Itinerary suggestions, please!

Bonn-Neuschwanstein is a long trip. The shortest train travel times are around 6.5 hours on 5 different trains and buses. You can find some trips with 3-4 trains/buses but plan on an extra hour or longer with those. Here's the DB itinerary page so you can check for yourselves on the dates you intend to travel:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

Station names: Bonn Hbf, Hohenschwangau Neuschwanstein Castles, Schwangau

Since you aren't familiar with Germany or Europe yet, let me just suggest an alternative that might have skipped your attention. Marksburg Castle in the attractive town of Braubach (also on the Rhine River - just 1 hour south of Bonn) offers a 1-hour tour and is open every day. Marksburg is a genuine-article, never-destroyed, medieval knights' castle around 800 years old. Near Marksburg and Braubach are a collection of the "scenic/small town type destinations" that you are specifically looking for. These include...
Bacharach
Oberwesel
St. Goar and Rheinfels Castle (opens for self-guided tours in mid-March.)
View from St. Goar across the river to St. Goarshausen
Limburg
Rüdesheim

All these towns are part of the Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Neuschwanstein (the most famous of the King's "castles," which in fact are all palaces) was built near the turn of the 20th century and sports a fake castle exterior. Besides the long trip there and back to Frankfurt, which wastes much of two separate days, the 30-minute tour has been known to disappoint.

I think you'll probably have a better experience during your one week if you stick closer to the Frankfurt-Bonn area. Other places that might interest you around this area include...
Trier
Mainz
Heidelberg

Ludwigsburg is an amazing palace if you head south a ways from Heidelberg.

Linz am Rhein and Remagen also to the south, on opposite river banks, but even closer to Bonn.

If you want to visit two fanciful 19th century castles (in the same vein as Neuschwanstein), you don't need to go all the way to southern Bavaria. There's at least two excellent examples on the Rhine, Schloss Drackenburg very close to Bonn, and Schloss Stolzenfels in Koblenz.

My opinion is probably in the minority, but I found Salzburg underwhelming, and it's a very far trip from Bonn. Bonn, on the other hand, is very underrated.

Hi,

While you're in the Bonn area, I would suggest seeing Bad Godesberg.

Also, about Mainz... no matter where you travel, Mainz could be a good place to end your trip for several reasons, including its proximity to FRA airport - it's just 25 minutes and €4.80 by direct local train from Mainz' main station to the airport station. Mainz is not a small town, but a walk through its small yet lively old-town zone could make you think otherwise. There's also a modern, pedestrians-only shopping zone (good for last-minute gifts,) an expansive market square next to the impressive and dominating Romanesque cathedral, and a nice-enough riverfront walking path.

With only six days I would suggest staying "local", unless you heart is set on seeing the Munich/Salzburg/Füssen area. The DB from Bonn to Salzburg is about 7 hours. And by local I mean the Rhein Valley region. There are many castles and palaces to be seen in that region. Just go to Google Maps, zoom into the Rhein region, then type in castles or palaces, and see how many there are. Between Karlsruhe and Cologne there are at least 30 castles/palaces, and just south of Bonn it's dense with them. You just need to do a little research to see which ones are the ones you really want to see. And don't get me wrong, I've been to the Oberbayerland and Salzburg three times. It's my favorite place on the face of the earth. The Oberbayernland has the most stunning views, churches, palaces/castles and beer. I would love to retire in Salzburg. It's an awesome town. It's just a lot of time to give up to travel there from Bonn. But if you do you should target very specific things to see. There are so many it can be dizzying. If you do decide to go email me and I will gladly link Google maps of the things you want to see. I have maps of literally everything you would want to see in the region.

With one week, it will be a busy trip. I have been to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau both in Fussen, and Herren Chemisee between Munich and Salzburg. If you do, base yourself in Munich. There is another palace Linderhof, which I have not been to but the pictures are amazing and people say it is a more complete castle, grounds and inside are finished. To go to Linderhof, you have to cut something. Below is how to get there. If your daughter meets you in near Frankfurt, you can save travel time, but you will not see her "Home."

To figure if passes are better, add up the individual train trips and see if a pass is cheaper. For tickets, the earlier you buy, the better price once you have your itinerary. If you wait, the good fares will be gone. I would not buy tickets from Frankfurt to Bonn because there may be delays with your flight. I think there is regional pass for the Rhine Valley like the Bayern ticket.

