Help-Trip to Germany Itinerary

our budget is approx. 100 Euro a night.

I hope that is per person. Might be doable.

bigmammaks A general comment. It takes a lot more time than you think to go from one destination to another, even if it looks like the train ride or highway miles looks like its short. I usually count it as taking at least half a day, and often a whole day. So that two nights equals one whole day of being somewhere - one night equals no time anywhere. So when you say you are going somewhere for two days one night, that seems unrealistic to actually see anything but the train/highway and your hotel room.

So those place you list are all worth visiting, you just don't have enough time in most to enjoy.

- We will be training to Koblenz to rent a car (thoughts?)
My thought is "why?" when Trier and everything else after that through Munich can be done easily and probably less expensively by train. For example, Trier or Boppard to Karlsruhe can be done for €29 with no advance purchase on a local day pass called the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket. Gas alone for the same trip would cost nearly that much. Most of your other trips can be done for similar prices.
Koblenz isn't that interesting BTW. But Braubach, just 10 train minutes beyond Koblenz, IS a good place, in part because of Marksburg Castle.

TRIER: 2 Days, 1 night - Worth stopping to see?
If you are interested in Roman History in this part of the world, then yes. Otherwise I'd probably stay one more night in Boppard and do day trips to Cochem and/or Burg Eltz and/or Winningen on the Mosel River, attractive and interesting destinations that are easy day trips by train from Boppard (which Trier is not, especially.)

Thank you that is very helpful I was wandering if we were spending enough time in each place as our intent is to enjoy the culture and not be rushed from place to place.

The Budget was only a guideline on hotel per night for the two of us. Thanks :)

Thank you for your advice Ross. One of the reasons we were thinking of renting a car is so we could take our time driving and stop off at some of the towns/sites en-route from one destination to the next. Our concern is that we may be spending more time on a train going back and forth. I have been looking at the train options you recommend and they seem like a great way to go. We will rethink our plan to drive. Thank you again. :)

Here are some suggestions for great day trips from Munich without the need for a car.

My favorite is to take the S8 southwestbound to the end of the line at Herrsching. Walk a couple hundred meters to the lakefront and board one of the stately paddlewheel ships which cross the Ammersee to my favorite untouristed Bavarian village, Dießen am Ammersee. Dießen is a popular destination for German weekenders, but it's not on the international tourist grid at all. Walk through Dießen up to the baroque-rococo Marienmünster Abbey (1730). Return to Herrsching by ship and take a taxi or bus, or walk three miles up a forested trail, to Kloster Andechs, where Benedictine monks have been brewing great beer since the 15th Century. (Photos of Herrsching, Dießen and Andechs here)

Or take S2 about 20 minutes from Hauptbahnhof to Oberschleißheim, and visit the magnificent, colorful Schleißheim Palaces, summer home of the Bavarian royal family. Aviation history buffs will enjoy Flugwerft Schleißheim (aviation branch of the Deutsches Museum), a short walk from the Schleißheim Palaces.

In Munich itself, the self-guided walking tour in Rick's Germany guidebook is excellent. It can take anywhere from two hours to two days, depending on your level of interest and curiosity.

For insight into Munich's dramatic role in the rise and fall of the Third Reich, visit the new NS Doku-Zentrum, which just opened last May. It's on Briennerstraße, on the site of the Third-Reich-era Nazi headquarters building. Führerbau (Hitler's office building, where the 1938 Munich Accord was signed) is next door, repurposed as a High School for Music and Theater. Historic Königsplatz is across the street. The City's website offers free downloadable maps and audioguides for self-guided walks tracing the history of National Socialism in Munich.

Thank You Jeff,
Great information :)

"One of the reasons we were thinking of renting a car is so we could take our time driving and stop off at some of the towns/sites en-route from one destination to the next."

I can see you planned a stopover in Baden-Baden on the way to Strasbourg. So you would use station lockers if you go by train. The same would be true for your possible stopover in Würzburg. Perhaps you have some other stopovers in mind that you didn't mention? Other stopovers may or may not be feasible by train just depending on luggage storage options. When using day passes (as you might for the trip to Trier or to Karlsruhe or to Salzburg or to Rothenburg, for example) keep in mind that day passes permit stopovers.

