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Itinerary Advice for 9 Days

Hello! My son is an exchange student in Germany, and we are going to visit at the end of his stay for 9 days. My husband and I have been to Germany before, and love it. We are bringing along my mother-in-law, who is 72. Because she is leaving behind my father-in-law as he is in poor health, we are limiting this trip to 9 days. My son is outside of Hanover, so we will be concentrating on the northern part.

Our itinerary:
Arrive Frankfurt, rent a car and drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber for two nights.
Day 3 - drive up to our son near Hanover and stay for two nights to spend time with them and meet his family, etc.
Day 5 - drive to Amsterdam for two nights
Day 7 - this is where I'd like help. Should we try to tackle another spot like Brussels or maybe even head down to Luxembourg at this point? Or should we start making our way back to Frankfurt and stop along the way somewhere like Cologne? I want this to be an easier trip for us and not push my mother-in-law too much. She's never been and is adamant that we don't adjust anything because of her joining us.

Posted by
3551 posts

It looks like a lot of driving in gen. espec to return to frankfurt. May i suggest u return from amsterdam. There is alot to see nrby that is beautiful and interesting. Ie. Haarlem, edam, delft to name a few..
Perhaps u could review the kms/ hours u will drive by using www.viamichelin.com.
Skip brussels and luxembourg as they are minor. Your time is better spent elsewhere.
If u must return to frankfurt then leave amsterdam for anothe trip. You could easily fill your time in germany. Starting with Wurzburg. I drive my european trips usually for only short distances and no more than a week, also get a car as small as poss. Parking can be diff and streets are quite narrow.
Hope this gives u a few alternate ideas to consider.

Posted by
7072 posts

I agree with JS.

I know you didn't request advice on the first part of your trip, but here it is anyway.

Day 1: Don't drive right after an international flight. It's a 2-hour drive to Rothenburg and you will likely be impaired because of the jet-lag / lack-of-proper-sleep factor. Also, you say you "will be concentrating on the northern part" but your first trip takes you deeper into southern Germany and Bavaria?? Why not visit the northern part?? I would not dedicate 2 nights to the ultra-touristy Rothenburg, which is WAY off your route to Hanover, but instead visit some of the delightful German towns between Frankfurt and Hanover. The German Half-timbered House Route and the Fairy Tale Route offer excellent options - Hannoversch Münden, near Kassel, has an eye-popping collection of buildings. But it's just one of many great options.

Fairy Tale Route
German Half-Timbered House Route
Hannoversch Münden Brochure

At FRA airport, I suggest you board a train to someplace in these areas and settle in for 2 nights. Rent a car there instead of at the airport if you want a car for the rest of your trip.

Posted by
868 posts

Also, you say you "will be concentrating on the northern part" but
your first trip takes you deeper into southern Germany and Bavaria??

Yes, that's what I found strange too. Especially since there are so many beautiful, preserved towns close to Hannover. Goslar, Hamelin, Celle, Einbeck, Wolfenbüttel and Quedlinburg for example. And the (bigger) old towns of Goslar and Quedlinburg are World Heritage Sites, unlike the one of Rothenburg. It would be a shame to miss them.

Posted by
12040 posts

Ditto what Martin said. Those towns are bursting at the seams with beauty. Rothenburg's nice, but bursting at the seams with trinket shops and tour buses.

Posted by
70 posts

Thanks for the input.

I guess since I've always concentrated on Munich, Bavaria, etc - the area up near Hanover to me is north. HA!

We were going to do Rothenburg because I thought that would be the quintessential "German village" experience for my mother-in-law. But you guys have given me some good advice to look at other, equally nice alternatives.

Posted by
14980 posts

Hi,

With the little time you have, I would say forget going to west (Köln, etc) or the south towards Rothenburg od Tauber, let alone Amsterdam. Stick to the places not too far from Hannover, ie in the north, say Celle, Minden an der Weser, a very interesting town with Porta Westfalica, a fantastic view from there, or even Lüneburg. What about Berlin ca. 1.5 hrs, or Hamburg?