We use www.bahn.de for train tickets. It is the official source for train tickets. DO NOT USE RAIL EUROPE! THEY DO NOT SHOW EVERY TRIP AND THEY ONES THEY SHOW ARE OVERPRICED. The trip to and from Munich should be purchased as soon as possible. The Bayern tickets are purchased same day or a few days before. The price does not change. They never run out.

Saturday, arrival and train to Bonn,
Sunday, Bonn
Monday, Train to Munich, 5:10 hour train trip, figure an hour and a half to wake and get to train station, then an hour and a half to get from train station to check in and get into your room. That makes the trip 8:10 hours, which is good time to catch up and talk. Depart 9:14, arrive 14:27 or 2:27 PM. 78 to 443 Euros for three people. One change of trains. If you buy tickets early you are eligible for super saver fares which cannot be changed. Big price difference.

Tuesday, train to Bahnhof Fussen, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, Bayern Ticket 33 Euro, departs at 9:50 Arrives 11:55, bus to castles then return when you feel like it. Also, you could walk around old town Fussen, about a half mile from the train station before returning to Munich.

Wednesday, train to Prien a Chiemsee, departs 9:55 Bayern Tickert 33 Euro, to Heren Chiemsee a King's castle on a lake, he made it to be like Versailles. Very nice, finished unlike Neuschwanstein. Train back when finished.

Thursday, train to Salzburg, Bayern Ticket 33 Euro, train back when finished.

Friday, train to Mainz, 67 to 337 Euro. Mainz is about 30 minutes from Frankfurt airport. Your daughter can take you to the airport and head back to Bonn from there or head to Bonn when you head to the airport.

Saturday fly home.

Bayern Ticket info: 33 Euros for 3 people valid for regional train travel after 9 am during the week.

http://www.munich-touristinfo.de/Bavaria-Ticket.htm

There is a Combination ticket "Königsschlösser" 24 euros (The combination ticket is valid for six months; with this ticket you can visit each of King Ludwig II's palaces once: Linderhof Palace, Herrenchiemsee Palace and Neuschwanstein Castle). This is a good deal if visiting all three.

Linderhof How to get there by public transport Bayern ticket covers this trip as well.
Take the train (www.bahn.com) to Oberammergau: from Oberammergau there is a bus connection to Linderhof (9622).
For information on intercity bus lines and further means of travel please have a look on the Internet.

Palace Information, select, Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Chiemsee, Linderhof for official web sites. http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/objects/li_schl.htm

Thanks for all the replies! I will see if I can come up with a good plan.
I was also trying to not go anywhere my daughter had plans to go so I'll have to figure that out as well.

Tuesday, train to Bahnhof Fussen, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, Bayern Ticket 33 Euro, departs at 9:50 Arrives 11:55,

Or take RE 57584 departing Munich Hbf. 8:53, Munich dep. Pasing 9:00 (arr. Schwangau 11:13, one transfer at Buchloe). For the short leg not covered by the Bayern ticket (Hbf. - Pasing, since you are starting before 9:00) buy a single ticket. If you have a multi day Munich transport ticket, you can use that for the trip to Pasing.

BTW, the actual price for a BY ticket for three is 37E (25 + 6 +6).

I agree that there is no real reason to go all the way to Bavaria if your daughter is in the Bonn area. If you are interested in weird architecture, another place to try is Darmstadt near Frankfurt, which has many interesting art nouveau buildings in the Matildenhoehe neighbourhood.

If you have your heart set on Bavaria and Salzburg, another transportation option is air. There are multiple flights per day on both Air Berlin and Lufthansa from Cologne/Bonn Airport to Munich; flight time is around 1 hour. A one-way, non-bare-bones ticket is around $100/person. Fly down -- catch the train back to Frankfurt?

We've decided to stay closer to Bonn and see some of the castles near the Rhine. I really wanted to see Burg Eltz, but it doesn't open until April. Is it possible to see the outside from somewhere near?

Any suggestions on this area are welcome as well!

Thanks!

Burg Eltz sits hidden in a valley above the Mosel, so you can't see it unless you hike up from the river, or drive to the parking lot and walk down from there. I haven't made the upward hike but the service road from the parking lot is insanely steep.