iuaustin

My family of 4 (12yr Daughter & 9yr Son) will be spending the second half of our trip driving through Germany on our way back to Munich at the end of November. Looking for suggestions of places to stop along the way and sight see. Would hate to drive by something spectacular and not know it was there! Would love to find some fun food spots along the way too.

Ghent, Belgium (4 nights with friends)
Cochem - 1 night
- Christmas Market
- Burg Eltz
- Imperial Castle
Rothenburg od T - 2 nights
- Night Watchman tour
- Christmas museum
- Medieval Crime Museum
Munich - 2 nights
- Neuschwanstein

Fodorite018

In Rothenburg, definitely have dinner at Zur Holl! It was the best meal of our trip (September). Also, not sure if you need hotel recommendations, but we stayed at the Hotel Spitzweg there and absolutely loved it! We had the 2 bedroom family suite as our kids (they are in their early 20's)were with us and the room was perfect. The owner is super and he makes fantastic breakfasts. The Night Watchman Tour is very good as is the crime museum. We didn't do the Christmas Museum, but did go in both of the Christmas shops that are across from each other and felt that was enough for us. Definitely climb the tower, the kids should love that. Walk the city wall, great views and really interesting to see the city from all angles of it.

In Munich, one of the hotels we stayed at was a room for 4, and that was the Hotel am Viktualienmarkt. It worked well for us, and the location was great. We did Neuschwanstein as well, but did a bike tour near it as well, but I don't think that is an option for your timing. If you are up for it though, rent bikes in Munich and ride through the English Garden. Even if you don't do a bike ride, definitely see a bit of the garden, and check out the surfers!

PalenQ

From Gent head to Luxembourg City (rather blah IMO) but right on way to Mosel Valley - one of pretteist drives in Europe- Bernkastle is a picture postcard town for a short stop.

Cochem's Ersatz medieval castle could be skipped - looks best from outside - rebuilt from rubble in 19th-century as to Burg Eltz will take half a day - there is a great ruined castle above Cochem you could drive up to - astounding views of Mosel Valley.

PalenQ

Trier - one of oldest cities in Europe also would make a nice stop en route to Cochem - Roman relcis like the awesome Porta Negra city gate - one of the most intact Roman remains anywhere - plus a former Roman temple converted to Christian Basilica and just a nice if not spectacular city but right on the route.

texasbookworm

I think Burg Eltz is closed until March.

Trier is terrific.

PalenQ

Rothenburg od T - 2 nights
- Night Watchman tour
- Christmas museum
- Medieval Crime Museum
Munich - 2 nights
- Neuschwanstein>

Will you drive to Neuschwanastein from Munich - if so I'd drive the Romantic Road from Rothenburg to its end at Fussen then drive and end in Munich. Stopping by the famed Weisskirche not far before Fussen.

If by train from Munich about 3 hours each way to castles. Regional trains only and then you could use the bargain Bavaria Pass for unlimited use of regional trains throughout Bavaria. Buy that at stations - no need to pre-book - regional trains don't even take seat reservations I believe.

iuaustin

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Aramis

If your friends don't take, or direct you, to Brugge for a day, check your luggage and purses when you leave because they aren't really friends.

From Cochem to Rothenburg you could either drive a northerly approach through Wurzburg, a lovely small city, or take a bit of a southerly approach and hit Schwabisch Hall, a really really nice small city.

Since you have a car, I would try and stop for a few hours in Dinkelsbuehl on your way from Rothenburg to Munich

Lubitsch

This is pretty much an itinerary from cliche hell. Burg Eltz is great but closed. Cochem is a completely insignificant town which was bombed in WWII and the reichsburg above isn't even the most interesting 19th century mock-castles, that would be Schloss Stolzenfels in Koblenz though both have more limited opening times in winter.
I don't quite get why you aren't staying at first in the city you have to pass anyway if you chose the more northern driving route via Cologne, Frankfurt and Nuremberg. that would be Limburg an der Lahn which has one of Germany's finest cathedrals and some of the oldest surviving hoses in its great old town.
Rothenburg is notoriously touristy and such attractions like torture museums are pretty much tourist traps though I get the idea that your children might like all that. Together with Neuschwanstein this is however still a bit sugary.