Germany in December

Hit the ground running or spend a night in Frankfurt?

One of your desired venues is Bacharach, which, at worst, is only 1h20 from FRA by regional trains (S-Bahn to Mainz, RB to Bacharach), so stay there your first night. Bacharach is on your way to Cochem and Trier.

There are also direct REs from the airport to Bacharach in a little over an hour. They leave at 9:24 and 11:23.

If you can't find anyplace open in Bacharach, there is also St Goar and the larger Boppard. They're a little farther away then Bacharach but not that far. The faster RE stops in Boppard and Bacharach but not in St Goar.

A lot of places on the Rhein will be closed for the winter in December, limiting your choices. I would find someplace still open and reserve in advance.

As one who has driven on most of our trips to Germany, my thoughts are:
1) It depends. You may want to really think about your most interested places to visit.
2) In 40 years of traveling to Germany, I have not found the lack of knowing German to be an issue. You will find a person here or there who does not speak English. For the most part, you will find someone who will. Try to learn a few basic words to break the ice.
3) With the way travel is currently you are best to book ahead.
4) You don't say where you live. Our way of handling jet lag is to alter our sleep and wake times the week before we leave. We get up and go to bed earlier each day before we leave in order to get our schedule closer to European time. It might be easier for us to do as we live in the midwest.
5) No suggestions.
If you are renting a car you must have winter tires on your rental car by German law. You must also familiarize yourself with traffic signs, road signs, parking signs etc.. If you have not thought of taking the train, that is an option worth considering. @Lee has opened my eyes to train travel in Germany.
Good luck! You will enjoy Germany in the winter, we have.
John

Rothenenburg is worth one night and a day. The wall around the city is fun to walk. Restaurants are really good and it has one of the very best Christmas stores there I have ever seen. I spent 3 hours in the store one time in July and had a lot of fun. Bacharach has always been my home base when in that area. Between the river ferry and the trains everything is easy to get to. I have rented a car once when I was in GAS for a month and found it a hassle and expensive to park. My other 6 trips I have done trains and boats and it is cheaper and easier to do. Once in a while I will rent a car for a day to get to some really nice little villages or out of the way places but it is usually for just a day at a time. As mentioned above you can have snow and or ice then also which makes riving slow and difficult. Have a wonderful trip.

You can book some accommodations as you go, but I haven’t done so in over 20 years. To get the places you want to stay, I would book ahead on the internet. When I went one December, a few places I wanted to book were closed. For a farm stay, google ‘urlaub auf dem bauernhof’

I try to stay places where they don’t speak much English, but most in the tourist business will speak some. Our favorite innkeeper uses her ipad or phone with a translator app. My wife got a small stand alone translator for a reasonable price so she could ‘talk’ more with the innkeeper. It worked well.

If you stick to towns and cities then the train is the best option. If you want to get more out in the country the. you will need a car.

For Bacharach, if you want a real visit the way it used to be, stay with Irmgard Orth in her 3 room establishment. It’s listed as a ‘private gastezimmer.’ on the rhein-nahe-touristik.de website which is where the bacharach.de website will send you for accommodations.

Generally speaking, I would not recommend the small towns (Bacharach, Cochem, or most others) as base towns for a December visit. The hiking you might do in other warmer months is just not very rewarding in December, and the towns are basically shuttered.

Trier, Koblenz, and Mainz are larger towns that might work as bases. But based on what the details you've provided, I'd probably skip the Mosel and focus on the Rhine and Franconia. I'd either use Mainz or the smaller town of Rüdesheim, the gateway town to the Rhine Gorge, as a base town. Mainz is no small town, but it feels small for its population; is a lively and interesting place with a tangle of inviting pedestrians-only streets in its old-town and shopping quarters, one that offers lots to see and do, including an excellent Christmas market and numerous indoor venues (museums, churches, and some shopping.) Beyond that, it's a good base town for day trips to smaller places... you can easily reach Mainz from FRA in 25 minutes (direct train) or catch a direct train from Mainz to Bacharach and its neighbor town Oberwesel for a walk through town or along O'wesel's old town wall. Or ride the train to Koblenz and back just to spot all the castles in the Rhine Gorge. You can also ride the train on a day trip from Mainz to Rüdesheim and its Christmas market. I would not suggest Mainz, however, if you are wanting to do outings by car.

