Advice needed for trip to Germany, Austria, and maybe Belgium
 

We are working on an early fall trip and will likely have the option to arrive in Brussels or Frankfurt. We plan to do an open jaw and leave from Zurich. Our rough plan is to drive from Frankfurt to Munich using the "Romantic Road" and then to do a swing toward Austria for a day or two in order to see some of the Bavarian Alps. With a two week trip, give or take, should we go into Brussels and train or drive through Luxembourg and on to Frankfurt or just go ahead and fly into Frankfurt and save Belgium and Luxembourg for another time. I have looked at mileage charts but can't decide. I'm sure I will have more specific questions about the area later, but for now, I need to get tickets nabbed. We are going in mid-September, so I am thinking that area will still be a pleasant, though maybe somewhat cool, temperature. Would there be any reason to go into Zurich and out of Frankfurt or Brussels instead of the reverse? Fordorite advice is always helpful. Thanks.

With only 2 weeks, I'd hold off on Belgium and Luxembourg.

I'd suggest you limit your trip to Germany and Austria so you can really get a feel for both countries instead of rushing through.

If you arrive in Germany and depart from Switzerland, you will have to turn in your car in Germany or pay a hefty "drop" charge to leave it in Switzerland.

You could arrive in Frankfurt and be in Rothenbrug in 1-1/2 hrs for your first overnight. You could continue down the Romantic Road to Dinkelsbuehl and/or Nordlingen to Munich. From there, you could visit Berchtesgaden and the surrounding area and then drive to Salzburg. You could return to Munich for your flight home or overnight somewhere between Salzburg and Frankfurt then return home from Frankfurt.

We are doing Germany and Switzerland in May for 2 weeks. After arriving in Frankfurt, we will spend 3 days on the Rhine and 3 days in the Black Forest before heading to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, for 3 days. We'll spend 2 more days in Switzerland at Stein am Rhein before heading towards Wurzburg, Germany, for 2 nights in the small town of Wertheim. Our last night will be spent near the Frankfurt Airport before returning home. You can see alot in 2 weeks without being rushed. None of our driving days is longer than 3 hrs or so.

Thanks for the opinions and information. Picking up a car in one country and dropping of in another is an issue I have at least thought about. Can I take a car from Germany into Austria, then go back into Germany to return it? We are using frequent flyer miles, and right now I need to go out of Zurich, but I am going to try again for something out of Munich. We have been to Zurich already.
Bettyk, I hope you write a report on your trip so I can learn from your experiences.

Yes, you can drive the car from Germany into Austria and Switzerland if you wish. It's only important where you drop off the car when you are done with it. Most car rental agencies charge over $100 or more to drop off a car in another country. If you rent the car in Germany and ultimately return it in Germany you usually won't incur any additional charges, even if you pick it up in Frankfurt and drop it off in Munich. Of course, this could vary depending on the agency you rent from.

Yes, I will definitely write a trip report. If you wish to read the report from our trip to Germany and Austria in May 05, here's the link:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...en_name=bettyk

bettyk, Thanks. Your trip report will save me hours of homework. I reserved tickets today into Franfurt and out of Zurich. I can hardly believe I managed that with FF miles. They are for early Sept. Again, thanks. PJK

To avoid a drop off charge, you could return your car somewhere in Germany near the Swiss border and take the train to Zurich. You might check into this and see if the savings are significant enough to fool with. You might just decide to pay the drop charge and turn the car in at the Zurich airport.

Weather should still be quite pleasant in September. There should also be some wine festivals around that time.