Gayle

I will by arriving and departing in Frankfort at the beginning of July. I wanted suggestions on where to go. I want to head south and see Munich. I will have a car, do I need reservations this time of year, I know I want to stay in Rothenburg a couple of nights, I want to see the castles on the romantic road, and would like to take a trip on the rhine. Is this too Much. All suggestions are appreciated.

Bob

You are planning a lot for 7 days. Try this out: Frankfurt to Heidelberg. Visit the old town and castle. Then drive to Rothenburg for the first two nights. Reichs Kutchenburg is good hotel there. Then down Romantic Road to Fusen and Neuschwanstein. Over from there to Garmisch. Visit that area and then back up to Rhine area to finish your trip. You can spend last night on Rhine as it is not far from Frankfurt airport. Save Munich for another trip and see as much of Bavaria as possible. It is the better choice with limited time. Have a nice trip

wes fowler

Gayle, <BR>I partially agree with Bab's advice above. You're trying to do too much in too short a time. I would suggest that you consider touring the Rhine Valley from Heidelberg to Koblenz and back, perhaps staying in Assmannshausen as a central point from which you can also tour the Mosel Valley. <BR> <BR>I'd suggest you stay away from Munich and Bavaria this trip, particularly if you don't plan on reserving accommodations in advance. Oberammergau is hosting the Passion Play that is performed only once every ten years. It will be playing daily from mid May until early October and will attract thousands of tourists and playgoers daily. Accommodations in Bavaria should be scarce and more costly than normal as a result. Stick to the Rhine and Mosel, both particularly rewarding venues - both with castles as well. Email me directly if you'd like some itinerary ideas. I will be traveling between now and the 23rd of March but will respond to you then.

Martin

I agree with the above post that the Rhine and Mosel are wonderful--you could easily spend a couple days (or more) here--since this is one of the best places in Germany for castles. I would also recommend that you visit Rothenburg but not spend too much time in the nearby tourist cities--they're nice, but with only a week it would be best to pick one town. By the way, I have not been to Rothenburg in July--I would be hesitant, as crowds there off-season are still great. A few great places not too far from this area are Wuerzburg (the Residence tour is fantastic), Ulm's enormous cathedral (largest spire in the world) is seldom visited by Americans and is (to me) nicer than Cologne's, Ottobeuren's monastary church is the most beautiful church I have ever seen and yet few guidebooks mention it (though it is given 3 stars by Michelin).

Silvia Rotheimer

Hello from Vienna! <BR>I am from Munich and it is a beautiful city. I know Rothenburg (I have friends close by)and it is a place americans love very much. Nuernberg is beautiful too. July is a school holiday month in Bavaria and I think you will find accomodation. I can recommand some if you like. Do you go to the castles south of Munich too? <BR>Best regards <BR>Silvia <BR>

kelly

Gayle, <BR>My husband and I spent 8 days in Germany in September and did a lot in that time. We flew into Frankfurt but didn't spend time there (I heard it wasn't worth it from several friends, some German!). Went straight to Nurnberg for 2 nights. The next day we drove the Romantic Road to Rothenburg and then on to Dinkelsbuhl. We stayed overnight at Dinkelsbuhl...it's a mini version of Rothenburg and much less congested. We got this suggestion from a tour book and it was a good one! Next we drove down to the Bavarian Alps and saw Neuschwanstein and stayed in Garmisch. The following day we went to Oberammagau and then Schloss Linderhof. Someone made a good point about the Passion Play, you may want to stay out of Oberammagau (I'm not sure of the dates of the play). We ended the Germany portion of our trip with a visit to Dachau and then to Munich. We definitely could have done it in 7 days if we only stayed2 nights in Munich. <BR> <BR>I'd be happy to send you some recommendations on hotels, restaurants, etc. if you'd like. Just e-mail me if you're interested.

Skidmore

How do you get to Ottoburen from downtown Munich (with a car)? How long does it take to get there?