Itinerary Help!

One of the highlights of Rothenberg Ob Der Tauber is taking the Night Watchman's walking tour, which is, well, in the evening, ending up after dark. Are you driving or taking the train or bus? Do try to arrange it so that you can see this. The kids will love the Night Watchman's spiel (and so will you.)

I went to the same four cities in the same order a few years ago. The itinerary looks good, except maybe I would take out one or two of the day trips given you’ll be moving around so much.

Using a random day and 10 am on Bahn. com here are some rough travel times.

Day #1 Arrive Munich
Day #2 Munich
Day #3 Day Trip to Saltzberg 2 hours there and 2 hours back
Day #4 Train Munich to Nuremberg roughly 1 hour
Day #5 Nuremberg
Day #6 Day Trip to Rothenberg Ob Der Tauber from 1 ¼ to 2 hours there and the same back
Day #7 Train Nuremberg To Dresden 4 hours
Day #8 Dresden - Day Trip to Bautzen (Can't cut out- family history) 1 hour there and 1 hour back
Day #9 Train to Berlin 2 hours
Day #10 Berlin
Day #11 Fly Home

A LOT of train time as you note... and any "day trip" that takes more than an hour will require getting up early and getting to bed late. February is winter and the days are shorter and the weather will probably be variable.

I would suggest skipping either Salzburg or Rothenburg. A nearer destinations to Nuremberg instead of Rothenburg is Bambeg which is a World Heritage site.

I think that what you call "overall experience" will end up in a too high-level impression. On top in February you will not have long daylight that you can use travel days in the evening for something else. The kids will know the trains of Deutsche Bahn better than the cities and recognize that they see in Rothenburg odT more half-timbered houses than in Berlin (btw. nearly 50% rebuilt after WWII) but that's it. For a real overview of Germany the last leg into the north is missing, e. g. Hamburg or better Lübeck. Obviously this will not fit into the already too narrow plan.
So, neither it would be my itinerary nor I would suggest it to anyone for a real good impression. But it is your family, your time and your way of travelling.
Good luck.

Rothenburg night watchman tour is not given in Feb.

The problem with an itinerary this packed is that it leaves little room for enjoying and exploring, too much time traveling and packing. I’d simplify by a lot, something like:

Day #1 Arrive Munich
Day #2 Munich
Day #3 Munich
Day #4 to Nuremberg
Day #5 Nuremberg (optional easy/quick day trip)
Day #6 Train Nuremberg To Dresden
Day #7 Dresden - Day Trip to Bautzen
Day #8 Train to Berlin
Day #9 Berlin
Day #10 Berlin
Day #11 Fly Home

Or…

Day #1 Arrive Munich, spend night
Day #2 to Salzburg
Day #3 Salzburg
Day #4 to Nuremberg
Day #5 Nuremberg (optional easy/quick day trip)
Day #6 Train Nuremberg To Dresden
Day #7 Dresden - Day Trip to Bautzen
Day #8 Train to Berlin
Day #9 Berlin
Day #10 Berlin
Day #11 Fly Home

Thanks for the suggestions!
I think we might change things up a bit.
Day 1 Arrive Berlin
Day 2 Berlin
Day 3 Berlin
Day 4 Bautzen
Day 5 Travel to Nuremberg
Day 6 Nuremberg
Day7 Bamburg
Day 8 Munich
Day 9 Day trip to Saltzberg
Day 10 Munich
Day 11 Fly Home