Luther sites with family

3 days for each and perhaps a bit more. It is 6 hours by train from Paris to Eisenach. a couple years ago, we stopped along the way in Eisenach for 5 hours and that was about right. There is an hourly bus from the train station to the Wartburg, taking about 15 to 20 minutes, costing less than 2 EUR. It is still an uphill walk with stairs from there. English tours are given about every other hour and last an hour. We were probably in the castle about 2 hours all told, then took the bus back to town and walked a bit there. Birth place of J.S. Bach. It is then only about 45 mintues to Erfurt on a regional train.

Erfurt to Wittenberg Lutherstadt is about 3 hours on regional trains. The whole family can get there with a Thueringen Ticket for 48 EUR.

Itinerary? Maybe Paris to Eisenach and stay 1 nights. First day, Eisenach and see the Wartburg, then to Erfurt and stay 1 night, next day Erfurt sights for the day, then on to Wittenberg and spend 2 nights there. As you get closer, look at events a dates to fine tune your itinerary. Sometimes there are evening concerts at the Wartburg, or things going on in the evening in Erfurt.

Since Wittenberg is close to Berlin, you might look at flying to Sicily from there.

I haven't been to Wittenberg but visited Erfurt and Eisenach by public transportation in the summer of 2015. I stayed in Erfurt for several nights in order to see that city (extremely pretty, with little if any war damage, and lively due to being a college town) and day-tripped to Eisenach to see the quite interesting Wartburg Castle. The castle requires a local bus (or taxi) ride from town. English-language tours are available. I also went to Weimar to see the nearby Buchenwald Concentration Camp--though your 9-year-old is perhaps too young for that?? That requires a fairly lengthy local bus ride.

I am not a religious person and was not traveling specifically to see the Luther-related sites, so I can't help with your timing beyond saying that I think trying to see Erfurt and Eisenach in a single day isn't ideal. I hope you'll have time to wander around in those cities beyond seeing your target sights.

As I indicated, you can get from town to town by public transportation. All are served by trains, and it appears that driving would not be faster, plus there would be time required to pick up and drop off the car. However, depending on where the Luther sights are located, you may need to supplement the train with buses, taxis, or some walking.

I visited all these places by public transportation.

I like the idea of spending one night in Berlin and flying to Sicilia from there.

By the time you travel Erfurt will be the new ICE hub for Central Germany, which means both Wittenberg and Eisenach can easily be done by public transport from there. It will take 1:20h to Wittenberg, and 0:30h to Eisenach. Both trips, and Erfurt, which is a very beautiful town, require a full day.
A car only makes sense if you want to squeeze in a second place on your day trips to Wittenberg and Eisenach, like Torgau (first Protestant church, tomb of Luthers wife) or Schmalkalden (Schmalkaldic League, Smalcald Articles). But that'a almost impossible anyway, at least WIttenberg + Torgau.
PS: consider a day trip to Weimar too, which is a World Heritage site just like Wittenberg and Eisenach.

We were in each of these places in June this year. Since you will be coming from the West, Eisenach is your first stop. We also spent about 5 hours there, specifically to visit Wartburg Castle. We stowed our bags in a couple of the few lockers in the Eisenach station and, as described by Sam, took a public bus from the train station. However, from the Wartburg bus stop you can avoid the uphill walk by using the convenient shuttle. I don’t recall the fare, maybe 4€.

We spent three nights in Erfurt, but you could do it in less. Its a nice town with lots to see—the cathedral, the merchant’s bridge, Luther’s Augustinian Monastery with museum, Petersburg Citadel, and more (see the RS guidebook). If you are specifically into Luther sites, then you won’t want to miss the Monastery.

Again, if you are just visiting Luther sites, Wittenberg can be checked off in 4 to 6 hours.

The train situation has been described. And the suggestion to fly from Berlin is a good one. Have a good trip.

Thanks to all of you for the responses. These are great!

We had considered starting in Berlin and leaving from Munich or Frankfurt because from my initial searches, it seems that we can fly from Paris to Berlin considerably cheaper (like, several hundred dollars cheaper) than what a train ticket would cost from Paris to Eisenach or Erfurt. Maybe I'm not checking the right places, but it looks like a train from Paris to either Eisenach or Erfurt would cost about $800-$1,000 for all five of us. That seems pricey. Am I missing something?

When I look ahead 3 months, I see a price of 175 EUR for all 5 of you going on ICE train with a single train change in Frankfurt. Requires you to buy nonrefundable tickets 3 months ahead. Even spur of the moment train tickets are 585 EUR. DO NOT USE RAILEUROPE for pricing. Use www.bahn.com. They run the trains.

Ah. That makes a difference. Thanks.

Hi,

I've done Paris to Berlin by train which usually takes 10 plus hours with one change of trains.

Now if you're pressed for time, fly from Paris. Berlin to Lutherstadt Wittenberg is easy on the ICE to Leipzig. I went there is 2014. Erfurt and Eisenach I have not visited yet. In Berlin there is a stature of Luther just before you enter the Nikolaiviertel area.

Certainly worth to visit is his birth place in Eisleben, the nearby St. Peter’s Church where he was baptised and the house he died (did not visit the last one). There is a railway station.

Certainly worth to visit is his birth place in Eisleben, the nearby
St. Peter’s Church where he was baptised and the house he died (did
not visit the last one).

The dirty little secret of Eisleben is that the house where he was baptised was built 200 years later, and the house where he died is the wrong one, lol... :D

Website for the Wartburg Castle showing events, tours, how to get there.
http://www.wartburg.de/en/wartburg-castle.html

And always thinking Germans are so precise about telling the truth, so wat’s the true story Martin?