Germany experts, help with itinerary
Feb 3rd, 2006, 05:23 AM
#1
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Germany experts, help with itinerary
I could really use some advice from those of you who have been to Germany & Switzerland.
Here's my story:
We (my husband and I) are traveling to Europe October 1-16, 2006. We need to be in Florence for a wedding the 12th through the 15th, but since we have already traveled throughout Italy, we thought we'd spend the two weeks prior to the wedding in Amesterdam, Germany and possibly Switerzland. We really want to go to Amsterdam, so we are flying in there, spending 3 or 4 nights, taking a train to Germany (perhaps Dusseldorf) where we'll rent a car and travel through Germany. So my questions:
We don't like to move from hotel to hotel every night. I'd like to find perhaps two areas of Germany to stay in for 3 or 4 nights each. From the research I've done so far, most of what we are interested in seeing lies in Southern Germany, so I am focusing on that area. We'd like to do the Romanitc Road, see as many castles as possible, visit small towns, and do some hiking in the Bavarian Alps.
The second dilema is whether to head in to Switzerland by car and spend a couple nights and then drive down to Florence from there (this would mean driving back up to Munich to fly out on the 16th, so we can drop our car off in the same country we picked it up, we'd drive up to Munich on the 15th, fly out the 16th), or to not do Switzerland, instead drop our car off in Munich and take a train to Florence and flying home from Florence on the 15th.
Have I confused everyone yet!
So in brief, here's the two main questions:
Switzerland or no Switzerland?
and
Where to stay to explore Southern Germany, 2 spots, 3 or 4 days each (unless of course we don't do Switzerland, then it could be 4 or 5 days each!!).
If anyone can give me advice, I would be so thankful
Here's my story:
We (my husband and I) are traveling to Europe October 1-16, 2006. We need to be in Florence for a wedding the 12th through the 15th, but since we have already traveled throughout Italy, we thought we'd spend the two weeks prior to the wedding in Amesterdam, Germany and possibly Switerzland. We really want to go to Amsterdam, so we are flying in there, spending 3 or 4 nights, taking a train to Germany (perhaps Dusseldorf) where we'll rent a car and travel through Germany. So my questions:
We don't like to move from hotel to hotel every night. I'd like to find perhaps two areas of Germany to stay in for 3 or 4 nights each. From the research I've done so far, most of what we are interested in seeing lies in Southern Germany, so I am focusing on that area. We'd like to do the Romanitc Road, see as many castles as possible, visit small towns, and do some hiking in the Bavarian Alps.
The second dilema is whether to head in to Switzerland by car and spend a couple nights and then drive down to Florence from there (this would mean driving back up to Munich to fly out on the 16th, so we can drop our car off in the same country we picked it up, we'd drive up to Munich on the 15th, fly out the 16th), or to not do Switzerland, instead drop our car off in Munich and take a train to Florence and flying home from Florence on the 15th.
Have I confused everyone yet!
So in brief, here's the two main questions:
Switzerland or no Switzerland?
and
Where to stay to explore Southern Germany, 2 spots, 3 or 4 days each (unless of course we don't do Switzerland, then it could be 4 or 5 days each!!).
If anyone can give me advice, I would be so thankful
Feb 3rd, 2006, 07:05 AM
#2
2-3 nights in the middle of the "romantic road" area (a possible base near Bad Mergentheim being http://www.weinbau-schillinger.de/gasthaus.htm), and 2-3 nights near Lindal on the Bodensee.
Day trips therefrom.
At Barnes & Noble, or similar, we got a map (brand name I forget) of germany which showed the names of towns with scenic interest in pale green, with very scenic interest in darker green, and with extremely scenic interest in yellow. Castles were depicted with tiny symbols of castles. There are oodles of castles in Bavaria, and some of the non-famous ones are fully as interesting and well-preserved as the famous ones.
Day trips therefrom.
At Barnes & Noble, or similar, we got a map (brand name I forget) of germany which showed the names of towns with scenic interest in pale green, with very scenic interest in darker green, and with extremely scenic interest in yellow. Castles were depicted with tiny symbols of castles. There are oodles of castles in Bavaria, and some of the non-famous ones are fully as interesting and well-preserved as the famous ones.
Feb 3rd, 2006, 08:22 AM
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Dear travelchic
Fly into Amsterdam,take a train to Fussen. See Neuschwanstein and area,take train to Interlaken Switzerland and spend a couple of days in Murren where there are Great Hiking Trails with view to Kill for.We sayed at the Hotel Palace.Then train to Florence. By the way look into an open end plane ticket they are usually cheaper. example fly to Amsterdam and Fly home from Florence. That will also give you one less day of traveling back to Munich.If you decide to rent a car,rent where you are. Believe me you will love the train.
Fudgie
Fly into Amsterdam,take a train to Fussen. See Neuschwanstein and area,take train to Interlaken Switzerland and spend a couple of days in Murren where there are Great Hiking Trails with view to Kill for.We sayed at the Hotel Palace.Then train to Florence. By the way look into an open end plane ticket they are usually cheaper. example fly to Amsterdam and Fly home from Florence. That will also give you one less day of traveling back to Munich.If you decide to rent a car,rent where you are. Believe me you will love the train.
Fudgie
Feb 3rd, 2006, 08:30 AM
#6
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Yes, we are definitely going to do an open ended ticket, into Amsterdam, out of either Munich or Florence.
We would like a car, especially for Germany, we love to have the freedom of a car. But the idea of taking a train from Munich to Switzerland and then a train to Florence is good. I don't why we would need a car in Switzerland.
We would like a car, especially for Germany, we love to have the freedom of a car. But the idea of taking a train from Munich to Switzerland and then a train to Florence is good. I don't why we would need a car in Switzerland.
