Hi folks,
We're traveling from Munich to Rothenburg and then on to the Rhine area among others in early May. We didn't want to rent a car until departing Rothenburg as it wouldn't be necessary. But, I can't find a car rental agency in Rothenburg. Does anyone know of somewhere nearby where we can pick up a car? As an alternative I searched the DB website for short trips from Rothenburg to places that have more rental options, but with multiple changes it gets a bit complicated. I know Rothenburg is out of the way. Only other option I can think of would be to rent a car in Munich, drive to Rothenburg and let the car sit for the two days we'll be there.
Thanks,
Jason
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19095 posts
Try Würzburg. The train trip from Rothenburg is not complicated (one change in Steinach). There is a Hertz car rental at the Hbf according to Google Maps; also a Sixt and a Europcar.
Posted by
Paradise
6648 posts
"...with multiple changes it gets a bit complicated."
It probably seems complicated if you haven't used trains much before, but it's not. You simply get off the train and move from one platform to another platform (or possibly stay on the same platform) for your next train.
There are no direct trains from Munich to Rothenburg - if you can accomplish that (which I'm certain you can) then it is no trouble at all to make ONE change (not multiple changes) of train at the tiny station of Steinach for Rothenburg - Würzburg (where you can pick up a car. )
Traveling from Rothenburg to the Rhine by train is not much trickier. You would first travel to Würzburg (a nice place to visit btw.) For the trip from W'burg to Bacharach (I'm assuming Bacharach as an example and because it's the only place Rick Steves' readers seem to consider) then you could arrange to have just one more change of train (probably in Frankfurt.)
Once you are in the Rhine Valley, you'll find trains pretty much everywhere you want to go.
Germans, even those with disabilities and outsized suitcases, travel by train and change platforms with them. You can too if you wish to.