Germany Travel Itinerary Help for December 2018

Is there a reason you are driving at night right after arrival in December into unknown weather?

I was just looking at the snow in northern Germany which is preventing me taking a jaunt over this week.

There are frequent efficient and almost weatherproof trains which can make the same journey faster....

Obviously you know the area well; I wouldn't do it. YMMV

There is going to be a direct train from Munich airport to Regensburg, starting in a few weeks (i.e. before your arrival) - running every hour, taking 1:17 hours. So there is no need to drive. Or just go to Munich first, it's worth a visit :) I would not add any more cities, but rather add another day in Berlin and/or Munich. If you decide to go to Hamburg, that is where you should fly from.
Keep in mind that a lot of people will travel the weekend before Christmas. Expect highways and trains to be full, especially on Friday. In case of bad weather, I guess there is going to be chaos...

Yes, there is a definite advantage to flying into Munich now that they will be starting direct regional train service from the airport to Regensburg. It sounds like you are planning a late afternoon flight, so if you arrive in time for the 18:28 departure, you can use a Bayern Nacht Ticket for 26 EUR for 2. Then there are departure at 28 past the hour until 22:28.

There are direct regional express trains at 18 past the odd hours from Regensburg to Nuremberg taking 1 hour and 5 minutes, and slower direct trains at other times. 31 EUR Bayern Ticket giving free public transport in Nuremberg for the wee hours of the following day.

Nuremberg to Dresden is by regional express trains with a change in Hof. 50 EUR with a Happy Weekend Ticket for 2.

Maybe fly back out of Berlin on Jan 1 to experience New Years in Berlin. Heard it is quite the party.

Long and short, don't see the need for a car for this trip.

I would suggest flying into Stuttgart and staying there for a few days to see the 3 excellent, very distinct Christmas markets in the area. The Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt is huge and features huts with festively-decorated roofs. Esslingen is a 17-minute S ride from the Stuttgart main train station and is a gorgeous town full of Fachwerkhäuser (half-timbered houses/buildings) that escaped bombing during WWII. It has both a Medieval and a Christmas market. Ludwigsburg is a 15-minute S ride from Stuttgart's main train station and is home to Ludwigsburg Palace, the "Versailles of Swabia." The town has a cute Baroque Christmas Market.

I have no idea what her availability is at this point, but Sarah at Stuttgart Steps offers very good private tours in the area that are well-priced and full of recommendations for restaurants and Christmas market food/drink. A friend and I did a 2-3 hour tour with her in Stuttgart on our day of arrival and then explored the Stuttgart Christmas Market. We hit Ludwigsburg the next day on our own. Then, we met up with her in Esslingen for a 2-3 hour tour the next day and then went to the markets there. She was an excellent resource.

From there, you could take a 2-hour train to Nürnberg and perhaps stay there for its Christmas market while taking a day trip to Regensburg. Then to Dresden and Berlin.

I missed that you were planning to arrive late on Dec 19. That makes for a tight schedule. I haven't been to the Dresden Striezelmarkt, but it looks pretty great. I've been to Nuremberg's market. I personally prefer the Stuttgart and Esslingen markets to it. I can't comment on Regensburg because I have not been to its markets.

Kathryn:
I visited Berlin, Dresden, and Potsdam this past May. It was a wonderful trip.
Please look up my 6-part Trip Report that I posted under Rick Steves Trip Reports. It will give you some insight/input.

From Berlin I'd either go to Frankfurt and Koblenz or to Bremen and then Amsterdam. Either way you're near a major international airport, and there's lot's of stuff to do. Also you can easy take a train instead of driving.

Hi,

Those three extra days you could use to extend your stay in Berlin, or go Leipzig...a very distinct cultural city. If your preference is a smaller town, then I suggest Meissen or Naumburg, both easily reached from Berlin.

It's cold in North Germany at this time, which is the main reason I go there in the summer, regardless of the chance of encountering a heat wave.

Re: not crazy on going to Hamburg. Well, you can go north of that, ie, into Schleswig-Holstein...lovely and very interesting towns and cities there. Or, go east of Hamburg, a direct shot to Schwerin to see the famous Schloss (chateau) in Schwerin, used to be part of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and another Schloss close by in Ludwigslust.

If I had that extra time, I would know exactly where to go and visit up north and in the east.

Thank you, everyone. Here is the route we've decided on.

Wednesday December 19 - Fly into Stuttgart, arriving about 20:50. Sleep in Stuttgart.
Thursday, December 20 - Sightsee in Stuttgart, Stuttgart Christmas market, train to Esslingen, Uber? To Ludwigsburg, train to Stuttgart.
Friday, December 21 - Finish up Stuttgart sightseeing. Drive to Regensburg. Sleep in Nuremberg.
Saturday, December 22 - Nuremberg sightseeing. Nuremberg Christmas market.
Sunday, December 23 - Drive to Dresden. Dresden Christmas market.
Monday, December 24 - Dresden.
Tuesday, December 25 - Visit Wittenberg. Drive to Berlin.
Wednesday, Deccember 26 - Sightsee in Berlin
Thursday, December 27 - Day trip out of Berlin to Potsdam.
Friday, December 28 - Berlin
Saturday, December 29 - Berlin
Sunday, December 30 - Fly home.

Friday, December 21 - Finish up Stuttgart sightseeing. Drive to Regensburg. Sleep in Nuremberg.

I am afraid there is still a problem here. Suppose you leave Stuttgart at noon (IC at 12:07), then you will reach Regensburg at 15:24, ie. already at dusk and you will not see much. And that train connection goes through Nuremberg anyway. Maybe it's better to skip Regensburg and use the time for Nuremberg. I'd visit the Christkindlesmarkt on Friday afternoon (much fewer people than on Saturday, where the market is almost unbearable) and use the entire next day for the city or make a trip to Bamberg in the afternoon.

A few thoughts--

1. If I were picking the Stuttgart-area market for you to see after dark on 20 Dec (sundown is 16:29), I would pick the Esslingen market. Fire/torches are the primary source of light and warmth in the medieval market, and there is so much cool stuff going on. I would suggest arriving in Esslingen around 15:00 or so, walking around the town to see the architecture, and then going to the markets. Consider leaving Esslingen early enough to catch the last hour or so of the Stuttgart market so that you can see it all lit up. I liked the Ludwigsburg market, but the other two are much more "can't miss" at night. I would start with Ludwigsburg in the morning. For getting around, I would use the S. You need to know the VVS tariff zones (VVS = local transit authority). If you will do Ludwigsburg, Stuttgart, and Esslingen in a day, you can get an "environmental day ticket" for 3-4 zones (specifically, zones 34, 20, 10, and 31) for €8,40 per person. A group ticket for up to 5 people is €17,10, I downloaded the VVS app to my phone and bought all my tickets on it.

2. I agree with sla019 that the Nürnberg market is crowded on weekends; I find it utterly miserable on weekend nights. I like the idea of leaving Stuttgart reasonably early on Friday and heading to Nürnberg to catch the Chistkindlesmarkt during daylight hours before it gets crowded. There also is the interesting Handwerkerhof Nürnberg just inside the city walls near the train station; there you will find traditional artisanal wares. Once again repeating sla019, you could use the following day to explore more of the city or to take a day trip (including to Regensburg).

3. I love, love, love Berlin. Enjoy your time there, too!

I am in Germany right now and just read your post. Not really an itinerary item but please be sure to pack seriously warm clothing including hats and gloves. Just about froze in Regensburg (loved the city). I would also lobby for a bit more time in Nürnberg to see the Germanisches Nationalmuseum.