Christie_W

Hi everyone, thanks so much for your replies to my last post on this itinerary:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...uch-needed.cfm

Having taken your advice on board, we have come up with the following itinerary. Any input you could give would be appreciated, keeping in mind we will have 3 weeks to complete it once we leave Hamburg and that we also have two small children (aged 4 and 1). We will be renting a car so will be driving.

Hamburg (visiting family near Luneburg for first 4 days), after this we have 3 full weeks to complete the following:
Quedlinburg
Hameln
Kassel
Koblenz (Burg Eltz)
Heidelberg
Rothenburg
Dinkelsbuhl
Ulm (to visit Legoland for the kids)
Hohenschwangau (Neuschwanstein Castle)
Munich

The itinerary follows a bit of a zig zag, but it seems the only way we could manage the places we wanted to see without cutting too much out. Obviously some of the distances are long, so we may need to stay over in between some of these towns.

So, do you think this is doable or are we trying to do too much? Anything we should add/skip?

sparkchaser

Legoland is awesome. Fun for young and old; <b>HOWEVER</b>, it might be too old for a 4 year old and definitely too much for a 1 year old. Instead, I suggest going to Playmobil Funpark in Zirndorf , just outside Nürnberg.

http://www.playmobil-funpark.de/en

Of course, this would put you in Nürnberg instead of Ulm.

Christie_W

Thanks for the input sparkchaser, I too had thought Legoland would be awesome I'd seen Playmobil Funpark and between the two decided on Legoland, but will go back and reassess now as Nurnburg would probably make for an easier itinerary.

PalenQ

In 3 weeks that seems to be certainly doable - rather leisurely if you ask me! Try to spend some more time IMO on the Mosel - make Cochem your base not Koblenz - cochem is the cute small wine town you perhaps have been dreaming of staying in - Koblenz a nice but rather large and modern city.

It is also situated at one of the most gorgeous parts of the Mosel River valley - certainly one of the most picturesque places in Germany! Burg Eltz is only a few miles down the Mosel from Cochem.


https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...=1600&bih=1075


https://www.google.com/search?q=mose...=1600&bih=1075

From Cochem drive via Koblenz down the best part of the Rhine, the Rhine gorge with the famous Lorelei cliff - for variety park your car at a boat dock and take the famous K-Dboats thru the gorge (www.k-d.com) and then take the train from near every boat dock back to your car.

Christie_W

That sounds perfect, thanks PalenQ!

Does anyone have any advice on a different option for a stop between Hameln and Cochem/Koblenz (rather than Kassel)?

PalenQ

Does anyone have any advice on a different option for a stop between Hameln and Cochem/Koblenz (rather than Kassel)?>

Marburg is a wonderful old town - university town with a dreamy castle, etc.

lavandula

In that area are a number of small towns that are pretty - Hannoversch Münden, Alsfeld (directly on the road to Koblenz), Bad Hersfeld, Marburg. Some of these are on the Deutsche Märchenstrasse (German Fairy Tale Route). Even Göttingen, which is a bit bigger, is worth a visit. But for the most part the townships I name are small and won't keep you very long. Also in the Kassel area are a number of castles like the Trendelburg, which is a hotel / restaurant nowadays. All smack bang in the middle of Grimm country.

Yeah, Kassel is a bit problematic. On the one hand it's not a pretty little fairytale town - it got destroyed during the war and wasn't rebuilt in a very harmonious fashion. But on the other hand there is the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergpark_Wilhelmshöhe

which is actually something worth seeing (a UNESCO world heritage site).

Between Kassel and Alsfeld I can recommend a hotel, the Flair-Hotel Zum Stern in Oberaula. The Flair Hotels are a chain of hotels that are mainly in the countryside (accessible only by car), and are kitted out in the German country style. It is a small detour off the main road to Oberaula, and not hard to find. Nice accommodation, good food.

http://www.hotelzumstern.de/stern/

Lavandula

lavandula

To clarify: it is a small detour off the road from Kassel to Alsfeld to get to Oberaula (sorry if I caused any confusion). Oberaula is really only a tiny village, but houses are all in the half-timbered style (not exceptional but picturesque).

Lavandula

quokka

Another vote for Marburg!

Let me also mention Greifenstein castle with the bell museum.

Then continue along the Lahn valley towards Koblenz, which has many pretty little towns and other attractions along the way, like Wetzlar, Weilburg, Runkel, Dietkirchen abbey, Limburg, Bad Ems etc.

PalenQ

I've biked over the Lahn Valley route from the Rhine - I believe it joins the Rhine at Marksburg Castle - one of the most famous intact castles on the castle - mainly ruined ones - studded Rhine and Mosel river valleys.

konig_ludwig_900

here is my advicess for Hohenschwangau (Neuschwanstein Castle)

so i will recommend to stay at least one night in the the town(Füssen) near to the castle village (here is my best hotel list http://goo.gl/sbhmiJ )

Trip Plan :

Arrival day
1- check-in
2- relax
3- take a tour in füssen altstadt (shops + Lech river + restaurants + old buildings + Hohe Schloss + ..) thats need max. 3hours

Day 2 :
go to the hohenschwangau village before 8h (by the way book your ticket at least 24hours before and take the first tours to avoid the crowds )
example Neuschwanstein at 9h and Hohenschwangau at 11:30

after the tours have a lunch in one of the restaurants (http://goo.gl/f9AsYN )around
and then drive to Tegelbergban and enjoy the cable car and toboggan together with your 4years child

and a safe drive to munich

greeting from Hohenschwangau

Christie_W

Thank you all for such fabulous information!! Has made our trip planning so much easier and really calmed our nerves about such a big trip with our children. We leave for Germany on the weekend, very exciting!

Trophywife007

Near Quedlinburg is a lovely town and nearby castle of Wernigerode which also is worth a visit.

PalenQ

Speaking of Wernigerode - it is the northern terminus of the famous Harz Mountain steam railway - take a train up to the famous lookout point Brocken and back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harz_Narrow_Gauge_Railways

PalenQ

I agree with King LUdwig 900 - spending a night in cut4e Fussen, a neat town that few of the hoardes of day trippers and bus groups even set foot in - the famous Mad Ludwig castles being a few miles out of town in Schwangau, another neat town on a lake - but Fuessen itself has some neat sights besides being a thriving regional town with lots of shops, etc.

Check out the walkway along the roaring river that leads thru the gap to nearby Austria - nice walking paths.