Sketchy Bavaria Itinerary - need help

Old Mar 28th, 2010, 01:32 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sketchy Bavaria Itinerary - need help

Family of 4 going to Germany the last week or two of July....2 teens, 14 and 17. Here's my current thoughts on an itinerary:

Day 1: Leave US

Day 2: Arrive Munich, Walking tour of old city, hotel in Munich
Day 3: day trip via train to Dachau, tour concentration camp
Day 4: day trip via train to Andersee, hike to abbey

Day 5: Train to Rothensburg, walk wall, see town, Night Watchman's tour, hotel in Rothensburg
Day 6: day trip via train to Nuremburg

Day 7: Rent car, drive Romantic Road to Fussen, onward to Reutte, hotel in Reutte
Day 8: Tour castles, Tegenburg Luge, Hiking around castles
Day 9: Drive to Zugspritze, hiking, Biberweir luge
Day 10: Hike to Ehrenberg Ruins...anything else around here?
Day 11: Drive to Munich for 12:30 PM flight home

Suggestions on what to add/ditch/change?
awayfromitall is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 02:55 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It seems like every day is a day trip, except your first day in Munich. It's a lot of running around. I would suggest trimming down your schedule a bit. You will be jet lagged that first day anyway, so your schedule ends up selling Munich very short.

It's analagous to flying to New York and staying in a hotel there and then doing a day trip to Boston, a hike in Vermont, and a day in Philadelphia. There are enough things to see and do in Munich to keep you busy for several days. Don't feel the need to get up every day and drive somewhere else. Why stay in Munich at all then? You end up prioritizing places like Andersee (?) and Nuremberg over Munich.

If you really want to see all those places, you might simply rent a car from the get-go and just reserve a hotel in each of these locations.

Rothenburg and Nuremberg are actually relatively close to one another. It doesn't make sense to make successive trips from Munich for each of these sights.

My suggestion for the first part of your trip would be to cut either Nuremberg or Rothenburg (or spend a night up there and do both). I've never heard of Andersee, but it might be better to cut that too and see something in Munich.

Furthermore, I don't think the Romantic Road does not go from Munich to Fussen. The Romantic Road is just a catchy name dreamt up by travel agents. A more scenic route would be simply to take the most efficient local route (perhaps someone else has a suggestion) rather than driving 150 km due west simply to take the last stretch of the Romantic Road (which is really just a highway).

The second half of your trip seems fine and I'm sure you guys will have a great time! Good luck!
Woyzeck is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 02:57 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
(I meant to say that the Romantic Road does not go between Munich and Fussen)
Woyzeck is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 02:59 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,228
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"Day 4: day trip via train to Andersee, hike to abbey"

That's the AMMERSEE, right? And you're hiking to Andechs Monastery, right? Bring a big appetite. The place is great.

"Day 7: Rent car, drive Romantic Road to Fussen, onward to Reutte, hotel in Reutte"

Why not overnight in Füssen where the castle are? Reutte isn't very interesting at all. It's a place Rick Steves recommends, but I couldn't tell you why. It's a dull little place. You'll need to purchase a special driving vignette for Austria, by the way. I'd just stay in Germany myself. You might want to stop in at the Fraundorfer Inn in Garmisch for a night of Bavarian music and traditional food - lots of fun there. Also, I'd add a visit to Mittenwald - lovely little village.
Russ is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 04:23 PM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Woyzeck, on the itinerary, I'm spending 3 days in a hotel in Munich, then moving to Rothensburg, and staying in a hotel there for 2 nights, then taking the Romantic Road from there to Fussen/Reutte and staying at a hotel there for 4 nights. Does the Romantic Road go from Rothensburg to Fussen?

I was trying to minimize the number of times we moved luggage.
As for Munich, do you have suggestions for what to see.
We're not much into museums.

Russ, thanks for the advice...I'll change to Fussen and read up on Mittenwald.
awayfromitall is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 04:43 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Day 8 says "tour castles". Which would those be? If you mean Mad Ludwig's he built a bunch of castles - and there's no way you will see them all in one day.