If you mean completely impromptu stopovers, then those are quite a trick by train if you are packing outside Rick Steves guidelines - hopping off a train with 2 heavy suitcases for a 2-hour walk around town will not work. But his packing strategies make a huge difference. Anyway your itinerary appears pretty tightly scheduled and I'm not sure how feasible such spontaneous stopovers might be.

"Our concern is that we may be spending more time on a train going back and forth." You have 5 planned day trips by car to Füssen, to Stuttgart, to Maulbronn and Lichtenstein, to Stuttgart, and to Bacharach - you will be returning by car (or maybe boat) to your overnight stop in all of those cases. By train it's the same - there, and back. (However, I'm uncertain you can do the Maulbronn/Lichtenstein outing by train or train + bus - a car might be best for that one??) The only additional day trips I've suggested are to the Mosel and to Braubach - both short and doable and it appears you have time. But whether it's by car or train, you would need to go there and back, of course.

So I honestly don't see a huge difference in logistics in your situation.

Thank You Russ for the great feedback regarding train vs car as well as suggestions for day trips. It is very helpful and makes complete sense. I have been looking at train connections etc. Which I must say is a whole new adventure and a bit challenging as a novice but the comments by you and others on the forum are a great help. Thank you so much for your assistance! :)

Yes packing light is our plan regardless of travel mode. Is it worth staying at Salzburg overnight or would it be best to do a day trip from Munich? We were thinking of seeing Eagles Nest therefore thought we would require an overnight stay. To your point of luggage a day trip (no luggage) may be easier than just one night and the train ride would be the same.

As always Thank You in advance for your assistance/opinions!!

"Is it worth staying at Salzburg overnight or would it be best to do a day trip from Munich? We were thinking of seeing Eagles Nest therefore thought we would require an overnight stay."

Salzburg alone can be done in a long day from Munich but not if you intend to "see and do it all." If you'll be in Berchtesgaden as well I'd recommend 2 nights in the Salzburg/B'gaden area. The Königssee is exceptional. It would be easy to steal time from your plans for Rothenburg and/or Munich for this IMO. R'burg isn't so big you need 2 days there, and you do not have much in the way of specific stuff on your plate for Munich.

Perfect,
Thank you again Russ. Our Itinerary is getting there Thanks to all the help from replies to my questions and reading other forum comments. Cheers to all who volunteer to help out!!

Yes I am aware of the budget, Thank You. That was a bit of a miss communication on my part. It was meant more as an approximate cost of a hotel per night.
Thank You :)

Thanks Kaeleku,
I'm in the process of looking at and booking rooms as we speak :)

Hi big!

Just wanted to add my two cents for what its worth. We enjoyed Trier but would never choose it over Rothenburg ob der tauber. Rothenburg is one of our favorite spots, we have visited twice and would return again. Visited Trier and Wurzburg and enjoyed both but once was enough. We loved Salzburg and would spend more time there esp. with going to Eagles Nest. Munich is wonderful as well and we plan on going back for a second visit next year. What a fantastic trip, enjoy!

A few comments on the rental car. You could probably go either way for the Rhine portion of the trip. Either the train or rental car will work equally well, with the car given a slight edge if you want to venture out of the river valley at all (the walled town of Ahrweiler makes a good trip, but much easier to reach with a car).

For the Karlsruhe portion, you almost certainly will want a car. I obviously know nothing about where your friends live, but if it's in an outer residential district, getting outside of the city to explore via public transportation could be very inconvenient. Maulbronn (which didn't blow me away) and Burg Liechtenstein would be particularly difficult to visit without a car from Karlsruhe. If going to see Burg Liechtenstein, also consider stopping by Burg Hohenzollern, one of the most impressive castles in this part of Germany.

If your goal in Baden-Baden is to experience the Therme, then by all means, take advantage. Otherwise, Baden-Baden is skippable. And if you really want the German thermal bath experience, I would get it at Badparadies Schwarzwald or Therme Erding near Munich.

