We're thinking about taking two days to train up to Amsterdam from Salzburg. (I know it's a little rushed). Have four kids - 12 to 16. The Eurail bonuses of Rhine cruise or Romantic Road bus look fun. Which appeals to kids more? I'm trying to decide. Anyone have experience with alternate less travelled routes or are these the best way to head north?

My husband and I took both the Rhine cruise trip and the Romantic Road bus trip. Although both are great, I think that kids would enjoy the boat trip more than the bus trip. They will be able to move around, while you will be able to listen to the commentary. The kids will like the castles, especially the one with the bathrooms hanging over the river! Bring warm clothes, just in case - it was chilly even in September.

If your family enjoys overpriced trinkets and rubbing elbows with fellow tourists from abroad, Rothenburg is your place; The Rhine region offers a more diverse line-up of activities in more authentic towns with terrific natural scenery, and, unlike Rothenburg, you'll actually see a few German tourists there too. You can ride bikes along the paved riverside bike path, take a hike along the trail that skirts the Rhine cliffs, take a tour of authentic castles (the Marksburg in Braubach is terrific) or crawl around some castle ruins (Rheinfels in St. Goar), do some wine-tasting, ride a chair lift for a birds-eye look at the river (Boppard), and, yes, even pick up a nutcracker or two in the tourist shops there. The cruise is fine, but it's a bit dull after a couple of hours. The train will give you a peak at many of the castles between Mainz and Koblenz too. I think kids and everyone else would enjoy the Rhine more.

Rothenburg is very enjoyable, but I wouldn't want to visit it via the bus. I think the youngsters would find it quite confining, and dull for the most part, except the visit to Rothenburg itself. And the Crime and Punishment Museum! <BR> <BR>Without a car and particularly with the kids I'd opt for the Rhine. <BR> <BR>Ed

Thank-you so much for the response. This sounds like good advice!