Black Forest; Baden-Baden to Freiburg
Mar 21st, 2011, 03:08 AM
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Black Forest; Baden-Baden to Freiburg
Hi everyone!
my friends and I (3 of us) have the following plan and would like to know if it's plausible after making some changes from research etc:
Berlin to Baden-Baden via train on 26th June morning.
Total of 4 nights allocated for this black forest leg.
Leave from Freiburg for interlaken in switzerland on 30th June.
We'll rent a car at Baden Baden on 27th June and drop it off at freiburg 3 day later.
Within black forest, the few places we want visit are;
Freudenstadt - Schiltach - Triberg - Gutach - Titisee Lake - Schlunchsee - Freiburg
Here's the tricky part that seems to make me undecided:
from the looks of it especially by the distance on the map, the logical way is to spend 1 night each at Baden-Baden, Schiltach, Schlunchsee and then finally at Freiburg.
The questions are;
Should we base 2 nights each for the starting and endin pt, Baden-Baden and freiburg respectively, instead and drive to those locations we wanted to go and then back?
I guess the main concern lies in our uncertainty of the estimated driving times required between the towns.
If we were to make a detour from Schlunchsee to lake Constance, do we have time for that? How long wld that take?
When we drive to the various towns, how are the parking availability? Are they mostly free or we have to pay by the hour?
By renting the car after spending the night at Baden Baden on the 27th for 3 days, we will have the car till 30th morning (which we'd then take a train to interlaken). But with my original plan of staying in freiburg on the 29th night, that makes having the car for one more day redundant. So if we were to skip freiburg touring entirely and replace with lake Constance and then drive back to Freiburg on the 30th morning to return the car, will this be a better option? Again, I think it's due to our lack of knowledge as to the driving times between the towns in interest that make me have all these questions.
I hope someone can enlighten me with all this doubts I have!!
I just want to have all this variables settled to have a peace of mind.
Thank you in advance for all your valuable inputs!!
my friends and I (3 of us) have the following plan and would like to know if it's plausible after making some changes from research etc:
Berlin to Baden-Baden via train on 26th June morning.
Total of 4 nights allocated for this black forest leg.
Leave from Freiburg for interlaken in switzerland on 30th June.
We'll rent a car at Baden Baden on 27th June and drop it off at freiburg 3 day later.
Within black forest, the few places we want visit are;
Freudenstadt - Schiltach - Triberg - Gutach - Titisee Lake - Schlunchsee - Freiburg
Here's the tricky part that seems to make me undecided:
from the looks of it especially by the distance on the map, the logical way is to spend 1 night each at Baden-Baden, Schiltach, Schlunchsee and then finally at Freiburg.
The questions are;
Should we base 2 nights each for the starting and endin pt, Baden-Baden and freiburg respectively, instead and drive to those locations we wanted to go and then back?
I guess the main concern lies in our uncertainty of the estimated driving times required between the towns.
If we were to make a detour from Schlunchsee to lake Constance, do we have time for that? How long wld that take?
When we drive to the various towns, how are the parking availability? Are they mostly free or we have to pay by the hour?
By renting the car after spending the night at Baden Baden on the 27th for 3 days, we will have the car till 30th morning (which we'd then take a train to interlaken). But with my original plan of staying in freiburg on the 29th night, that makes having the car for one more day redundant. So if we were to skip freiburg touring entirely and replace with lake Constance and then drive back to Freiburg on the 30th morning to return the car, will this be a better option? Again, I think it's due to our lack of knowledge as to the driving times between the towns in interest that make me have all these questions.
I hope someone can enlighten me with all this doubts I have!!
I just want to have all this variables settled to have a peace of mind.
Thank you in advance for all your valuable inputs!!
Mar 21st, 2011, 05:30 AM
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Did you try google maps http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl ?
This will give you an idea about distances and time.
This will give you an idea about distances and time.
Mar 21st, 2011, 06:54 AM
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I think it's unwise to use a car for your destinations; it will be far more expensive than using trains.
Baden-Baden, Schiltach, and Freiburg are all rather close and are all well-connected by train. You can use the regional trains for free in this area IF YOU STAY IN CERTAIN TOWNS that offer the "Konus Karte", a guest card that also offers discounts for museums and other sights. I suggest that you travel first from Berlin to Gengenbach, a beautiful old town, and stay for 2-3 days. You can get on a train there to visit the other towns very easily. From Gengenbach, which is fairly central to your destinations, Schiltach can be reached in 35 minutes, Baden-Baden in 35 minutes, and Freiburg in one hour.
Then you can stay in Schluchsee (very small) or another town like Titisee, Neustadt, or Hinterzarten, which are on the main train line in this area, for a day or two. From any one of these towns, you can easily take the train to Freiburg, Schluchsee and Konstanz. The Konus Karte will not take you all the way to Konstanz; you can buy a "Baden-Württemberg Ticket" (a daypass for your group) for under 30 Euros for this daytrip.
