valtor

We plan to visit Black Forest at end of October, during Chrysanthemums show in Lahr.
We will have no car, we shall travel by train.
Our plan is to make day trips to (we shall have 10-14 days):
- Titisee
- Hohenzollern castle
- Konstanz
- Freiburg
- Colmar
- Triberg
- Gegenbach
- Baden-Baden
- Rottweil

As we decided to make this trip because of Lahr – Chrysanthemums festival, our first intention was to find a pension or a hotel in Lahr and to make day trips from there. I understand that in this case we shall receive a Konus card, which gives us free transport on regional trains.

But, it seems that the train station in Lahr is far from the center of the town and as we plan to make almost daily trips, it will be not so easy.
Because of this, we think that maybe to stay in Offenburg is a better solution, as there will have also more train options.

At this point, my questions are:
- Where is better to stay: In Lahr, in Offenbeurg or in other town (taking in consideration the day trips by train)
- What other place to visit do you recommend to add in the above list?

Russ

Your destinations are too far apart to make daytrips from any one particular town.

Offenburg as one of your bases would be most convenient but it has little atmosphere and does not offer the Konus card. I'd use Gengenbach instead and make the connection in Offenburg. Daytrips to Lahr, B-Baden, and Freiburg would be easy from there; Colmar is a stretch, but possible with a long day. The Konus card, unlike the Länder tickets (Baden-Württemberg ticket, in this case), allows early morning weekday travel, so you could see Colmar on a really long travel day; you'll need to purchase tickets, of course, to get yourselves all the way to Colmar.

Only these towns offer the Konus Card:

http://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.inf...us_gaestekarte

Area of Konus validity:

http://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.inf...bersichtskarte

You might establish a 2nd base in Donaueschingen; Triberg and Gengenbach, on the Black Forest railway line, would be easy to visit from there, and so would Titisee. Konstanz and Hohenzollern would involve long days and careful planning, if indeed they are possible at all. You would not be able to use the Konus Card either, as they lie outside the permissible area of travel, but a Baden-Württemberg ticket (daypass) would work. The bus connections from Hechingen to Hohenzollern are very few in number.

valtor

Thank you, Russ.
Now I am not sure what it will be better for us: car or train.
I see that from Offenburg to Colmar are 85 km, so not so far (by car).

The train from Offenburg to Titisee is 100 min., to Konstanz is 2 hour. Also this it seems to me OK, if we start early in the morning.

I think that a real problem is to reach Hohenzollern and this is one reason to consider a car.

So, I still does not know what is better for us.
Maybe to arrive from Frankfurt to Offenburg or to Lahr by train, and there to rent a car for day trips. We shall be probably 4 persons and without luggages we do not need a big car.

Russ

I wouldn't rent a car for the whole stay when you can use the trains in the BF for most of your stay for free; just rent a car for one day when you're ready to go to Hohenzollern. Europcar rents a VW Fox in Villingen-Schwenningen for around $75/day.

valtor

A good idea, Russ. Thanks.

mokka4

I stayed in Gengenbach for a week in a Ferienwohnung several years ago and made many daytrips,including to Colmar and Strassbourg--found it very manageable and LOVED Gengenbach!

mokka4

Russ,
What was the name of the area town with the open-air museum?
Gutach?

Russ

Yes.

http://www.vogtsbauernhof.org/