I am heading to Germany for 9 full days (not including travel days) in the first half of Oct. My initial destination is Bonn, since my sister has just moved there. Of course, we will see Bonn and Koln. <BR> <BR>I have read many postings on this site and there are many wonderful suggestions, but I am having problems narrowing it down. I don't want to be rushed and would like to see some of the countryside - castles, wineries, etc. I'm thinking of staying in the Western/Southern part of Germany because we have places to stay (for free) in Bonn, Heidelberg, Stuttgart and Munich. <BR> <BR>I think that we will rent a car for most of the trip, although not when we are local in Koln/Bonn (and we will certainly park it in Munich and usual local transport). Some things I am thinking about specifically are Trier, a Rhine cruise and castles along the Rhine, the Black Forest, Munich & Bavaria. Maybe Lake Constance. I am having a lot of difficulty determining how much time this will all take, since I am used to travelling in North America where distances are huge. <BR> <BR>Any suggestions for destinations and road trip itineraries, as well as how much time we should allot for this, would be greatly appreciated. <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>Erin <BR>

The town of Braubach, just south of Bonn and Koblenz on the Rhine's east bank, is having a big wine festival from 10/6-8 - parades, music, ceremonies, wine stands, and fireworks. Marksburg castle in the same town provides the best tour on the Rhine of a real knights' castle, IMO. <BR> <BR>Unless you'll be visiting some very obscure towns way off the train tracks, you might reconsider renting the car in the area between Bonn and Heidelberg and down the Mosel to Trier since on weekdays you can hop from town to town on the local trains here for just $18/day on a daypass good for up to 5 people. Ask for the "Rheinland-Pfalz" ticket. On weekends you can get the same type of pass at the same price, but it's good for the whole country - the "Schönes Wochenende" ticket. I'd probably get a car for 3-4 days if you intend to go all the way to Munich, but there is actually so much to see and do between Cologne and Stuttgart (and even more if you wander just a little south or east of Stuttgart into the Black Forest or along the Neckar River Valley) <BR>that a trip all the way into southern Bavaria could seem rushed (and there's so much to see and do there, too, that you'd be tempted to rush even more.) I'd have little trouble spending 9 days between Cologne and the Black Forest, and I've been there several times. Might be best to leave Bavaria for another time.

Erin, <BR>Russ is quite right in suggesting that Munich and Bavaria should be saved for another day. Trying to include Bavaria in your itinerary won't do justice to you or the sights you'd see. I've a couple of driving itineraries centered on the Rhine and Mosel valleys as well as the northern and southern parts of the Black Forest which would certainly eat up a week of your stay. If you're interested, drop me an Email and I'll forward them to you.

YOu may get more responses if you titled your question w/ a bit more specifics. "9 Days in October" tells us nothing. Why not something like "Need help narrowing down days in Germany". 9 Days in Oct. could mean anything. Hope this helps you get a few more responses.

Russ & Wes: <BR>Thanks for your helpful suggestions. As much as I would like to see Munich and Bavaria, I was concerned that it might be too much to fit it all in, so I appreciate your feedback. We will look more closely at train vs. rail options, but in the meantime, Wes, if you could forward the driving itineraries that you have, that would be great. I will also email you directly. <BR> <BR>And to everyone: I apologize for the cryptic topic title, but I intended to this to post to the Germany Forum and so thought it would be self-explanatory. I have no idea what I did wrong, since I tried posting it twice to the Germany Forum and apparently it didn't work either time. Believe me, cryptic topics are my pet peeves. <BR> <BR>Erin