If you mean other castles - it seems odd to ignore all of Mad Ludwig's - which are some of the real highlights of Bavaria.
nytraveler is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 04:55 PM
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I meant Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. I think after 2
castles, we'll be castled out. Would you recommend any
different ones besides these two?
awayfromitall is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 04:56 PM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Also, if anyone has a hotel recommendation for a hotel in Munich, Fussen, or Rothenburg that offers quad rooms, that
would be welcome.
awayfromitall is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 05:24 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,431
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Have you booked your flight yet? If not, consider an "open jaw" from your home to Frankfurt, return from Munich.

Upon arrival in Frankfurt drive to Rothenburg via Miltenberg, Wertheim and the Romatische Strasse. If you have your heart set on Nuernberg, do it as a day tour from Rothenburg. I would skip it.

Next stop: Drive to Fuessen; it's 2 1/2 hrs on the A-7 autobahn. If you want to you can stop en route in Dinkelsbuehl, still part of the Romantische Strasse (Woyzeck's description is quite accurate)

From Fuessen either drive to Garmisch, via Schloss Linderhof, in my opinion a much nicer palace than anything in Fuessen. Take the cable car and/or cog railway from Garmisch to the top of the Zugspitze. If you are looking for a smaller nearby place, stey in Mittenwald.

Or go from Fuessen to Herrsching am Ammersee, and spend the night there.

Arrive Munich. Dachau takes half a day. If you want to do a day's outing take the train to Salzburg, or drive to Berchtesgaden, via the Deutsch Alpenstgrasse (Alpine Highway, aka B-305) stopping on your way back at the Herrnchiemsee palace of King Ludwig on an island in the lake of the same name.
treplow is offline  
Old Mar 28th, 2010, 08:33 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Treplow's suggestions are all spot on. The open jaw makes a lot of sense.

It doesn't sound like you're particularly interested in Munich itself, which is fine. It might make more sense, as Treplow points out (and Russ too), to stay in the smaller towns which are closer to the sights that you actually want to see. It would be more of a hassle, and probably more expensive, to set up shop in Munich simply as a home base.

Nuremberg is pleasant, but I think it probably could be saved for next time.

Invest in the things that you really want to see and that appeal to you. Starting in Frankfurt to get to Rothenburg and then ending up in Munich after seeing everything in southern Bavaria is a great plan.

You might want to dampen your expectations on the Romantic Road, too. It sounds idyllic, but it is really just a highway, and not even very scenic in and of itself.
Woyzeck is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 10:31 AM
  #11  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
So, is Rothenburg closer to Frankfurt? It seems about equidistant...and would it cost more to do an open jaw? One
thing I am also worried about is actually driving 3-4 hours
after an overnight flight.
awayfromitall is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 10:59 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Rothenburg is a bit closer to Frankfurt. I'd say the drive from Frankfurt to Rothenburg is maybe 1.5 hrs while the trip from Munich to Rothenburg is 2.5 hrs.

It wouldn't necessarily cost more to do the open jaw. Flights into Munich are often more expensive than flights to Frankfurt. Dusseldorf has actually been among the cheapest ports of entry to Germany recently.

I would worry about a long drive after the red-eye as well. You could break up the 1.5 hr trip from Frankfurt a little, if you think you can manage driving. I did it once where I stopped in Seligenstadt or Wuerzburg for breakfast and a coffee once I left Frankfurt. Then I just pushed on to Rothenburg about 45 min down the road.

That's one way to do it. But I hear what you are saying about the driving.

You could do an open jaw the opposite way. Fly into Munich, sightsee there and spend 1 night in a hotel. Get a car the next day and start all the southern Bavaria stuff (Dachau on your way out of town, Ammersee, and head south). Do the castles, Zugspitze and everything over the next few days. Then drive the Romantic Road up to Rothenburg from Fussen. End up in Frankfurt for your flight home.
Woyzeck is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 11:05 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 588
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Germans don't like the description "Mad" King Ludwig.
He had big dreams. He was different than others, but not mad.
It was a conspiracy against him to declare him mad.