Rüdesheim is about 1.25 hours from FRA by train and definitely meets the Rhine "small-town" standard. It will still be a lively place in winter on account of its very atmospheric Christmas market. But it's still pretty small, and you will still be wanting to do outings from there... one good one for you would be Marksburg Castle in Braubach (near Koblenz, open year-round.) Direct trains go to Braubach from R'heim in about 45 minutes, or you can drive. R'heim is a better place than Mainz to park a car. You could cross the Rhine using the ferries to visit Bacharach and Oberwesel as well from R'heim. Other nearby towns of interest include Eltville and Wiesbaden.

I would think 3-4 days for the Rhine, with the rest of your time in Franconia. Bamberg, Bayreuth, Nuremberg, Würzburg, Rothenburg, as well as Regensburg and Ansbach might end up on your day trip checklist in December. Nuremberg is central to all these destinations and generally makes the best base town, but like Mainz, N'berg is good for train outings but not so great if you have a car and you're staying in the handsome old town zone.

In addition to having a great deal to offer itself, Wurzburg is a good place to use as a base to do day trips. Aschaffenbur, Mespelbrunn (storybook castle with a moat), Heidelberg, Rothenburg ob Tauber, Klingenberg, and Miltenberg all come to mind, and you'll eliminate some lost time relocating.

If you want to get more out in the country the. you will need a car.

Strange that I never noticed that. In my time in Germany, over 80% of my nights have been in towns with under 20k population, and I've never needed a car to get to any of them. Most I accessed by rail, a few by bus.

Germany has the most extensive (km of track) rail system in western Europe and the 2nd most intensive (km of track/km², a couple of % less than Switzerland). With 5400 rail station, a lot of small towns are with reach.

1. I think getting a taste for each region is a good idea. They all have something different to offer
2. I speak some German and my husband doesn't and we usually get what we need very easily. Say Hallo or Guten Morgen/Tag when you enter into an establishment before blurting out your questions and you will be fine (I learned that one the hard way :) )
3. I typically book everything in advance. It makes it to much easier to have a plan and know where you are going to crash at the end of the day.
4. I would take the first day to relax. Learned that one the hard way too. I am typically really excited the first day, but crash hard about half way through the day.

In the Franconia region we really loved:

Bamberg
Bayreuth
Würzburg
Dinkelsbühl
Nördlingen
Nuremberg

It is a little out of the way but since you have a little one you may like the Steiff Museum Giengen an der Brenz - Steiff makes the famous stuffed animals.

Hi Taylor, I'm glad you added that note about coming from Lake Superior, so you know how to drive in winter weather! Having said that, I just don't see the need to rent a car. Expensive, not your native language, potentially bad weather and a toddler. I would take the train, loved those statistics from @Lee about train track lines! There's really a lot written on the Forum about German Christmas markets, if you go to the main page of the RS forum, type 'Christmas Market Forum' in the search bar. Here’s one thread - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/christmas-markets-3f017177-9157-430e-9f41-2fced79dd1c5

@Pam has posted a great thread about handling jet lag more scientifically, below. I found it to be about 50-75% effective going to Europe, less so coming home but I couldn't make the changes necessary. Take what you like and leave what doesn't work, but it DOES help! https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/jet-lag-i-tried-the-timeshifter-app

1. You have some great advice above. Do reconsider renting a car! It's not just the driving. Parking can be a real hassle and a big expense. Your daughter travels by train for free. Both you and your husband would be available to look out the window with her and talk about the sights, as well as get up and walk around. The website Seat 61 will teach you all you need to know about train travel in Germany.
2. Look up a few German greetings/phrases to memorize and use as greetings/courtesies. You will be amazed at the English proficiency of many Germans!
3. It will be much more relaxing for you if you book accommodations in advance, especially since you'll have your toddler along and don't know how she'll do with the time change. One less thing to think about once you're there.
4. Frankfurt is a very worthwhile stopover, but you may want to get to your first longer-term base and eliminate a one-night stay. It's been awhile since my "kids" were toddlers, but I remember that packing up and moving every night was a real pain. Regarding jet lag-if you can keep her awake and active on arrival day (but not overtired!) she will be more likely to sleep a good chunk of the night-so you can, too!
5. You will find children's areas at the Christmas markets. Your daughter will be too young for most activities but she will likely enjoy being around other children and areas that are geared to their interests.

