Honeymoon in Germany
 

Hi there,
I'm looking for some help in working out an itinerary for our December honeymoon.
My fiance and I are both from Australia - I've travelled a bit of Europe, him not so much. We're both 22, but have no desire to see any sort of club, or rowdy nightlife of any kind.
I'd love a snowy Christmas/New Year honeymoon with christmas markets, sleigh rides and open fire type scenarios with lots of amazing scenery. My fiance loves trains and boats so I was thinking something down the Rhine would be lovely for part of the trip. Neither of us are much on winter sports, but hiking is perfect. We have about three weeks and not a whole lot of money.
I'd like to start in Salzburg and then go to Munich for a few days and use that as a base to do some castle exploring and maybe see some of the smaller towns like Oberammergau.
After that I'm at a bit of a loss. Do we go north towards Strasbourg and Cologne (I've heard some things about the Roman ruins in Trier - are they worth a look?) or should we go more towards Switzerland - is it worth it if we arent skiing and the prices are higher? What's the best way to see the Rhine in winter? Would normal trains give us the sort of view we'd like? Do we need to get a 'special' train? Are there cruises running that aren't 8 day affairs that cost the earth filled with retirees? Also, I was thinking Christmas in Salzburg, but where do we go for a fun NY that doesnt involve all-night raving?
Would appreciate ALL help!!

If you are not in love with winter sports and have a limited budget I would avoid Switzerland - costs are way too high. You can see mountains in southern Germany - try the Zugspitze not far from Garmisch, which is a charming town.

As for hiking - I fear many places will have too much snow - but you might find places nearer the Rhine where it's still possible.

In season there are numerous boats on the Rhine tht do all sorts of shorter trips - from a few hours to a few days. Not sure what is available in December but if you google I wouldnt be surprised if you find some.

Trier, IMHO is well worth it. There are substantial Roman ruins - many of them indoors - making them easy to see in bad weather.

Don't know if you have been in europe in winter - but most important to touring in comfort is having the right clothes and boots - it may be cold and snowy/sleety but if you are dressed properly it's not a problem. Make sure your boots are lined and have thick soles that keep your feet away from the freezing pavement and you have a warm hat that covers your ears.

For your itinerary planning, take into consideration that most of Germany's famous Christmas markets take place during the Advent season, that's before Christmas, not during or after the holidays. Most of them terminate by Dec 23 or 24. Visit Germany's cities before Christmas. Then spend the holiday period in a winter resort in the Alps, the higher up the better. There is no guarantee for snow at lower altitudes. Most of Germany gets s a white Christmas maybe once in five years, and that's an optimistic estimate. Those postcard pictures are postcard pictures to us, too.

Yes visit Trier
Switzerland is very expensive avoid
Winter means winter so I guess you could do two types of hike
1) the sort of semi-urban type so over four hours walk up the through Rudesheim and some of the country's most expensive vinyards to the top and then down the valley to the West in Assmannshuasen. Loads of walks like this up the Mosel and gear can be a little lighter and you can always cancel and settle into a bar for the day
2) a more serious wandering say from Idar Oberstein into the mountains for a couple of days with full survival gear.

Thanks so much for your replies.
You make a good point quokka - thinking we should have the majority of our holiday before Christmas!
I think avoiding Switzerland is sensible. Nytraveler: I looked up Zugspitze, looks great (some reviews are saying they even preferred it to Switzerland scenery!) That seems like a perfect place to spend Christmas Day!
bilboburgler: Liking the idea of hiking type number 1! I hadnt even thought of seeing vinyards in winter!
For New Years, would most small towns along the Rhine do something or should we aim to have reached Cologne?