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Side trip planning Berlin – Heidelberg area - Rhine

Posted by (Salem, Oregon, USA ) on

I'm planning a May/June 2016 trip that starts in Copenhagen, heads to Berlin (via Lübeck), and ends in Rhine/Frankfurt area. As part of this journey, I want to make a short side trip to visit a small town where my family lived before 1855 (Tairnbach, SE of Heidelberg). I am trying to fit this stop between the Berlin and Rhine portions of my trip. Given limited time, I have decided that I just want to get a feel for the countryside and to take photos of some still-existing landmarks like churches. I won't have time to do in depth genealogy research or try to connect with long-lost cousins (maybe a future trip). Here's my current idea:

Day 1

  • Take morning train from Berlin to Würzburg (approx 4 hours)
  • Rent car at train station
  • Drive to a small-ish town for an overnight (Rothenburg ob der Tauber or other less touristy town?). Explore town in evening.

Day 2

  • After breakfast, drive to Tairnbach and vicinity (approx. 1.5 hours from Würzburg) taking in any other interesting stops along the way
  • Drop off rental car at Heidelberg train station in mid-afternoon
  • Take afternoon train to Rhine river area (thinking Bacharach or St. Goar)

Though this is a long two days of travel, I am stymied on how to make it more efficient while balancing train travel time, car driving time (I'm nervous!), and my interest in a short visit between longer stays in two high priority areas (Berlin/Rhine). I'd very much appreciate any feedback on train routes, driving routes, or better options that I'm just not thinking of. Thanks in advance for helping a novice German traveler :)

PS Thanks to those who replied to an earlier post on the topic of genealogy research, you gave me excellent advice – unfortunately my available vacation days compared to my wish list resulted in a more limited itinerary than hoped for.

Posted by
6620 posts

Since on Day 1 you aren't visiting Würzburg, and you just need a small cutesy town for overnight, I suggest you take the train straight to Heidelberg to fetch a car (only about one hour further than Würzburg is from Berlin) then proceed to one of numerous cutesy towns in that region. You could drive along the very attractive Neckar River Valley (with castles like Hirschhorn in the town of the same name) and Gundelsheim (home of Guttenberg Castle and Hornberg Castle-hotel,) or to Ladenburg. Then you'll have all of day 2 if you want it or need it in/around Tairnbach (which will mean a very short drive)

Posted by
8938 posts

I don't understand why you are taking a train from Berlin to Würzburg if you don't want to see Würzburg. This is out of your way. Take a direct 4 hour train to Frankfurt and continue to your small town near Heidelberg. If you want a small, non-touristy town like Rothenburg to overnight in, Gelnhausen, Seligenstadt, or Büdingen might fit the bill for you. A lovely small town on the Rhine would be Eltville, a quick 5 min. train ride from Rüdesheim, but with a panaromic walk along the river without a train or road in between the town and the Rhine.

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