Enjoy your adventure!

You want to go to the Rhine have a car and you are looking for Farmstays?

Check out this website
https://www.ferienhof-oldach.de/

The farm is located above Bacharach near the village of Henschhausen.
We stayed in one of their holiday houses for a few nights in September and can highly recommend it.
They do have a large playground for kids.
Viewing points of the Rhine river gorge are in short walking distance.
See details on their website above.
We booked the house with breakfast in the farmcafe.Check wether its possible in December.
Had dinner in restaurants in Oberwesel(7km) and Bacharach (3km) down the hill
Goldener Pfropfenzieher in Oberwesel and Rheinhotel Stüber in Bacharach

Perhaps you like and I can give some more info then.

Keep in mind its December and its not so much going on at the Farm Its a remote spot near little villages on the Rhine.
So check for closures of tourist facilities in the town like restaurants and cafes before booking the house at the farm.
and you definately need a car to get around.

Is it better to choose one of the above regions

With that amount of time, I’d say 3-5 days in Mosel, wander down the Rhine (1-2 days), 3-4 days in Franconia and 2 nights in Munich Maybe 3 if you must see Neuschwanstein &Hohenschwagau

Will we be able to communicate

Yeah. No problem

Is it possible to wait to book

Probably. I’d prebook the first nights and last nights as well as any time in Rothenburg

Tips for handling jet lag with a toddler?

Ooof. No. We traveled w our 3yo in that area. Germans loved little kids

Hit the ground running or…

Sleep in the Mosel your first night. It’s a very short trip to Beilstein for example

Itinerary suggestions?

See above

If you use the train you can take on any stroller you can bring across.

If you get a car you are required by law to have the munchkin in an approved child seat. They fit cars differently than in the US from what I am told - they will need ISOFIX connections. Will you bring hers (if it is compatible) over on the plane or will you buy one in Germany?

Will you be in any other country on the trip? France and Luxembourg are close but have slightly different driving requirements, including a French Crit'Air windscreen sticker for driving in many areas in France including pretty much most urban and suburban areas of France... also note the lower rural single carriageway speeds (tightly controlled by radar cameras).

Just a mention about radar control - it is all over Germany too. Note that when you pass the town name sign that doubles as a 50 kph speed limit unless posted lower (there are many 30 kph limits). In Europe, generally, you are expected to be at the speed when you pass the sign, not just taking your foot off the gas California style. The radar units are often right after the reduction sign. Can get expensive if you aren't prepared.

One last thing about driving in Germany (I won't mention the IDP required (or equiv.) in both France and Germany) - if you are on a rural single carriageway road in Germany and you come to a minor road crossing it in almost all cases you will need to slow to 70 kph until a release sign a few hundred metres beyond it at which time you can push back up to 100 until the next restriction. I found this a particular pain in the neck on what is called the Romantic Road, official name B25, and along the Rhine on the B9 and either side of the Mosel, the B49 and B416. Just take an extra dose of patience.

In December I would almost certainly take the train for ease, comfort, safety and convenience.

I booked my lodging for Belgium, Germany and France in June. Even then I had a hard time in a couple of locations, Bruges and Strasbourg, though no problem in Cologne and Frankfurt as they are large cities. While I am more than happy to drive when the situation warrants it, we are sticking to train travel this time so we don’t have to worry about parking.

Thank you everyone for your input!

We have narrowed it down to Heidelberg, Wissembourg, Trier, Monschau, and Cochem. We also added an extra day/night to our trip. Planning to spend 2-3 nights in each town.

It's a 50 minute train ride from Wissembourg to Strasbourg. Wondering if a day trip to Strasbourg would be feasible?

