roundbunny

Hi everyone,

I will be spending a few days in Frankfurt before visiting Rothenburg and then Fussen. I want to see some nice towns along the way but I am not driving, so I would like to use Rothenburg as a base and then take day trips to Bamburg, Wurzburg, Nuremberg etc. by train.

(Therefore, I would like to stay in Rothenburg for 4 nights (and 4 full days). 1st day: explore Rothenburg. Other 3 days: day trips to nearby towns.) Is this a good strategy? My goal is to minimize the hassle of dragging luggage back and forth from train stations to hotels etc.

Is there another Romantic Road town that would serve as a better 'base' than Rothenburg? (or are there any other day trips you would recommend from Rothenburg?)

Thank you!

bettyk

Train travel is not my specialty as we usually drive, but I would think Wurzburg would make a better base than Rothenburg as it's a larger city.

Using www.bahn.de (English version available), you can see that from Wurzburg, you can get to Nuremberg and Bamberg with no stops and to Rothenburg with only 1 stop.

roundbunny

Hi Bettyk,

Thank you very much for your help!

quokka

Rothenburg is at the end of a side line. Even Nürnberg cannot be reached without changing trains on the way. By public transport this is not a convenient base at all. Either Nürnberg or Würzburg would be better.

Russ

Rothenburg is generally a weak train base for those destinations. You might also tire of the thick tourist horde there if you're staying in town.

Nuremberg, Würzburg, and Bamberg are connected by a triangle of Regional Express train lines that send off direct trains to one another. It's about one hour or less from one to either of the others. Very easy.

To get to Rothenburg, if you're coming from Würzburg, for example, you must use two train lines that are totally separate from the triangle lines. Here's a diagram of the train lines around Rothenburg:

http://www.pro-bahn.de/mittel-oberfr...n_sprinter.gif

Getting to R'burg is not so bad if you're starting out in Würzburg, about 1 hour with 2 trains. Obviously, if R'burg is your base, then W'burg can be reached in an hour as well. Nuremberg typically takes about 1.3-1.5 hours each way. Not terrible.

But the problem is that it's a good bit longer from R'burg to Bamberg (2+ hours each way.)

So if you want only one base town, Würzburg or Nuremberg would make good sense. Nuremberg would make the trip to Füssen shorter.

ALTERNATIVE PLAN: On Day 1 starting from Frankfurt, travel to Würzburg for the day. Stow bags in a locker, see the Residenz, etc. Then in the p.m. travel to Rothenburg for overnight. On Day 2, see more or R'burg, then travel to Nuremberg for X number of nights. Do 1 daytrip to Bamberg from there.

The standard train fare from W'burg to Rothenburg is €12.90 each.

The Tagesticket Plus daypass cannot be beat; it will get you from Rothenburg to Nuremberg and from Nuremberg to Bamberg cheaply (€17.50/day/2 adults.) It's good for two days (if the first day is Saturday.) So with the alternative plan above in mind, you might do R'burg - Nuremberg on Saturday and Nuremberg-Bamberg-Nuremberg on Sunday.

http://www.vgn.de/en/dayticket?Edition=en&p=1

greg

Also, if you are staying in Frankfurt just because you landed there, it is not necessary. You can move to first destination on landing unless you do have another reason to stay in Frankfurt.

Dukey1

All train trips to and from R-burg require a change of train in nearby Steinach. That station is small and changes are easy to make but I would stay elsewhere than R-burg; perhaps in Nurnberg to begin.

Fuessen is another one of these "end-of-the-line" stations.

I would visit both Fuessen and R-burg on a day trip from somewhere else.

bigtyke

I've done that twice and hope to do it again.

I like Rothenburg and before/after the crowds it is wonderful. You plan on traveling during the day. I don't mind it being at the end of the rail line, but you need to factor that into your travel times.

AisleSeat

As a base for train travel consider Munich. There is a lot to see there and the main train station really opens up your options.

roundbunny

Hi everyone,

Thanks a lot for your replies. Based on the replies and my research on bahn.de, I think I will consider Nuremburg since its connection times are quite good to Bamberg, Rothenburg and Fussen.

