Romantic Road in December?

I'll try to address a few of your questions. First of all, the Romantic Road itself is just an ordinary road that links together some of the more attractive towns in rural Bavaria. The scenery itself is no different from what you might see on the A7 autobahn, which roughly runs parallel to it. If you have a specific interest in some of the towns (ie, Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, etc,), go visit them. Otherwise, the actual experience of driving the road isn't any more special than other similar country routes. Second, rural scenery is not at it's best in December in Germany. The days are too short and mornings are usually hazy and overcast. Even on some of the more attractive stretches of the road, you probably won't see much. "Will anything be open?? What about on Sundays?" Not sure what to make of the first part of the question, because whole towns in Bavaria in December are no more likely to "close" than towns in Kentucky. But on Sundays, yes, most businesses in Germany close. Important exceptions are restaurants, hotels, petrol stations and some stores that cater to tourists. Many on this website will tell you that Liechtenstein isn't really worth the effort. Well, I'll give the caveat that you may as well give it a look, as it's on your direct route of travel. But make sure you time your drive so that you're there in daylight when you can see the Alps. The Alpine scenery is nice, although you can see the same mountains from the nearby autobahn in Switzerland. Without the mountains, and the fact that it's an independent country, though, Liechtenstein would be just another indistinct German or Austrian district. Given the choice between a stopover in Vaduz versus a stopover in nearby Lindau on the Bodensee.... go to Lindau.

Agreeing with Tom. I find German scenery in winter to be pretty bleak (I arrived in winter last year and was shocked by how pretty the country is once there's green again!), so you're probably better off focusing on cities (and getting to cities as quickly and efficiently as possible) to see the sights in them as opposed to scenic road-tripping.

The previous posters are not wrong, but here's a slightly different opinion ..... I have driven the Romantic Road in December several times, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It is a very easy drive, well-marked, with no traffic jams, and no racing motorcycles at that time of the year. No, it will not be quite as fast as the Autobahn, and is a little less direct. The countryside in Germany isn't green and lush in December, but the area covered by the Romantic Road is beautiful, with small towns in between gently rolling hills. The colors are all browns, greens, and soft golds. And the early morning, and late day mists add character .... one of my favorite travel memories, in fact, was approaching Rothenburg just before dark, with the fog creeping in the lowlands and seeing the walls of the old town appearing out of the mist ! We truly felt like we were back in time. So if you just want to get from Point "A" to Point "B," then take the Autobahn. But if you want something a bit more laid-back, then take the Romantic Road. A stop @ the Christmas markets in either Rothenburg or Dinkelsbühl would also give you a different perspective from the one in Nürnberg .... they are much smaller, yet quaint, and simple.

You can certainly visit a town or two on the "Romantic Road" without driving the whole thing, and without driving at all, for that matter. Since you'll be in Nuremberg, take the train over to Rothenburg. The scenery will be better than from your car, which always involves some asphalt, and both of you will be able to enjoy it without concerns about road conditions or parking. It'll take 1:15 to get there, and it'll cost 15.60 for two adults there and back on one "Tagesticket Plus", a regional daypass: http://www.vgn.de/tickets/?Edition=en

One other observation: if you are planning on renting a car in Germany, you will pay a premium for dropping it in Switzerland. Given your plans, there might not be any way around it, but just be aware that you will pay a big drop fee for leaving it in another country than where you rented it.

I agree with all the above. I've done both the road and Lichtenstein, although neither in the dead of winter. When comparing both, it is one of the few times that the "romantic" road gets my vote, only because I was absolutely, completely let down by Lichtenstein. Gently drove through between Interlaken and the Berner Oberland on the way to Innsbruck. Didn't much care for Innsbruck either (although we often go to Seefeld on the cliff above and love that) but Innsbruck and its golden(ish -very ish) shed roof are, in my mind head and shoulders above Lichtenstein. There are neat places in Bayern both on and off the "road". I actually now prefer being a bit further north and west and going up and down the Fachwerkstrasse. Buedigen and many other cool villages and towns. Remember the shortness of the days in December.

@Laura... love your descriptions...you have an artist's eye.... Not everything needs to be bright green and sunny to be beautiful. As a photographer I much prefer those soft and subtle tones and there is nothing like the fog to add the mystery and dimension to a painting/photograph. I think it's beautiful at all times of the year...just different.
I also had a great time spending an hour in Lichtenstien. Loved the views and since it was on the way was happy I stopped.

@Terry Kathryn ......... thanks ... a big part of the reason I often travel "off-season" is that I love being able to look at something other than the back of the car in front of me ! And avoiding the autobahns has the added benefit of allowing me to catch a glimpse of how people live their daily lives in their own towns . Wish I were heading back today !

@Laura... I travel a lot off-season as well and will be leaving here next Thur. for Paris, northern France & Germany (yes, I will drive the Romantic road....again... and I will be happy with those subtle tones and lack of tourists!)