My sister and I are doing a Christmas Market River Cruise on Uniworld in December. We are arriving in Nuremberg 2 days early and planning to travel to Rothenburg for the night once we arrive. We would like to explore another small town for the additional night on our journey back to Nuremberg. We would love suggestions.
I am also curious if we should go ahead and book our train tickets or wait until we arrive.
Bamberg.
And if you want a local Christmas Market take the Nuremberg Ubahn northwest to Furth, it has a great “Medieval” one without the tourists. Gluhwein ohne Sorge... Mulled Wine without Worries!
NO to booking train tickets. Buy the Tagesticket plus day pass (about €20/day/2 persons) for unlimited travel in the Nuremberg area:
https://www.vgn.de/media/schienennetz-gesamtraum-vgn.pdf
https://www.vgn.de/en/tickets/all-day-ticket-plus/
(Note that you can use a ticket bought for Saturday on Sunday as well!)
It's valid to Rothenburg and to Bamberg - as long as you use the routes within the VGN zone.
I don't see the point of changing locations. You arrive in Nuremberg - the area's train hub - and staying there gives you more flexibility to go/see/do as you pleas. Nuremberg's old town zone is an absolute delight - and it may feel to you much like smaller old-world towns elsewhere.
https://munique-tours.de/private-tour-guide-munich-bavaria/Nuremberg-from-Albrecht-Duerer-House.jpg
https://edge.media.datahc.com/HI553412058.jpg
Bamberg is only 45 minutes away, Rothenburg only a few additional minutes by train - both easy day trips. Staying in Nuremberg means no luggage schlepping and the extra checking in and out. Nuremberg has a TON of things to see and do.
You will probably change trains in Ansbach between Nuremberg and Rothenburg, and that can be worth a stop as well.
Three suggestions:
Bad Windsheim: pretty old town with mighty baroque town hall (try
the excellent beer in the small brewery Döbler behind the town hall); very
good and interesting ethnographic open-air museum. From here by
train via Neustadt/Aisch and Fürth to
Cadolzburg: Recently completely renovated ancestral castle of the Zollern (earliest parts from the 13th century), who later became electors of Brandenburg and (as "Hohenzollern") kings of Prussia.
Ansbach: on the direct connection between Rothenburg and Nuremberg you have to
change trains here anyway. It's worth stopping here for a few hours: baroque residence of the
Brandenburg markgravate (guided tours unfortunately only in German, but there are English flyers available), pretty baroque court garden; the former court church St. Gumbertus is an
interesting combination of Gothic and a classicistic central room;
Pretty market square. The preserved baroque synagogue is unfortunately only
accessible via the Tourist Information.
Ansbach can easily be combined with Schloss Schillingsfürst with a small detour: a baroque palace with falconry and a memorial to the composer Franz Liszt, who had a connection here through his long-time partner Marie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. (Take the bus from Rothenburg in direction Dombühl and alight at Sch. After your visit take another bus to Dombühl and change there to the train (RE or S-Bahn to Nürnberg).
Thanks to all who posted -- I am adding to my list of places to visit on our 4-night stop in Nuremberg this December. Not to mention the Nuremberg Christmas market!
