Please sign in to post.

Dusseldorf to Munich - Advice for a few nights stay of our trip please :)

Hi All! Thank you in advance for some advice (I will not be hurt if you tell me to change some plans) -- :)

Below is what I have planned so far:

9/9: Land in Dusseldorf 9AM - spend the day or so exploring
9/9: Either Car or Train to Cologne that night and spend the next full day and night in Cologne
9/11: Rent car and head for the Schönburg Castle in Oberwesel for 2 days and 3 nights (wine tour, etc. planned for this stay)
9/13: Check out of Castle and head to .... ______________________________ (This is where I need help. I think we want to skip by Frankfurt and visit somewhere else for 2 nights) I was thinking Heidelberg, Trier, Wurzberg, Nuremberg, Rothenberg, Luzemborg City, Bacharach, Augburg....I am OPEN to ANY suggestions..
9/14: ?
9/15: Stuttgart (should we spend more than one night here?) Drop off car
9/16: Head toward Munich for Ocktoberfest
9/19: Time to head back to the United States

CANT WAIT TO VISIT! Any tips or must-do's are totally welcome!

Posted by
7030 posts

You'll be in Oberwesel for the big wine fest 9/9-12. But I would not want to miss the Saturday evening fireworks and other activities there. Suggest you make your way out of Cologne by the afternoon of 10/10 and book a room now anywhere you can find one - Oberwesel, St. Goar, Boppard are all good choices. Don't miss this just for more time in Cologne, where 24 hours is plenty, IMO.

9/13: Bacharach is next door to Auf Schoenburg so I'm sure you'd have time to see it before/after/during your castle-hotel stay. It's not clear what your purpose is in Stuttgart or whether it's a must... If not I'd spend 9/13-15 in Franconia (northern Bavaria) in one town - maybe Wuerzburg - and day trip to the others nearby... Bamberg (shouldn't be missing from your list,) Nuremberg, Rothenburg, maybe Bad Windsheim, Iphofen, Marktbreit, Sommerhausen. If Stuttgart is a must, then from 9/13-15 see some things in that area instead... Heidelberg is a possibility, but so are Bad Wimpfen, Ladenburg, Speyer, Ludwigsburg.... many good choices.

Posted by
16895 posts

It doesn't sound like you need the car until departing Cologne, so it makes sense to pick it up at that time. Train ride Dusseldoft-Cologne is only 20-30 minutes.

Neither Frankfurt or Luxembourg are top tourist destinations, so you should not feel badly about skipping them on this short trip.

Posted by
14 posts

Russ - WOW! Thank you, I did not know about the Wine Fest from my research! I will look into that and maybe not staying in Cologne/Dusseldorf for more then the 2 days of 9/9 - 9/10 and head to Oberwesel area earlier. We are going to Stuttgart to see the BMW/Porsche, etc Museums (more for my Boyfriend!...the Castle is for me haha).

Laura - Thank you for the input - I think we will skip those then.