Where to go after Tübingen?

Of course I spelled the name in the topic of my question wrong! Tübingen is what I meant (I edited the post).

Pretty sure you mean Tübingen.

Herrenberg, a town on the German Half-timbered route, is just 30 minutes by DIRECT train from Tübingen.
https://angiestravelroutes.com/en/herrenberg-city-walk/

Horb is 35 minutes away by direct train:
https://schwarzwald-aktuell.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AdobeStock_398359311-1024x683.jpeg

Esslingen is about 50 minutes on the way to Stuttgart, also by direct train.
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Esslingen

Rick Steves offers little advice for this area. You can check these places out on Tripadvisor.

cawprice, I agree that Gengenbach is not that easy to get to from Tübingen but it is very easy to get from Gengenbach to Strasbourg once you're there. It's only a 35-40 minute train ride with one easy transfer in Offenburg.

Another option would be to head to Freiburg from Tübingen, which is a much easier route; albeit still longer. Visit Freiburg and then head to Gengenbach which is about 50 minutes away by train. When you're ready to leave Gengenbach, just hop on the train and it's a quick train ride to Strasbourg.

ETA: Well I just realized you know all of this and if I would have taken the time to thoroughly read your first post, I would have known that. Sorry, I've been rushing around and my brain is a little mushy now.

At any rate, it looks like Russ has given you a few stops that you could do on your way from Tübingen to either Gengenbach or Freiburg. My vote is for Gengenbach because I really love it, but that's me. You do you. 😊

Why not rent a car for the stretch from Tubingen to Freiburg or Gengenbach? That would give you flexibility to see what you want in the Black Forest or elsewhere in Baden-Wurttemburg such as Lake Constance. At your own pace and on your own schedule. Take 2 or 3 days to get from Tubingen to Freiburg or Gengenbach.

We rented a car for 5 of our 30 days in September for that region. Picked up a car in Mainz and drove to Geislingen (east of Stuttgart), then west to Tubingen via the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart, then to the Black Forest near Schiltach via Burg Hohenzollern, and finally to Freiburg via the Black Forest Open Air Museum, Triberg and Ravenna Gorge. (TR is here. Loved Freiburg and thought the Munstermarket was perhaps my favorite market of any I’ve been to in France, England, Italy, Austria, Germany, Spain or Croatia)

Tubingen was a nice place to spend the night. Enjoy the university’s anthropology museum, there, as well as the Old Town.

Train from Freiburg to Strasbourg was easy.

I think it's better to focus on places like Baden-Baden and Offenburg. It's easier to reach and right on the way toward Strasbourg. If you drive yourself or with a hired driver, you can always stop at vineyards or a village along the Rhine.

Thank you, Russ! This is very helpful. I think Esslingen might be perfect. Any specific recommendations there?

Thanks, Mardee. I think I agree that I'd prefer Gengenbach to Freiburg.
Fred, I will consider the car rental option. I'm not sure how easy it would be to pick up and drop off in relatively small towns. Driving where I can't read the road signs is not something I'm excited about, though. I guess GPS would in English...
Sharon, if we decide to rent a car of hire a driver, I will consider Offenburg. It wasn't on my radar before!

If you're in Tubingen and don't visit Reutlingen you're missing out on one of the prettier cities in the area. Do realize that places like Gengenbach, which is a tourist destination in season, are shut down in March. It's cold, grey, wet (with a good chance of snow), and windy, and the shops and restaurants are closed. Nothing will open up until after Easter.

If you want an authentic small town vibe, half timbered buildings, a castle ruin, attractive plazas, etc. you don't have to go halfway across Germany to get that. Go to Böblingen, or Herrenburg (30 minutes by train), or Esslingen (45 minutes). But at the time of year you're going to be in Europe your best bet is going to be the bigger cities.

KGC, thank you for that info. I did not know that Gengenbach was so much of a tourist destination. I understand that a lot of things could be closed, but are you also saying it wouldn't be worth a day trip from Strasbourg just to enjoy the medieval architecture and scenery?
I know it's a matter of days, but we will be there at the tail end of March so I'm hoping the weather won't be too horrible.
I will definitely look into those other towns that you suggested. Will there be things open in the towns you listed? Shops and restaurants etc?

