Others may disagree, but I didn't find Cortina d'Ampezzo "charming", although the surrounding mountains are of course stunning. I did find some of the towns in the Badia charming, so I would suggest focusing on a base between Brunico and Corvara.

PS: I've heard San Cassiano is charming, and in the spring, rather down to earth (at other times of the year, it's posh):

http://gourmettraveller.com.au/san-cassiano-italy.htm

Thanks a lot Zeppole ... Will definitely keep that in mind when finding a base in Dolomites ... We are definitely open to any base in that region, we were in the Alp Di Siusi region last time based out of St Cristina ... Will look into Brunico, Covara and San Cassiano this time ...

You will surely want to get south of Brunico, and into the Badia itself.

Hi,

For the Dolomites, I'd highly recommend staying in the Alta Badia. We stayed twice in La Villa at the Ciasa Montanara. LOVE it there. Personally, we didn't find Cortina "charming". Brunico's old town is nice, but still not in the Dolomites and not too convenient to the Dolomite passes, etc.

www.montanara.it

www.worldisround.com/articles/355539/index.html

www.worldisround.com/articles/324504/index.html

For the drive from Appenzell to the Dolomites, I'd highly recommend going through the Val Venosta/Vinschgau. Head south at Landeck, Austria, to Nauders then over the Reschen Pass into the Vinschgau. From here you'd head to Meran/Merano and then Bozen/Bolzano into the Dolomites. The Val Venosta/Vinschgau is worth at least a night or two. One of our favorite castles is located here, Castel Coira/Castle Churburg. We stayed at the Panorama Hotel in Mals/Malles. Beautiful place. Plenty of castles, etc. to see in the Vinschgau.

www.biohotel-panorama.it

Castel Coira/Churburg
www.castelcoira.com
www.suedtirolerland.it/en/highlights/castles/castel-coira.html

Castle Kastelbell
www.schloss-kastelbell.com/de/das-schloss.html
www.etsch-radweg.com/kastelbell-castle.html

Marienberg Abby
www.marienberg.it
www.suedtirolerland.it/en/highlights/sights/marienberg-europes-highest-benedictine-abbey.html

Glurns/Glorenza
(We had a view of this walled town from our balcony at the Hotel Panorama).
www.suedtirolerland.it/en/south-tyrols-places-and-regions/val-venosta/glorenza/
www.ferienregion-obervinschgau.it/holidays/holiday_resorts/glurns.php

Castel Juval
www.suedtirolerland.it/en/highlights/castles/castel-juval-mmm.html
www.messner-mountain-museum.it/messner-mountain-museum,pid,1,lid,en,meid,1242638447,mid,1242638445,first,1.html

Castle Tirolo
www.schlosstirol.it/content.php?lang=2

Closter St. Johann/Convent St. John
(This is just over the Italian/Swiss border. We needed to show our passports at the border).
www.muestair.ch

We also liked walking in the town of Silandro's pedestrian zone. Pretty, nice town.
www.suedtirolerland.it/en/south-tyrols-places-and-regions/val-venosta/

Just some idea's and thoughts.

Paul

Thanks a lot Paul for the detailed response ... Definitely love the feedback around the Dolomites region ...Will definitely look into including the Val Venosta region if we can squeeze it in ... It looks gorgeous in the pictures and amazing castles too ...When we were driving over Brenner pass, and looked over that side, we definitely were wondering how pretty it would be there ... Unfortunately it is quite the distance from Badia/ Cortina and we are trying to minimize our one night breaks ... Will definitely keep it in our list of things to add if we free up a day or so ...

We are not set on staying in Cortina... Just want to stay in that general area as we had covered the Val Gardena, the 4 passes, and Alp Di Siusi region last time ... This time we want to cover Missurina, Tre Cime, Passo Giau, Passo Rolle, Lago Llandro, Marmolada ... So for that part of the Dolomites, staying somewhere near Cortina might be best suited ... Any suggestions for best place to stay in that region will be very welcome ...

Any feedback on the German portion of the itinerary and good bases for Rhine/ Mosel Valley and Black Forest?

Hi again,

I'd still go with the Alta Badia for most sights in the Dolomites. La Villa, for instance, is less than an hour from Cortina. It's close to the Falzarego and Giau Passes. Seems the Marmoloda and Passo Rolle are a good distance from Cortina and the Alta Badia. Maybe Alleghe or someplace in that area may be better to base for those two.

For the Mosel, we liked Cochem. We stayed 4 nights across the river from Cochem in Valwig at the Hotel Weinhaus Rebenhof.

www.hotel-rebenhof.com

Hope this helps.

Paul

Hi Vibhav - For your itinerary I'd second Paul's recommendation of staying in the Alta Val Badia (- instead of Cortina). San Cassiano or La Villa would be good choices IMO ...

