Suggested route between Strasbourg & Nuremburg

Unless you are delivering a car to Nürnberg, I don't think I would try that trip in December. There is a TGV leaving Strasbourg at 9:47, getting to Stuttgart at 11:04. You could spend 3 hours looking around Stuttgart, having lunch, etc, then board the 14:07 IC, getting to Nürnberg at 16:18. That's about 3½ hours travel time, same as by car, with 3 hours stopover in Stuttgart on the way. (You could also do it in 4½ hours with a 1 hour stopover in Stuttgart, but that might be pushing it.) Or, if Stuttgart isn't interesting enough for you, you could also do it, Strasbourg to Nürnberg, in 6½ hours with a 2½ hour stopover in Schwäbish Gmund.

Lee, Thanks for the info about Stuttgart. I have a car I need to drop off in Nuremburg. I can't find a place near Strasbourg I can drop the car off without it being higher priced so at the moment I have to take the car to Nuremburg. Since I have to drive, I figure we might as well stop along the way to see some sights and make a day of it. I have other family members with me who will take the train to Nuremburg as they are joining up with us in Strasbourg but my husband and I will have been touring for a week before they get there which is why we have the car.

I can suggest a stop on the quickest direct route, or a longer, more scenic route that might be worth the extra time if visibility is good... and that's a big if, because December can be a very dark and gray time of year in Germany. For both options... get started as soon as the sun comes up, because it will go down again much earlier than you might expect. The faster route- cross the Rhine at Strasbourg, then head north on A5. At Karlsruhe, take the A8 towards Stuttgart, then near Stuttgart, take A81 to Heilbron, then at Heilbron, turn onto A6 towards Nürnberg. Stop off for a late lunch at the beautiful old town of Swäbisch Hall. For the longer, but more scenic option, instead of taking A8 at Karlsruhe, continue north to Heidelberg. If it's lunchtime (probably will be too early), consider stopping here. From Heidelberg, follow the course up the Neckar river valley (B37/45). You will pass several very attractive towns and about a dozen castles. The three towns that would be my highlights include the tiny castle town of Dilsberg, Hirschhorn, and the magnificent Bad Wimpfen. Definately stop at the last. From Bad Wimpfen, you can pick up A6 and continue towards Nürnberg. As I mentioned earlier, if the day is gray and overcast, don't bother with this option.

Are we talking about the same place? Kathy, most of us are seeing Strasbourg, in France, in Alsace near the German border - with the famous cathedral that has the astronomical clock in the upper left corner, but you keep referring to Strausbourg. I haven't heard of Strausbourg. Do you mean Strasbourg or somewhere else?

Nigel - Thanks for pointing out my misspelling of Strasbourg & have corrected everything. Tom - Thanks for the suggestions. I looked up the towns you mentioned and they sound great. Are there any castles along the routes that can be toured and if so, would you be able to recommend one? We are early risers & will make the most of the daylight hours. We're quite used to the shorter days as Toronto is similar. The weather is also similar with mostly grey overcast days, sometimes rain, sometimes snow and the odd sunny day so we're prepared to expect the same.

Along the Neckar River you might find Castle Guttenberg and its falconry show interesting. Scroll down about 1/5th of the way at Ben's 2012 trip report for photos and link to castle website: Burg Guttenberg

The reason I waste so much time on this website is that I always learn new tips. See Russ's post above. I've passed that castle many times and I had no idea there was a falconry demonstration. And the link that Russ provided started with this quote: "The Odenwald is one of my favorite areas of Germany". Ditto. I LOVE the Odenwald, it's become my go-to area to get away from everything and clear my head (it helps that I live 5 minutes away from it's western border...). OK, Kathy, you asked about touring the casltes. Most of them are open ruins, you can come and go as you wish. One of the more impressive castles, Burg Hornburg, charges admission. Burg Hirschhorn is a restaurant-hotel, but you can walk around the grounds if you want. Burg Dilberg also charges admission. The most impressive of the lot, Schloss Zwingenberg, is still a private possession of the old Baden family, and as such, it is closed to the general public. Many of the ruins sit high above the river along the mountains and can only be reached by rather strenuous hikes.