In Reutlingen and Boblingen you'll find almost everything open. These are working cities. Even in Esslingen and Herrenburg you'll find that, because they're not as tourist oriented, the shops are open normal business hours.

Instead of Gegenbach as a day trip from Strasbourg head to Wissembourg. It's up on the German border, very attractive, and frankly it's a nicer drive (or train ride). This is a very special Alsatian town and very few Americans go there.

Park at Rue du Tribunal. Right across the street you'll see the old city wall and water gate that dates back to the 1300's. Head up to the Tour de la Poudrière (the old tower where gunpowder was stored in the 1400's). A walk through the park will take you back along the ramparts to the old mill, and from there to the Abbey. Get your Tarte Flambe at La Mirabelle, and while Patisserie-Chocolaterie Daniel Rebert is excellent I prefer Patisserie Au Petit Kougelhopf. There's also a shop that sells regions specialties; you can see it from the statue of St Benedict.

I don't think staying in Gengenbach in March is a horrible idea or even a bad one. The old-world buildings, town walls, towers and cobblestone streets are still there under the gray March skies. If I understand correctly, you'd be there for just a night or two and would move on to Strasbourg/Colmar afterward, correct? Gengenbach will surely have restaurants and lodging available. Some are Michelin Guide listings. If what you seek isn't there, you can take the train into larger Offenburg for a larger choice of restaurants - or if you can't find rooms OR food to your liking there, you could instead STAY in Offenburg, as someone already suggested, and make the 8-minute train trip to Gengenbach for at least a walk around town. (You'd be slightly closer to Strasbourg with an Offenburg stay, but not much.)

Resources: This is largely a Rick-Steves-free area. Try Tripadvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g1142455-Gengenbach_Baden_Wurttemberg-Vacations.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g198528-Offenburg_Baden_Wurttemberg-Vacations.html

And I don't think it's tricky or difficult to travel from Tübingen to Gengenbach/Offenburg either. Here's a train journey I would gladly carry out myself. Random date in March...

Lv Tübingen 9:33
Ar ESSLINGEN 10:18; deposit bags in lockers, tour the town on foot, sightsee, have lunch.

Lv Esslingen whenever I'm ready to move on.... this option looks about right.

• 14:18... (change of train in Stuttgart, change of train in Karlsruhe) Ar Offenburg (16:56) or Gengenbach (17:03.)

There is no set schedule required if you are using the regional trains. Day passes are available cheaply for all-day travel. If you already have a Deutschland-Ticket, you pay nothing extra.

I have a lot to consider! Sounds like some nice towns are near Tubingen. Maybe we will stay there a little longer there and do day trips to some of the towns suggested (Reutlingen/Herrendon) and then use the itinerary that Russ suggested, spending some time in Esslingen before continuing on.
I need to look into the Deutschland Ticket (seems like a great option) and read up on what trains to book ahead vs. what to buy day of.
I have looked at so many great towns and changed my (tentative) plans countless times thanks to input I've received here. Currently thinking Tubingen, Herrendon, Esslingen in Germany, then Strasbourg/Colmar.
Question: given that it will be late March, what are you thoughts on Heidelberg for a day? (I'm still on the fence about Gengenbach.)

Currently thinking Tubingen, Herrendon, Esslingen in Germany...

The town which KGC and I both suggested is Herrenberg (well, KGC spelled it with -burg instead of -berg, but it's the same town.)

I need to look into the Deutschland Ticket

This is actually not a "ticket" but a railpass which is valid for a calendar month and available via subscription only. It is €63 each (a ridiculously low price) and valid only for regional trains - so you must avoid boarding the high-speed, long-distance trains (IC, ICE, EC, etc.) Read here:

https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-germany.htm#Deutschlandticket

Long-Distance trains: These are better for long trips (like FRA airport > Stuttgart) because they get you there faster and on just one train. That's because they don't stop in a lot of the smaller towns. Journeys which include these trains can be ticketed individually in advance for a discount ("saver fare") but they are basically non-refundable. You must travel on these trains exactly as you scheduled them when buying the saver fare ticket. Flex fare tickets for these trains allow you to take other trains thann scheduled but are quite expensive as a rule. Seat reservations are possible on these trains for a fee.

