Luggage storage Rothenburg ob de Tauber train station

Not according to the website: https://www.bahnhof.de/en/berlin-hauptbahnhof/locker

From the photos I found on the internet, there are some coin operated luggage storage lockers at the station but I don’t know what size luggage they would accommodate or how many would be available on any given day. Edited to add - Google “6 photos of Hauptbanhof Rothenburg ob der Tauber” to see the storage lockers.

That photo is 5 years old.

That photo is 5 years old.

... and in the meantime, the DB has downgraded the station to a simple stop (station category < 5, no equimpent besides benches). The city just managed to ensure that at least the ticket automat, which already had been removed, has been reinstalled.
I'd write to the tourist info ([email protected]) for help.

As of 16sep24, There are indeed a few lockers at the Rothenburg train station. There are 12 large lockers and 8 small. I can't seem to post a photo took. But here is a video where they can be seen (0:14) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IgFUxeke54. The video is 4 years old, but this is exactly how I observed them.

Again, write to the tourist info ([email protected]) , they have to know it.

Source: Rick Steves, Best of Germany with Salzburg, (pg213)
" Day-trippers can leave their luggage on lockets on the platform. Free WCs on track 1".

According to this official website, which I consider to be accurate, there are no lockers at the Rothenburg odT station. Note, the box next to "Schließfächer (lockers) is not checked.

why are we ignoring the post of 4marquards who said that 10 days ago there were lockers in their photo?

and in the meantime ask the town

Note that 4marquards has now edited her post to add confirmatory photographic evidence of the existence of lockers.

My wife and I will be there tomorrow and will also photograph said lockers... i hope they are large.

We arrived Rothenberg yesterday. Saw the lockers. Everyone in this thread is correct. (Yay, Forum!). Here's the info:

1. There are 12 large lockers and 8 medium ones. Most of them have the doors removed. Some have no key. Maybe 2 had a key and MIGHT work (for now).

2. There was a big notice posted in German & English, saying: "Dear passengers and guests, unfortunately this luggage lockers is currently not available. We apologize, etc..."

3. Just went to Tourist Office (in the Rathouse), and asked. They said the lockers were owned by the DB, and were no longer being serviced. He did not know if they were also being removed.. He did not know if they would be replaced. He said if a visitor was just visiting for the day, they could leave luggage temporarily at the Tourist Office.

4. My wife and arrived by train, did not wait for a taxi, and walked with our big backpacks, 1/2 mile to our favorite Gastehaus near Rathaus Platz. Will be here for 4 nights, we love it here, tourists and all.

Like everyone keeps saying, don't just come for the day, stay a few nights.

Forgot to add the ticket automat machine is still there.

Great information, thanks for sharing.

"...if a visitor was just visiting for the day, they could leave luggage temporarily at the Tourist Office."

This option applies not only to Rothenburg but to MANY TI offices all around Germany. I have often made side trips with luggage, or broken up a long train ride between base towns, and deposited the bag(s) I was carrying at the local TI office. Over the years, lockers at train stations have declined in number, but TI offices have filled the gap, IME, usually for no charge at all. If you know your intended side-trip or stopover station does not have lockers, be sure to contact the TI office in advance to clarify their willingness to take bags and their hours of operation.

Because so many people are daytrippers to Rothenburg, it's a real blessing that their TI office is so cooperative.

"Like everyone keeps saying, don't just come for the day, stay a few nights."

I am definitely not everyone. I prefer exploring and staying in places that are not so thoroughly devoted to tourism. And there really isn't much to do in this very small town. I could see using Rothenburg as a base town for taking day trips for 2-3 nights, possibly... Ochsenfurt, Marktbreit, Sommerhausen, Bad Windsheim and Würzburg are not too far away and are doable day trip destinations from R'burg. But most of these nice destinations, though accessible by public transport, escape the attention of Rick Steves' followers, who aren't made aware of them by his materials. For a multi-night stay in Rothenburg, I'd encourage anyone to consider hitting one or more of these places on a day trip.

There was a big notice posted in German & English, saying: "Dear passengers and guests, unfortunately this luggage lockers is currently not available.

