Itinerary Change Help
 

I am leaving for Germany in just a week. I am flying into Frankfurt and spending nearly a week along the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. I had planned on then taking the train to Staufen in the Black Forest for a couple of nights before heading into Switzerland for almost a week.

This will be my first solo trip and my first time to take trains as my means of transportation. It is seeming too complicated to me to try to get from Cochem on the Mosel to Staufen in the Black Forest and then going on through Basel to Interlaken. There are just too many changes of trains, and even the possibility of having to end up on a bus for the last leg of the trip into Staufen. This is the part of my upcoming trip that is making me feel some anxiety. I am now thinking that it really is not all that important to me to go to Staufen, although I have enjoyed my visits there in the past. For this reason I am considering dropping Staufen from my itinerary and instead finding some other nice village to visit for two nights on my way from Cochem to Interlaken.

I am open to suggestions of villages or small cities that would fill those two nights. I am more of a nature lover than a museum lover. I prefer smaller cities or villages to larger ones. I will be spending a couple of nights in Lucerne after visiting the Berner Oberland south of Interlaken. Thank you in advance for your help.

Freiburg is an alternative. If spending a couple of nights there, you could spend the day in between by taking the cable car up the Schauinsland and then walking back down to town.

nana:
I see that he trip from Cochem to Interlaken West is timed at 6 hr 51 min travel time with just two changes (both train, no bus at Koblenz and Basel) at 9:00-15:51 or 11:00-17:51 (examples).
Alternatively, I have stayed in a small town on the edge of the Black Forest called Gengenbach, which I greatly enjoyed.
Day trips to Alsace (either Colmar of Strassbourg are possible). Cochem to Gengenbach is 4 hr 5 min with (also) two changes-in Koblenz and Karlsruhe HBF, at (for ex) 9:00-13:05 or 11:00-15:05.
From Gengenbach to Interlaken West, continuing travel is timed at 4 hours with either ONE change (Offenburg) or TWO changes (Offenburg and Basel), depending upon which train you catch. Sample departures/arrivals = 9:45-13:51 or 10:51-14:51

Ooops! Accidentally hit submit..
Anyway, research a little about Gengenbach if you think you might be interested.
www.stadt-gengenbach.de available in english, often called the Rothenburg for germans!

Let me second mokka4's suggestion. Freiburg's a real city. A place like Gengenbach would be ideal. It's a gorgeous old walled town and well located for outings. From Cochem you have to change trains in Koblenz to get anywhere. The 9:00 and 11:00 trains from Cochem connect in Koblenz with southbound EC trains and take you to Karlsruhe, where you make a second change (about 20 min. between trains) and arrive in Gengenbach 4 hours after leaving Cochem.

Staying in Gengenbach means you'll get a KONUS card from your hosts; it allows free travel on the scenic Black Forest Railway line (which Gengenbach straddles) between Offenburg and Donaueschingen and on all the other BF railway lines as well. Just use the regional and local trains (not the IC, ICE, or EC trains) for any outings you take. It's good for buses too, and for discounts (on the BF Museum in Triberg, for example.)

http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/konus

I did like the idea of Gengenbach and looked up their website. However, only a portion of it is available (the part promoting the village). When I tried to look for accomodations (B & B type) it is not available in English. It looks as though one of the two that are shown is not actually in Gengenbach and I can't tell how far from the train station the other one is.

nana:
Under the left link: "Hotels, Pensionen & Gasthoefe" is a nice list, unfortunately in german, but most have an email site.
I would bet that many will answer you if you write in english.
1) Hotel Salmen-Post at Leutkirchstrasse 13 lists Zimmer from 27E per person and night. It is walkable to RR (If you don't have a handicap or tons of luggage).
2) Haus Heizmann on Gruenstrasse 35 lists Zimmer from 15E per night and is walkable.
3) Pension Vandrey is too far to walk at Oberdorfstrasse, but IF they'll pick you up, it would have nice views from above the town.
4) Gaestehaus Heller at Wolfsweg 20 is TOO FAR.
5)Gasthof 'Zur Blume" at Brueckenhauserstrasse 10 is do-able.
They list 15 double rooms and 2 singles with PICKUP from RR FREE if you notify them a day beforehand of arrival time.
6) Stadthotel Pffermuehle is the splurge in town -a 3* Hotel with a fine restaurant.
Single rooms listed at 46 E per night.
7) Hotel Restaurant Reichsstadt at Engelstrasse 33 lists single rooms at 45-60 E /night (a little pricey IMO). Engelstrasse is one of the most photographed alleyways in the town.
This is just of start to 29 properties listed!
Click always on the right tab "weiter" for more info...usually the website or email contact with more photos and listing of amenities comes up.
If you are truly interested in this town, either I can help when you have narrowed it down to 2 or 3, OR try directly emailing the owners in English. The town's Tourist Info center can also act as an intermediary for language barriers.
Be sure to tell them that you are travelling by train and foot.
Good luck!

Contact the TI staff if you have questions; they may also help you with booking. The contact info. is here:

http://www.stadt-gengenbach.de/en/tourism/service/

I wouldn't hesitate to call. In most TIs, it seems there's always someone who can help you in better English than you'll get if you call AT&T.