Itinerary help please! 11 days Germany & Netherlands

" I would like to spend less time traveling in a vehicle and more time "on the ground'."

That sounds more sensible to me.

Must-sees are not rules for designing an itinerary - just consider them suggestions.. And they aren't for everyone - they're more helpful for people who are maybe a little too timid to try their own hand at planning (which isn't that tough if you know what you like) or people who fear they will return home without having gone to the guidebook must-see places their friends have been.

You could slice hundreds of car/train miles off your tour by not heading to the Austrian border. And even on a much shorter trip, there's no reason at all you can't see some of Bavaria. One of Bavaria's best regions to visit is only a short distance from Frankfurt. Miltenberg (Bavaria) is very close to Frankfurt - a very charming old-world place with a scenic location on the Main River. Check it out. Here is a guide to seeing the town as well.

I'll make a few more suggestions too. But I won't call them "must-sees" even though I think they're great; I think you'll do just fine choosing from among the suggestions you get on this thread.

Other nearby Bavarian towns like Würzburg, Marktbreit, and Rothenburg, at the northern end of the Romantic Road, are worthwhile destinations as well. You don't need my help to find info on Würzburg or Rothenburg - it's all over the web. Beware the tourist horde in Rothenburg. Marktbreit (with its neighbor towns Ochsenfurt and Sommerhausen) huddles along the Main River not far from Würzburg. This is one of Germany's top wine -producing regions. The "Bocksbeutel" wine bottles have their roots here.

Marktbreit info: https://www.marktbreit.de/?id=82

So it seems to me you could spend 3-4 days here rather handily.

After that, head in the direction of Amsterdam via the legendary Middle Rhine River Valley (stop here for 3-4 nights?) northwest of Frankfurt, where small old-world towns, castles, vineyards, and steep cliffsides create a unique scene. Take a hike or a chairlift ride to the clifftops to enjoy the views. Do a Rhine cruise, tour some medieval castles - Marksburg is excellent - take in a wine festival (in Oberwesel, Sept. 7-10) - maybe visit a big city or two nearby (Mainz? Cologne? Trier?) on your way there, while there, or when you depart for A'dam (3-4 days there.)

As for transportation... I'm a train guy all the way. Most or all of your travel within Germany could be done with on-the-fly regional train tickets and day passes. That depends on your final itinerary choices of course. The cost of a train from Germany's border to Amsterdam is around €25 or so full price - you could buy that on the fly too. (You will need to make sure your hotels are within reasonable walking distance of the station in the towns you book in.)

Amsterdam is one of two cities in Europe from which we can return directly to Salt Lake City, nonstop. We have been considering a similar trip to you. We lived in Northern Germany in the 1980's and came to enjoy its charms as much as Bavaria and the Alps. We will use the Michelin Green Guide and the internet for most of our planning . Some touchstones might include:

Germany
Marburg
Goslar
Hamelin
Münster

Netherlands-
Amersfoort or Utrecht (We have visited Amsterdam a few times before.)

We will take the train. We owned a car in Germany and it was a great way to see the countryside. It is less hassle now to use trains as we prefer to visit cities . Traffic in Germany is no fun.

There are great places to travel all over Germany. I would not travel south while going from Frankfurt am Main to Amsterdam.

You have 11 days for Bavaria and Netherlands.

Bavaria, I suggest going by way of the Romantic Road that goes from Wurzburg, to Rothenburg on the Tauber, then through several small towns or cities to Augsburg.
Here is the road https://www.romanticroadgermany.com Don't miss Dinkelsbuhel and Donauwurth.
The road continues down toward Garmish and Fussen but you could go straight to Munich first, it is your choice.

From Munich, you should visit Salzburg, Austria and Berchtesdagen, Germany.

This part of your trip will take several days:
The Romantic Road down and including Fussen/Garmisch will take you about 4 days.
Munich 3 days, Salzburg 2. You can cut out some portion of the trip if you like, but that doesn't give you much time in Netherlands.

If you go from Frankfurt to Amsterdam, consider stopping in Rudesheim on the Rhine and Cologne. Them up to Netherlands. If interested in WWII history, stop at Arnheim to see the Bridge to Far and British Museum. Amsterdam deserves 3-4 days with more time if you go on day trips t the Zyder Zee. You might wish to visit the Hague as well. Up until this point, you will need 6-7 days.

If you don't go to Bavaria this time, you could continue on into Belgium by visiting Brugges and Gent as well as a full day in Brussels. then continue to Luxembourg and Luxembourg City as well as Viaden, Luxembourg and over to Trier, Germany, then back down to Frankfurt. This entire Low countries trip will take you 10-11 days total.

Taking a rental car would be best for seeing all the places away from major cities, but having a car in Munich, Amsterdam and Brussels will cost you at bit in parking, unless you can find accommodations that provide parking.

In my opinion, Russ offers excellent advice... in every single sentence of his post. I will add that one of the five Rhein in Flammen fireworks shows will occur 8 September at Oberwesel. The website for Rhein in Flammen also includes the program for the wine festival.

I personally find Munich overrated, but I am neither a beer nor a car enthusiast (despite having the world's largest BMW factory about 15 miles from my house). I love the outdoor activities in southern Bavaria, but it would not be worth losing vacation time traveling there to me when I had very good options (as listed by Russ) closer to Frankfurt.

"There are great places to travel all over Germany." How true! The key word is "all" including way up north, east and in the northwest and northeast.

Thanks all for you advice! We decided not to go south to Bavaria as we have to end up in Amsterdam. The first night (or 2) is booked in Frankfurt and the final 3 in Amsterdam. We're struggling over the middle. Do we take off the next morning from Frankfurt or stay another night? Our thoughts are 2-3 nights in Mosel Valley (I think 2, husband wants 3) plus he really wants to got to Luxembourg and stay 2 nights. That leaves just 2 nights for Belgium. I'd rather have 4 nights in Mosel/Lux and 3 nights in Belgium than 5 nights in Mosel/Lux and just 2 in Belgium. Thoughts on the Mosel/Lux plans? And how to "do" Belgium in 2 days?! Thanks!

From that list I have not as yet been to Goslar, still have not visited that famous place. It is a town which German tourists go to.

Among places visited on my first trip, Münster was one of them...very nice and peaceful town, also from the historical and cultural perspectives.