Frankfurt/Heidelberg/Black Forest/Strasbourg itinerary

"Next, head south to Freiburg to spend some time exploring the Black Forest."

Rick Steves mischaracterizes Freiburg as a great base-town option for the Black Forest. It's the biggest city in the Black Forest Region, a truly gigantic area which is basically the area south of Stuttgart on the map below:

https://www.schwarzwaldportal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Schwarzwaldkarte_29045807.jpg

"Although none of us are huge hikers we all love outdoor activities and nature..."

Great, sounds like you have German blood! The thing about the German great outdoors is that it's everywhere you turn - I like the Black Forest, but it is not necessary to travel to the Black Forest for hiking, biking, canoeing, etc. Not far from Heidelberg is the Odenwald (forest, see map again) which is crowded with outdoor options. Also, just northwest of Frankfurt Airport is the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, which is loaded with trails, biking options, etc, and lots of chairlifts/gondolas etc. to help you enjoy the awesome views if your feet should give out on you. It's much much more than just the town of Bacharach. I'll share a few links with you.

Map: https://www.seat61.com/images/rhine-train-map.jpg

Rhine Valley: https://i2.wp.com/herbert-piel.de/wp-44b92-content/uploads/2016/01/Loreleytal.jpg?fit=960%2C641
Bacharach: https://www.mittelrheinentdecken.de/en/villages-towns-and-cities/bacharach/
Rheinsteig Trail: https://www.komoot.com/collection/776/the-21-stages-of-the-rheinsteig-trail-along-the-rhine
Biking on the Rhine past castles, historic villages, vineyards: https://www.riverroutes.de/en/Castles-and-palaces-Rhine-cycle-path-2/
Boppard's chairlift: https://fewoboppard.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Sessellift.jpg
River cruising is popular here too: https://cdn.fodors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rhine-River-Cruise-Rudesheim-1.jpg

(And again, if you languish, every little town on both sides of the Rhine River has a train station that allows you to check out the half-timbered buildings, wine gardens, and castles.)

So I could see FRA > Heidelberg > Odenwald > Rhine Valley > Strasbourg on your way to CDG.

Great input, thank you! I will check out all your links but have to say that I was purposely limiting my Rhine visit due to the time of year. I'm imagining that area better suited for summer and fall. Am I wrong?

Hi fourrox, that sounds like a wonderful idea. If you have 10 or 11 days, how many days will you be staying in each place (Heidelberg, the Black Forest and Strasbourg)?

The reason I ask is that I think it would be more efficient for you to spend your time in Heidelberg and take your day trips there, then head down to the Black Forest. You might want to consider staying in Gengenbach, rather than Freiburg. You can always take a day trip to Freiburg and just visit it, as it is a lot of fun. But one advantage to staying in Gengenbach is that, first of all, it's a very charming town with the half-timbered houses and charming cobblestone streets.

But it has the advantage of being on a main train line, so you could actually get to Strasbourg as a day trip from Gengenbach in about 35 to 40 minutes. Or even if you wanted to spend time in Strasbourg and France for a longer period of time, you could stay in Gengenbach and then at the end just head over the border to Strasbourg and spend your time there.

Plus, if you stay in Gengenbach, you are able to access a KONUS card, which is given to all people who live in or visit most of the Black Forest. There are some places that do not use the KONUS card, including Freiburg but Gengenbach does, and so it's easy to get around by train for free. There are many charming villages in the region that you can visit along the Black Forest Railway, and there is also the Vogtsbauernhof (open-air museum) that is a joy to visit and easily accessible by train.

Here's a recent thread from another person who is taking their family to Germany and plans on staying five nights in Gengenbach in the Black Forest. They were also considering Freiburg and ultimately decided on Gengenbach. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but I do love Gengenbach so I always urge people to consider it. 😊 https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/tips-on-black-forest-please

One more thing about the Rhine. I do love the Rhine area, and it's really a lovely place to go, but it depends on when you will be there. Most of the main attractions don't open until April. For example, Burg Eltz and Marksburg castle do not open until the first of April, so unless you're there by then, you would miss those and they're both well worth seeing. I'm not sure about other places, but it would be worth checking on the dates.

Late March can be chilly, but it's actually a nice time to be there.

Rhine cruise season: ships begin running March 21: https://www.bingen-ruedesheimer.de/fahrplan/
Ferry crossings: year-round
Train service: year-round

Castles...
"Burg Eltz and Markbreit castle do not open until the first of April, so unless you're there by then, you would miss those..."

This part is correct.: Burg Eltz is not open until April 1. But it's not on the Rhine, anyway, and two other castles on the Rhine will be open... There's no "Marktbreit" castle - the other castle is probably Marksburg Castle, and it's open year-round! Rheinfels Castle in St Goar: also open year-round! (construction is underway.)

Hiking/Biking: Late March is not ideal as temperatures go, but it seems you want to do outdoor activities, and these things are possible. In addition to trails that might have you out in the elements for several hours, There are relatively easy walks you can do along the old-town walls in Bacharach and Oberwesel. Come back quickly if it suddenly pours, but March/April are the two months of the year with the LEAST precipitation in this area. The Rhine Valley is one of the warmest places in Germany in March, certainly warmer than most of the Black Forest. And if you don't like museums, that pretty much leaves shopping centers and the outdoors.

And starting April 2 or 3, the Easter-vacationers will be pouring into the valley, competing for rooms at higher prices, etc. . I can't see the weather changing drastically in the course of 1-2 weeks.

Restaurants If you were to stay in certain towns like Bacharach, it might be that some of the seasonal restaurants have not yet opened - but if you stay in the charming town of Boppard, which is a sort of meeting/shopping/business center for the smaller Rhine towns, you and the locals will be able to eat out without trouble - and Boppard is only 15 minutes from much larger Koblenz, where there are no winter closures to speak of. Take the train there for dinner if you like. You want souvenirs? Most will be closed I think, but the Montag shop in St Goar, 10 minutes from Boppard (well-known, a Rick Steves rec.) is open year-round for its cuckoo clock sales, etc.

Lifts to the cliffs: Rüdesheim's gondola opens March 21, and the one in Koblenz will also be open. March 28 is the first day of operationi for the chairlift in Cochem (Mosel River town nearby.()

And as Mardee and others will tell you, Boppard is a pretty nice place to be. And like the Black Forest, Boppard guests all receive a free transit pass for local travel during your stay, which covers most outings.

If you want to go there, I say do it. The warmer months are better for outdoor things, but you're not going then.

Russ, you are right. It is Marksburg. Once again, my fingers typed faster than my brain. 😂

From Strasburg it is a quick train ride to Paris. Spend at least a full day in Paris.

Russ and Mardee thank you for the thoughtful contributions. I have some more research to do!