburg, a day to visit Wurzburg and Rothenburg and then continue down to Munich the following day. That would be three nights (albeit only one real day) in Nuremberg.
Does it make sense to use Nuremberg as a base like this to visit Wurtzburg and Rothenburg?
Looking at the map, the three places are pretty much in a triangle. If it's Nürnberg in which you want to spend a full day (although I would prefer Rothenburg), then staying in Nürnberg makes sense. Otherwise, stay where you get the best rate for accommodations.
I don't think one day's trip to both Würzburg and Rothenburg does either one justice.
Having lived in Wurzburg, using Nuremburg as a base would not be my choice. But to each his own. Trying to do both W'burg and R'burg as a single day trip will, imo, severely short change both of them.
Dresden as a stop-over between Berlin and Nürnberg really won't work, unless your goal is just to simply park the car briefly, say you were there and head again on the road. However, Leipzig is far more convenienty located for a brief visit. Or even consider the Garden Realm of Würlitz/Dessau. Both are pretty much along your direct route of travel.
And I agree with the others, one day is not enough time for Rothenburg and Würzburg.
IMO Rothenburg is worth a few hours (been there repeatedly with different travel partners and that's about all I can take of the heavy tourism) and Wuerzburg can be done in a day from
Nuremberg if you are organized about what you wish to see and do.
I'd leave the car at "home" and take the train to these places. The trip to W'burg is direct by regional train (use the Bayern Ticket, E28/2 adults.) The trip to R'burg has connections but can be done cheaply on the Tagesticket Plus (about E18/2 adults) from N'berg.
Be sure you book within walking distance of the Nuremberg station. You don't want to waste time trekking across town on your day outings.
Tom: Should we consider staying in Dresden for one night and then driving to Nuremberg the next morning?
All: If we don't stay in Nuremberg, can you suggest the best way to see the triangle of Nuremberg/Wurzburg/Rothenburg (ie. where to stay?, how long)?
Thanks for the help!
Joe
Tom:
I was hoping we'd arrive in Dresden by 10:00am. The itinerary would be make a reservation for the "Green Vault", do the RS Walk, see a few other sites. Have an early dinner and then drive on to Nuremberg arriving late. I know it's a long day but the RS book made Dresden seem like a 1/2 day visit type of place.
Thoughts?
Joe
Nürnberg has good connections and would make a good base for these three towns. However, Nürnberg is a trade fair destination. When there is a trade fair in town the room prices go sky high, especially during the week. If you know your dates, check out room prices early. HRS.com or some other booking site will tell you well in advance how things stack up.
Just from knowing the traffic, I would say 10:00 is overly optimistic, unless you leave very early.
The Green Vault gets all the attention, but the other collections in the Stadtschloss (the building that houses them all) are worth a look too. The display of armor and weapons is one of the best I've seen.
I wouldn't go to Dresden only to see the historic Green Vault. Kind of like going to Paris and only seeing the Eifel tower or the Mona Lisa, then leaving immediately.
When you stop at Dresden, go see all the sights there, it's very compact. And do a ride with one of the historic cable cars onto the surrounding hills, too. It gives you a nice sight over the city. AND make sure to visit the Elbsandsteingebirge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbe_Sandstone_Mountains nearby.
That would take up a whole day. Stay in Dresden for the night, go to Bamberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamberg next day, and from there, make day tours to Nuremberg, Würzburg and Rothenburg o.d.T.
"If we don't stay in Nuremberg, can you suggest the best way to see the triangle of Nuremberg/Wurzburg/Rothenburg (ie. where to stay?, how long)?"
How long... As long as you possibly can IMO. You can visit W'burg and R'burg's highlights in a couple of days, but this triangle is in Franconia, one of Germany's most attractive and interesting regions. The time you have in mind only scratches the surface there and could easily be quadrupled. There's so much more than the 3 cities you've named... Bamberg is an outstanding medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. With more time you could check it out and sample some local specialties in its renowned brewery-restaurants - this one, for example. Franconia is littered with breweries, by the way. And you could pay a visit to the historic wine villages that share the Main River with Würzburg. Among those is Sommerhausen. And adorable Iphofen is a gem as well. What about the stunning Vierzehnheiligen Basilica in Staffelstein? And with just a couple of days there's no time for the excellent Open-Land Museum in Bad Windsheim where you walk through 5 or 6 centuries of local history, or for the Coburg Fortress.
Thank you everyone for your insight!