Also, still debating on renting a car vs taking the train. It seems the train does stop at all of these locations. However, once in Monschau we wanted to visit the little town of Berk as my husband has some family history there. Would we be able to hire a car/driver for a day? The problem with renting a car for the day is most rental car locations (with the exception of the airport) do not provide car seats.

Lastly, debating on baby wearing vs stroller? Any thoughts?

Germany in December, it gets dark at 4:30m. I am not much for cold weather.
Take a warm overcoat, gloves and hat with thick socks.

The Christmas markets are great, especially in Bavaria. Nuremberg has the best.

Consider doing The Romantic Road from Wurzburg to Fussen. You see several walled medieval towns and small cities.
https://www.romanticroadgermany.com

It's not too hard to see the reason for the popularity - despite the modern roots of the idea, the tour combines the historic cities of Würzburg and Augsburg with the three medieval walled towns of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen, and then finishes off with the tourist highlights of Neuschwanstein Castle and the Alps.

When you consider staying a night or two in Frankfurt

In the Taunus hills40km north of Frankfurt you ll find the Hessenpark with Advent/Christmas Market on weekends
Hessenpark is an Open Air Museum
https://www.hessenpark.de/en/visit/visitorinformation/
https://www.hessenpark.de/en/veranstaltungskalender/

Nearby the Saalburg a reconstruction of a Roman Castle

https://www.saalburgmuseum.de/en/

Bad Homburg has a lovely, Christmas Market on the weekends. This is very near to Hessen Park and the Saalburg. Hessen Park is fantastic any time of year anyway, but the Christmas market is special.
Other small towns with lovely markets in this area: Limburg, Marburg, Michelstadt, Mainz, Wiesbaden.

If you have an umbrella stroller, that might be easier than carrying a child all day and all night.

Nuremberg is too crowded for kids and there are a lot of families that have not enjoyed their time there at all due to the massive crowds. Have heard from a lot of people that it was their least favorite market. They have all preferred Stuttgart and Esslingen, or Regensburg.

If you are on FB, there is a great group called Christmas Markets and Easter Markets, where they have a lot of up to date information about all of the markets. It is mainly Americans on there.

Regarding booking hotels and trains in advance, it depends upon how flexible you want to be, can be and are willing to pay.

You can book hotels and trains day before or even day of travel or stay. I have never been unable to get on a train, though I might go first class if the train is going to be super crowded and I can't reserve second class seats. Same is true for hotels in medium-to-large cities. There is always a room at some price, somewhere. However, open rooms might not be available in some of the smaller towns that have been suggested, especially if there is a major event or Christmas Market weekend.

And I vote for at least a couple of nights in Bamberg. Great town and truly outstanding beer.

"We have narrowed it down to Heidelberg, Wissembourg, Trier, Monschau, and Cochem....Planning to spend 2-3 nights in each town."

You'll be staying in these towns in that order, right?

I'm not sure what's going on with the responses you are still getting. You added one night, but with the original 13 nights in the 5 towns you named, I have to assume that the 14th night was added for your final pre-flight overnight stop somewhere near Frankfurt Airport. If Cochem is to be your final mult-night stay, a final night near FRA makes good sense. I wouldn't want a 2+ hour train ride to the airport with changes of train - a possible late train plus the early departure from Cochem are two factors that should be eliminated. Anyway... you're getting suggestions for the Romantic Road, the Alps, towns in Hessen, Stuttgart, Bamberg etc... I can't tell whether people are disagreeing with your 5 choices, or whether they didn't read your finalized list.

I could easily understand if people disagree. In winter, I see Wissembourg, Monschau and Cochem as stops you might make for a few hours rather than destinations for multi-night stays.

"Also, still debating on renting a car vs taking the train. It seems the train does stop at all of these locations. However, once in Monschau we wanted to visit the little town of Berk as my husband has some family history there. Would we be able to hire a car/driver for a day?"

Your journey between Trier and Monschau, which has no train station (where did you see/hear otherwise?) should probably be made by car if you will need one for Berk. You can pick the car up in Trier and drop it... somewhere after Berk and Monschau, or perhaps after Cochem. Find out which rental locations are offered by your rental car provider and choose one that's near a train station to avoid shuttling in between. Many providers have rental locations near train stations.