We will be visiting Germany this summer to see my relatives. We will stay first night to visit my cousin in Darmstadt after arriving from BOS- FRA. We are a family of 4, two teen daughters. I need advice on car vs train and/ or both. We definitely NEED a car once we are at our final destination (Regnitzlosau) as it is rural and my uncle does not have enough room for us in his car. We are only bringing each a carry on (my kids can carry on their own as they are old enough and good travelers) and a small backpack.
We can either:
1) Rent a car in Darmstadt and drive the 5 hours to Regnitzlosau (final destination)
2) Take a train all the way to Hof (2 transfers) and rent a car there (leaving us only 15 min drive to Regnitzlosau-Hof is the closest train station to Regnitzlosau).
3) Take a train to Bamberg (2 transfers) and then rent a car- the Europcar is within a short walk of the station- and drive the last 1.5 hours to Regnitzlosau, making the drive relatively short.
4) Take a train to Nurnberg (1 transfer) and rent a car- the rental place is directly in the station- and then drive the last 2 hours to Regnizlosau, cutting the drive more than in half.
Least expensive option is Option #1, followed by Option #2 and #3 (very similar cost for car rental and train tix), and most expensive car rental is #4. Total cost differential is about $250 from Option 1 to Option 4.
My husband and I would split driving. We have not driven in Germany in 15 years, so a bit nervous about a 5 (or more with traffic) drive. Hubby loves trains and would prefer train, but I worry about missing a connection, then missing the window of the car rental place being open/ getting our car, etc. My cousin thinks Nurnberg would be hard to drive out of. She also thinks option #1 is best. My sister thinks we should take the train as far as we can being jet lagged and that it's our vacation, so she votes for Option #2. Hubby wants Option #3 as Bamberg is easy to drive out of. Help settle this family debate! :) Thank you!