My dear husband needs your help (and so do I!) A year ago we decided to travel to France and Germany this July for a week at each location. As the "organizer" in the family, I promptly had my assignment (the France portion of the trip) planned and reserved. Now less than 2 months until our trip, he still hasn't a clue where we should go in Germany or what our method of transportation should be....help! We'll be leaving the Dordogne Valley in France and can go by train or plane to just about anywhere in Germany--we'll be leaving out of Stuttgart at the end of our trip. I've spent several days reading your interesting and informative posts and think I have it narrowed down to either Bavaria or the Mosel Valley as our destination. I'd love some advice....for example should we rent a car and spend 6 days just leisurley following the Mosel River--not even making reservations ahead of time--very daring for me! Or should we find a charming home base in Bavaria and day trip it around there? As travelers, we enjoy history, local color, beautiful scenery, and great food! I think we'd prefer smaller/charming locations rather than big cities. Any suggestions on itinerary would be gratefully received! My thanks for your thoughtful responses....and my sweet husband thanks you for getting him out of hot water! Jane

Well, you will be traveling during the peak travel months of July and August, so either area will be very busy and crowded.

However, my gut tells me that there might be fewer crowds along the Mosel than in Bavaria. The Mosel is lovely and you could certainly find enough to do. I would definitely include a visit to Trier for a day or two.

While you could probably find a zimmer frei, I don't think I'd waste my precious vacation time during the peak season wandering around for a place to stay. Better to make reservations ahead of time.

I'd base myself in Cochem or one of the other towns on the River for 3 or 4 days and make day trips (a car would be most convenient) and then spend a couple of days in Trier before ending up in Stuttgart.

I like your idea of spending a week in one spot. Most people do not realize how large "Bavaria" is. You could certainly hunker down in one place, like northern Bavaria (Franconia - Rothenburg, Wurzburg, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Bad Windsheim) for daytrips, but you could do the same thing in 3-4 other areas - like the Allgäu or Upper Bavaria, places that are just too distant from Franconia for daytrips, and also have a marvelous time there. Just don't expect to see "Bavaria" in a week.

You could do this easily enough on the Mosel as well; the area is much more compact. Cochem, mid-way on the Mosel, makes for a good base by train or by car.
Trains go most places and are frequent and dependable, but a car is convenient for seeing Bernkastel, one of the must-see villages there. But if you decide on the train, there's a bus connection from the Wittlich train station. It is fairly busy in July; definitely plan on reservations.

The Mosel does provide a very good smattering of history, from Trier, Germany's oldest city with Roman ruins, to Burg Eltz, a wonderful medieval castle, to Marksburg Castle in Braubach on the Rhine (never destroyed), to Remagen's (also on the Rhine) impressive WW II museum at the site of the old "Bridge at Remagen". All of these places can be visited by train (plus a healthy walk in the case of Burg Eltz.) On Sunday afternoons, you can tour a German bunker - "Panzerwerk Katzenkopf" - in the town of Irrel, just north of Trier (possible by bus but best by car.)

Apartments are a good way to go for a week. Try www.accommodation.de and search by area for Bavaria. We stayed in Neustadt an der Aisch in a pleasant and roomy studio apartment with equipped kitchen and balcony for under 30 euros/night. This pretty town served as a good base for train trips into Wurzburg, Rothenburg, and Nuremberg.

Whichever area you choose, it's hard to go wrong. Enjoy your trip - but do reserve.

Agree with Russ and with all the points mentioned - you cannot go wrong with either. Both areas have a LOT to offer. If you pick Bavaria, choose one part of Bavaria, just as Russ said.

One question may help you to decide: Wine or beer? Of course you'll get both everywhere. But the Mosel is wonderful for wine lovers and wine tasting, whereas Bavaria is more of a beer region. Except the North, the Main valley, where you'll find fine local wines, too. For beer lovers I'd recommend Franken/Northern Bavaria - plenty of local breweries with their specialities of dark beers, smoked beer in Bamberg, etc. So what's your and husband's favourite drink? ;-)

Last July i went with the family to Cochem for 4 nights. We did not enjoy it because of the heat. We stayed at one of the best hotel, but still hot because of no AC. Mind you last July was the hotest in Germany since i think was mentioned 50 years! Bavaria will be much cooler since it is more open place and much more thing to do than at Cochem. This July will be going to Germany and will be staying in Munich for 4 nights. To be in the safe side i have made sure the hotel is with AC or I will in trouble with the family if it happens to be hot like last summer. I do like the atmosphore in Munich with beer gardens and so on with much more choices than say small places like Cochem. Also, important for me is to keep the family occupied during the travel. If you are not sure where to go, then it will be much better to hire a car in order to be mobile and can move to other places. But if you reserve in advance you will then be much more restricted especially where you have to pay for the whole period you have reserved.

If it were me: Bavaria! Especially in the midst of summer. If you look out for smaller places it shouldn't be crowded at all. After all, and as mentioned before, it's a large area, plus it's much more popular in the winter season than in the summer (for Europeans anyway).

My husband and I spent 3 days in the Mosel region in early May. We loved it. We had a car during this time which made getting to the small villages a lot easier. We drove up on one side of the Mosel river and down on the other side to see towns on both sides of the river. We stayed in Burg at a very lovely hotel Zur Post, don't be confused there are a lot of hotels in the region named Zur Post, this one is in Burg.

janebrackett,

Two things come to mind.

1. You will be leaving the Dordogne for Germany. Bavaria would be a nice geophysical contrast(Alps..mountains) if you head south.

The Mosel is very nice, but not as pretty as the Dordogne in my opinion. To me it would be more of the same, but less, if you know what I mean.

2. You are leaving out of Stuttgart. Why not spend 4 days in upper (southern) Bavaria, and finish with 3 days in the Black Forest. Close to Stuttgart, less crowded, very nice ambiance. Have fun.

Hi jane -

Agree on Bavaria. I'm sure the Mosel is nice, but seeing Munich and the Alps would give your trip a whole different dimension.

I suugest that you fly to Munich, spend 3 nights there, rent a car, and drive into the mountains. Plenty of great places to visit - Berchtesgaden, Garmisch, Fuessen. See the Zugspitze, Linderhof, Neuschwanstein, Wieskirche.

Farther west, Bodensee looks nice too, but I don't think you'll be able to get near it in July.

Definitely make reservations. Today.

Many, many thanks to all who took the time to respond to my plea! We,ve taken your advice to head to Bavaria. We'll fly into Salzburg and work our way through Bavaria probably by train. And, yes, I'm looking to make some reservations ASAP! Again, thanks for helping direct us....be watching for the next round of questions like: Any favorite hotels? Jane