Travel time in Germany

I suggest you get familiar with the German Rail schedule website. Use "Rothenburg ob der Tauber Bahnhof" for the starting point. To some extent, it's going to depend on when you buy your ticket, how much you are willing to pay, if you are willing to commit to a specific train, and whether you buy online. If you purchase up to 92 days in advance, you can get tickets for the fastest trains and make the trip in under 7 hours for as low as €29, one way, for one person. There is a train leaving RodT at 8:06, with connections in Steinach, Würzburg, and Koblenz, getting to Trier at 14:49 (2:49 PM). That is for a non-refundable Sparpreis ticket and is about as fast as you are going to make it. Full fare for that connection would be €74. If you decide to go the day before, don't want the commitment to a specific train, and don't mind spending a little more time, you can use regional trains and a €42 Quer durchs Land Ticket, which is a all day pass for regional trains in Germany. That will take about 8 hours.

I have looked at that site, thanks for the heads up on the starting station but there are about 12 choices for Trier (and I'm not sure which one is correct) - I guess I was just looking for first hand experience from anyone who may have done this route before. I'll even take a ballpark (2-3 hours is vastly different than 6-7 hours).

If you are flying into Frankfurt, but need to later get to Trier, you might consider going to Büdingen instead of Rothenburg, as it isn't as far away, but offers a fantastic experience. It too is an original walled town, completely filled with fachwerk buildings, as well as an unusual 13 sided schloss. There are cosy hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and cafes throughout. You can get there in an hour from Frankfurt and there will be no tourist buses, no hordes of tourists, except for perhaps German ones and no tacky souvenir stores. Some of the website is in English, but the film is in German. Watch it anyway, as it shows this beautiful, charming town quite well. I went here for the Christmas market and am simply enchanted with this town. Can't wait to go back and I definetly want to stay overnight in the Schloss. http://www.buedingen-touristik.de/

You probably want Trier Hauptbahnhof (or Hbf for short). Süd (South) might be another Bahnhof, but the rest of the stops are probably bus stops. I haven't specifically made the trip from Rothenburg to Trier, but I have been all over in Germany, and I can read a schedule. I do know German Rail pretty well, and I'm telling you, you can't do that trip in 2-3 hours. In 2008, I went just from Frankfurt airport to Cochem, and it took over 2½ hrs. You are not going to see everything there is to see in Germany (I've been trying for 10 years). Rothenburg is really interesting, but so is the middle Rhein (Braubach, St. Goar, and Bacharach). Spend your time in that area; you'll be closer to Trier.

Thanks all, I realize it's not a 2-3 hour trip, I was using that as an example - what I was wondering is if it would be too long of a trip to do on the day the tour starts (seeing as I am to meet the group at 4:30pm and don't want to have to rush from the train station) - or if it's pretty easy-breezy and I could spend extra time in Rothenburg. Sounds like it's going to be a long trip, therefore I will probably plan to go on Friday and spend the night in Trier before joining the tour. I also understand that there are many picturesque and lovely towns in Germany and maybe there are others closer to Trier that would save me some time, I'll keep doing some research (since I've got time before I have to make any train reservations) and I might change my mind. Part of my reasoning for choosing Rothenburg is because I am a professional photographer and that town was described to me as "a photographer's dream". If there are other towns that fit that description as well, I would consider going somewhere else. Thanks again!!

Erika, I'd suggest travelling to Trier the night prior to your tour, in order to get settled and somewhat oriented in the town. I always prefer to arrive a day or two prior to the tour, and usually end up meeting at least some of the other tour members before the "official" introduction session (which usually happens at about 17:00). IMHO, Rothenburg is an excellent choice to begin with! I'm also a Photographer and there is indeed lots of great subject matter there. The other point is that it's a reasonable trip from the Frankfurt airport to Rothenburg (there's a station right at the airport, so you can depart from there without going to the main Hbf). Although you'll be jet lagged, go straight to Rothenburg (I've done that and it's not too difficult). You'll probably have one or two changes (possibly Wurzburg and definitely Steinach, as Rothenburg is on a "spur line"). If this is your first RS tour, you're in for a treat! Be sure to take lots of Memory Cards. Happy travels!

There are tons of towns that are a "photographers dream". Many of them are nearer to Trier, so you could actually spend more time taking photos and sightseeing, rather than sitting on a train traveling back and forth. Check out Büdingen as I previously posted, but also have a look online at Idstein, Seligenstadt, Marburg, Michelstadt, or Kronberg, as well as the many picturesque towns along the Rhein, Mosel, or Lahn rivers.

Let me add to the list, especially if you don't want too many other tourists in the foreground of your pictures: Bennsheim, Heppenheim, Lorsch, the view of Heidelberg from the Philosopher's Walk (fantastic views and far fewer fellow travelers to walk into your shot), Bad Dürkheim, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Schwäbisch Hall.

There are actually two rail stations at Frankfurt airport. The Regionbahnhof is under the building across the street from Terminal 1. It serves regional trains and the S-bahn. The Fernbahnhof, farther out, on the other side of that building, serves the express trains (ICE). You can go out to the Fernbahnhof and catch an ICE directly to Würzburg. At Würzburg you will have to take a milkrun RB to Steinach where you will catch the shuttle to Rothenburg. It will take about 3 hours and cost €46. You can also go to the Regionalbahnhof and take the S-Bahn to either the Hbf (S8 or S9) or to Hanau (S9 only). At either place you can catch an RE (Regional Express) to Würzburg. That connection will take an hour longer and cost €28,30 (€7,30 for a local ticket to Kahl am Main, in Bavaria, and a Bayern-Ticket Single for €21.