My husband and I are planning a 10 day trip to Germany the first week of December (specifically for all the Weihnachtmarkts!) I spent a year in northern Germany and did all my travel via train, but with our possible itinerary it looks like a car might be more convienent. Please let me know what you think: <BR>Day 1: Arrive Frankfurt - drive Rothenburg o.d. Tauber (possible stop in Wurzburg) <BR>Day 2: Explore Rothenburg, stay overnight <BR>Day 3: Drive to Munich: visit Dinkelsbuhl and Ulm (being flexible, if we don't get to Munich no biggie, if we skip a town no biggie) <BR>Day 4: Explore Munich <BR>Day 5 Explore Munich (possible trip to Dachau) <BR>Day 6: Leftover Munich <BR>Day 6: Head down to Fussen to explore the castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau <BR>Day 7: Head to Garmish-Partenkirchen <BR>Day 8: (Here it gets a little fuzzy) either spend more time in Garmisch or head to Salzburg. <BR>Day 9: Salzburg <BR>Day 10: return to Frankfurt for flight home. <BR> <BR>Most of these trips look like they are more convienent for driving than for training, even Salzburg is a little better with a car for exploring some of the outside castle sights. The only concern I have is with the weather making roadways dangerous - but in that case I would go back to training it. <BR> <BR>Any suggestions from those of you who have done it either or both ways!

I've doon it both ways and I'll take a man anyday.

Nice itinerary. My wife and I did a similar trip with a car in May. <BR> <BR>Food for thought. <BR> <BR>Your last day is pretty heavy driving. You may want to dump the car and train back to Frankfort . . . or . . . perhaps adjust the itinerary a might. Hit Rothenburg first then Munich then Salzburg, then complete the trip in reverse order through Garmisch, Fussen and Dinkelsbuhl etc. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip. Don't forget Linderhof when visiting Ludwig's castles.

You really don't need an entire day in Rothenburg. I'd overnight in Wurzburg, Schwabisch Hall or even Heidelberg the first night, then sightsee by car on your way to Rothenburg on the second night. Once you leave you might consider staying in a little town called Hohenfurch. It's a short drive from there to the Royal Castles, Oberammergau, Ettal, Wieskirche and Garmisch. There's a quaint, inexpensive, friendly little inn in Hohenfurch. If you E-mail me, I'll send details. Also, if I were you, you should consider working Berchtesgaden and Salzburg, Austria into your trip. You'll find the Christmas atmosphere in both places surpasses anywhere else in Germany or Austria. Sometime in early December the kids in Salzburg dress up like devils (Krampus) and run around whacking the adults' butts with switches. It's a lot of fun and they don't discriminate - even Americans get a smack.

Please consider adding Nurnberg to your schedule. I live in Munich, and Nurnberg is my favorite Weihnachtmarkt by far! Of course it depends what you are looking for, but I think they have the best selection of glass ornaments. Although Garmisch is lovely, you probably don't need more than a day in Garmisch itself. You might consider driving to Oberammergau where they have LOTS of carved wood items and all kinds of creches. Enjoy your trip and don't forget to eat the warm, sugar-coated almonds (mandeln)......yum!!

I'd take the train. You'll be there when the days are very short and the roads very possibly icy. I would prefer not to drive under these circumstances - it's tough enough to navigate unfamiliar territory when the roads are clear and sunny, and because you'll be travelling almost exclusively within Bavaria, the two of you can ride the regional and local trains on daypasses for just $18 per day total (ask for the "Bayern Ticket", or the "Schönes Wochenende Ticket" for Sat and Sun.) For a few $ more, you can use the fast IR trains for the longer runs on weekdays. These passes include passage all the way over to Ulm, and even Salzburg, since it's a border station. <BR> <BR>I agree that you should do Rothenburg on the way to Munich and overnight elsewhere the first night, but I'd suggest Nürnberg, the grandaddy of the Weihnachtsmarkt. You might want to stay two nights there to recuperate from the flight and to enjoy the place fully and subtract a day from Munich.