Have you got Lago di Braies on your list? Probably the most beautiful lake in Italy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8810882@N03/sets/72157606365598152/show/

Steve

Thanks a lot Paul and Steve ... Will definitely go with the Alta Badia suggestion... And yes, we have Lago di Braes on our list , just forgot to mention... Thank for pointing it out so we would not forget...

For the Rhine/Mosel Valley, we are also zeroing in on Cochem... Was it a convenient base for the sights in that region? Also, are 3.5 days/ 4 nights a good time for that region? What would you say are highlights?

Same questions for Black Forest - recommendations on a good home base and key highlights...

Rhine/Mosel: Cochem is a great place, whether you stay there or visit during the day. I'd probably suggest staying on the Rhine, either in Boppard or St. Goar, since you're a bit closer there to the bulk of the attractions - Marksburg Castle in Braubach and Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar, the towns of Linz (north of Koblenz) Oberwesel, Boppard and Bacharach (all 3 south of Koblenz), with their old-world ambience and wineries and Boppard's chairlift ride make up the bulk of the sights there. The Rhine cruise is also on the Rhine, of course - it'll take you past dozens of castles between Bingen and Braubach (a good place to end your cruise since Marksburg Castle is there.) www.marksburg.de

We stayed here a couple years ago in the comfortable Rhine View apt. - great little place and great host (Herr Huppertz):

http://www.loreley-apartments.de/die_4_wohnungen_en.php

There were bikes available for our use in the downstairs storage room.

There are plenty of other apartments in St. Goar too:

http://www.st-goar.de/586-1-fewos.html

The Ferienwohnung (vacation apt.) Burch and Ferienwohnung Geissler (I've stayed in one of theirs too) on the above list are located in the heart of St. Goar, convenient to all.

Daytrips to Cochem and to Burg Eltz are possible from St. Goar as well. I'd be sure to catch the falconry show at Reichsburg Castle in Cochem even if you don't tour the castle.

www.burg-eltz.de
www.falknerei-reichsburg-cochem.de/fotobuch.htm

Boppard is larger and also a very nice place; you'll find apartments there as well:

http://www.boppard.de/index.php?id=8&L=1

I'll have some comments for you later on the Black Forest; suffice it to say for now that neither Freiburg or Baden-Baden are really what anyone thinks of when they think of the Black Forest. Have a look at some of the towns and attractions that dot the Black Forest railway, which crisscrosses the highest part of the BF:

http://www.black-forest-travel.com/places-of-interest/black-forest-railway.html

Hi,

We spent 4 nights on the Mosel and felt it was just right. The Mosel seemed a bit more laid back or quieter, than the Rhine. Just an opinion from someone who spent only a morning and afternoon along the Rhine. We loved Cochem and would stay there again. To be more accurate, we stayed across the river in Valwig, but we spent so much time in and around Cochem, we considered it our base. From here we visited Trier, Bernkastel, Burg Eltz and spent some time in Beilstein and Zell. Highlights for us were Burg Eltz and then some of the Roman ruins and Cathedral in Trier and taking walks along the river. Marksburg castle along the Rhine was another "must see" highlight on our trip. Bernkastel reminded us a little of Cochem. Not that that's a bad thing at all.

www.trier-info.de/english/sights-in-trier

Paul

Agree w/Paul that Cochem is great. You might include Trier if you're into Roman history, but it sounds like the focus of your trip is more nature-focused. If you do visit Trier, you'd be spreading out your area of travel a bit, and Cochem might make more sense as a base town.

Black Forest: It's mostly about the villages, the great outdoors, and more traditional rural life. If you've looked at Rick Steves' Germany guidebook, you'd think the only places worth staying in were Baden-Baden, Freiburg, and Staufen (a small village of little interest on the periphery.) The best way to get a feel for the place and to gather ideas is probably to take a look at some of the trip reports at Bavaria Ben's site, many of which include Black Forest destinations, like the one below (this site is similarly excellent for Rhine/Mosel impressions):

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/randringermany.html

Look at the BF accommodations pages too:
http://www.bensbauernhof.com/accommodationsschwarzwald.html

If you're looking for "quaint charming towns and villages, picturesque lakes and mountains,", then I would shy away from Freiburg and Baden-Baden and would look into places like Gengenbach (old walled town with towers, cobblestones, half-timbered buildings, a bit like Rothenburg without the hypertourism) and villages like Schiltach, and Gutach which lie deeper in the BF. All are included on Ben's pages. And Baden-Baden isn't the only spa town; Bad Peterstal (featured on Ben's pages above too) also has spa facilities and could be a good alternative to the big-city bustle and prices of Baden-Baden. See slide show to get an impression:

http://www.badenpage.de/en/cities-villages/bad-peterstal-griesbach/bad-peterstal-griesbach-und-umgebung/bildergalerie.html

