Driving from Italy to Sweden - Where to stop in Germany?

Hi Mark, thanks for responding so quickly. To answer your questions:
A. Own car. Actually a small campervan (could fit all of us for sleeping but not comfortably). .
B. Yes and Yes. The friends we are travelling with are from Orebro so they are very familiar with driving through this part of Europe (as are we, in Europe generally, just not Germany).
C. Yes, aware, especially if we are deviating from the direct route.
D. Should have specified this sorry. Plan is to drive over "the Bridge". Hence ideally waking up in Copenhagen or nearby on the Monday morning for the last day of driving, and aiming for an hour or so stopping off to visit family nearby on the Swedish side before continuing on. We figured the ferries would waste too much "waiting around" time, plus keen to see the bridge itself.
E. Yes aware. This is a "Wishlist" from a previous planned trip to Germany that never eventuated, I know we can't do all of this in the time we have on this occasion. I'm seeking views on which we should prioritise over others, particularly the Rine areas as they are quite a deviation (compared to Fussen, e.g.). If you could advise on high-traffic areas we should avoid, that would definitely help!

F. Early october.

I will definitely check out the routes you have suggested, and was actually reading into the Romantic route as you posted it. the 70km rule of thumb is a good bench mark, thanks for suggesting it.

According to google, Prato to Füssen is around 11 hours, so no more than this on day one.
Your last night in Germany should be around Hamburg, perhaps also Lüneburg which is near and has a beautiful medieval city.
Which leaves another day in between, if I calculated correctly. Not much time for sights tbh, driving alone will be quite demanding that day.
One town that is along any faster routes is Goslar, which is in the northern part but more middle-ish, and has some nice medieval architecture and an old imperial palace (11th century, for the most, and still intact).

Wouldn't doing this trip by train be pleasanter and deliver you in better condition to work? Back in 1987, a performing arts company gave me a few days, and the reservations, to get from someplace like Avignon to Oslo. This included my first, wonderful, day in Paris.

I wonder if you are applying American sensibilities and assumptions, in a different place? Between gas costs and rental charges, this is a more expensive trip than you may imagine. And it's less free and easy than you may imagine. Most magical stops along the way that you are looking forward to, are 15 minutes each way off the highway, plus a search for a parking garage and a walk to the historic area from a banal modern area. Do your hotels have garages?

We figured the ferries would waste too much "waiting around" time

On the contrary, if you take an overnight ferry you will save a lot of time.

Hi everyone,
First, thanks for all the advice and apologies for not responding sooner, it has been a long work week.
Unfortunately, it seems our plans also must change, as I've just learned our Swedish friends will no longer be able to have their car with them in Italy. We are now looking at options for either flying or training to Copenhagen (3 of us).

We can either 1) take a slow train journey through Germany with multiple stops (so still a bit of sightseeing, though presumably these would likely now be cities rather than cute towns?) and arrive in Copenhagen by Sunday as originally planned, or 2) we can train (or fly) to Copenhagen as quickly as possible (arriving Friday), where our fourth friend would meet us with the car and we can explore Southern Sweden over the few days (through Lund, Helsingborg, Gothenburg) until we need to be in Orebro on the Monday evening. The second option is obviously the simplest /smoothest (especially if we choose to just fly), but I'm mindful we will have 2 weeks in Sweden and could visit these areas later if we miss it on the way up.

Either way, I'm a little lost in establishing sensible train routes through Germany given there are multiple companies, routes, and schedules to consider. Google and Rio are only helpful for general indications. Any advice on how to explore route options and timetables?

Thanks!
Mel

In the end it depends it's a matter of preference, but in my opinion a slow trip through Germany with a couple of stops sounds nice. There are several night train routes you can use on the way north, but in my opinion you should make sure you cross the Alps during the day. There are many places along the way that are worth a stop, and it doesn't have to be major cities.

A good place to look up train schedules is www.bahn.de

Thanks Badger, this website is much more helpful!
Has anyone done this trip by train? Any recommended daytime or overnight stops?