Rhine/Bavaria itinerary help
Aug 22nd, 2008, 04:38 PM
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Rhine/Bavaria itinerary help
Myfamily of four will be arriving into Frankfurt (via train after 5 days in Paris) to spend 6 nights in southern Germany before heading to Switzerland for 5 days. I need help planning the itinerary..how much is doable in a day, and where to be based so as to avoid hotel hopping. We'd like to do a short Rhine cruise and see Bacharach and Rheinfels castle. Then we'd like to visit Rothenberg and take part in the Night Watchman's tour, so to me that means a night in Rothenberg. I am thinking one night in Bacharach, and then one night in Rothenerg. Then I'd like to find a place in Bavaria for four nights so we don't have to keep moving around, yet we can see Dachau, King Ludwig's castle, ride a luge, etc. Maybe even a daytrip to Salzburg. I don't have great motivation to see downtown Munich (convice me, I'm open to everything!) so is there a suggestion of where to stay to see these other sights?
Vague plan:
Day 1: Arrive into Frankfurt. Rhine cruise in the afternoon. HOtel in Bacharach for one night.
Day 2. Explore Bacharach and Rheinfels castle in morning. After lunch, drive to Rothenberg and stay one night. Do Night Watchmans tour
Day 3 Leave Rothenberg. Drive to Dachau and tour. Go to some town in Munich area (I need suggestions for where) and check-in for four nights. (how much driving is this?)
Day 4 King Ludwig's castles and luge ride
Day 6...Day trip to Salzburg
Day 7...not sure. Ideas?
Day 8..train (I am assuming from Munich)to Berner Oberland for five nights.
Questions: I am unsure of how much time one needs in each of the small towns the first three days, and how much time it takes between each for travel time. (we will be renting a car) Does this itinerary for days 1-3 seem reaonable?
Once I get to the Munich area (and I'm counting on Fodorites to tell me where I should stay....I have heard Fussen and Reutte, Austria mentioned several times?), I'd ideally like to give up the car and rely on the train...is this practical or would a car be easier?
Where would be a good "home base" for days 4-7?
I have heard people mention staying in "castles". Are there any good ones in the area where I would be staying? I'd love to surprise my daughters with a stay in one.
I have also been reading a bit about "Fairy Tale Road". Do you think my daughters (late teens)might prefer this to a Rhine cruise and Bacharach/Rheinfels? THey both are excited about the Rothenburg Night Watchman's tour so we want to be sure to include that.
Grateful for any and all suggestions!
Vague plan:
Day 1: Arrive into Frankfurt. Rhine cruise in the afternoon. HOtel in Bacharach for one night.
Day 2. Explore Bacharach and Rheinfels castle in morning. After lunch, drive to Rothenberg and stay one night. Do Night Watchmans tour
Day 3 Leave Rothenberg. Drive to Dachau and tour. Go to some town in Munich area (I need suggestions for where) and check-in for four nights. (how much driving is this?)
Day 4 King Ludwig's castles and luge ride
Day 6...Day trip to Salzburg
Day 7...not sure. Ideas?
Day 8..train (I am assuming from Munich)to Berner Oberland for five nights.
Questions: I am unsure of how much time one needs in each of the small towns the first three days, and how much time it takes between each for travel time. (we will be renting a car) Does this itinerary for days 1-3 seem reaonable?
Once I get to the Munich area (and I'm counting on Fodorites to tell me where I should stay....I have heard Fussen and Reutte, Austria mentioned several times?), I'd ideally like to give up the car and rely on the train...is this practical or would a car be easier?
Where would be a good "home base" for days 4-7?
I have heard people mention staying in "castles". Are there any good ones in the area where I would be staying? I'd love to surprise my daughters with a stay in one.
I have also been reading a bit about "Fairy Tale Road". Do you think my daughters (late teens)might prefer this to a Rhine cruise and Bacharach/Rheinfels? THey both are excited about the Rothenburg Night Watchman's tour so we want to be sure to include that.
Grateful for any and all suggestions!
Aug 22nd, 2008, 05:15 PM
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WHOA. That's really too much.
First off, at least 2 nights on the Rhine. If on a budget, try the Bacharach castle hostel - Burg Stahleck - and request a family room. (Top end digs in the area would include Auf Schoenburg castle hotel, but not worth the hike up there if you don't have a car - you'd need to taxi.)
I'd pass over Rheinfels before taking the vastly more impressive tours of Marksburg and Burg Eltz:
www.marksburg.de
www.burg-eltz.de
The walk to Burg Eltz requires 45+ minutes each way after a train ride up the Mosel River to Moselkern - but it's absolutely worth it, and spending the balance of the day in charming Cochem is required!
