We are looking for quaint, clean places to stay in December when we plan to go to Christmas markets in Nurenberg, Rottenberg, and Munich. Any suggestions?

Keep your eyes open as you drive along. Most German "zimmer frei" post a sign showing a symbol of a bed; green means a vacancy, red means full. Some show a crossed knife & fork meaning meals can be arranged. These places are most commonly found in small towns and villages, away from the autobahns. Our experiences have been almost totally positive using the German B&Bs.

I'm not accustomed to travelling without reservations -- perhaps a lack of adventure, but I feel more secure if I know I have accommodations. Is there a site where I can look up bed and breakfasts, or are there some that you can remember fondly and recommend?

check out www.bensbauernhof.com (also the trip reports)

Small, quaint B&B's can be hard to find in the larger cities as Munich and Nürnberg. Not saying you can't find them - they are just harder to find (few and far between). Usually there is no problem locating "Zimmer Frei" in smaller towns and villages, as USNR pointed out. I do have a wonderful Bed and Breakfast to recommend in Rothenburg o.d.T. (if that is where you meant by Rottenberg). I just checked her website and Karin seems to have increased her price to a whooping 23 Euro per person (up from 22 Euro). Still an amazing bargain for what she provides. The free breakfast alone is worth the increase (large, filling and wonderfully displayed). Karin is one of my favorite hostesses in Germany. http://www.bensbauernhof.com/hauskar...enburgodt.html

Ben's website should just about do it for you.

If you cannot find a B&B in Nürnberg, look into the Hotel Avenue. It was clean and reasonably priced. The staff wes very cordial and helpful to us, we plav to stay there when we visit again.

MvK