Gengenbach: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/877263

Schiltach: http://res001.gps-tour.info/redx/tools/mb_image.php/file.x615a6b3443706e6673324e4d6f646a4b507461336f5a6c724e6438506870477a7859663878426b665049695975324f6e676d525a47673d3d/gid.8/IMG_0090_2.JPG

Vogtsbauernhof (open air museum) in Gutach: http://en.vogtsbauernhof.org/

I'm sure you have good reasons for renting a car, and it is conventional wisdom that the car is cheaper with a large group. But a car large enough car for the 5 of you will not be cheap, and in Germany, the conventional wisdom is wrong. Because train travel is so well developed and efficient here - and completely FREE in the Black Forest (if you stay in the villages) and incredibly cheap in the Rhine/Mosel area, you might consider postponing your rental until Freiburg or Basel when you leave Germany.

Total train costs for 5:
FRA - Rhine/Mosel: 40€
3-day pass for Rhine/Mosel: 40€
Trip from Rhine/Mosel to Black Forest: 60€
All BF travel: free
http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/konus
Total: 140€

Car: probably about 1,000 km and 140€ - the same amount just for gas. And I think a VW Touran goes for close to $400/week w/o insurance.

If you're interested I'll point you to the information you'll need.

Thanks a lot Paul and Russ for the amazing amount of information and feedback... Apologies for the very late reply but I had to put the trip research on hold for personal reasons... Now I am back and scrambling to finalize itinerary and get bookings done... Have been looking for places to stay in the RHine/Mosel region and in Gegenbach... Have sent out some inquiries using your suggested places above... Now looking to finalize the Italian part of the trip in Stelvio and Dolomites...

Will reply in detail to your posts above in the next couople of days as we finalize more things...

Quick question - Will the passes in Stelvio and Dolomiti be open around the time frame of 19 May - 24th May? We are primarily looking at a driving vacation with minimal hiking since our parents cannot hike much...

Also, Paul, is 2 nights and one day enough for Stelvio National Park? One day is enough to go into the park and enjoy the drives/ lakes by car?

Last year Passo Stelvio road opened 28 May. I doubt it's going to be earlier this year.

I am a huge fan of Ferienwohnung (Vacation Rental Apartments). These usually give you multiple rooms with full kitchen facilities for less than you would spend on a traditional hotel or B&B. Having the full kitchen means you can save money by cooking some meals yourself and I enjoy the experience of shopping at local grocery stores and bakeries.

One we have stayed in is above the town of Bacharach, and is owned by a very nice family.

http://www.ferienwohnung-rheinhoehe.de/Englisch/index_e.htm

If you check out my travelogues you will see it talked about in my last two trips to Germany.

Hi,

What route are you looking at that will take you via the Stelvio Pass and Park? While the Stelvio may or may not be open, the Dolomite passes such as the Gardena, Sella, etc. will be open. Just wondering, as your plan had said you were heading to the Dolomites. While the Stelvio area is in the Südtirol area of Italy, it is not the "Dolomites". The Dolomites (the limestone towers that one associates with the Dolomites) are more or less between Ortisei (Val Gardena) and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Paul

Paul... We are planning to drive from Gegenbach in Black forest and then go stop in the Stelvio region for 2 nights... this was based on your suggestion given above of the the Val Venosta/ Vinschgau region being very pretty on the way to the Dolomites... After that we will head to the Dolomites... Since we are planning to stay in that Val Venosta region (either Malle or someplace else) for two nights, that is why we were wondering if we can drive to the Stelvio pass and if it is worth it for the one full day we will be in that region...

Good to hear, Paul, that Gardena, sella etc will be open... Would you happen to know if Passo Giau will be open?

Thanks Ingo... That was our fear about the Stelvio pass road not being open at our times... Are there any other drives or lakes or anything else that we can spend our time for that one full day?

jgwagner4, thanks! That is exactly what we are looking for ... Apartment rentals for our entire trip... will definitely look into the link you sent... We might be close to finalizing one apartment in Beilstein... Will look into this prior...

Hi again,

Oh, ok. I didn't understand the itinerary. We loved our stay in the Vinschgau/Val Venosta. Even if you don't drive the Stelvio Pass, there are so many castles, convents, monestaries, etc. plus the old walled town of Glurns/Glorenza that you couldn't see it all in a day. Castel Coira/Churburg Castle is a "must see" in my opinion. Schloss Kastelbell is another very good castle to visit. While not large or "touristy", Glurns/Glorenza was an interesting "look back in time" for me. Authentic, preserved medieval walled town. We can highly recommend the Panorama Hotel in Malles/Mals. Sorry if I'm repeating myself.