Konus information:
http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/konus
A list of towns that offer the Konus Karte to guests:
http://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.inf...us_gaestekarte
Baden-Baden, Schiltach, and Freiburg are all rather close and are all well-connected by train. You can use the regional trains for free in this area IF YOU STAY IN CERTAIN TOWNS that offer the "Konus Karte", a guest card that also offers discounts for museums and other sights. I suggest that you travel first from Berlin to Gengenbach, a beautiful old town, and stay for 2-3 days. You can get on a train there to visit the other towns very easily. From Gengenbach, which is fairly central to your destinations, Schiltach can be reached in 35 minutes, Baden-Baden in 35 minutes, and Freiburg in one hour.
Then you can stay in Schluchsee (very small) or another town like Titisee, Neustadt, or Hinterzarten, which are on the main train line in this area, for a day or two. From any one of these towns, you can easily take the train to Freiburg, Schluchsee and Konstanz. The Konus Karte will not take you all the way to Konstanz; you can buy a "Baden-Württemberg Ticket" (a daypass for your group) for under 30 Euros for this daytrip.
Konus information:
http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/konus
A list of towns that offer the Konus Karte to guests:
http://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.inf...us_gaestekarte
Mar 21st, 2011, 07:27 AM
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I used to live in that area. While the train system in Germany is great, you will really miss alot of the country side and stopovers if you take the train/bus. Baden Baden is worth a full day or two if you are planning on using the spa facilities. Freiburg is worth at least one full day. There are many wonderful sites to see along the way and none are too far. A car would be much easier, atleast for traveling between towns. There is a lovely route called the Schwaelderhochstrasse which I believe will take you from Baden Baden to Freiburg. PS take an umbrella.
Mar 22nd, 2011, 05:24 AM
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thanks for suggesting the googlemap, i tried that before hand already, but then again, it is still difficult to judge since theres like zig-zags mountainous areas and slopes and slower moving lanes during bends and stuff. i guess i was just hoping i cld get a better idea from someone who might've been there before.
russ, yu243229 is right, i wanted to have the car to have the flexibility and i believe it'd be awesome to have the opportunity to drive in another country!
it is not that expensive actually, i've read on this forum and others like suggesting gemut/autoeurope etc, but im still waiting for gemut to reply me with a quote (its been 3 days now) and i directly tried avis on its website and i cld get an automatic MBenz for 3 days for 189 Euro. so 3 of us for 3 days its about 20 euro / day / pax. acceptable amount i would say.
However, i've also read abt the insurance issues like CDW and the TP that it is actually better to deal with a broker instead of directly with the 4 big car rental companies? i hope someone cld guide me in this area too..
russ, yu243229 is right, i wanted to have the car to have the flexibility and i believe it'd be awesome to have the opportunity to drive in another country!
it is not that expensive actually, i've read on this forum and others like suggesting gemut/autoeurope etc, but im still waiting for gemut to reply me with a quote (its been 3 days now) and i directly tried avis on its website and i cld get an automatic MBenz for 3 days for 189 Euro. so 3 of us for 3 days its about 20 euro / day / pax. acceptable amount i would say.
However, i've also read abt the insurance issues like CDW and the TP that it is actually better to deal with a broker instead of directly with the 4 big car rental companies? i hope someone cld guide me in this area too..
Mar 22nd, 2011, 10:14 AM
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The roads through the Blackforest are very good to drive. Don't worry about the what the maps look like. Yes it is a bit curvy but drive the speed limit and watch for other drivers. I would also avoid driving at night. I also would not recommend the Autobahn if you are not comfortable with high speeds. I suggest getting GPS with your car as well as having a map or travel guide. There are many villages along the way. If the route or driving gets abit too much, just stop for a cafe und kuchen.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Mar 22nd, 2011, 02:10 PM
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Maybe I'm in the minority, but I was not that impressed with the Black Forest Road or Schwarzwaldhochstraße.
We were staying in Gengenbach and made our way over to Freudenstadt where it begins and took it all the way to the end in Baden Baden. We stopped at Lake Mummelsee which we thought was the only nice part.
Maybe after seeing so much amazing scenery in other parts of Germany, we were just expecting more and were underwhelmed.
But we thoroughly enjoyed Gengenbach. It's a charming little town that can easily be explored in a few hours and I would highly recommend it.
http://www.stadt-gengenbach.de/en/tourism/old-town/
We were staying in Gengenbach and made our way over to Freudenstadt where it begins and took it all the way to the end in Baden Baden. We stopped at Lake Mummelsee which we thought was the only nice part.
Maybe after seeing so much amazing scenery in other parts of Germany, we were just expecting more and were underwhelmed.