Speaking of Munich, if you have the rental car, drop it off as you enter the city. Most German cities are relatively easy to navigate by car, but Munich is one of the exceptions. And parking is rather sparse in the Altstadt.

Thank you
-Jaye for the great information about your experience in Rothenburg. We are definitely going to check it out.

-Tom for the comments about the rental car and Karlsruhe information.
We are getting excited about our trip.

Thanks Again!

Pretty busy trip,, i would like to suggest, since you have an interest in cars, the Deutsches Museum in Munich would be a sure bet. It's probably the best Science/Engineering museum going anywhere in the world, also Nymphenburg Palace is pretty amazing, more impressive to me than Versailles
ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER, (my grandmother's home town) is worth a stop, walk the ramparts, and walk around the old town, That's about it, stay over night if convenient. Salzburg,, see lots of tourists, have lunch at StPeter's Kirch stiftskeller restaurant,(open for 1200 yrs, if i have it right, but i think the prices are up to date, looks like $$$ now) and go to the Augustiner brau on the mountain.
NUREMBURG, nice old town section, and the remains of the old meeting arena,, completely run down ,
Finally,BOPPARD: 4 days, 3 nights seems like a long time there,, i think the day cruise out of Bingen is all you need on the river,

just random thoughts,

i would like to suggest, since you have an interest in cars, the Deutsches Museum in Munich would be a sure bet. It's probably the best Science/Engineering museum going anywhere in the world

Bad news: The main Deutsches Museum campus on Museuminsel is undergoing a decade-long renovation project that will require closure of parts of the museum and some major exhibits until 2019.

Good news: That project does not affect the historic automobiles and other wonderful displays at the Deutsches Museum's ground transportation branch, Verkehrszentrum (U4 or U5 to Schwanthalerhöhe).

Of course, there's also the BMW Museum, BMW Welt and plant tour in Munich (U3 or U8 to Olympiazentrum)

Photos here.

Fewolf and Jeff,

Thank you very much for the information you provided.
The time everyone takes to share is greatly appreciated.
Cheers!.

Here are some thoughts for you :)

I think that 100 euro a night for two people is totally do able. Munich might be more of a challenge, but we love staying at the charming Pension type of accomidations!

On your way to Strasbourg, there is a really cool little town called Soufflenheim that has some beautiful pottery. There are about 15 different pottery shops in the town. The yellow glaze on the inside of the pots indicates handmade. We stopped at http://www.alsace-poterie.fr/ and http://www.alsace-poterie.com/.

The Mercedes Museum is awsome. It is one of my favorite museums and I am not a car person. It is very well done. It took us half a day to go through it. The Porsche museum is also very nice. It is not as big as Mercedes, but it is fun to see the cars.

On your way to Lichtenstein castle, I think it is worth stopping off in Tübingen. It such a cute little University town.

I love Munich. It is a fun town.

We did Nuremburg during Christmas time and one day was plenty for us. I think if we had not been distracted by the Christmas markets, we could have found more to do. I guess it all depends on what you want to see there. I would recommend going in the St Lorenz Church. The St Sebaldus Church is also really pretty, Johann Pachabell (as in Pachelbel's Cannon in D) was the organist there.

I knew Rothenburg ODT was touristy, I was not prepared how touristy it was. I am not saying that is a bad thing, I think it is a culture shock for us. We had gotten used to not hearing English that all of the sudden we heard a lot of it and were like what just happened. We really did enjoy walking the walls. They are very peaceful. In the valley below Rothenburg is a double bridge and the view of the town from down there is pretty cool. We really enjoyed Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen (a town built in a meteor crater)which are not too far from there. In fact, my husband really wants to live in Dinkelsbühl. It is such a post card looking town. You could stay in Nuremburg an extra night and drive to Rothenburg for the day.

I'll add my two cents and say don't be afraid to rent a car but agree you want to ditch it or leave it at the hotel in Munich. My husband and I went around about renting a car or using the train system. We decided to rent because I get tired of carrying a back pack and worrying about where to stash it when I don't want to lug it around. Renting a car allowed us to take our time between our booked hotels, and it was fun to just stop for no reason or if something looked interesting. Driving in Germany is straightforward and most of the roads are well-kept.