I am trying to visit at least 3, if not 4 of his castles in May 2010.
First to Herrenchiemsee, then to Berchtesgaden, Ramsau, Koningsee. Linderhof may or may not be possible.
Then the 2 castles at Fussen before driving down to Lindau.
Paragkash is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 11:42 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 338
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You don't need a highway vignette to drive from Füssen to Reutte. It's only needed to drive on Austrian Autobahns (Major highways). Personally I found Reutte a cute little town, especially in the snow, but Füssen has plenty of reasonably priced accomodations. We found some charming restaurants in the pedestrian-only zone. Check out this website:

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

Bavaria Ben is the greatest and his website has tons of helpful ideas. I expect him to post here soon with some suggestions for you. If you are looking to save money, Bavaria Ben would suggest staying in farmhouse accomodations.

If you plan to visit Andechs, check out this place: http://www.hotelzurpost-andechs.de/en/index.php (Let me know how it is!! I bookmarked it years ago but never went)

Somebody on this forum created the following webpage with some awesome Bavarian driving itineraries:

http://www.thirdmansystems.com/vacation/maps/maps.htm

Over the past 30 years my family and I have been to Bavaria over 20 times and our favorite spot by far is Berchtesgaden. Plenty of reasonably priced Zimmer Frei (like a bed and breakfast) places where you can stay for less than $30 per person per night with a huge breakfast included. See:

http://www.berchtesgaden.de/en/startseite.html

Berchtesgaden is a nice base for visiting nearby Salzburg, seeing World War II ruins of Hitler's stronghold, a beautiful alpine lake (Kõnigsee) and great hiking trails. The Rossfeld Strasse is an incredible car ride up to the top of the mountain overlooking Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. On a clear day you can see halfway across Austria and all of Bavaria. If you have kids the Berchtesgaden salt mine is a must-do. You dress up on old miner outfits, ride a little train deep into the mountainside, then take a guided tour through huge caverns mined for their salt. Big wooden sliding boards take you down to lower levels and there is even a little raft ride across a salt lake. Even big kids like me still enjoy it.

Salzburg is a unique albeit touristy little city. It's a great place for those souvenirs you promised the friends back home. There's that whole "Sound of Music" thing going on too and there are bus companies offering tours of the various sites in the movie. Corny, but it too is a lot of fun.

I agree with the open jaw idea. Fly into Munich and stay in town for a night or two, but don't rent your car until you are ready to head out into the countryside. Why pay for tha car rental for days you won't need it? You can get anywhere in Munich by subway, bus or train. Besides, hotels will charge you to park. When you are ready to move on, the major car rental companies have pickup available at the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) or you can take the subway/U-Bahn back out to the airport if you don't want to contend with driving in Munich. However, German drivers are probably the best in the world so there's nothing to fear. Just be sure you stay to the right on any two or more laned roads. And when not on the Autobahn be sure to observe speed limits. You will get ticketed by hidden cameras. Fly home from Nuremburg or Frankfurt. Rental car return is incredibly easy at the latter airport.

Now I'm sure I'll get someone responding to this post insisting that driving to Frankfurt is too far, but if you spend a night in Rothenburg, you can get to Frankfurt in about 2 hours. Actually, my family always liked a bit of drive as long as I did the driving because then they got a nice long nap. I think you guys might enjoy spending the last night along the Rhine, then heading off to Frankfurt airport. If you have time you could take a little Rhine cruise just to see the various castles. The most interesting section is between Boppard and Rüdesheim. That's a two and a half hour trip. If you want to shorten the trip, just do the Rüdesheim to St. Goarshausen section. Get off the boat, do a little sightseeing and shopping in town, then take the train back to your starting point. Very easy. This website can help you with that:

http://www.kdrhine.com/index.htm

Last suggestion: If you have a GPS consider buying the European maps for it. It is well worth the price (about $100 or even less on E-Bay). If you don't have one, think about buying a used Garmin Nüvi on E-Bay. I just sold mine for $100 and it included US and European maps. There are plenty of others available.
Otzi is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 11:50 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 338
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ooops, one last suggestion: I concur with the idea of not driving the day you arrive. You will barely be able to keep your eyes open. However, DO NOT check into your hotel then go up and nap. NO, No, No!!!! Go out into town and do some walking. Keep busy. I wouldn't suggest going to museums or palaces on that day because your sleepiness will cause you to miss out on the interesting stuff. Walk around the Marienplatz, the Viktualienmarkt (farmer's market), the Hofbrauhaus and even some stores. Keeping active will help you get over jetlag much quicker. Believe me, it took us years to learn this lesson. You should treat that first day like it was precious and get the most out of it. Eat a nice big dinner maybe earlier than you normally would, then go to bed as close to the time you normally would back home (German time). The next day you will feel almost completely adjusted to the time difference. Try to sleep on the flight over, but stay awake as long as you can on your first day in Germany.
Otzi is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 12:09 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 13,617
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We did a similar trip a few years ago. Here are my thoughts:

Spend more time in Munich itself - at least another day. It is a neat city and you wont remember much from your first afternoon there. We arrived mid-morning, checked into our hotel, and then wandered around and went to a beer garden. Anything that took more cognitive ability would have been a waste The next day was much better.

We stayed in Nuremberg as a base for that portion of our trip - day tripped to Rothenburg. We liked Nuremberg, but Rothenburg is more of a storytale sort of place. If I had to choose one or the other when travelling with kids, I'd choose Rothenburg. Although the castle at Nuremburg is really neat - and it is an honest-to-goodness fortification rather than the palaces that Ludwig built, which are quite different.

Fuessen vs. Reutte - we stayed in Reutte for economic reasons. We found good lodging at the Hotel Moserhof for a great price. The town itself isn't much, but the location is good for visiting the Ludwig castles if you can't find accomodation in your budget in Fuessen area.
november_moon is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 12:20 PM
  #17  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Otzi, from Rothenburg, how long a drive would it be to the
Rhine cruise?
awayfromitall is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 12:58 PM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 20,372
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
On the day you go to Dachau I would not count on wanting to do a lot of light-hearted sightseeing after that visit. So maybe plan on Dachau for the afternoon.

You say you are not much interested in museums, but does that include great science museums? The Deutches Museum in Munich is outstanding.
http://www.deutsches-museum.de/index.php?id=1&L=1

If you go to Salzburg, Schloss Helbrunn with its water games is fun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbrunn_Palace
Vttraveler is online now  
Old Mar 29th, 2010, 12:59 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 246
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Lodging in Rothenberg is pretty reasonable (relatively speaking) & generally includes breakfast. We enjoyed it & have booked it to see with your young adult kids in a few monthsl. D was reluctant until she started reading about it & now she is looking forward to it!

We will also be spending a few nights in Munich as well as a few nights in Bacharach. Sorry, don't know much about the rest of your itinerary. We flew into Frankfurt & out of London that trip. It's good to check fares & figure out which open jaw might work best for your budget--prices can vary considerably.
HImom is offline  
Old Mar 30th, 2010, 06:35 AM
  #20  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ok, based on all your feedback, here is what I'm currently
thinking:

Day 1: Leave US

Day 2: Arrive Munich, Walking tour of old city, hotel in Munich
Day 3: run in morning, train to Dachau, tour concentration camp, more Munich in evening

Day 4: run in morning, drive to Ammersee, hike to abbey, then drive to Berchtesgaden, hotel there
Day 5: run in morning, do stuff in Berchtesgaden, salt mine tour, eagle’s nest

Day 6: Drive to Fussen, tour castles, hiking around castles, luge?, hotel in Fussen
Day 7: Drive to Zugspritze, hiking, Biberweir luge…swap this with Day 6 for clear day
Day 8: run in morning, Hike to Ehrenberg Ruins...Mittenwald?

Day 9: Drive to Rothenburg, walk wall, see town, Night Watchman's tour, hotel in Rothenburg
Day 10: run in morning, Drive to Rhine – ~2 hour cruise on Rhine…hotel on Rhine…

Day 11: Drive to Frankfurt for midday flight home


I've added the "run in morning" entries for 2 reasons. My
teens are avid runners and want to keep up their training so
it shows that the touristy part of these days will be cut a
little short. But also if anyone has a comment about where
to run in the cities we're in, that would be good...or if you
know a city is just not runner-friendly, that would be good
to know.

Also, if anyone has a comment about Day 8...are these the best
things to do in the area for this extra day? Other suggestions?

Also any other tweaks you could suggest would be appreciated.
awayfromitall is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -