Itinerary Help - 8 days in Germany / Austria

Your schedule sounds like a good pace or maybe a little much, but certainly not insane.

Burg Eltz is on the other side of the country from Bavaria, so I'd probably postpone that until later.

Neusch/Hohen take a full day, but it's easy to do that as a daytrip. If you want more time in Munich or other places along the Romantic Road: forget Reutte, stay in Munich day 2 and somewhere along RR day 3.

Like you, my wife and i will aslo be traveling to Bavaria for 9 days in November. I have toured the area extensively over the years and recommend the rail pass rather than a rental car.

There's so much to see in Bavaria it's tempting to try and do it all. It sounds as if you have something planned for each day. It may serve you better to concentrate of a couple or three areas rather than be on the move every day. Any of the towns near the alps are lovely. The Bavarian Forest area is nice as well. Munich is a full day event to take everyhting in and have a drink litre or two.

This is a lot to do in eight days. You may wish to cut down on the number of places to visit. By the way you can do it all on trains using the Bayern ticket.

I don't think you are staying too long in Munich. You could schedule a lot more time there and not waste any. Your Munich stay is probably a minimum, especially since Day 1 will be affected by jet lag.

The only thing I might do different is go to Salzburg after Munich, then Reute and around back to Munich or vice versa, Munich to Nurnberg then Wurtzburg and around to Salzburg and back to Munich. The current itenerary includes some backtracking. Sometimes that's necessary by train but with a car you should be able to save a little travel time.

For Rhotenburg, you can leave in the morning after you feel you have seen the town. You probably don't need two nights there. Just be sure you arrive in time to do the Nightwatchman's tour. Many of these tours aren't as good as advertised but my entire family really enjoyed it.

Schedule your Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau visit first thing in the morning. If you want a real hike, go to Ehrenberg ruins, then do the luge rides and stay in Reutte. If you don't want to plan the physical activity (Ehrenberg is more than a casual hike), you can start up the Romantic Road and give yourself more time there.

When you are driving the Romantic Road, you can either stay on the road or divert to the autobahn and exit at two or three towns you want to see. My wife and kids quickly tired of the small country road and voted for the autobahn. We stopped at Nordlingen and Dinkelsbuhl. When you visit towns find parking and the TI, you will waste a lot of time if you don't get the local map and directions from the TI.

We really liked Wurzburg. IMO it's one of the best stops on the Romantic Road.

If you skip anything on your itenerary, I'd use it to add time in Munich rather than add a leg. I'm not sure I'd consider Burg Eltz a day trip. It's possible to do but will add a lot of driving time, which wears me out more than hiking. I'd save Burg Eltz for another trip when you can spend a few days each on the Rhine and Mosel.

I'd agree with Steve and pick 3 places for the trip rather than be on the move most days. It takes a lot longer than you suspect to move.

To give a for-example, google maps says Nurnberg to Salzburg is a 3-hour drive. But add in some traffic, stop for a bite to eat and get gas, its now 4 hours. So you wake up Day 7 and get the early breakfast; lets say its really the 8am breakfast even though you meant for an earlier start. Finish packing, check out, you're on the road by 9:30. You arrive in Salzburg at 1:30 but that just means the city limits. Salzburg is an old town with slow traffic and confusing streets, so its another 30 minutes to the door of the hotel. It's 2pm. Check in, then the friendly clerk shows you on the map the parking lot they recommend. Take bags upstairs, find the lot park the car, a little unpacking, get changed and the guide book out. So while "3 hour drive" makes it sound like you'll be in Salzburg in time for lunch, by the time you're actually out the door and walking around I predict its 3pm or later. Makes for a short day...

Also I'd 2nd the suggestion for taking trains when you can. The car might be useful for the castle visit and Romantic Road, but with larger cities the train goes right to the heart of downtown. You save time because you don't stop to eat, you can bring food onboard. And you don't waste time driving thru small streets in old towns or parking the car.

Yes, Burg Eltz is too far out of the way.
I'd suggest a combination rail/drive as follows: Day 1 Arrive and take train into Munich for 3 nights. Day 2 Tour Munich. Day 3 Day Trip via rail to Salzburg. Day 4 Train to Garmisch and rent car. Drive to Schwangau for 2 nights, stopping at Linderhof Palace, Oberammergau & Wieskirche en route. Day 5 Tour the Royal Castles. Day 6 Drive the Romantik Road to Rothenburg for 2 nights, stopping at Nordlingen and Dinkelsbühl en route. Day 7 Tour Rothenburg & do Night Watchman's Tour. Day 8 Drive to Wurzburg to visit the Residenz & Festung Marienburg, then continue to lodging near the airport (Freising / Erding). Stop to see Nurnberg en route, time permitting. A car is not needed for Munich or Salzburg. It's also better to begin your driving in a less congested area as opposed to Munich. I suggest staying in Schwangau where the castles are because there is plenty of lodging in that area and because going to Reutte would create unnecessary backtracking.

David, I like your itinerary. You arrive Munich,rent the car at the airport, and stay outside the ring (to avoid driving in the city) and take public trans. into the city. Drive to Reutte (takes about 2 hours). Reutte is a great place to stay versus Fussen--and everything is less expensive in Austria (including gas). Stay 2 nights in Reutte--nice and relaxing. Then drive to Rothenburg and, as a previous poster said, do autobahn and red roads (approx. 4 hrs. depending on roads used). The next day in Rothenburg--enough to walk around the wall, see a church, see the torture museum and take the Nightwatchman's tour. The next day drive north to Wurzburg and then Nurnberg--maybe stay outside Nurnberg heading towards Salzburg. Drive to Salzburg--stay outside of the city to avoid parking issues (take train into city). Then drive from Salzburg to outskirts of Munich--stay close to airport. This itinerary works for me. I always drive in Germany--more freedom, easier to find zimmers, and I can stop at little towns on the way. If you need ideas for lodging, PM me. If you want to see Burg Eltz, I would drop Wurzburg, Nurnberg & Salzburg and fly out of Frankfurt. Have fun!