To Aisleseat: thanks for the suggestion, but I have been to Munich many times already so I wanted to minimize my time there.

As Greg mentioned, is Frankfurt worth staying? I am arriving in Frankfurt Saturday morning at 6 am (from Canada), and was thinking of taking the train to leave from Frankfurt Monday afternoon. Is that too much time spent in Frankfurt? (I am more of a fan of medieval towns etc and not skyscrapers/modern cities.)

Russ: Thank you for the information about Tagesticket plus. Unfortunately, we will not be able to use it on the weekend since I plan on going to these towns during weekdays. It still sounds like a great price for weekdays though. I will definitely buy one for my train travels! Are there any restrictions on trips that the Tagesticket plus CANNOT be used for trips to/from Nuremburg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Rothenburg? (e.g. when I click on bahn.de, I see that there are some trains with letters RB, IC, BUS, etc. I am not sure
if the Tagesticket restricts me from using some of these train services.)

Thank you everyone for the very helpful info!

roundbunny

november_moon

Nuremburg makes a good base for day trips, and it has some nightlife as well if you want to go out. Bamberg would be my other choice - not quite as convenient as Nuremburg for the day trips, but it is an outstanding town.

I think Munich makes a good base for points south, but since Bamberg, etc. are on your itinerary, it definitely makes sense to stay in the north of Bavaria.

roundbunny

Thanks for your input, november_moon!

Can anyone give me any feedback about whether or not Frankfurt is a good place to visit as our first stop in Germany? I have heard that it does not offer a lot of charm so I am curious to know if we would be better off starting off in Wuzberg for 2 nights, then off to Nuremburg as our base for day trips to Bamberg and Rothenberg.

Thanks!

madamtrashheap

Nothing wrong with Frankfurt for a day, and as you land on a Saturday, you can take part in the weekly migration to Actually Grosse Bockenheimerstr (locals call it "Fressgasse" or feeding street!), which is the pedestrian street filled with great places for Saturday brunch. Then take a wander to Roemerplatz, down to the Main and take a short river cruise, then an early dinner before taking the train to Wurzburg/Nurnberg/wherever you decide. No need to spend more than a day in FRA, plus Sundays are pretty quiet in the city, and taking the train out on Sunday to your next destination will give you a little more time to play with.

lavandula

Yes, I think if you recover from jetlag in Frankfurt, do a little sightseeing there on the second day and get out of the town on maybe your third day, you will make good use of your time in Frankfurt.

I think it is better to say that Frankfurt has pockets of charm rather than being a beautiful city. It is known for its skyscrapers, but there is a small vestige of the old town, the Römerberg, which has medieval houses, and then you have old neighbourhoods beyond the periphery of the inner city, such as Alt-Sachsenhausen, which is a district known for its applewine pubs (that is the local alcoholic drink rather than beer), or Frankfurt-Höchst (there is an ugly new centre and its old part - don't give up till you find the old part, which has a charming castle, old narrow streets and square, where you can enjoy a meal). The neighbourhoods such as the newer part of Sachsenhausen are frequently intact 19th century and are very beautiful. In the city itself there is a riverbank of the Main dedicated to world-class museums (the Museumsufer) and good shopping in the Zeil. We sometimes have a poster called Mainhattengirl who knows the city inside out - you might try searching for her screen name to get a few good tips, including churches that go back to 850AD.

Additionally you might try getting out of the city and visiting Mainz (1000 year old cathedral, the Chagall windows in the Stefansdom, the Roman ship museum, the Gutenberg museum), or Wiesbaden (city built on hot springs which bubble up all over the city, also 19th century buildings which might one day soon be declared UNESCO World Heritage), or beyond there, the Rheingau (semi-rural, wine growing district, wine tasting) or the middle Rhine gorge (river cruises, train ride, cutesy towns). There is a lot going on in the Rhein-Main district; even the Rheingau is less than an hour from Frankfurt.

