gls007

Thanks to all of the help from the folks on this site I believe a have a decent plan for our week in Germany. It is my wife (1st time in Europe) and myself (retired military with 3 tours in Germany) both about 60ish. We will have a rental car and be basing our travel from the military lodging in Stuttgart.

We arrive the morning of the 6th of April, pick up the car and drive to Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart. Depending on how much sleep we get on the plane I am planning on showing her Ludwigsburg and the local area.

7 April - a day trip to Schaffhausen and a tour of the falls. This will give the wife a chance to say she was in Switzerland.

8 April - drive to Strasbourg and tour the city. Another country that the Mrs can claim to have visited

9 April - Rothenburg ob der Tauber - to me this is a must see while in Southern Germany.

10 April - I am torn between Baden-Baden and Ulm-Neu Ulm for a day trip. I think either will give the Mrs a nice idea of the country.

11 April - A local Sunday in downtown Stuttgart, perhaps the Zoo and the park.

12 April - Back to the airport and heading home.

I think all of these trips could be accomplished since we will have a car. Any ideas or comments will be greatly appriciated. Of course a trip report will be posted upon our return.

Gary

Mainhattengirl

Have you thought about visiting Tübingen? Beautiful university town, set amongst the hills. I think I would pick that over Baden-Baden.

quokka

Yes, Tübingen was my first thought, too. Very close to Stuttgart and a real gem. Old university town with fairytale flair. Esslingen is another of those remarkable small towns in the area. I'd select each of them over Ulm and Baden-Baden in the context of your ininerary. Either can easily be combined with a bit of the Neckar valley and the Swabian Alb for some countryside.

In case the Mrs wants to do some shopping in Stuttgart, remember that this cannot be done on a Sunday because all shops are closed.

gls007

mainhattengirl/quokka,

Thanks for you thoughts on Tubingen. I just might drop Baden-Baden. I did want to see the steeple in Ulm but if we get up early enough in the morning we could fit both into one day since they are close to Stuttgart.

quokka,

I remember the shops being closed on Sunday so I thought that would save me some Euros if we waited to go downtown until then-}

quokka

LOL - clever husband. What does the wife think? (None of my business, I know - just joking)

If you really want to visit Baden-Baden and don't mind a long day you can stop in Baden-Baden for dinner and at least a walk of the Kurpark and Lichtenthaler Allee on the way back from Strasbourg. It is a short stopover but better than nothing. In early April you will have, thanks to daylight saving time, daylight until about 7:30 p.m.

You definitely need more time, we can easily come up with suggestions to fill another fortnight;-)

Ulm or Tübingen is a tough choice. I think I'd cut Rothenburg for the sake of Tübingen, as I don't like overcrowded tourist hotspots but that's me. I consider Tübingen (Tuebingen, not "Tubingen" if you can't type the Umlaut) of equal value.

There is more to Ulm than just a steeple. Here are a few thoughts on Ulm by yours truly: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/329f/
Nearby Blaubeuren with the abbey and the blue spring would make a nice addition to an Ulm day: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/12189/

Tough decisions to be made!

LSky

I love Stuttgart. If you have any interest in museums then there are 2 in Stuttgart that are excellent choices. Mercedes Benz Museum for the architecture alone is amazing add to that a well presented collection of Mercedes' it's well worth your time. Even if you don't care about cars.

The second is the Staatsgalerie. I'm partial to James Stirling's architecture but couple this with some great art and you've got an interesting morning.

gls007

quokka,

That is a great idea. We will leave earlier for Strasbourg and then stop in Baden-Baden on the way back.

Tuebingen ( I do remember the e just forgot to type it) (Must have old timers disease.) is a great choice. It is close enough to Stuttgart so that I think we might be able to combine Ulm and Tuebingen in one long day.

LSky,

I was stationed in Stuttgart twice (one for 2 years and once for 3) and loved it both times. I have not been there since 1989 and am looking forward to seeing how the city has grown but am sure I will be able to find some of the old spots at the same time.

LSky

gls, Lucky you and thanks for doing the job that took you to Germany. I loved Stuttgart and would gladly go back again, just for the Staatsgalerie.

bettyk

While visiting Schaffhausen and the Falls, why not drive on over to Stein am Rhein? It is a most beautiful little town that you can explore in just an hour or two. It was one of our favorite stops.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/225...11574650bVeFCQ

www.steinamrhein.ch

Less than an hour north of Stuttgart is Bad Wimpfen, another little gem with the ruins of an Imperial Palace and several intact medieval fortifications as well as other lovely 15th and 16th century buildings.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/135...11574650JljlPY

http://www.badwimpfen.de/showpage.php?lang=2

wanderfrau

Lots of good ideas here.

I like bettyk's suggestion to add Stein am Rhein. It's the perfect place to relax after visiting the falls. You can easily do both Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen in one day.

I also agree with quokka to skip Rothenburg. I'm also not a fan overly touristy places, particularly if you don't see them at night when all the day trippers are gone. I suggest Dinkelsbühl as an alternative.

And, I agree LSky's suggestion for the Mercedes museum. Neither my husband or I are car fans and we both loved the museum. It's more than just cars. It's also a history museum. It's a perfect thing for Sunday morning. And, you can stay right there for snacks in the cafe, or a full meal in the restaurant. There's a large gift shop, too.

quokka

There is more in Schaffhausen than just the falls. Don't miss the well preserved old town and the castle in its centre.