Talk to me about/Talk me into Baden-Baden

On the RS/GAS tour we had a tour of the casino as part of the scheduled activities, and in free time I did the baths. I also rode the lift to the top of the nearby hill and had lunch, which as nice but similar to what's available in other places.. Others in our group went walking along the streamside path in town. The baths were actually fun and I was very glad I did it. If I were there on my own, I wouldn't bother with the casino tour as it's not a personal interest. So really, if you don't care about the casino or the baths, there's no particular reason to stop in Baden-Baden.

If you do go to Stuttgart, I highly recommend the Waldhotel. It is out of town near a soccer stadium and a large forrest park. There is a train line within a very short walk. We stayed there 2 years ago and it left me with so many wonderful memories. It also got me hooked on Nespresso... I think it was the mix of pampered luxury near nature that causes me to recommend it so highly - best of both worlds!

We are flying into Stuttgart again in a couple weeks but will be staying with friends who live close to Baden Baden. We haven't been there yet but they speak highly of it.

We enjoyed an overnight in Baden Baden, with a leisurely afternoon in a spa, but one night was enough for me -- I would spend more time in either Strasbourg or Gengenbach (just a few hours drive)

We were expecting to hate it, but ended up liking it a lot.It is not glitzy, if you're thinking Las Vegas or something like that. If it didnt have the casino (which is old money and subdued, not big money Atlantic City flash) it would be a pleasant German town, like Heidelberg, with all the usual attractions - parks, shopping, restaurants, etc. The casino adds historic value to the place, but its not a must-see. That being said, there would be other places I'd prefer to stay, especially if you have a reason for something else. I think RS includes it mostly as a convenient place and more for the baths than the casino.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. I think I will plan to sleep elsewhere, likely Heidelberg unless the Stuttgart beer festival has started. We will have a car so maybe we will pop into Baden- Baden for a look along the way.

Why don't you visit the Black Forest, next door to Baden-Baden? You'd have your pick of attractive old towns and terrific scenery. Nice places to stay are everywhere.

Gutach and the Black Forest Open-air Museum

Gengenbach

Hausach

Hornberg

Schiltach

Triberg

Rothaus Brewery

Thanks for the great suggestions Russ, I especially like the last one with the Brewery and their guesthouse. Unfortunately, it looks like that would add another 3 hours of drive time and the other towns add from 2-3 hours. I do agree the Black Forest is beautiful! We will be staying in Bacharach for 2 nights then have stops in both Heidelberg and Stuttgart before 2 nights in Füssen. Do you have a suggestion for somewhere to stay 1 night other than Heidelberg or Stuttgart that is not far off that path? Note: one member in our group has ancestors from both towns which is why they are currently firmly on the agenda ;)

"Do you have a suggestion for somewhere to stay 1 night other than Heidelberg or Stuttgart that is not far off that path?"

Sorry, I don't understand your response. You had 2 nights for B-B, but now only one? Your path hasn't been stated, has it? I guess you have altered Rick's routing, which has the Rhine/Mosel prior to Baden-Baden for 2 nights, then a drive through the Black Forest to Staufen or Freiburg for a night, then onto "Bavaria." If the Black Forest is too far, then it sounds like you have already scratched that part of Rick's plan... So... What town are you leaving from in the Rhine/Mosel region? What town are you then heading to right after Baden-Baden (or its replacement?) It happens that I just returned from a very nice 2-night stay in a town to the north of Baden-Baden, but I hesitate to recommend it over other places that might be better and might also be along whatever route you are trying to keep.

Oops, sorry. I thought I had stated above that I was following Rick’s pared down itinerary for 2 weeks (his text below) and that I was trying to cut down a night to get to Munich earlier to avoid the weekend at Oktoberfest.

RS: “With Less Time: If I had to pare this trip down to two weeks, I'd make the following changes: Skip the Mosel (a sleepier version of the Rhine), and go directly from the Rhine to Baden-Baden. From Baden-Baden, head straight for Füssen/Reutte instead of overnighting in Freiburg/Staufen. Skip the Salzburg side-trip; choose between Würzburg and Nürnberg, and stay just one night there; and reduce the stay in Berlin to two nights.”