Lavandula

Russ

"Are there any restrictions on trips that the Tagesticket plus CANNOT be used for trips to/from Nuremburg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Rothenburg? (e.g. when I click on bahn.de, I see that there are some trains with letters RB, IC, BUS, etc. I am not sure
if the Tagesticket restricts me from using some of these train services.)"

The Tagesticket Plus will get you from NuremBERG (note spelling) to Bamberg and Rothenburg using local and regional trains. It is also good on all buses and inner-city transport, including subway and trains, within Nuremberg, Bamberg, and the other cities that lie within the VGN network (Nuremberg area transportation authority.) Here's a diagram of the VGN rail network where the ticket is valid:

http://www.vgn.de/ib/site/documents/...png/gesamt.png

You cannot use the Tagesticket Plus to reach Würzburg (which lies outzide the network.) Use the Bayern ticket instead (€27 for two.)

http://www.munich-touristinfo.de/Bavaria-Ticket.htm

Back to the Tagesticket Plus...

The only exclusions are the high-speed trains (IC, ICE, EC, etc.) You can eliminate those trains when you do your search at the DB itinerary page - just click on "only local transport" under "means of transport" and then only the eligible trains (and an occasional bus) will appear as options.

Getting to Würzburg with the Bayern ticket means using the same regional and local trains, so click on "only local transport" again when you do that search. Note that on weekdays, the Bayern ticket is good only from 9 a.m. on.

Hope this helps.

Russ

"I will be spending a few days in Frankfurt before visiting Rothenburg..."

I think Lavandula paints an accurate picture of Frankfurt.

I also agree that Mainz is a very desirable option; it's almost as close to FRA as Frankfurt is by direct train. Train fare to Mainz is €4.25. Mainz is much more compact; the old town area near the Dom (cathedral) and shopping zones have been pedestrianized, making it a great place to stroll, sightsee, and nosh. There are several hotels right across from the main train station, but I'd try to find accommodations near the old town if possible. (There's a second train station called "Mainz Römisches Theater", one stop closer to FRA, which is a little closer to the old town than the main station. I've used the Ibis there - one block from the MRT station, an easy walk to the old town. Yes, there's a Roman Theater that has been excavated right at that train station; it's at the rear platform.)

Mainz photos:

http://www.romantic-cities.com/uploa...z__Website.jpg

http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8517/...748e0b61f0.jpg

http://georg-dahlhoff.de/blog/wp-con...72-mzmitte.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4GK8Kr_N6p...dt_CR_700x.jpg

roundbunny

Russ: thank you very much for explaining the rail system to me. There is so much to learn! Your links are very helpful, thanks a lot.

Thanks for your Mainz suggestion. It seems like a lovely place from the photos. If I manage to find a reasonably priced hotel, I will stay there instead of/in addition to Frankfurt. (so far, from what I see, Mainz has a lot less hotel choices than Frankfurt due to its smaller size...) I will research this some more.

Madamtrashheap and lavadunla: thank you for your input regarding Frankfurt. Your information will help my husband and I decide how long to stay in Frankfurt.

Thanks everyone!

Russ

"If I manage to find a reasonably priced hotel, I will stay there instead..."

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-...ty/index.shtml

(Click on map to see location of the Ibis hotel, the Mainz Römisches Theater station, and the Ship Museum that Lavandula spoke of - all are within a stone's toss of each other.)

baloney

We were in Germany last summer and Bamberg and Ulm were two highlights of our trip. Both are lovely, filled with historical interest, and also have the feel of real working towns. Ulm seems to get overlooked by many, but we found it to be filled with charm. The Danube runs through it, as do two smaller rivers that flow into the Danube. We stayed in a lovely B&B on the edge of a canal with a small waterfall, and slept to the sound of rushing water.

On the other hand, we didn't care for Rothenburg. We planned to spend a day there, but we found it so heavily touristed that it was unappealing to us. It may transform into a different place at night, but nothing tempted us to stick it out and wait for the transformation.