Feb 3rd, 2006, 08:42 AM
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Take train from A'dam to Koblenz. Take Rhein river boat to Bachrach or thereabouts, return by train to Koblenz.
Pick up car in Koblenz, take day trip up the Mosel as far as you want to go, but certainly as far as Beilheim, but possiblyeven Trier and return to Koblenz.
Drive Koblenz Autobahn A-61 to Binger Dreieck; pick up Autobahn A-60 to Rueselheim Dreieck and the Autobahn A-67 to A-3. Take A-3 to Stockstadt Exit. Take B-469 (Bundestrasse 469) to Miltenberg. Follow Main river to Wertheim. There pick up Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) to Rothenburg, via Tauberbischofsheim, Bad Mergentheim.
Spend R. as long as you want to, then you have a choice: Head south to Fussen and on to Lindau, where you can drop off car and take train to Zuerich. If you want to spend some time in Switzerland, you can take the train from Zuerich to Interlaken, stay there, or Lautrebrunnen or Grindelwald and do Berner Oberland and then train on to Florence. (For Rothenburg - Lindau routing check some of my recent postings on the German FODOR board; you would just do the trip Fuessen - Lin dau in reverse).
OR you head more for the alps near Berchtesgaden, Salzburg. You could stay in Prien, from there visit King Ludwig's palace on the Herren Insel by boat, drive for a day to Berchtesgaden on a the scenic Alpenstrasse (B-305), take the train for a day to Salzburg (a car is a nuisance in S.) or take the train to Munich (again, a car is a pain). The Bayernkarte will cost the ttwo of you EUR 23; if you are seniors it's less.
Then drop your car off in Rosenheim, and pick up the train to Italy there.
Pick up car in Koblenz, take day trip up the Mosel as far as you want to go, but certainly as far as Beilheim, but possiblyeven Trier and return to Koblenz.
Drive Koblenz Autobahn A-61 to Binger Dreieck; pick up Autobahn A-60 to Rueselheim Dreieck and the Autobahn A-67 to A-3. Take A-3 to Stockstadt Exit. Take B-469 (Bundestrasse 469) to Miltenberg. Follow Main river to Wertheim. There pick up Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) to Rothenburg, via Tauberbischofsheim, Bad Mergentheim.
Spend R. as long as you want to, then you have a choice: Head south to Fussen and on to Lindau, where you can drop off car and take train to Zuerich. If you want to spend some time in Switzerland, you can take the train from Zuerich to Interlaken, stay there, or Lautrebrunnen or Grindelwald and do Berner Oberland and then train on to Florence. (For Rothenburg - Lindau routing check some of my recent postings on the German FODOR board; you would just do the trip Fuessen - Lin dau in reverse).
OR you head more for the alps near Berchtesgaden, Salzburg. You could stay in Prien, from there visit King Ludwig's palace on the Herren Insel by boat, drive for a day to Berchtesgaden on a the scenic Alpenstrasse (B-305), take the train for a day to Salzburg (a car is a nuisance in S.) or take the train to Munich (again, a car is a pain). The Bayernkarte will cost the ttwo of you EUR 23; if you are seniors it's less.
Then drop your car off in Rosenheim, and pick up the train to Italy there.
Feb 3rd, 2006, 09:33 AM
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We took a very similar trip last summer! We flew into Amsterdam, stayed 3 nights and took a train to Koln, Germany where we picked up our car. We drove all over S. Germany, into Switzerland (Interlanken) and over to Lake Como. Then we made our way back up to Munich. It was a great trip!
Feb 3rd, 2006, 09:54 AM
#9
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Wow, thank you, treplow! I am going to get my map out tonight and study the routes you suggested, they sound great!
TXgalinGA, how long was your trip? Did you stay in one or two areas in southern Germany...I'd love to hear more details!
TXgalinGA, how long was your trip? Did you stay in one or two areas in southern Germany...I'd love to hear more details!
Feb 3rd, 2006, 04:00 PM
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We traveled for 16 days- so we covered quite a bit in that amount of time!! We did not stay in many towns for more than 2 nights. Here is where we stayed in order-
Amsterdam
Cochom
Baden-Baden
Interlaken
Lake Como (Bellagio)
Reutte (to see the castles)
Munich
I am actually planning another trip this summer, very similar. If you click my name, you will see my S. Germany itinerary. It's a work on progress. HTH!
Amsterdam
Cochom
Baden-Baden
Interlaken
Lake Como (Bellagio)
Reutte (to see the castles)
Munich
I am actually planning another trip this summer, very similar. If you click my name, you will see my S. Germany itinerary. It's a work on progress.
HTH!
Feb 3rd, 2006, 04:58 PM
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Southern Germany has a lot to offer and Munich is a pretty good base. With only 3-4 days you might daytrip out of Munich to Salzburg (with a stop on the way to see Herren Chiemsee, Ludwig's copy of Versaille), Fussen (Neuschwanstein), Oberammmergau (Schlos Linderhof).
The Romantic road is not all that romantic until you get to the southern end in the alps but it has some charming villiages like Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg.
One thought would be to take a couple of days daytripping out of Munich and then when you go to Fussen go on east to the Lake Constance area for Lindau and Meersburg and on into Switzerland from there. Lucern is a wonderful place to visit and you can hike on Mt Pilatus.
The Romantic road is not all that romantic until you get to the southern end in the alps but it has some charming villiages like Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg.
One thought would be to take a couple of days daytripping out of Munich and then when you go to Fussen go on east to the Lake Constance area for Lindau and Meersburg and on into Switzerland from there. Lucern is a wonderful place to visit and you can hike on Mt Pilatus.
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