But we thoroughly enjoyed Gengenbach. It's a charming little town that can easily be explored in a few hours and I would highly recommend it.
http://www.stadt-gengenbach.de/en/tourism/old-town/
Mar 22nd, 2011, 07:00 PM
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We're in the planning stages for a July Germany trip. There's a Germany Rail & Drive Pass with 2 days train and 2 days car rental for 236E. You can add 2 extra train days for 100E. I believe that's for 2 persons. Check it out on www.raileurope.com. Have fun -
Mar 23rd, 2011, 05:12 AM
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"russ, yu243229 is right, i wanted to have the car to have the flexibility and i believe it'd be awesome to have the opportunity to drive in another country!"
The trains and the Konus card also provide great flexibility - especially for the driver, who can enjoy the scenery without driving responsibilities. There's no standing in line for tickets, no traffic or accident risks, and the service is frequent, clean and comfortable with mostly double-decker sightseeing trains. And you can pee without making a potty stop or paying for the privilege
And the opportunity to travel some of the world's great engineering wonders (Black Forest Railway, Hell's Valley Railway) should not be discounted. But if you're sure you'd enjoy yourselves more by car and find the cost acceptable, then you should rent a car, of course. Remember to calculate gas (around $8/gal.) insurance, parking, etc. And remember to obey the speed laws; radar controls are in use in many places.
The trains and the Konus card also provide great flexibility - especially for the driver, who can enjoy the scenery without driving responsibilities. There's no standing in line for tickets, no traffic or accident risks, and the service is frequent, clean and comfortable with mostly double-decker sightseeing trains. And you can pee without making a potty stop or paying for the privilege
And the opportunity to travel some of the world's great engineering wonders (Black Forest Railway, Hell's Valley Railway) should not be discounted. But if you're sure you'd enjoy yourselves more by car and find the cost acceptable, then you should rent a car, of course. Remember to calculate gas (around $8/gal.) insurance, parking, etc. And remember to obey the speed laws; radar controls are in use in many places.
Mar 27th, 2011, 04:17 AM
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Hi, my itinery is very similar to takenori's.
We are planning 2 nights in the Black forest. We intend to start driving from Baden-Baden towards Freiburg.
1) I came across this map of the black forest highway with several sights listed on the map - http://www.schwarzwaldhochstrasse.de/11-1-Sights.html
Can you recommend which are the best sights on the map (to be visited in 1 day)?
2) We were thinking of spending the first night in one of the towns along the Black Forest highway. Any recommendations for cheap accomodation?
3) On day 2 we intend to drive towards Freiburg, where we would like to take day trips to Titisee/Schluchsee/Lake Constance. Where is a convenient place to stay?
4) Finally do you think 2 days in Black Forest is enough to see the major sights?
Thanks!
We are planning 2 nights in the Black forest. We intend to start driving from Baden-Baden towards Freiburg.
1) I came across this map of the black forest highway with several sights listed on the map - http://www.schwarzwaldhochstrasse.de/11-1-Sights.html
Can you recommend which are the best sights on the map (to be visited in 1 day)?
2) We were thinking of spending the first night in one of the towns along the Black Forest highway. Any recommendations for cheap accomodation?
3) On day 2 we intend to drive towards Freiburg, where we would like to take day trips to Titisee/Schluchsee/Lake Constance. Where is a convenient place to stay?
4) Finally do you think 2 days in Black Forest is enough to see the major sights?
Thanks!
Mar 30th, 2011, 03:13 AM
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hi nigel!
it seems like baden-baden to freiburg is a relatively short drive so i made some changes to my plan and im now driving from berlin!!
well, basically russ, yu243229 and bettyk already gave some great suggestions to your question.
as for my initial route 'Freudenstadt - Schiltach - Triberg - Gutach - Titisee Lake - Schlunchsee - Freiburg', im also adding gengenbach (which is ideal as it gave me an excuse to drive down another route through the badische weinstrasse path.
ive also decided to skip lake constance/konstanz altogether as it seems pretty clear to me now freiburg would be just as great a place to visit instead of just another transit point to make my way down to switzerland via train.
oh yes, and im doing camping in schiltach as a stopover as its quite cheap really (compared to even hostels; gonna rent their middle size caravan) and get to park the car too.
it seems like baden-baden to freiburg is a relatively short drive so i made some changes to my plan and im now driving from berlin!!
well, basically russ, yu243229 and bettyk already gave some great suggestions to your question.
as for my initial route 'Freudenstadt - Schiltach - Triberg - Gutach - Titisee Lake - Schlunchsee - Freiburg', im also adding gengenbach (which is ideal as it gave me an excuse to drive down another route through the badische weinstrasse path.
ive also decided to skip lake constance/konstanz altogether as it seems pretty clear to me now freiburg would be just as great a place to visit instead of just another transit point to make my way down to switzerland via train.
oh yes, and im doing camping in schiltach as a stopover as its quite cheap really (compared to even hostels; gonna rent their middle size caravan) and get to park the car too.
