I'm traveling from Salzburg Austria the end of May and will have 5 nights in Germany flying home out of Frankfurt. I would like to see possibly Neuschwanstein castle, Rothenburg ob der tauber and possibly take a cruise up to the Rhine river. Do I have time to do all this and how should I travel (train, car or bus)? I wasn't planning on touring Frankfurt just flying out of Germany from there. Also, are there any castle hotels on the route to stay over in.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I have done all this by car. For me, the spontaneity of being able to go where I want makes driving the best for me. I am a professional photographer and like to be able tto take the 'road less traveled.' The drive you are talking about is absolutely besutiful. The last trip there was with one of my grandsons and a highlight was pulling off the side of the road for a picnic from out of the trunk... German breads, cheese, pickles, strawberries, ham and the beautiful views of the mountains....almost forgot the paprika potato chips we love! (He was 10 and it was just the two of us and the driving was fun as he helped navigate)
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
That trip is doable, but a little pushed - three or four venues in 5 days with one fairly long day of travel. I'd base part of it from Munich, which is also worth seeing. I'd go from Salzburg to Munich. Do a day trip from Munich to Füssen. Leave Munich and go to Rothenburg. Spend the night in Rothenburg. Then go from Rothenburg to the Rhein via Würzburg and Frankfurt. Alternatively, you could skip Munich and go from Salzburg to Füssen and from Füssen to Rothenburg. You don't need the cost of a car. Trains will cost much less. Find schedules on the Bahn website. You can use Bayern-Tickets for your travel (Salzburg to Munich, Munich to Füssen and back, Munich to Rothenburg) that is entirely in Bavaria. They cost €21 for one person, €29 for 2-5, for unlimited travel in 2nd class on regional trains all day long on weekend days, after 9 AM on workdays. If you are by yourself, that's €42 total from Salzburg to Rothenburg (€63 if you stop over in Munich and do Füssen as a day trip). For Rothenburg to Bacharach, St. Goar, or wherever, you can use another pass. On a weekend day, it's the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket, valid all day long for up to 5 people, for €39. On a work day, it's the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket, €42 for one person, €6 more for additional travelers up to five total.