Germany Itinerary Help

I was planning just such a trip with my daughter and her husband until they both changed jobs and lost vacation time. We would have flown into Munich, spent a few days there with a day trip to Salzburg. Next we would have gone to Oberammergau, seen Linderhof , taken the bus to the castles, back to Oberammergau for the night. Train to Rothenburg for one night. Then train to Braubach on the Rhein. One day to St. Goar and Bacharach. One day to Cochem. Fly out of Frankfurt. That's my "Best of Germany" tour. I think I was planning on a full two weeks, so you might have to adjust the itinerary a little bit.

Some added thoughts. Lee's Itinerary isn't bad. Salzburg is one of the most beautiful places anywhere. Munich is a good place to spend a few days and get your bearings. Some decent adjustments might be at least one night in Salzburg, the view of the city at night is amazing (up there with the top sights I've seen anywhere). A day on the Mosel would also be good (see Trier and Burg Eltz), possibly as a day trip (start early) from your base on the Rhine. Trains are great on the Rhine and Mosel and the Munich to Salzburg corridor. Public transport is a little more work getting around southern Bavaria (i.e. Neuschwanstein).

Thank you Lee & Brad for your suggestions. Berlin is a must for some of us. Using public trans will this itinerary work? Fly into Munich spend 3 - 4 nights, side trip to Bavaria's Castles and Salzburg with a possible overnight in Salzburg. Train to Rothenburg, spend 2 nights. Trian to Berlin spend 3 - 4 nights, fly home from Berlin. We have two more days to play with any Suggestions.

Munich - 4 nights: 2 full days in Munich and day trip to Royal Castles Salzburg - 2 nights Rothenburg - 2 nights Berlin - 4 nights: 2 full days in Berlin and day trip to Potsdam Month of May flights should be cheaper than June. Air Berlin appears to have best price out of JFK .... they fly non-stop to Berlin & go via Dusseldorf to/from Munich. You may want to do a reverse itrinerary to have the outbound flight be non-stop..... less jet lag on arrival.

My first itinerary planning tip would be to use Rick Steves' guide as a back-up, and consider a more comprehensive book as your primary source (Eyewitness, Michelin, The Rough Guide, etc.). Mr. Steves' book simply leaves out too much, and doesn't put many of the destinations in perspective (ie, Rothenburg, Baden-Baden, Beilstein, Bacharach, etc aren't as unique as touted). Because Berlin and the castles at Schwangau seem to be priorities for you, and they're located at nearly opposite ends of the country, I would suggest a guidebook that does a better job of filling in the vast space between these two points.

Thanks Tom & Tim: Thanks for your suggestions, I need to review itinerary and will post in a few days. Hope all can help me in a few days. Jo annne

"We have two more days to play with any Suggestions." Lee has given you a solid suggestion here that will get you to some great scenery, castles, and old-world villages: "Then train to Braubach on the Rhein. One day to St. Goar and Bacharach. One day to Cochem." Braubach is a very attractive smaller village just 12 minutes from Koblenz, the train hub for the area. The main attraction is Marksburg Castle, the real sort of castle you'll miss out on if you visit only Neuschwanstein "castle", which is really a private late 19th-century home that was lived in by mad Ludwig for a mere 6 months. http://www.roadstoruins.com/marksburg.htm http://www.marksburg.de Cochem is outstanding: http://www.goteborgairport.se/info/turistinfo/bilder/highres/Mosel_highres/cochem_800.JPG St. Goar's Rheinfels Castle is worth seeing too:
http://www.st-goar.de/17-1-.html Ideas from Bavaria Ben for staying in Braubach: http://www.bensbauernhof.com/pensionfelsenkellerbraubachrhine.html

Thanks Russ, I still have some reading to do. After reading numerous post we have some more planning to do.

Joanne,
Actually, I think your second itinerary is the best presented. I would incorporate the Rhine/Mosel suggestions to fill the two extra days to which you refer. Go there from Rothenburg and either Frankfurt or Koln to Berlin.

Stay at least 2 nights in any location. For train travel, consider using the Länder tickets (Bavaria ticket, etc) or the other appropriate group ticket (quer-durchs-land or Schönes Wochenende) to save money. Check out schedules at bahn.de If you need to use faster trains for some trips, get in advance (I think you can buy 90 days in advance). Get seat reservations on IC and ICE trains.