My wife and I are going to Europe in late June/early July. We are young and fit. My wife will be arriving from Venice with a friend into Munich. The friend will be with us for a couple of days in Munich then heads home. We will be there for a total of 4 nights. Then a night in Fussen. Two nights in Rothenburg. Three somewhere around Koblenz. Then the last 5 in Paris. All travel is by train. Does this make sense? Any suggestions on modifications? Thanks!
Posted by
Paradise
7070 posts
"Does this make sense?" Yes. "Any suggestions...?" One afternoon and evening + the next morning is enough for Rothenburg. You might leave around noon for the Koblenz area and make a stop on the way in Würzburg - you have to change trains there anyway. Stow bags in a locker and walk about 15 min. to the Residenz (palace) and the adjacent chapel for a walk through. Have a meal in town then catch a train to the Rhine, and arrive in the evening. I would stay in one of the villages there, not busy and modern Koblenz. The west bank towns of St. Goar, Boppard, and Bacharach are all good Rhine towns - train travel is easiest from St. Goar because of the ferry there that connects you to a rail station on the opposite side of the river, where you can head north on the riverside rails to Braubach (Marksburg Castle) or south as far as Rüdesheim. Marksburg and Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar are genuine-article castles that have been there for nearly a millenium, unlike the 19th-century "castles" (palaces, really) that visitors find in Füssen. http://www.roadstoruins.com/marksburg.htm http://www.st-goar.de/17-1-.html For good hikes with fantastic views on well-marked trails, the Rhine Castle trail or "Rheinburgenweg" on the west bank, and the Rheinsteig trail on the east, if you want to keep fit during your stay. Biking is big here and also along the nearby Mosel River too. Helpful photos and descriptions of trips to the areas you're visiting, including my own, are at Ben's website: http://www.bensbauernhof.com/tripreports.html http://www.bensbauernhof.com/accommodationsrhinemosel.html
Posted by
Paradise
7070 posts
(cont.) You should look into the many discount options for German train travel; railpasses will likely cost more. http://www.munich-touristinfo.de/Bavaria-Ticket.htm (Munich, Füssen, Rothenburg, Würzburg) http://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets-and-fares/ticket-offers/rheinland-pfalz-ticket/ (Rhine/Mosel) 3-day mini-group pass for Rhine/Mosel: http://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets-and-fares/ticket-offers/rheinland-pfalz-ticket/ Two can get to Paris from Koblenz for around 80-100€ total with advance-purchase tickets; buy tickets asap for Koblenz-Paris and Rothenburg-Koblenz (or St. Goar or wherever) for the lowest prices (you can schedule in a layover for Würzburg and still get a cheap price for this second leg.) http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en