As stated above, DBInfraGo, which is rather alien to the idea of customer service, downgraded the station of Rothenburg to a simple class 5 stop some years ago (recently even further down to 6). With this category, no equipment at all is to be expected, even if relics of earlier equipment still exist. One could just as well conclude from the existence of an engine depot that steam locomotives are still present. Anyone interested in the category of a particular station may google for a PDF called “DB InfraGo station price list 2024”.

Meaning of DBInfraGo station categories:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_railway_station_categories

Here's a link to the photos I took at the Rothenberg train station on 2 October 2024:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1q72JZujFLYVwdPb2SbISJlFlswrJj8uE

Sure is fun to be here, so much to see and do.

Does anyone know of any alternate locations for luggage storage in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, or is the tourist office the only place available? We plan on stopping there for the day on our upcoming trip, but we will definitely need somewhere to store our luggage. If options aren't available or aren't a sure thing it might be better for us to modify our plans. I'll reach out to email linked above as well to see if they've got more info.

I looked at the pictures of the sign. Anytime you see the word "leider" (unfortunately) you know it isn't going to be good news.

Cousi, there is a Hotel Gasthof Post right across the street from the train station. Their number is: +49 9861 938880

Maybe they could help?

And if you can hike a few blocks toward the town wall, there is a restaurant "Kartoffelstube" on the right. My wife and I were going to try it out, but ran out of time.

Your return rail trip is probably along the same route. If so, why not leave the bags in either Steinach or Würzburg?

There are no lockers in Steinach, AFAIK. But do consider Going234's idea of dropping bags at some other station which has them and is on your route. Where does your day begin, and where does it end? If we knew this, we might have some suggestions.

Please let us know whether the TI office gives you a thumbs up as well on dropping bags there.

There are no lockers in Steinach, AFAIK.

Definitely not. Steinach is nothing more than a transfer station without any facilities. The nearest stations with lockers are Ansbach or Würzburg.

Thanks everybody for your input. The tourist information office got back to me with the following information:

Thank you very much for your inquiry. I'm afraid you can't leave your
luggage anywhere, but you can leave it here at the tourist information
during opening hours. From Monday to Friday we're open from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m., on Saturdays we're open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Sundays
we're closed in November.

Our address is as follows:

Rothenburg Tourist Information Marktplatz 2 91541 Rothenburg

We will be starting the day in Munich and heading to Frankfurt which is our final stop in Germany. It seems like the suggestion of leaving the luggage at an earlier station would be our best option, as we would be visiting on a Saturday and those hours wouldn't work. However I was already starting to think about changing our plans and this might be deciding factor. It was already a bit of stretch given the extra travel time we would be adding to get there, so I think we might be better off spending a little more time in Munich or Frankfurt, or perhaps adding in a day trip from Munich on a previous day (e.g. Salzburg or Neuschwanstein). If anyone has any particular suggestions in those locations or along the route I'd love to hear them. We'll be there in late November & early December. I love historical stuff and my wife is really excited about the Christmas markets and loves all things Christmas so something with one or both of those elements would be a plus, but a good recommendation outside those areas of interest wouldn't be a bad thing either.

I think we might be better off spending a little more time in Munich
or Frankfurt...

You can't go wrong with Mainz.

Frankfurt proper (not FRA airport) is your final stop, right? And you have reservations there already for the Saturday night in question, I assume.

In this case, I'd get tickets now for the DIRECT ICE train from Munich at 8:46 to Mainz (ar. 12:15.) Drop bags in a locker at Mainz Hbf station (which I did myself a few weeks ago, no shortage of lockers there.) Then spend the balance of your day in Mainz. It's a historic city, an attractive one with a good number of sights in addition to a good-sized Christmas market. And the large tangle of pedestrians-only streets allows you to negotiate the place on foot. A smallish old-town zone is tucked away along Augustinerstrasse behind the cathedral and Marktplatz zone.

Things to see/do in Mainz
Mainz Christmas Market

Old town, Kirschgarten
Old town, Augustinerstrasse

You can get to Frankfurt - or Frankfurt Airport if that's your final stop - using one of the DIRECT local S-Bahn trains (which leave Mainz Hbf every half hour or so.) 25 minutes to FRA, 40 to Frankfurt.