"Skip the Mosel (a sleepier version of the Rhine), and go directly from the Rhine to Baden-Baden. From Baden-Baden, head straight for Füssen/Reutte"

OK, so it's "Rhine" to Füssen/Reutte with (I suppose) only one night stopover - is that correct? What Rhine town do you expect to stay in? Let's assume Bacharach. So on the fastest route to Füssen (about 4.25 hours) you're crossing the Rhine near Speyer and picking up the A5 southbound in the direction of Karlsruhe (then the A8 after that.) Just south of Karlsruhe is Ettlingen, a very nice small town with the Alb River passing through it, completely navigable on foot, completely charming. Lots of outdoor dining on/near the Marktplatz. Click on the arrows on the following page for photos of the highlights you'll see on the old town walk:

https://www.ettlingen.de/,Lde/startseite/Tourismus+_+Freizeit/Stadtrundgang.html

There's an in-town local brewery - see photos at this page: https://www.vogelbraeu.de/ettlingen/lokal.html

We stayed at the Watthalden hotel on the south end of town - outstanding place near the Albgaubad (water park/pool facility) next to a lovely park and near the river. Room was modern, large, comfortable, well-kept, with french-doors looking onto the forest behind the hotel; breakfast was outstanding in the large, open ground-floor area. We found it easy to stroll along the riverside walkway to make our way into the center. We found a bargain price as well at hrs.com. There are other hotel options as well of course.

Further on the same route is Esslingen, also a nice stopover town, just outside Stuttgart (which I would probably avoid for such a short visit.)

Thanks Russ. Ettlingen looks cute. And yes “We will be staying in Bacharach for 2 nights then have stops in both Heidelberg and Stuttgart before 2 nights in Füssen.”

Rick picks Baden-Baden, because he has never bothered to spend any time in some of the other towns that offer the same experience of historic thermal baths and casinos. Towns like Bad Homburg or Mainz.

Another idea near Stuttgart is the old university town of Tübingen, a few miles south. Beautiful, fabulous riverside, hilly, loads of fun and a great place. For me Stuttgart is a bit too busy, especially if you are just looking for an overnight.

Rick's plan may be a good place to start a plan but because he is a bit light off the beaten path. You're getting some really good ideas here.

I think I assumed Heidelberg and Stuttgart were not absolutes but merely considerations on your own re-routing of Rick's re-routing of Rick's own 3-week trip. If they are absolutes, and if you have already chosen to drive into the centers of those places anyway, well, both have plenty to see and do to fill 2 days. So perhaps DAY 1 after Bacharach would involve driving to Heidelberg, sightseeing in H'berg, then driving to Stuttgart for the night; DAY 2 and the 2nd night could be spend in Stuttgart for convenience. Move on to Füssen after that.

"I really like the Rick Steves' 3 weeks by car trip adjusted down for 2 weeks."

(Rick actually suggests a car only for the first 15 days of his 3-week trip.) For 2 weeks, both Rick and you have cut a LOT from the first several days; once you drop Beilstein, the Mosel River and Trier, and the Black Forest, I gotta say, I'm hard-pressed to find even a lame reason for the car. On top of that you have added stops in two major train hubs (H'berg and Stuttgart.) It's become a completely different trip from the 3-week version. FRA to Bacharach is a snap by train; so is the entire Middle Rhine Valley if you will do outings there. Driving from Bacharach to H'berg is only mildly scenic in places, and both H'berg and Stuttgart are places where a car can be more of a headache than a help. Stuttgart to Füssen is very doable by train as well.

Maybe you'd want a car for roaming around Füssen etc. and for the Romantic Road to Rothenburg. You can pick one up in Füssen and drop off in Würzburg, as Rick suggests. But unfortunately, Rick's trip has you driving into Munich (ugh) in between Füssen and Würzburg.

Note also that Rick's 2-week trip schedules 2 nights in Rothenburg, 1 night in Dresden - and 2 nights in Berlin... REALLY, RICK?

Honestly, his 2-week plan is an abomination that runs you ragged in a flawed attempt at circumnavigating the whole country. It ignores some of Germany's most charming places and allows little time at all in its most engaging city. Perhaps it would appeal to those who find Cliff's Notes a source of good literature. I would never take or send my best friends or relatives on such a trip. IMHO you can do much better with your own custom-made plan - just focus on your interests... see what truly interests you and see it well, and don't feel obliged to see the whole country.