Munich to Rothenburg - Is there a bus?

Yes, but it's a tourist bus and takes 10 hours:

www.romantischestrasse.de/showpage.php?SiteID=155&lang=uk

You shouldn't fret too much about changing trains. If one or more connections seem too tight, you can keep a back up itinerary in case you miss one. You can always plan to stow your bags for 1 or 2 hours and look around one or more of the change towns too.

LeAnne, unless you absolutely can't fit it into your budget, I'd rent a car. That way you can go at your own pace up and down the Romantic Road. Rothenburg is only one town on the road. Dinkelsbuhl, for example, is a town that many people think is better than Rothenburg. It's not so over run with tourists. But there is less to do there. Just some things to keep in mind. You can also do the entire Romantic Road on a bus. But with 4 children you can probably save money by renting a car (vs. buying 5 or 6 bus or train tickets).

The train is probably the best method, although as you note there are at least three changes. There's usually a few minutes between trains, so you'll have to locate the appropriate platform and get the children and luggage over there as quickly as possible. The smaller "local" train to Rothenburg is on a "spur line" (think that's the correct term?).

Once you arrive in Rothenburg (with four children!) you might consider taking a Taxi to your Hotel as it's a bit of a walk into the old part of town. I used that method rather than walking, as I had a fairly heavy Backpack.

Happy travels!

If you take the train, you can't avoid the change at Steinach. However, there are almost hourly (9:30, 10:30, 12:30, 13:30...) connections out of Munich with only two changes, at Treuchtlingen and Steinach. In most cases the time for these changes is 5 minutes.

On the other hand, you could take a regional train from the Munich Hbf (13:05) to Augsburg Hbf (13:49) and catch the Romantic Road Coach there at 14:05. So you would have just over 15 minutes to make the connection. The bus gets into Rothenburg's Schranenplatz at 17:10. Schranenplatz is inside the wall (just) on the north side of town, so if you booked a hotel near there you would not have so far to walk.

You really didn't give a lot of information. Are you alone with these four "children", or is there another adult to help? How old are the children. Are they school age or younger, or are they teenages? Can they carry their own bags and walk quickly. Will you have a lot of luggage?

We traveled on the train from Munich to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We found the changes went very smooth.

The Die Bahn site will show you the intermediate shops, time, arrival and departure platforms, etc. If you print it - it will help you prepare while on the train for your departure. I know with children you will probably have to gather up all their things a few minutes in advance.

There are trains with only 2 stops. If you miss one you can always catch the next train.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

SHE DOESN'T NEED A CAR.

I don't recall LeAnne ever saying she wanted to travel the Romantic Road, only that she was considering a direct bus as a way to avoid train changes. She doesn't need or want a car in Munich - difficult driving, no place to park - or in Rothenburg - most of the visited parts of town, and many hotels, are in the pedestrian zone. Why rent a car for a day if she doesn't otherwise need it?

As for costs, she and all four kids can travel from Munich to Rothenburg on the routes with only two changes of trains for only €27 with a Bayern-Ticket. The cost of fuel alone, according to Michelin, would be more than that.

As for bus fares, the Bayern-Ticket is valid for buses in all the Verkehrsverbünden (transit districts) as well as for most regional buses in Bavaria.

JB suggested that if she missed a connection, she could always catch the next train. Good point.

The first connection is in Treuchtlingen. It’s only five minutes but several platforms over. Depending on the age of here children, and the amount of luggage they are carrying, she might want to deliberately plan on missing the 5 minute connection and catching the next train in an hour. Treuchtlingen has baggage carts, and elavators between the platforms and the connecting tunnel, plus a waiting room. Very convenient.

Steinach, on the other hand, is not so traveler friendly – no elevators, no carts, and out in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think I would want to spend an hour there. However, at 12:30 and 16:30, there are 15 minutes between the train from Treuchtlingen and the train to Rothenburg – plenty of time. She could leave Munich Hbf at 8:30 or 12:30, make the one hour change in Treuchtlingen, and arrive in Steinach for the 15 minute change.

Thank you for all of your helpfull suggestions. I have decided to rent a car and drive, using the trains as a fall back option if weather makes the roads difficult.

Vielen Dank fur alles.

Just FYI,

I am sending this from Würzburg, where I arrived yesterday on the train. I made the trip on the Romantic Road from Oberammergau to Würzburg in five days, visiting along the way, Wieskirche, Schongau, Landsberg, Donauwörth, Harburg, Nördlingen, Dinkelsbühl, Feuchtwangen, Weikersheim, and Bad Mergentheim. I did it entirely using public transportation, mostly buses. My total cost of tickets was €67, about $95, for one person. For two or more people, the total cost, using Bayern-Tickets, would have been €83, less than $120.

It can be done. You don't need a car!

Barb, there is one Romantic Road Coach per day from Rothenburg to Munich. It leaves Schrannenplatz in Rothenburg at 1:15 and gets to Hackerbrücke Busbahnhof in Munich at 5:50, but doesn't stop anywhere in the towns on the road long enough to really see them. Just traveling on the Road is not that exciting. IMO, you would be better off to get a Bayern-Ticket (34€ for four people) and take the trains. It looks like any connection from Lindau to Vaduz, Liechtenstein includes a bus from Feldkirchen, Austria to Vaduz. Use the German Rail (Bahn) website to find schedules. You can't use "Liechtenstein" as a destination, even if you spell it correctly. Vaduz is the capital city.

All this discussion has been helpful to me as i plan a trip in Bavaria for myself and 3 other women. On May 10, 2013, we will leave Rothenburg ob der Tauber for one night in Munich before flying home the next day. (We will have enjoyed Munich at the beginning of our trip and will have visited Salzburg Rick suggests also Fussen, Lindau, and Rothenburg. I'd be interested to know if we could pick up the Romantic Road bus in Rothenburg on May 10 and enjoy the scenic road to Munich. Most of our other travels will be by train and I hope they'll be scenic, too. Any tips for this trip will be appreciated. Is it remotely possible to see a bit of Liechenstein from Lindau?? Barb, Toronto

So, LeAnne...it's been 5 1/2 years since this thread - how was your trip? ;-) Did you rent a car, and if so how did that go?

Eileen, you have a good point. I wish everyone who asks a question would post a followup to tell how the advice worked.

Good question! We rented a car in Munich and drove to Rothenberg, stopping in Dinklesbuhl for lunch. A car was the best and least expensive option for our group. Dinklesbuhl is lovely and well worth a several hours visit. We did not use the car at all once in Rothenberg. We have traveled often by train with young children and changing trains while keeping eyes (and hands) on children and luggage can be trying. We prefer traveling by train but for this particular trip a car was best.