Trying to Decide Which sites to See

We spent 16 days in Germany last month- flew into Frankfurt and out Munich-rented a car which made it easier to travel- we stayed in Rothenburg 4 days and did day trips to Bad Mergentheim, Weikersheim, Dinkelsbuhl, Nordligen..5 days then stayed right by Neuschwansteinwith trip to Fussen, Stuggart, Triberg, Calw, Oberrammergau & Garmisch. Then to Berchestgarten for 5 days where we did the Eagles Nest, Lake Konigssee, Salt Mine, ventured into Austria. Last 2 days in Munich saw Nymphenburg Palace & Hirschgarten. Had a wonderful time and was just beautiful.. enjoy your trip

Thank you! We are also renting a car. Were the other cities on the Romantic road out of Rothenberg? What sites did you see in those towns? Which Salt Mine did you visit?

Yes most of the places we saw were on the romantic road.. we did tours of Neuschwanstein castle and his fathers Hohenschwangau both within walking distance- then Linderhof castle. Also Weikersheim castle-We did the Salt Mine, Jennerbahn & Lake Konigssee in Berchesgarten.

That sounds perfect! Thank you so very much!

If you can make it to Rothenburg that was one of my favorites places,.. Dinkelbuhl also

Thank you. yes, we plan to spend a day in Rothenburg and do the Nightwatchman tour.

rented a car which made it easier to travel

I don't really agree with that. I've traveled all over Germany, and in particularly Bavaria, by public transportation and never needed a car. Yes, it takes a little more planning in advance, but once you get there you just hop on the right train and get there. No need to figure out a map or worry about wrong turns or traffic tie-ups. And I've always found public transportation to be far less expensive.

Tass mentioned Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen. I would definitely suggest staying in Nördlingen. It's a cute town, with lots of Fachwerk buildings and an an almost complete wall you can walk on. From Nördlingen it's less than an hour by bus to Dinkelsbühl and only 20 minutes to Harburg and it's intact castle. And you can get to Nördlingen by train.

Lee public transportation is good for those who prefer but we chose to rent a car and worked well for us we had a GPS unit so had no problem.. it worked well for us and really wasn't expensive with all the driving we did, plus there was times we left early in the morning or came home late at night or places that public transportation was not available..plus really loved the roads only one time did we have a short delay due to a small fender bender and think it was maybe 5 minutes.. :)

I've got two trains of thought. Go through the Black Forest, Baden-Baden down to the Bodensee and into Schwangau. This route go through Switzerland to see the Rheinfalls (and please any other sites anyone can suggest) to Nordrlingen with stop in Dinkelsbuhl then to Schwangau?

If you're in Heidelberg for three days, the Black Forest will feel completely redundant. Heidelberg is surrounded by similar (but far less famous) mountain scenery.

Suggestions in the region (I used to live just to the north). Drive up the Neckar River Valley towards Bad Wimpfen. The scenery , castles, and towns will amaze you with their beauty. Particularly take the time to check out the small walled hill top town of Dilsberg, and the castle town of Hirschhorn. Bad Wimpfen is also a gem.

The small city of Speyer on the other side of the Rhine from Heidelberg is very nice, one of the few (besides Heidelberg) in the region that was barely touched in the war. It has a massive Romanesque cathedral and a very kid-friendly Technik museum.

Route B5 north of Heidelberg winds along the western edge of the Odenwald mountains. You'll find several very attractive wine towns along this route, particularly Weinheim (with two castles), Heppenheim and Bensheim.

Neary Schwetzingen has a large baroque palace with an elabatorate garden.

I agree with Tom about Weinheim and Heppenheim, and I'd add Ladenburg to that. So gorgeous!

If you don't mind me asking...what do you expect to do or see in Heidelberg for 3-4 whole days? I lived in Mannheim (about 20 miles away) for half a decade and wouldn't recommend more than 3-4 HOURS in Heidelberg, not days. (Especially in July, when mobs of tourists descend upon it in droves.) If you're using it as a base for sightseeing in the area, I think that could be great. I wouldn't spend all the time in town, though. (Incidentally, Rick Steves agrees with me.) Speaking of Heppenheim, there are about 150 iron lanterns all around the gorgeous old town that depict weird quasi-pagan legends from the region, and they're AWESOME. See if you can find a nighttime tour in English; ask the tourist office and I bet they can arrange one.

