Wurzburg Residenz or Bamberg

By train or car, the route to Rothenburg via Würzburg is much quicker and is a good choice.

Rothenberg is near Heidelberg in the Odenwald forest, closer to Frankfurt than either Würzburg or Bamberg. But I imagine you're heading to tourist-mecca Rothenburg.

Are you leaving FRA airport, traveling to Rothenburg for the night, but trying to stop in one of these towns on the way? Or are you staying overnight in W'burg or Bamberg, then heading to Rothenburg on Day 2? And are you driving, or taking the train?

And what time do you expect to arrive at FRA?

If you are sleeping in Rothenburg on Day 1, you probably do not have time for a proper visit to Bamberg.

By train, you will change trains in Würzburg anyway - might as well stow bags and walk to the Residenz, if there are enough hours and energy in your day, before continuing your train trip to Rothenbuurg. It takes less time to tour a palace than it does to visit a town of significance like Bamberg.

We visited the Residenz in Wurzburg on the way to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We also walked up the hill to the castle on the other side of the river. We enjoyed both, as well as walking through the town. We haven’t been to Bamberg.

Thank you. We will have a car and it is Rothenberg ob der Tauber. From the early posts, it seems that Wurzburg may be the better option.

There is consensus among many of us forum-dwellers that driving a rental car in a new country right after a red-eye flight can and sometimes does result in jet-lag, drowsiness, and impaired driving. Because driving readiness on Day 1 isn't predictable, and because even the most minor incident can be very disruptive, the standard remedy is to postpone driving until after your first night in Europe.

After leaving security and customs, you'll still have 4 hours or longer, if you include parking, a brief food stop, and the palace tour, before you reach Rothenburg. It would be my choice to take the direct train from FRA airport to W'burg, drop bags at my hotel, tour the palace, then relax and spend the night in W'burg. After breakfast the next morning I'd head to R'burg. Several years ago, I did just as outlined above... 1.5 hours to W'burg by train, castle tour, then overnight at the Barbarossa, with an easy car pick-up near my hotel the next morning.

It would be my choice to take the direct train from FRA airport to W'burg, drop bags at my hotel, tour the palace, then relax and spend the night in W'burg. After breakfast the next morning I'd head to R'burg.

Agree 100% with Russ' post above.