I will be in the region in September for 6 days (I know it is a short amount of time and I am cramming but it is how I have to travel, so I am used to it!) Here are the two options I am considering: Day 1 Arrive Frankfurt train to Bacharach do the Rhine cruise from Bacharach to St Goar (sleep Bacharach. Day 2 Rent car and drive to Rothenburg (2 1/2 hrs) to tour city and continue on Romantic Road (3hrs) to Munich (sleep Munich). Day 3 & 4 in Munich with day trip by train to Salzburg. Day 5 head to Lucern Switzerland Day 6 Lucern (Depart Day 7 Zurich.
Second choice: Arrive Zurich take train to Lucern for day 1&2. Day 3 get up early rent car and drive to Fussen for Castles then on to Munich. Day 4&5 Munich. Day 6 Salzburg Depart day 7 from Salzburg.
I guess these choices depend on two things: Is the Rhine worth it (more driving for us) and what part of the RR is better (rothenburg to munich or munich to Fussen? Thanks for all of your input!!!

OPtion I: Day 1 is OK

Day 2 is too much. You won't have time to see Rothenburg. Drive to Munich on Romatic Road takes more than 3 hours. It takes that much if you go the autobahn route. Suggestion: Drive from Rothenburg to Salzburg; spend 2 nights there. Drive to Munich, drop off car (to save drop-off charges in Switzerland) and take train to Luzern.

Second choice: You don't want to pick up a car in Switzerland and drop it off in another country. It's expensive.

So, see Luzern, take train to Munich, get car, travel around environs of Munich (e.g. Fuwessen, Garmisch, Salzburg, Berchtesgaden), skip Rhein and Rothenburg. Take train back to Zuerich.

Thanks for your input so far. I know that choice #1 day 2 looks like a lot but here is what I was thinking. If we leave Bacharach by 8:00 am and arrive Rothenburg by 10:30 we only want to stroll the city and have lunch then take the remainder 3 hours RR drive to Munich getting us in by 5 0r 6:00. Are you saying that wont work? My husband has work obligations is Munich that entails we spend two nights there. Also, the train from Munich to Lucern is 5 hours!! That eats up a lot of time, I would rather make use of it and rent a car so we can stop at Appenzall or even Fussen along the way. How expensive is the drop rate?? Thanks once again

RC: you might get more response if you re-post w/ a better title. "2 Itineraries-Please Help!!" could be asking about anywhere in Europe.

Even on a holiday weekend you should have gotten more responses since there are a LOT of Germany/Switzerland pros on here. But most of them won't see your questions because the title is too vague . . . . .

Janis-
Thanks for the input, I only put the question under "germany topic" therefore it will not show up in the general questions.

Hi RChandler, When you start a thread on Fodors (in this case talking about the Europe Board) all threads go on the Europe Board. If you have Germany in the title of the thread and another person clicks on Germany then they will see your thread. In the case of your thread here they won't because you do not have Germany in your title.
It is confusing at first I know.
But anyway, to recap, all threads on the Europe Board show up. And most people here tend to scroll through the threads. I think few just click on a country (Germany, Italy etc). Best wishes.

RChandler - based on your postings and responses for your itinerary - (after lunch in Rothenburg o.d.T.) I would suggest taking the Autobahn on to Munich. You will have had a full day. Later take a nice easy daytrip along the backroads to the Füssen area from Munich. That would pretty much satisfy your desire to drive a portion of the Romantic Road. Another possibility that you didn't mention would be to drive the Romantic Road from just south of Würzburg down thru Bad Mergentheim and Weikersheim to Rothenburg. That's a nice drive and would satisfy your RR need... Ben

RC I really believe that you would be hard-pressed to get from Bachrach to Rothenburg in 2 1/2hrs, even if you just took the A-3 and A-7 autobahns. I have driven both, the more scenic route (Miltenberg - Wertheim) and the autobahn several times to and from the Frankfurt airport.

On the autobahn - especially in the morning - you are bound to encounter slowdowns around Frankfurt and again over the Spessart mountains between FRA and Wuerzburg (where you pick up the A-7).

Travelling on the autobahn at 100m/h is a myth. There are several speed restrictions along your way.

You can get the drop-off charge by calling AutoEurope (888-223-5555)

One option is to drive from Munich as far as Lindau/Lake Constance (by way of Fuesssen), or from Lindau on to Konstanz and drop the car off there. In either case, you would then take the train to Luzern.

If that appeals to you, I can give you a nice routing.

One other suggestion: Skip Bachrach, drive to Rothenburg from FRA airport. Overnight in Rothenburg.

Next day. drive to Munich. While in Munich, take the car or train to Salzburg (day trip, on a very scenic road).

And then continue by car as spelled out above.

(PS: I grew up in the Frankfurt - Munich - Lindau regions and still travel there frequently)

Why not fly into Munich and depending on what 2 days your husband needs to spend there you could drive to Salzburg and spend a night, drive to Garmisch or Fussen and spend a night or two or go to Rothenburg and spend a night. It is alot to go to Switzerland too. You could experience the Alps in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. You could also consider flying into Frankfurt and out of Munich. That way you could do the Rhine cruise on the first day then rent a car and possibly do your last 2 days in Munich?? Switzerland is so far out of the way but if you had to go there the second itinerary would be alittle easier perhaps. It would be alot of driving for day 3.

At least you have received some more input . .

But <<Thanks for the input, I only put the question under "germany topic" therefore it will not show up in the general questions>> is not the way this forum works.

As LoveItaly says -- there is no "Germany forum". There is just one forum -- "Europe". All threads are lumped together under Europe. When one clicks on "Germany" it only allows folks to search for information about Germany.

And besides, you also want info about Austria and Switzerland.

You may want to leave things as they are since you have gotten a few good responses - but my original suggestion still stands. And if you decide against re-posting, at least take this into consideration on future threads . . . . .

Okay so now I am very confused. A lot of good advice but I dont really know what to do. I was really looking forward to spending my first day in the Rhine area, staying in the Castle Hotel Auf Schoenburg. So then what?? It sounds like I should skip Lucern altogeter? Should I spend two days in Rhine leave on the second day later in the afternoon to head to Rothenburg sleep there and head to Munich on day 3 via the Romantic road? Should I bother going to Fussen, because how will I get to Salzburg then? It looks like it takes 4 hours to get there but only two from Munich. I am running myself into circles. Please help. My e-mail is [email protected] if anyone can help me!!