My husband and I are starting to plan a 10 day trip to the Black Forest area and Castle Road in July. Has anyone rented an apartment or house in either of these areas and could recommend a good site? Thanks!

I stayed in an apartment in Gengenbach on the edge of the Black Forest, a lovely half-timbered town, with a spiral tower, enclosing a museum of Fastnacht/Mardi Gras costumes through the ages (unknown destination to most Americans).
Whenever I rent vacation apartments in Germany or Switzerland, I first choose the town, then visit the town's website looking under Uebernachtungen/Ferienwohnungen for apt bios, then I book directly with the owner, either by email or fax. A good many sites have english translations, or the town's Tourist Info Ofc has stepped in to help with booking at times.
town.de for Germany
town.ch for Switzerland...the BEST way to go for me!

Very good advice from rachw - you'll find and infinite supply of rentals that way.

www.accommodation.de is good for getting an overview - thousands of listings all over Germany. I rented not far from the Castle Road in Neustadt an der Aisch once using this website with good success.

But if you know your town, check with the local tourist office website as well; if you can't get through the German, send an e-mail or better yet make a phone call to the TI office to ask your questions and enlist the help of a real person - they live there and know the town and rentals best, and there's always someone - normally everyone - who speaks English well enough to help you over the phone if needed.

You should also look at Ben's collection of rental experiences:

www.bensbauernhof.de

Sorry:

www.bensbauernhof.com