transportation, Munich

My opinion, for any time you're spending in the city of Munich, you'll probably find driving a real hassle. With buses, trams, and subways, you can effectively get anywhere in the city, even out to Dachau if that's a day trip you're considering, and day passes aren't that expensive. Most of what tourists want to see in Munich is best seen on foot. For all other aspects of your trip, a car may make sense. Enjoy your time in Germany!

No, it is NOT a good idea to have a rental car in Munich. The public transportation system is so wonderfully designed you can get anywhere you want to go without the hassles of a rental car. Even to Nurnberg I would take the train. The Bavarian Ticket will get you all over southern Germany all the way to Switzerland and even all the way to Salzburg for a ridiculously low amount...25E for the entire day of travel for multiple people. The MVV transport ticket will get you all around Munich for even LESS. I would not rent a car until I absolutely had to. Yes, I drove through the Black Forest once, too. I was rather unimpressed.

German Rail has the most extensive rail system in Germany, and it is particularly good in Bavaria. I've spent over two month, total, traveling in Bavaria and never needed a car. Look for connections on the German Rail (Bahn) website. Use Frankfurt(M) for "Frankfort". The Bayern-Ticket starts at 22€ for a single adult and adds 4€ for each adult up to 5 adults, total. For travel in Munich, most of what you might want to see, except for Dachau, is in the inner zone. An all day ticket for unlimited use of the conveyances in the inner zone for 2-5 people costs 10,20€. An XXL ticket, which adds the second zone, with Dachau, is 13,10€. A ticket for 2-5 adults in the entire network, including the airport, is 20,00€.

I've driven into and around both Munich and Nuremberg using my own car. I've always had to park outside the central area and use transport to get into the middle. It didn't cost me an awful huge amount because I had parking at my hotels and didn't have to pay a daily rate for the car while it was parked. It had brought me all the way from England anyway!! In both cities the car will be an albatross around your neck - paying for parking and paying rental on a parked car. BTW - Frankfort is in Kentucky. Frankfurt (both of them including the one with the big airport - Frankfurt am Main) are in Germany. I'd take the train if I were doing your trip. If you stay in many towns in the Black Forest you can have free bus and train travel using the included KONUS pass. Hint - stay in Gengenbach if doing the Black Forest. And if you stay in Gengenbach I can happily suggest the wonderful hotel Die Reichsstadt.

Appreciate all the advice. We'll do public transportation in Munich - y'all were unanimous on that. We'll even take the train from FrankFURT (thanks - my typo)and maybe rent a car in the Black Forest, because my husband loves to drive stick shift on hills.

If you do wind up driving in the Schwarzwald and you get to the German Clock Museum in Furtwangen, be sure to leave enough time to enjoy it. We made the mistake last month of trying to rush around in under an hour and we were really frustrated that we hadn't left 2 or more hours. It is a wonderful place - if you, like us, like clocks...