Stuttgart, Germany

If you are in Rothenburg a.T. then going to Frankfurt would be the opposite direction (North) from your end destination, Switzerland (South).

Unless you get to use some special ICE trains that make it worth it to go to Frankfurt and then all the way down to Switzerland....I would just go as far south as your mom is able to handle and sleep there, then continue the rest of the way in the morning. So what if it isn't a big town/city w/mega-famous sights? Enjoy the experience of being in a foreign country and maybe make that one stop your little mini-adventure off the travel guides! =)

All I know about Stuttgart is that it's another city in Germany, and that Mercedes-Benz had it's big HQ there.

http://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/ENG/leisure/burgen_schloesser.htm
Looks like Stuttgart has 4 palaces, some nice old churches, etc. It is a pretty big city, almost as large as Frankfurt. I think you should be able to find some interesting things to see there, depending on what you like.

The only site that I know of general interest in Stuttgart is the Mercedes factory museum. No tours.
Read about the city here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuttgart,_Germany

Lauren, What time are you planning on leaving? I was checking the Deutsche Bahn website, I found several lines going down toward Zurich. I looked at "details for all" and then the "intermediate stops" and found other stops besides Stuttgart I would consider, depending upon the train route you are taking. There are trains that stop at, for instance, Baden-Baden, Swaebisch Gmund (sp?), and Freiburg. All of these towns are smaller and easier to handle than Stuttgart. Rick Steves' talks about Baden-Baden and Freiburg in his book. We were in Freiburg last year and were pleasantly surprised at how cute and quaint it was. Nice Marketplatz with a cathedral. I just checked out Swaebisch Gmund on its website and it also looks quaint and nice to visit. I use www.name of town.de to look at these towns and check for accommodations. As previous posters indicated, Frankfurt & Stuttgart and very large cities and not easy to navigate. If you know which route you are taking and the time, I'll check it out for you. Have fun making lifetime memories with mom!

Hi Denise...I just got an e-mail saying the place we wanted to stay, we can't HOTEL STAUBBACH
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland only has bunk beds..I am about 50 and my mother is almost 70..Bunk beds won't cut it...I really wanted to see Switzerland..I am at a total loss now..We check out tomorrow here in Rothenburg, Germany...My game plan was Lauterbrunnen for 3 nights, 2 nights in Innsbruck, Austria, then 3 nights in Salzburg, Austria and then into the Chek Rep..Well, I really did try the Rick Steves way...We both liked the flexibilty it gave us this far..If we wanted to stay an extra night someplace, we did...No Reservations..Now I guess our luck ran out...Thank you all for your help...

Lauren, o.k. we'll figure this out. Across from Lauterbrunnen is Murren. My dau and I stayed at a beautiful hotel called Hotel Alpina. Hold on--let me find the website address. Be back shortly.

Hotel Alpina's website is www.muerren.ch/alpina There is a list of hotels on Murren's website: www.muerren.ch Hotel Alpina has rooms with balconies that have a great view and have their own bathrooms. On their website, it indicated 130ch for a double room. Murren is a very quaint, small town. I think your mom would like it very much. Same with those previous towns on the train route--small, cute and quaint. Good luck! I'm here for a bit longer if you need some more help.

Thanks Denise...I looked at the hotel on the web..It really is cliff side...I e-mailed the other hotel, and am checking to see if they have anything next week..We can backtrack then...Again, thank you,I was at a total loss...