car Vs train

If you want to rive, have at it. The cost for two in a small car will probably be close to the cost of using trains. You won't get much/any use of the car in Munich, Prague, or Vienna. Parking costs will be close to what you would have spent on gas if you were driving around, so there's no savings on those days. The core of Salzburg is so small that you'll probably be walking anyway.

denise, Travel by train would be a simpler and easier method. As Ed so aptly pointed out, the car will be parked and gathering dust in the larger cities like Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Berlin and Prague. A few other things to consider: > You may need an International Driver's Permit as that may be compulsory in some countries. The I.D.P. is used in conjunction with your home D.L. > If you rent a car in Frankfurt and drop it in Prague, you could be facing a HUGE charge! > You'll have to check to determine if Highway Tax Vignettes are required in any of the countries you're driving. Large fines if you're caught without them. > If you plan to drive from Germany into Prague, you'll have to check with the rental firm on whether they allow their vehicles into eastern Europe. > Travel by car will use more of your holiday time in getting from one city to another, rather than enjoying the sights of each city. The fast trains are a much faster and more efficient travel method, and no concerns about parking, tolls, high fuel costs, vandalism, CDW costs, etc. Driving the "Romantic Road" is not all that spectacular, but if that interests you, go for it. I'd suggest dropping the car in Munich and continuing the rest of your trip via train. Happy travels!

The Romantic Road is nice for about 30 minutes. I hope you're not planning your travels around it based on its name. Be sure to pack Dramamine because you'll definitely need it.

A two- or three-day rental from Frankfurt to Munich would not be a bad idea. I know this goes against the logic that you achieve maximum savings by renting a car for a week or more or just taking trains. But that extra cost is only about $10 or $12 a day for a three-day rental, around $100 total, not counting a tank of gas for a trip like that. If you are willing to get off the autobahn, the smaller roads are more pleasant and will take you to a lot of interesting places between Frankfurt and Munich. Some of the Germany experts here can advise you better than I can on the better ones and ways to avoid traffic bottlenecks. And, don't feel that you have to drive a route just because it has a (marketing gimmick) name. Pick some places that you really want to see between Frankfurt and Munich, then route through them. Ditch your car on the outskirts of Munich or a town near the city and, to repeat the advice of others here, rely on trains and pubic transport for the big cities.

There are many interesting spots between those two cities. Just be sure not to fall for the clever branding of regular routes. The "Romantic Route" is just a a regular mid-standard road which was given a catchy name to entice tourists to drive on it, and only on it.