Germany itinerary, help please! September 26 - October 20

A few ideas here:

https://www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/

Info: You arrive in Berlin for Marathon weekend. Use journey planner https://www.bvg.de/en and preferably trains of prublic transport - avoid buses and trams.

Info 2: Train connections between Berlin and Hamburg will be redirected (see overview details in 12 and 13); therefore the connection lasts longer.

Recommend Lübeck with Hanseatic League Museum (history) and U-995 (WWII submarine) in Laboe.

For rental car ensure validity of your driving license and having an IDP (if license from US or Canada).

Your itinerary is close to mine but in reverse. I spent 4 weeks in Germany in 2022. I started off with 4 nights in Berlin, then 4 nights in Nuremberg (with day trips to Regensburg and Bamberg), then headed over the the Black Forest where I stayed in lovely Gengenbach for 4 nights.

After that, I headed up to Boppard, spent 3 nights on the Rhine seeing the sights. After that I went to Cologne for 2 nights, and about 4-5 days after that visiting some family towns. Last was Hamburg, with a side trip to Copenhagen, and then back to Berlin for the flight back.

FWIW, I took the train everyplace except when I was in Ostbevern (where my ancestors came from). It was a very small town and the train station was 2 1/2 miles from town, so it was easier to rent a car for 4 days in Münster. If you are solo, I would strongly suggest the train, especially since you are going to cities with good public transport. You will get to enjoy the scenery more from the train than if were driving.

That said, you could conceivably rent a car while you are in Nuremberg if you want, which might make it a bit easier to get around, but really, other than saving a bit of time, there's no real advantage to that, imo. And you will have to find parking for both Nuremberg and Rothenburg. It's very easy to use the train for the day trips to Bamberg and Regensburg.

I think your order looks really good logistically. And the places you want to visit are well worth seeing. While In Boppard, don't miss Burg Eltz, which is a gorgeous castle that's been owned by the same family for over 700 years. For Berlin, I would suggest writing a separate post for ideas there as there is so much to see and do there (if you're not too exhausted from the marathon). :-)

When you're in Cologne, I would suggest a day trip to Aachen, which is a quick 30 minute train ride away. I loved Aachen. Its cathedral is quite beautiful (especially the interior, which is drop-dead gorgeous) and houses the remains of Charlemagne, leader of the Holy Roman Empire. The town is also very charming and has a lovely vibe to it. It's smaller than Cologne and you could easily spend some time just walking around and enjoying the sites. Don't miss the Granus tower, which is next to the Rathaus (town hall) and is one of the few pieces remaining from Charlemagne’s palace. It dates back to the 8th century, making it over 1200 years old.

Where are you staying in Berlin?

I'm back to discuss train travel. First off, I would suggest reading this article online by The Man in Seat 61, who is an expert on European trains. https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-germany.htm This will give you lots of information to think about, and make it easier for you to come and ask more questions about the trains.

Look especially at the information on the Deutschland Ticket, which is a ticket that allows you to travel by regional, aka slow trains throughout Germany for €49 per month.

Then feel free to come back and ask questions. :-) You're welcome to ask them now, but it really will help to read that first.

You start in Berlin then go the the northeast at Hamburg, then Cologne and the Rhineland. Then way across Germany to Nuremberg, Rothenburg and Munich.

I am not sure why you planned these widely separated places, but perhaps you could consider not having to go across Germany twice.
I have been to all these places and they are all good, but frankly Hamburg was not one of my favorite places. Check what you plan to see there.

I recommend that after Berlin head south to Nuremberg, then Munich, then to Augsburg on the Romantic Road and take it to Rothenburg.
https://www.romanticroadgermany.com

From Rothenburg, head to Frankfurt/Mainz and up the Rhine to see Boppard, Cologne and if you stir wish to do Hamburg, end there. Also, between Frankfurt and Cologne stop in Rudesheim and take a short cruise and drink some wine.

If you skip Hamburg, you can perhaps consider taking in Heidelberg, a bit south of Frankfurt then heading north on the Rhine.

While in Munich you could choose to head to either Garmish/Fussen to see the Zugspitze (tallest mountain in Germany and visit some of the famous castles in the area. You would need a couple of days for that. Also, you could go to Berchtesgaden and Salzburg (need 2-3 days for that).

...a nice blend of city and small town....

You've fit in a few of smaller places but I would want to STAY in one or two smaller places if possible. Take your planned visit to Donauwoerth, for example... a small and charming place on the Danube, not tons to see there, but an excellent base town for train travelers. Staying in such places (which of course are easier to "wander around") will provide a different and more complete look at the country.

Sample outings from Donauwoerth:

Pappenheim: 40 minutes fom D'woerth. Check out the pictures of this lovely little place. Town website: https://pappenheim.de/en/tourism.html

Noerdlingen: 25 minutes from D'woerth, Romantic Road town. (Note: Dinkelsbühl has no train service, making this walled town a good alternative.)

Augsburg: no small town, but also a RR town that still makes for a walkable visit, 30 minutes by regional train from D'woerth.

Neuburg an der Donau, 25 min. from Donauwoerth, a place that seems undiscovered by the tourist horde. Just had a stopover visit there myself. Quite the nice surprise.

You can visit D'worth from Munich (95 minutes away) and these other places too from there, but it would be a lot of shuttling and you'll lose small-town-stay experience.

Rothenburg: a small town for sure, but because it's so heavily touristed, it's very unique. You don't bump elbows with locals there.

Re Laboe:

You can catch the bus just outside of Kiel Hbf. I think it's Bus # 106...check on that. or you can take the ferry which as part

of the Kiel harbour tour stops at Laboe to get to the U-Boat and the Naval War Memorial Museum. (Marine Ehrenmal Museum). I saw that once when visiting and staying in the Kiel hostel in Sept 1977.

I very much appreciate all of your replies and suggestions! Very helpful to see some alternative options, train routes, etc. Thank you so so much :)

Definitely adding trips to Lübeck and Aachen! Donauwoerth looks to be a very viable option to base for a day or two, and Zugspitze looks absolutely incredible. I'd imagine in mid-October the peak foliage will make it even better. Might be adding that instead of Neuschwanstein.

@Mardee: While in Berlin, I'm staying in Prenzlauer Berg. I'll be just a short walk to the Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz U-Bahn station.

@Mardee: While in Berlin, I'm staying in Prenzlauer Berg. I'll be just a short walk to the Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz U-Bahn station.

That's a nice area, with a very residential feel to it. I'm sure you enjoy staying there. :-)

While in Munich you could choose to head to either Garmish/Fussen

Alternatively, you could drive directly to Fussen from Rothenberg before going to Munich. That's what we did on our trip last month. Saves you a bit of travel time overall and gives you more time to explore the area.

After driving Fussen to Oberammergau, I was really impressed with the countryside at the foot of the Alps. Made me wish we spent an extra day or two in the area and maybe did GP.