traveller1959

January and February will be colder than December and you will have snow in the mountains - which is better and more scenic than rain. You will have snow in the Alps in southern Bavaria and, of course, Innsbruck, probably not in Berlin and Frankfurt.

From 4 to 9 February, you will have Karneval or Fasching in the Rheinland and in München (not in Berlin and Frankfurt). This will offer special experiences. The main day will be Rosenmontag, the 8th.

December has its charms - the Christmas markets, Christmas decorations, hot chocolate, glühwein - it is a special atmosphere. It is not a good month for scenery, more for markets, cafés, museums, indoor activities.

nubbyrose

My daughter and I were in Berlin and Munich end of January/ beginning of February. We had a few nice days of weather but otherwise mostly cold and rain. December would be my choice for the Christmas markets rather than Jan/Feb.

Given the time of year you plan to visit you should think of this as a trip focused on more indoor activities (museums, bars, shopping, history), Christmas markets regardless of the weather and then outdoor activities as weather permits. I think you'd be disappointed otherwise.

Off season is a good time of year to go for lower prices and less crowds but you miss out on gardens, parks etc.

traveller1959

We are usually in February in the Black Forest on elevations of 1,000 metres or more. There, we find always snow and lovely scenery with snow-covered meadows and forests. There are many hiking trails with pressed or condensed snow so they are easy to walk. Or you go cross-country on snowshoes or cross-country skis.

Also, the downhill ski slopes of Feldberg, Menzenschwand and Altglashütten are open and well-prepared. And Fasnet (carneval) parades in the Black Forest are fun.

But you will have these nice conditions only over 1,000 metres altitude. And the Black Forest is not in your itinerary. Maybe a factor to consider.

Kirkesgaard

If the choice is between Dec and Jan / Feb definetely Dec. Christmas Market time and lots of illuminations. you listed mostly major cities .. do you plan to daytrip into the countryside from there? You could check for smaller Christmas markets, some of them in castles or fortresses or other scenic locations. Often those would be open only for a few days, so you have to check timing. In bigger cities, they will most likely be open all of December, so no problem there. Weather wise it is hard to predict. Could be great, you might have snow (especially in Municht and the Alps) or you could have rain. But then thats true for basically any time.