Rothenburg is touristy but extremely worthwhile - at least a day and an evening, but I'd stop on the way to R;'burg in Wurzburg for a look at the Residenz Palace, and I'd also do a daytrip from R'burg to Nuremberg and Bamberg, both charming old world cities that are hard to find in Germany - it was after all pretty much flattened in WW II. stay 2-3 nights in R'burg?
After that, I'd head to Dachau for the experience and skip the rest of your plans around Munich. Salzburg is worthwhile if you have the time, but it does stretch your itin. substantially. You've already seem some terrific medieval castles, and the chintzy Neuschwanstein, a mere 120 or so years old, isn't worth the trip IMO.
Head for the Bernese Oberland - maybe with a stop at pretty Bodensee (Lake Constance) for a night (Lindau is gorgeous.)
By the way, Rothenburg is in Bavaria.
First off, at least 2 nights on the Rhine. If on a budget, try the Bacharach castle hostel - Burg Stahleck - and request a family room. (Top end digs in the area would include Auf Schoenburg castle hotel, but not worth the hike up there if you don't have a car - you'd need to taxi.)
I'd pass over Rheinfels before taking the vastly more impressive tours of Marksburg and Burg Eltz:
www.marksburg.de
www.burg-eltz.de
The walk to Burg Eltz requires 45+ minutes each way after a train ride up the Mosel River to Moselkern - but it's absolutely worth it, and spending the balance of the day in charming Cochem is required!
Rothenburg is touristy but extremely worthwhile - at least a day and an evening, but I'd stop on the way to R;'burg in Wurzburg for a look at the Residenz Palace, and I'd also do a daytrip from R'burg to Nuremberg and Bamberg, both charming old world cities that are hard to find in Germany - it was after all pretty much flattened in WW II. stay 2-3 nights in R'burg?
After that, I'd head to Dachau for the experience and skip the rest of your plans around Munich. Salzburg is worthwhile if you have the time, but it does stretch your itin. substantially. You've already seem some terrific medieval castles, and the chintzy Neuschwanstein, a mere 120 or so years old, isn't worth the trip IMO.
Head for the Bernese Oberland - maybe with a stop at pretty Bodensee (Lake Constance) for a night (Lindau is gorgeous.)
By the way, Rothenburg is in Bavaria.
Aug 22nd, 2008, 08:08 PM
#3
Hi LH,
We have a trip report (with pic's) from last Oct. that covers some of the area's that you plan on going. Maybe that will be of help.
For days 4 through 7, I'd suggest a base in Mittenwald. I'd keep the car (we love driving in Bavaria!) until heading for Switzerland. You could probably (maybe?) drop the car in neighboring Garmisch and head to Switzerland by train via Innsbruck (less than 1 hour from Garmisch and or Mittenwald).
From here you can see:
Mittenwald... gorgeous Bavarian village with a beautiful mountain backdrop.
Ludwig's Linderhof
The Zugspitze, from Garmisch, 20 min. away (maybe not a priority since you'll be in the BO later)
Luge ride in Garmisch
Ettal Monestary
Oberammergau
Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau and Tegelberg (cable car and another luge ride) are about 1:30 hours away.
Innsbruck is about a 45 min. drive away. We don't really care for it, but some really like Innsbruck.
Hope this helped.
Paul
We have a trip report (with pic's) from last Oct. that covers some of the area's that you plan on going. Maybe that will be of help.
For days 4 through 7, I'd suggest a base in Mittenwald. I'd keep the car (we love driving in Bavaria!) until heading for Switzerland. You could probably (maybe?) drop the car in neighboring Garmisch and head to Switzerland by train via Innsbruck (less than 1 hour from Garmisch and or Mittenwald).
From here you can see:
Mittenwald... gorgeous Bavarian village with a beautiful mountain backdrop.
Ludwig's Linderhof
The Zugspitze, from Garmisch, 20 min. away (maybe not a priority since you'll be in the BO later)
Luge ride in Garmisch
Ettal Monestary
Oberammergau
Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau and Tegelberg (cable car and another luge ride) are about 1:30 hours away.
Innsbruck is about a 45 min. drive away. We don't really care for it, but some really like Innsbruck.
Hope this helped.
Paul
Aug 22nd, 2008, 08:09 PM
#4
Oops, forgot to include the link to our trip report...
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35089110
Paul
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35089110
Paul
Aug 24th, 2008, 07:10 AM
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You might consider ditching the car and staying in Munich on days 4-7. From there, you can get to Salzburg and Ludwigs' castles easily in under two hours via the train--using the Bayernkarte, whereby up to five ride after 9am on local trains for some 30 Euro total. Munich itself has fine museums, the Residenz & Nymphenburg palaces, great beer gardents and beer halls.
