We're driving from Rothenburg to Fussen at the end of December. We're intending to do it in one day. Which road should we take? We're trying to weigh scenery vs. speed. Are the winter road conditions a problem?
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
www.viamichelin.com will tell you the "normal" driving times on each route.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
When our family drove through the area we started in Wurzburg, stopped briefly at some of the more attractive towns and stayed an afternoon, night and morning in Rothenburg. After that, the family wanted a quick trip to Fussen, so we took the autobahn. It gave us some taste of the small towns but also kept time in the car to a reasonable level.
Posted by
White Bear Lake, MN, USA
479 posts
Diane, I drove through there during December 2006, and the weather was fine. There was no snow on the ground, as it looks like there isn't any right now as well.
My advice would be to take the autobahn as much as possible, but don't be afraid to take the Romantic Road for some parts of the trip. The Romantic Road is not efficient travel by any stretch of the imagination, whereas the Autobahn will get you from point A to B efficiently.
You could go from Rothenburg to Nordlingen on the Romantic Road and then head back to the Autobahn the rest of the way to Fussen. That would give you a flavor for the trip. You'll be glad you did.
Posted by
DTW
343 posts
We just came back from Bavaria (11/21-11/26). You are not clear as to what you are trying to accomplish. You can drive from Rothenburg to Fussen on the Romatic road in 1 day. This is also allowing for time to stop along the way. The issue is it can take all day. You would have to see Fussen (castles) the next day. If you are renting a car and you are going to Bavaria you must have snow tires. A local told me that if you do not have snow tires and get in an accident where snow tires are required, the insurance companies do not pay the claim. A previous poster stated that there was no snow at that time of the year. That was true in December 2006, they had a mild winter. This year the Zugspitze opened a little earlier than expected. We were there Thanksgiving day skiing, it was beautiful. We were in Rothenburg on 11/24 & 11/25. We woke up to a dusting of snow. If I can answer anymore questions, feel free to drop me a line. John
Posted by
DTW
343 posts
One more thing. Get a good map of the area. I could not remember the scale to get, so of course the one i bought over there was not detailed enough. Somewhere on this site they have the scale to buy. Do it! You will be much happier driving the back roads. We also had a GPS. We came upon a closed road and that unit couldn't really get us around it without having us backtrack. This was my fourth driving trip there and I really would have preferred my wife to navigate.
Posted by
DTW
343 posts
About GPS. We rented from Hertz and they charged 16e a day. If you have thought of buying one for your personal use in the States, that may be better. You can program it for use over there. I may seriously consider this the next time. Also, if you have never used a GPS before, understand that they do not support smaller roads. They will show you what you are on but they will not tell you where to go. Example, if you are looking for a place out in the country, they will show you what street your on and what direction your heading. They will not tell you how to get there. They may even show you your destination when you get there but, along the way you may get "some roads on your route are not supported". I have a GM vehicle with factory GPS and it is helpful especially at night or when you are not familiar with an area. You just need to know and work with their limitations.