Thank you in advance for your time and advice! I hope this didn't post 2x as I tried editing the original, and it disappeared.
*I’ve read the forum blogs here (most of them covering at least 10 pages, some of them 20) for Germany, Belgium, Austria, General Europe, etc….to try and narrow down what we’d like to see, what your advice has been to past travelers, etc. Below is very tentatively what I’ve come up with after reading such, based on what we’d like to do/see. I want to run it past you all and see if we’re reaching too far, not enough, if the time frame/nights spent is advisable, and well as my other requests.
*Would like any additional tips on purchasing airfare, can fly out of San Diego (origin), Los Angeles, Seattle (I’ve seen inexpensive non- or 1 stop flights from here, and we’re willing to fly up there – have Alaska Air miles can use for this portion) and would like to fly into Frankfurt as it is closest to Kaiserslautern, going to be getting rental car and have tentatively planned a circular driving route). I’ve read here that we should be looking at purchasing our airfare 6-8 months out, and have seen recommendations to check Google Flights, Skyscanner, Momondo for prices and options. I've seen that the Nordic carriers might be our best bet for flights from SEA to FRA, pricing around $600-800, but Condor from SAN to FRA is around $1,000+...
*We’d like to experience/tour/see WW2, Alpine villages, historic buildings, castles/palaces, a cable car (or similar) ride to mountain tops, hiking, countryside/lakes/gorges and Roman ruins; not excited on big cities nor art museums, and would definitely choose to visit smaller, less tourist populated areas (ie. willing to skip Rothenburg ob der Tauber and visit a smaller village instead along the Romantic Road, and so on)
*trip dates – any time after beginning of June 2019 – probably looking at 16-18 days, including travel days; traveling with 2 adults and a 20 year old (our airman) and a 17 year old, both boys and up for any adventure; would prefer to stay in Air BnB/HomeAway, or similar, ideally some place with a kitchen to prepare meals and save on dining out expenses, or a B&B for breakfast, then pack lunch and eat some dinners out…
Tentatively:
2 nights to adjust to travel/jet lag: Kaiserslautern – take a Rhine River cruise, see Werner Chapel, travel to….
2-3 nights: Bastogne/Luxembourg (city) –see Bastogne and the WW2 Memorial, American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg and the WW2 Museum, Trier for the Roman ruins, travel to….
2 nights (stay in/near Colmar) Strasbourg & Colmar, FR – the Cathedral de Notre Dame, Colmar (possibly Pearls of Alsace tour), Black Forest day trip, travel to...
3-4 nights: Castles & Palaces, hikes tour Neuschwanstein [maybe just view Neuschwanstein from Mary’s Bridge], visit the other castles - Ehrenberg Castle/Highline 179, Honenschwangau, Linderhof Palace), Zugspitze, Leutasch Gorge hike, (recommendations on an area that would/might be most centrally located to all of these – maybe the Garmisch- Partenkirchen area?), travel to….
2-3 nights (recommendations on area to stay?): Berchtesgaden, Eagles Nest (tour with David & Kristine Harper's company), Königssee, Herrenchiemsee Palace, Dachau, travel to…
1 night?: Drive the Romantic Road….visit a village or two along the way back to Kaiserslautern….