The Giua Pass will be open. Wait untill you get to the top. It's stunning. Even more so, in my opinion, is the entire drive along the Gardena Pass. It's hard to "rate" them, as they're all spectacular drives.

This is an interesting website for the passes in the Dolomites and throughout the Alps.

www.alpineroads.com/dolomites.php

Paul

Paul gave you enough suggestions for a full day in his earlier post, I think. I personally was somewhat disappointed with Churburg castle, but it was probably just bad luck with the guide (and the fact that photography was not allowed inside) - the young lady went on and on for about 90 minutes, which was really boring (and I'm a big fan of history and architecture!). Could be done in 30 minutes as well.

I second the recommendation of Glurns and also convent Marienberg. A *must* is IMO the Benedictine convent Müstair, an UNESCO world heritage site, across the border in Switzerland. Btw, Another option for a scenic drive to get to Vinschgau/Val Venosta from Appenzell would be via Rhine valley - Landquart - Klosters - Davos - Flüela pass - Zernez - Ofen pass - Müstair. The Flüela pass is supposed to open early May, the Ofen pass is open all year round. Both passes are easy to drive.

Based on the fact that Stelvio pass region will most likely be closed we have decided to skip that and spend two nights near Innsbruck instead. After that we will head over to the Dolomites...

Few more questions

- Need help with any tips or suggestions for scenic drives/ routes between the following points. We will be doing each of these drives in one day each, so want to see if there are certain routes better than others from a scenic point of view. Otherwise we would just follow the GPS
- Berlin to Frankfurt
- Frankfurt to Cochem
- Gegenbach to Innsbruck
- Any suggestions for the best cruise to do on the Rhine? Are there certain companies better than other? Which section of the Rhine is the best to do - best starting and ending points? Time of day best for photography?
- Feedback on a good 3 day itinerary for the Rhine/ Mosel region? We are living in Beilstein for 4 nights
- Feedback on a good 2.5 day itinerary for the Blackforest region and must-dos? We are living in Gegenbach for 3 nights.

Thanks,
Vibhav

Paul... Thanks for all the feedback... Yes, we are so looking forward to the DOlomiti passes... We spent 3 days exploring the Gardena passes last time... So this time we will focus time on others like Giau but probably go back and revisit Gardena definitely

Thanks a lot Ingo for your feedback... Your suggestion of passing through Davis looked so scenic when we looked it up on the map... Though we have changed our plan for now, and skipping the Stelvio pass... Will definitely keep this route in mind for the future... Thanks a lot!

Hi again,

On the way from Innsbruck area to the Dolomites, the charming old town of Sterzing/Vipiteno makes a nice stop for an hour or two. It's very easy off/on the A22 highway also.

Just thought I'd pass this on, it's our "best of the Dolomites" one day loop drive, which can easily be done in a day and covers drives over 4 Dolomite Passes.

It can be started/ended from any point along the way, but I'll use the Val Gardena in this example:

Head over the Gardena Pass to Corvara and then take the Campolongo Pass to Arabba. From Arraba take the Pordoi Pass towards Canazei. Before you get to Canazei, take the Sella Pass. From the Sella Pass get right on the Gardena Pass back to Val Gardena. There's a cafe/restaurant/rest stop at the "top" of the Gardena and Sella Passes. You'll also notice a few small places to park along the passes to get out and walk among the Dolomite peaks.

Just another suggestion:

We love staying at the Gasthof Badl in Hall in Tirol. This is about 15 minutes from Innsbruck. We actually like Hall in Tirol's old town more than Innsbruck's. We stayed at the Gasthof Badl in '01, '03, '05 and '10. Nice place, convenient location, fantastic host (Sonja Steiner) and terrific views of the Alps. It's also a short walk to our favorite restaurant in the area, the Burg Tavern, in Burg Hasegg. It's just a short walk from the Gasthof Badl across the footbridge over the Inn river.

www.badl.at

www.worldisround.com/articles/362561/index.html

www.worldisround.com/articles/343800/index.html

Paul

"- Any suggestions for the best cruise to do on the Rhine? Are there certain companies better than other? Which section of the Rhine is the best to do - best starting and ending points? Time of day best for photography?
- Feedback on a good 3 day itinerary for the Rhine/ Mosel region? We are living in Beilstein for 4 nights"

Start the Rhine cruise in Bingen where the good scenery starts and cruise north to go with the current - much slower the other way. If you have less than 2 hours, cruise to St.Goar; 2.5, cruise to Boppard; 3 hours cruise all the way to Boppard and tour Marksburg Castle there: www.marksburg.de - this is something you should do on one of your days anyway.

Beilstein isn't a great base town. Nothing to do there in the evenings at all. And it's off the train grid altogether. I'd stay in Cochem on the Mosel or in Boppard on the Rhine if you want one place from which you can visit both areas. Both towns are great, but Cochem has the edge.