How to spend our days in Germany this summer

I have done all the driving except the extra leg to Vienna, and although I am okay with one night stays at some places I would add to Munich and Salzburg and cut Vienna as long as you plan to travel there later.
Part of the fun of doing the drive is being able to stop along the way and get sidetracked and just spend time enjoying the countryside... so your allotted time for driving might mean just speeding along the freeway. You may arrive at these places later than you think. The only reason to drive is to have the flexibility to stop when you want, otherwise your might as well be on a train. Have a wonderful time!

I love Rothenburg, but 3 days is just too many, even when allowing a day for jet lag. If you are going to eliminate Vienna, I would add 1 of those 2 days to the lovely lake area near Salzburg. Hallstatt is one such place, but the towns of St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang on Wolfgangsee are also lovely.

I would cut Vienna, where your time is too short anyway. Especially since you plan to return. (We did it in three nights and two days, and I still regret that this did not allow a visit to the Belvedere Palace which houses the Klimts.) I have trouble with this too, but keep in mind you are going to spend half a day getting from place to place. I would also give two nights to Hallstatt, and add a night in Munich. I thought Reutte was just o.k., if the purpose is to go to the castles nearby, you might consider that as a day trip from Munich. I could easily see giving Rothenburg three nights if one is the day of arrival and one of the days is used for a day trip to Nuremburg. Not to add to your list, but for us the Rhine was a special stop, we stayed in Bacharach.

We have been to Rothenburg a number of times. We usually spend three days at a time, and do not get bored. So stick with your planned three days. I would also add the extra two days to Munich and Salzburg. Reutte is really not worth it- RS uses it as a cheap stop near the castles. There are more interesting places to stay. The only reason to stay there ( 1 night) is as a cheap and convenient way to see the castles. I would suggest Munich or even Fussen instead (1 night)

My own personal opinion is that if you need 3 days in Rothenburg to get over your jet lag is that perhaps you shouldn't be driving at all your first day in Germany. It seems to be quite dangerous to think of people getting into cars and driving several hours through a foreign country after such a long, trans-Atlantic trip. Driving while fatigued is almost as bad as driving drunk. Please rethink this plan. Why not stay in Frankfurt, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, or Idstein your first night? All are very close to the airport, and offer great sightseeing too. Then move on.

I tend to agree with Jo about the danger of driving while jetlagged. You can get to Rothenburg in under 4 hours by regional train, and it will cost less than €44 (€29 Bayern-Ticket plus 2 x RMV regional tickets to Kahl for €7,30). Fuel for a compact car, according to ViaMichelin will be half that. Plus you won't need a car the next three days in Rothenburg, so why pay rental for four days you won't need it. I never find time on the train a waste. If I'm not looking at the scenery, I organize my photos, figure my expenses, write in my journal, eat, or use the WC. I can even read a book or try to read a German language newspaper. Once you are in Bavaria, you can go almost anywhere (Rothenburg to Munich, Munich to Salzburg, a day trip to Füssen) with regional trains for €29/day. They had a contest in Munich. First prize was one night in Reutte; 2nd prize was two nights. Seriously, last year I had lunch in Reutte between trains and walked around the town a little. I was not impressed. Then I spent two nights just up the road in Pfronten. It's a much nicer town. The bus ride to Füssen is shorter and there are twice as many buses per day.

The traffic around Frankfurt is fast, furious, and congested. I third the recommendation for not driving all the way to Rotheburg on your first day. Pick a better Alpine destination than Reutte. I really don't understand why, with all the omissions in Mr. Steve's Germany book, this ho-hum town, of all places, makes the cut. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Oberstdorf, Nesselwang, Mittenwald and Oberamergau would all be preferable.

Thanks for the replies. We are not going to Vienna and will reallocate the days. Forgot to mention we are going on a Rhine river cruise after Baden-Baden. Good idea about staying near Frankfurt first day or taking the train. Is it easy to catch from airport to Rothenburg? Remember I am from California where the mass transit service is horrible and we drive everywhere. Also, since we aren't going to Vienna now should we go Hallstatt or go more to the west? Which routes on our itinerary are best by car and which should be travelled by train? Thanks.

As long as you have a car and don't mind driving, if you want to add someplace look at the Lake of Konstanz. It is beautiful, surrounded by mountains. I also found Reutte to be a bit of a disappointment. It seemed kind of boring compared to all the other places I had been.

Forgot to mention... Lake of Konstanz is not only surrounded by mountains, but is bordered by Germany, Austria and Switzerland... I stayed in Meersburg a few times when i was there and it was delightful. Have a great time!

With the exception of perhaps the Bodensee (German name for Lake Constance) if you choose to stay there, (and I don't know about Stauffen) pretty much everything you have proposed in Germany is easy to reach by rail. And a car is a useless, expensive burden in Rothenburg, Munich and Salzburg... I haven't been to Hallstatt, but I imagine your car wouldn't be of much use there either.

Not meaning to confuse anyone... I guess the town is spelled Konstanz, but the lake itself is spelled Constance? or Bodensee? Anyway, I somehow found it despite my lack of knowing exactly where I was going, and it has remained one the the absolute highlights of my many trips to Europe. Watching the sunrise over that lake was amazing! If you go be sure to get up early and experience that...

Konstanz is the Swiss spelling for Constance and Bodensee is the German name for the same lake.