Triburg or Eslingen

Esslingen is a suburb of Stuttgart. Triberg is the cuckoo clock capital of the Black Forest. Different animals.

Assuming that you mean Triberg in the Black Forest: that's quite a distance from Stuttgart and a 2+ hours driving. You might want to combine Esslingen with Tübingen or Schwäbisch Gmünd for a more relaxed day trip.

Thanks for your feedback. I realize they are different trips. Maybe I should have asked- If I have one day which is a better trip? We are OK with the travel. Is Triburg significantly better then Eslingen- worth the 2 hour trip vs. Esslingen.

I guess, you are asking for people who have been to both, but that would be quite a coincidence that someone has been to both and prepared to make a judgement call.

Like I said, Triberg, with an "e" is in the Black Forest mountains, can be got there and back with a Baden-Wuerttemberg Ticket on regional trains, about 3 hours each way leaving after 9 am weekdays. The train ride up to Triberg is on a winding mountain railway that is quite scenic. You can via Rottweil and Villingen on the way to, and via Offenburg on the way back to do the whole route. With the B-W ticket, you can also stop off along the way, seeing Rottweil and Gengenbach if you don't spend a lot of time in Triberg, which 3 hours would be plenty to have lunch and peruse the clockshops. From Triberg station, which is in the valley, you need to take the local bus up to the main town on the hillside. A B-W ticket will cover the bus.

So no, I've never been to Esslingen.

The Alps comprise a pretty big area. I guess you mean you will be spending time in the Swiss Alps, maybe the Berner Oberland, and coming back to Stuttgart through the Black Forest. Then stopping in Triberg makes sense. I've never heard anything noteworthy about Esslingen, so stopping in Triberg makes more sense.

If making a day trip from Stuttgart, I'd visit Bebenhausen Moanastery and Palace followed by a walk around Tubingen, which is a wonderful town. Never been to Esslingen but I found Triberg underwhelmimg, not one of the prettier Black Forest towns.

A friend and I were in Triberg yesterday. For context's sake, we are a male and a female in our 40's who enjoy outdoor activities. We did not find the town itself particularly attractive, but we enjoyed...

1. The train ride from Gengenbach (our base) to get there -- lots of nice views.
2. Hiking one of the two loops of the Schwarzwaldbahn Erlebnispfad (Black Forest Railway Hiking/Adventure Trail). There are two loops that take you to places that are associated with the Black Forest Railway. We chose the loop that is more forested (stations 1-8). This loop also passes by the world's largest cuckoo clock (I was unimpressed; my female friend liked it). The trail is quite steep in places but offers some wonderful views of the Black Forest and Triberg.
3. Visiting Triberg Wasserfall, the highest waterfall in Germany. It's no Niagra Falls, but it's always nice to watch rushing water.
4. Taking about 30 minutes to pop into a couple of cuckoo clock places to look at the clocks.

I have not been to Esslingen, but have researched it before for a possible trip to Stuttgart. It looks like more of a quaint town with interesting things to see. There is an inexpensive tour that will show you the highlights of the town.

So... the question is... do you want more mountain/forest views (that may be less spectacular than what you saw in the Alps) or do you want to see a quaint little town?

Esslingen is a beautiful town, filled with lots and lots of half-timbered buildings. The Rat Haus is very impressive. A visit to their church is a must, I believe they have the oldest stained glass windows in Germany. Went to their medieval Christmas market and it was perfect, set up in the middle of this interesting town. It is on the German Half-Timbered Route.
http://www.deutsche-fachwerkstrasse.de/uk/cont.php3?c=portrait

It is a quick and easy trip from Stuttgart and I recommend going there.

It would be helpful if someone who hasn't actually visited a town or city to refrain from dissing said town.

Thank you to everyone for your feedback. We have decided to go to Esslingen. We will let you know how it went!

Vicki