Amsterdam -> Rhine River Valley -> Bavaria -> Munich
 

My wife and I, and another couple, will be flying into Amsterdam in August 2015. We will have a total of nine nights on the ground in Europe. We'd like to spend 2/3 nights in Amsterdam, then move onward through the Rhine River valley and into Bavaria before spending the last two nights in Munich.

So, I that gives us 4/5 nights to make the "move" from Amsterdam to Munich.

We haven't decided on a rental car or using trains yet, and could go either way. My first thought was to train to Cologne from Amsterdam, rent a car, and move onward to spend the night in the St Goar/Boppard area on the Rhine. Could be a 1/2 night stopover depending on if we spend the extra night in Amsterdam or not. Then onward the next day to Fussen or somewhere close by to spend the next three nights exploring the Bavarian countryside. From there, onto Munich to drop the car and spend two nights in the city before departing the next morning.

We prefer sights/scenery to museums. We are open to suggestions for doing this by train or public transport as opposed to renting a car. We like to "keep moving" but also to "spend some downtime" too.

I am interested in suggestions or improvements to this itinerary. We could probably do it in reverse if it was better, for some reason, to do it that way.

The suggestions from Fodor's forum members are always golden. I look forward to the replies!

We are open to suggestions for doing this by train or public transport as opposed to renting a car.>

Well trains will take you everywhere you're going and in cities cars are rather useless but it seems like you want to explore the countryside more than cities so I think a car would be best.

You can do a lovely drive between the Rhine and Fussen via Ulm, a neat city with a famous cathedral. Drive to Fussen and then maybe take the Alpine Strasse - Alpine Road that meanders over to Berchetsgaden via Garmisch and the Zugspitze.

But trains are great too and for a fix on the German train system I always spotlight these IMO fine sites: www.ricksteves.com; ww.budgeteuropetravel.com (check out their free online European Planning & Rail Guide's chapter on Germany); and www.seat61.com.

On the Rhine - park the car at a K-D boat dock and ride the boats thru the fabled Rhine Gorge (best part Rudesheim/Bingen to Koblenz - go downstream as it is quicker then take the train from Koblenz back to get your car. www.k-d.com for boat schedules.

Or from the Rhine Gorge area head over to Heidelberg, one of the nicest cities in Germany in part because it was one of the few not decimated during WW2 (the word is because the Allies wanted to use it as their post-war HQ which they did) - anyway a lively student towns with the castle of your dreams hovering high above it.

Then drive the castle-studded Castle Road along the Neckar River - thru numerous neat old towns to Rothenburg, certainly one of the gems of Bavaria.

From there take the Romantic Road thru more impossibly medieval towns to Augsburg and onto Fussen - then perhaps via Garmish-P and the Zugspitze into Munich.

Instead of staying on the Uber busy Rhine in places like Boppard or Bingen or St Goar keep in mind that two very loud rail lines and two main highways parallel the river thru this the very narrowest part of the whole Rhine - over 300 freight trains day and night blow thru these cute villages - I vastly prefer much more tranquil Cochem, on the much more quiet Mosel - by car is it about the same distance from Cologne as the Rhine towns and is the picture-postcard town many dream of staying in but rarely do.

Overnight there and do the Rhine as a day trip by car from there - Burg Eltz, arguably the most famous and nicest castle in the area is only a few miles from Cochem and the Mosel River is IMO and many other infinitely more gorgeous than the Rhine (though that is nice too).

Cochem has its own gorgeous castle crowning a vineyard clad hill right in town itself - it also has a winery to tour, being right in the smack heart of the famous Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine district - vine yards carpet the cliffs right opposite town.

https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...w=1455&bih=977

Thanks for the suggestions PalenQ. I do have Cochem on my radar ...

July is the busiest season in Cochem and the Mosel but August is still busy thought not nearly as much as July - but still if staying there book early! In days long gone I guided over 1,000 thru Cochem and they nearly all loved this place more than any other we stayed in.

I just spent a week between Mosel and Rhine. I liked Cochem as a place to stay on Mosel. Even though it is a mandatory stop for bus tours and many, but not all long boat river cruises, it has that flood lit castle on top of vineyard covered hill along with half-timber restaurants lining the river promenade. It felt quite charming every night after the mass tour groups left the town. It seem to attract mostly over 60's visitors, at least last week. There were many day river cruises offered by several companies starting from Cochem.

Trier was more touristy and perhaps more Roman than German. Many river cruises start and end their trips there. It is also a mandatory bus tour stop. Other towns along Mosel felt too small for my taste. It attracts younger visitors than Cochem.

The Mosel gets quite a lot of long boat and river barge traffic, but not the extent of the Rhine.

Some other towns along the Mosel that are interesting to many are Bernkastle-Kues - another picture postcard type place with a romantic ruined castle backdropping it - the Kues part is a renown wine center and depot.

Traben-Trarbach is also a neat place as is Zell - all those can be reached by sideline rail lines (or a rail bus in Bernkastle-Kues case.