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Itinerary too Ambitious?

Second trip to Europe but first trip through Germany. Itinerary below, not sure if this is too ambitious...anything we need to add or remove?

Day 1: Arrive Munich in afternoon
Sleep Munich
Day 2: Sightsee Munich
Sleep Munich
Day 3: Train to Fussen - Kings castles, Mary's bridge
Sleep Fussen
Day 4: Fussen- Gondola, Treetop Walk
Train to Staufen later in the day
Sleep Staufen
Day 5: Black forest day trip
Sleep Staufen
Day 6: Train to Baden-Baden early - spas
Sleep Baden-Baden
Day 7: Baden-Baden to Mainz - Hop on Rhine River Cruise to Kamp-Bornhofen for castle sleepover
Sleep in Castle
Day 8: River cruise to Cologne
Sleep in Cologne
Day 9: Cologne to Amsterdam
Sleep Amsterdam
Day 10: Amsterdam Sightsee
Sleep Amsterdam
Day 11: Depart Amsterdam

Posted by
10344 posts

I count roughly 9 destinations in about 9 and 1/2 days on the ground.
In general, that would be more destinations than most travelers would enjoy--too rushed.
As a rough rule of thumb, it takes 2 hotel nights to do 1 full day of sight-seeing in a location.
One night in a destination gives you significantly less than a full day of sight-seeing, due to the time it will take you to change locations (as a rough rule of thumb, changes of hotel can easily take up to 1/2 day of your time), because of travel time between locations, time to check into/out of the hotel, getting to the train station, etc.
An itinerary with multiple one-night hotel stays usually degrades the quality of your travel experience. In European travel, sometimes less is more.

Posted by
19653 posts

Kent's observation is spot on. Nothing wrong with one or even two one-night stands, but you have four. But you can still hit your itinerary, just without pulling up stakes so often.

You are going from Fuessen to Staufen, which takes about 6 1/2 hours, but it only takes 5 1/2 hours from Munich. So do Neuschwanstein et al as a day trip from Munich. First one-night stand eliminated.

Now the fastest way from Munich to Staufen is through Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, and Baden-Baden. So why not stop right there and stay 3 nights. It is just 4 hours from Munich to Baden-Baden. One day of spa treatments and one day touring the Black Forest on the train with a KONUS card, which the hotel should supply. Second one-nighter gone.

Next day, take an early train to Bingen Stadt and pick up the boat there. You should be able to make the 10:30 or the 11:30 boats. Its only 2 hour to Kamp-Bornhofen and the best part of the Rhine gorge. Do your castle stay, one night stand allowed. At Mainz, its a good cab ride to the K-D dock, but at Bingen Stadt, its only a 10 minute walk, and you gain about 1 1/2 hours by picking the boat up further down stream.

Now here is a descision point. From Kamp-Bornhofen, you're only 1 1/2 hours from Cologne on the train. You've already done the best part of the Rhine, and you don't need to go any further on the boat. You'll see the rest from a window seat on the train. So you can get to Cologne by 10:00 and spend the better part of the day there, storing your bags at the Hbf, then on to Amsterdam. I like Cologne, and I will be doing a one nighter there this summer, so you decide. Otherwise you can leave as late as 7:15 pm and be in Amsterdam by 10 pm.

Now you only have 4 or 5 stops instead of 7.

Posted by
10 posts

This is SO helpful! I figured it was way too many hotel changes but didn't realize so many side trips were doable. The river cruise tip is perfect and we may just stay 2 nights at the castle and skip Cologne...

Thank you!!

Posted by
7209 posts

Generally - if you have to ask "is this too much" then it probably is. Go with your gut instinct.

Posted by
6590 posts

Train to Staufen later in the day
Sleep Staufen
Day 5: Black forest day trip
Sleep Staufen
Day 6: Train to Baden-Baden early - spas
Sleep Baden-Baden

You are shortchanging yourselves in the BF region, IMO. Staufen is at the end of a trunk train line and a lousy place from which to make a day trip, pretty far from the BF villages most hope to see. It isn't all that interesting either. Baden Baden is spas and casinos - not really very Black Foresty at all. You'll need a long bus ride to get to the middle and town and out again as well. You'd be better off in a place like Gengenbach IMO for days 4-6. G'bach is right on the scenic Black Forest Railway line and much closer to heart of the central Black Forest where you'll find the Vogtsbauernhof open-air museum in Gutach, Schiltach, Triberg and the other BF towns.

Gengenbach photo
Gengenbach, tower and old city wall
Scenic Black Forest Railway line
Map of this area and the BF Railway w/ towns
Schiltach photo
Vogtsbauernhof museum
Accommodations in Gengenbach, nearby Biberach, and other BF towns

Ask your hosts in Gengenbach for a KONUS card so you can do your BF train outing for free.