Regional trains: These (RE, RB, S and others) can be used for short and long distances, but they are designed for shorter ones. Long distances will usually involve additional changes of train and more stops - thus longer travel times. Besides the Deutschland-Ticket, you can buy individual tickets at a set price for journeys that are regional-only, and you can also buy discounted day passes (which are usually non-refundable) for certain areas. Buying these tickets and day passes in advance is not a good idea; they can be bought on the day of travel. They may NOT be used on long-distance trains. Seat reservations are not possible on these regional trains. But regional trains are completely flexible - you can ride any regional train you want at any hour for a given route with no penalties. With the D-Ticket, you do not need a fixed itinerary (and the same is true for many day passes.) To find regional train trips at the DB site, click on "mode of transport" and select "local transport only". Any journeys that come up will be possible with the D-Ticket or the other tickets/day passes for regional trains.

Very helpful train information, thank you Russ!

Hi! I actually live around this area and commute between the Tübingen/Stuttgart and Freiburg/Basel/Strasbourg sides of the Black Forest on a near-weekly basis, so I think I can help!

The thing to keep in mind is that there are basically two main routes between those points, either by car or by train:

(1) Around the Black Forest-- north from Stuttgart to Karlsruhe, then over to Offenburg, after which you can travel either west into France, or south to Freiburg/Basel. This gives you high-speed rail routes or the Autobahn.

(2) Through the Black Forest via Freudenstadt. This gives you twisty-windy mountain roads and regional trains.

You are correct that driving is much faster than taking the train. It's maybe two hours from Stuttgart to Freiburg by car, by the first route, depending on traffic and how fast you want to take the Autobahn, two and a half hours by the second, and four to four and a half hours by train.

If I were you, the two train routes I'd be considering are these:

Route (1), taking a (probably) regional train from Tübingen to Stuttgart Hbf, then taking a TGV (high-speed train) direct to Strasbourg. I've never tried it, and it's probably expensive? But I think it would be your fastest route. (Do note that DB trains are delayed a lot, so I'd give myself at least half an hour to transfer at Stuttgart Hbf, maybe more. There's a nice city park with a beer garden outside a back entrance to the train station if you need somewhere pleasant to wander around and kill time.)

Route (2), using regional trains to go to Herrenberg through Freudenstadt to Offenburg, and on from there. The trains have been pretty empty when I've gone, haven't been prone to delays (and I think sometimes they'll hold the trains so you're sure to make your connection? You can check this in the DB app), the scenery is quite gorgeous in places, and some of the towns you'll go through are picturesque. Someone upthread mentioned Herrenberg, and I would not miss that, IMHO it's spectacular, tons of the old Fachwerk houses arrayed on a hill. Several other towns on the rail route are so picturesque I've really wanted to go visit when I've had the time, which...I haven't, so far. But! It's the sort of thing you might enjoy.

The one train journey I definitely wouldn't take is (1) using the regional train to go between Stuttgart Hbf and Karlsruhe Hbf. Depending on the time of day, it can be crowded to the point of standing room only, and it's often delayed and you miss your connection...well, there's a pleasant place to wander around in front of the train station with some Jugendstil architecture and botanical gardens and a zoo, and the bakery in the main area of the train station is pretty good, but, still. Would rather not miss the train!

WRT other pleasant German small towns accessible by train, there's a regional train line that runs from Offenburg through Freiburg all the way to Basel, and so many of the small towns along that in the vicinity of Freiburg are absolutely charming and pleasant to hang out in. I would explore some of these places with Google Maps, then pick out which ones you want to walk around and see.

Hope that helps, but feel free to hit me up if you have more questions.

Thank you Schwartzwälder Kirschtorte! That's a lot of good information.
I may come back with more questions once I got a little further along in my planning.