Oh my gosh--I can't believe I almost didn't mention this! You mention you'll be with family; I assume that means kids? One of my very favorite places to spend a day in Germany is Luisenpark in Mannheim. You can get there in about 40 minutes on public transit from Heidelberg. It's part zoo, part multi-playground family park; it's got beautiful plants, greenhouses, concerts and events, biergartens, a lake with awesome little circuit boats, an ADULTS ONLY SWINGSET (this is the coolest thing you'll ever see--it's two stories tall!!!), super bouncy trampolines like you've never experienced before, a Japanese tea garden, grill pits, a wheelchair swing (so cool!), several giant lawns with the most comfortable reclining chairs you'll ever see, baby stork nests, a reptile house, a barefoot sensory experience area, a water playground, a music garden, and a ton of other stuff. (And it's only 6-7 euros for adults. and cheaper for kids!)

If you've never been to Germany before--yes, go see the castles and cathedrals and museums, because they're important. But if you want to experience a day of leisure like the Germans would spend it, and especially if you've got kids with you and/or an otherwise packed itinerary, I promise that Luisenpark will be the single best day of your trip.

"...arriving in Frankfurt and then flying out of Munich. I'm trying to find a route with sights for my family to see. We will be in Heidelberg for 3 - 4 days and will have 5 days before leaving out of Munich."

We do not know what your interests are. And you probably don't want "duplicate" experiences. What are you planning to see/do in Heidelberg already? 30-40% of your 10-day trip in Heidelberg sounds truly excessive. 5 days in Munich itself might not be too many - there's a LOT you could see and do just there, depending on your interests, perhaps with a day trip or two.

One sorta-sure bet is the UNESCO World-Heritage Middle Rhine Valley, a place I would target right up front for 2-3 days if I were landing at FRA - it's only an hour by train. Heidelberg's castle is actually a palace that was devastated by French invaders and may disappoint. But Marksburg in Braubach, one of 40 castles in a 40-mile stretch of river, is a genuine, intact medieval castle; tours take about an hour. Rheinfels is just across the river and a bit south. The old-world towns here are outstanding.

Marksburg: http://www.marksburg.de/en/
Braubach's adorable old town: http://djtravel.homestead.com/files/braubach_-_hotel_1610.jpg
Rheinfels: http://www.st-goar.de/17-1-rheinfels-castle.html
Rheinfels/St. Goar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxFF80wORNQ
Summer bobsled run in St. Goarshausen: http://www.loreleybob.de/galerie-loreley-bob.html
River cruises past the MRV castles: https://www.k-d.com/de/welcome-to-kd/
Scene near Bingen - the best place to start a cruise: http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/thumbs/site_1066_0016-500-370-19700101010000.jpg
Bacharach: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/16/a8/83/more-bacharach.jpg

If you go by train, don't expect skimpy travel schedules. Local trains run hourly or better along both river banks, connecting the Rhine villages throughout the MRV, from around 5:00 a.m. until around midnight. It's hard to imagine anyone having a problem with the availability of public transportation in Germany, which has perhaps the best transportation system on the planet. Our family trips through Germany used to involve rental cars, but no more - there are just far too many advantages for train travel, IME.

Oh, yes, I completely forgot about it... let me second the recommendation for Luisenpark. I've visited many urban parks throughout Europe, and I would easily rank Luisenpark as the single best. It's not just beautiful and immaculately gardened. It has wonderful playgrounds for kids, an exotic indoor botanical garden, a small zoo, and a nice boat ride around the lake. My most vivid memory of the boat ride is that the fish have been conditioned to expect food from the boats, so you will see several large fish following you with their mouths sticking out of the water.

Mannheim will win no beauty contests and will probably never become a major tourist destination. But Luisenpark is an absolute underappreciated gem.

The reason for the length of time in Heidelberg is that I lived there for four years. As you can imagine after living there it is very special to me. I can't thank everyone enough in this forum, it is amazing how so many people want to help to ensure we have an enjoyable trip.

I think we will do the Romantic Road down to southern Bavaria and route through the castles and then Eagles Nest and Salt Mines.

Thank you all so very much!