Rick Steves changed his view of the Romantic Road Coach a few years back and was wondering if it has improved. Looking for anyone who has taken it in the past year for your recommendation.
After spending four days in Munich for Octoberfest, I would like to visit another town/area for two days. I have a hotel reservation for two nights in Rothenburg but I now think this may be too long. Should I spilt it for a night in another town, if so which one? Help!
You don't need to book a tour bus, you can go by train to just about any other town you like. What other towns interest you?
"I would like to visit another town/area for two days."
Rothenburg doesn't take long. But you may want to skip it anyway, it's a beehive of international tourists and the folks that sell them stuff. People will tell you to stay overnight there because of the mood after the tourists go home. But I just don't get visiting a place that isn't so pleasant during the day. If you're thinking of R'burg as a travel base for seeing another town on Day 2, it's possible, but it's a somewhat weak travel base - it's located at the end of a trunk line and requires more time.
My suggestion: Take the train to Würzburg for 2 nights. Würzburg is a handsome city and a train hub on the Main River, a place with some good sights and a nice atmosphere. If you decide to see Rothenburg, you could go there on a day trip - it's about 1 hour from W'burg. But there are also some other nice smaller places very close to Würzburg that you could visit by train in addition to, or instead of, Würzburg and Rothenburg. All are less than 30 minutes from Würzburg.
Iphofen - see photos: http://www.stadtbild-deutschland.org/forum/index.php?thread/2985-iphofen/&s=40dacccc211fd7c6dae92d629101a55ce5e9a8e0
Marktbreit - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Marktbreit_BW_6.JPG
Ochsenfurt - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Ochsenfurt_am_Rathaus.JPG
Video that includes Marktbreit and Ochsenfurt - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLUgpoQIFHI
With a Würzburg base, you can decide LATER what interests you most.
I have not taken the Romantic Road Coach. For towns where an automatic stop is promised, the length of the stop is 30 minutes or less, as shown on the timetable, just enough for a few photos but not serious poking around. Other town stops are made only by request, long enough for someone to join or exit the bus. There's only one departure per day in each direction.
The only reason to stay in Rothenburg over night for me would be to take in the Watchman's Tour in the evening. The tour I took year's ago was in German only and the Watchman asked someone in the crowd to translate for English speaking tourists. http://www.tourismus.rothenburg.de/index.php?id=516
Thank you for all your responses. Russ, I have already begun to research your recommendations. I am interested in visiting towns like Nuremburg, Bamburg, or even going to Saltzberg for the two days. I will keep looking for the towns I can easily access by train or bus and plan on enjoying some relaxing time after Octoberfest. Thank you all again.
