In need of guidance and feedback: In the early planning phases for a trip to Germany next year, and struggling with the route. We are hoping to visit Berlin, Mosel Valley, and Southern Bavaria in a span of two weeks with a rental car (can throw in trains if needed). From our local area (airport: IAD), direct flights exist to Frankfurt and Munich (and Vienna, however with two weeks, I’m thinking we will not have time to go there as well?) and I am really trying to stick with direct flights. With that said, I am struggling with finding a good route to include Berlin in the trip. Any suggestions or just suck it up and do the connecting flight in order to either end or begin in Berlin? Also, I listed three areas, but open to other suggestions if that helps.
Edit: My struggle is not about how to connect the cities, but rather at what point would Berlin make sense to fit it in? For example, if we fly into Munich, do we head directly to Southern Bavaria, then back to Munich, train to Berlin, and then train to Mosel Valley to fly out of Frankfurt? Do we fly in and out of Munich and head directly to Berlin upon landing and then circle back (as I'm typing, this seems inefficient, but wanted to put forth an example)? Based on your experience, when would you fit in Berlin in the route?
Posted by
Paradise
7079 posts
Do your direct flights, into MUC and out of FRA or vice versa. Make it easy on yourselves and take the train between Southern Bavaria and Berlin, and between Berlin and the Mosel Valley. There are direct trains between Berlin and Koblenz (gateway to the Mosel) that take just over 5 hours. Advance-sale tickets can be purchased for this trip for €20-30 if you buy very early. (The trip between Munich and Berlin takes slightly less time and costs about the same with early purchase.)
"I am struggling with finding a good route..."
The trains pick the most direct route for you. You will want around 10 days for Berlin and for Southern Bavaria including transport, and a few days for the Mosel (including transport to or from FRA.) That's all you have, so there isn't much time for seeing all there is to see in between these places. If you really think you can make time for stopovers somewhere... check out the train routes between your cities and see which places might interest you on the way. Nuremberg, Bamberg, and Erfurt might be options between Munich and Berlin.
You can either take the train from place to place while you're in southern Bavaria and in the Mosel Valley, or rent a car there. Your choice.
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1391 posts
The new Berlin-Munich high-speed line ICE (Intercity-Express) between Munich and Berlin opened earlier this year. 3:55 hours one way...
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/trains/long-distance/vde8.shtml
You could do a round about with a rental from either Frankfurt of Munich to visit the three areas in Germany you listed, visiting places in between. You could use secondary routes and avoid Autobahn traffic and Stau. See the Munich and Berlin ICE route as you could plan a car route similarly between the two cities.
Adding Vienna you would have to trim the Germany part of your trip. Salzburg to Vienna is @ a three hour drive. To include Vienna you might want to fly in or out of there.
Posted by
Green Bay
21194 posts
That's the limited stop Sprinter that runs 3 times a day. Other trains will just have to poke along at 4 1/2 to 5 hours.