LorRan

Hoping some experts on road-tripping in Germany and Netherlands could help with a few itinerary planning questions...

My mother and I will be visiting the Dutch flower fields in April and are hoping to swing over to Germany to visit villages/castles along the Romantic Road. We will spend 3 nights somewhere around Keukenhof, then have 4-6 nights to spend in Germany. Would so appreciate any advice on the following questions:

1) We will rent a car in the Netherlands and we are trying to sort out whether we should just drive to Germany or return car and fly/train to Germany and rent car there. So...car, train, or plane from Amsterdam to Romantic Road?

2) It looks like Wurzburg seems like the best starting place to drive RR...assuming we take the train/plane into Frankfurt. Is this correct?

2b)If you recommend driving from Netherlands...anyone have a suggested stop along the way?

3) I cycled the flower fields a few years ago and enjoyed staying in a small town next to them....I'm hoping to do the same with my mom. Can anyone recommend Hillegrom over Nieuw Vennep? She's okay to do a few hours cycling - but I want to be as efficient as possible. Basically, leave the house and be in the fields, rather than spend a few hours cycling to get there. (that's why we aren't staying in haarlem).

Thanks in advance for all ideas and advice!

PalenQ

Renting car in NL and returning in Germany could result in steep drop-off fees - trains are great from Amsterdam to Wurzburg but take 5-6 hours.

Maybe take a train from NL to say Cologne - 2 hours and pick up car and head to RR.

But IME the Castle Road between Heidelberg and Rothenburg is prettier than the rather busy un-romantic RR - the road is meh but the towns along it romantic.

The Castle Road passes more castles and in Rothenburg hit the best part of the RR going south to Fussen and Mad Ludwig's fantasy castles.

Anyway for lots of info on trains and booking your own online tickets check www.bahn.de/en - official site of German Railways; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Hillegom is right in the middle of the flower fields -I walked from Hillegom train station to Keukenhof once - was not very far but right in heart of fields.

PalenQ

Nieuw Vennep is a commerical area with many corporate offices and a busy train line and freeway running by it.

Lisse - larger town right next to Keukenhof is a really neat small old village - check out Lisse.

PalenQ

With a car near Keukenhof be sure to trek over the short distance to the famous Aalsmeer Flower auction - said to be in some sources the world's largest auction under one roof:

https://www.royalfloraholland.com/en...flower-auction

https://www.google.com/search?q=aals...w=1745&bih=863

Come in mid-morning or earlier for the best auction action as bidders snap up flowers to wisk over to nearby Schiphol Airport to be dispersed around the globe.

LorRan

Thanks so much for fabulous advice PalenQ! We will definitely check out the flower auction, how fun! Couple follow up questions....

Excellent point about dropping off car and picking up again in Germany. Would Cologne be the best point of entry to do a Castle Road/Romantic road trip? Or Frankfurt? We are open as long as its a direct train from Amsterdam.

Do you have any experience or recommendations on how to combine romantic and castle roads? Is it do-able with 5 days?

dweislaw

Regarding the flower auction, I'd say mid-morning might be a tad late if you wish to see the actual auction. We ended up on a long, slow bus from Amsterdam Central a few years ago and by the time we walked in, mid-morning, the actual auction was done. We still enjoyed watching the carts of flowers for a bit, but plan on an earlier arrival to get the full taste of the auction.

PalenQ

Frankfurt or Frankfurt Airport, direct trains from Amsterdam, for the Castle Road - drive to Heidelberg on autobahn as the prettiest part of Castle Road starts there (Heidelberg also a neat town for overnight) - take Castle Road to Rothenburg and head south via Augsburg on RR to Fussen - Wurzburg to Rothenburg on RR not that scenic. That would be an easy 5-day itinerary.

I was at flower auction mid-morning and it seemed to be at full swing but can obviously vary - best arrive as early as possible.

PalenQ

Maybe take a train Amsterdam (or Utrecht) to Frankfurt and then train to nearby Heidelberg - stay a day and pick up car when leaving?

https://www.google.com/search?q=cast...w=1536&bih=759

menachem

For the Aalsmeer flower auction, come early. Trading is 4 am - 11 am. I'd say come between 8 and 9 and you'll have a good impression of the trading. Mid morning approaching 11 am and the morning's trading will be winding down

Fussgaenger

So you "have 4-6 nights to spend in Germany." "Would Cologne be the best point of entry to do a Castle Road/Romantic road trip? Or Frankfurt? We are open as long as its a direct train from Amsterdam."

The 8:02 ICE train from Amsterdam Centraal is a direct train to Cologne, Frankfurt, AND to Mannheim, where the Castle Road begins. These cities are all 2.75 - 4.3 hours from A'dam.

But honestly, the best concentration of castles in Germany is just south of Cologne. The old-world wine villages along the Rhine and Mosel rivers are equally compelling. With just 4-6 days, this would be best - no need to bypass the Romantic Rhine for either the Castle Road or the Romantic Road.

Romantic Rhine overview: http://www.romantic-germany.info/hol...el-highlights/

Mosel Highlights: http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/17-...ights-englisch

Map of Rhine castles:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ittelrhein.png

Marksburg Castle in Braubach: http://www.marksburg.de/en/

Braubach: https://www.romantischer-rhein.de/up...ltstadt_02.jpg

Rheinstein Castle near Bingen: https://deeleea.com/wp-content/uploa...16-0013935.jpg

View of Rhine from Gedeonseck, near Boppard: http://ext.pimg.tw/samlucky5711/1379...g?v=1379089585

Bacharach: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...arach_BW_9.JPG

Oberwesel: https://www.weinhaus-weiler.de/wp-co..._2434_1920.jpg

View from Günderodehaus near Oberwesel: http://www.christiane-geldmacher.de/...in2014-003.jpg

Cochem: http://www.der-takt.de/typo3temp/_pr...087e83a8d1.jpg

Reichsburg Castle in Cochem: http://www.burg-cochem.de/historie.html?&L=1

Burg Eltz: https://de.best-wallpaper.net/wallpa..._1920x1200.jpg

PalenQ

Yeh the Romantic Road has neat towns along it but fewer castles than you may expect - Fussen's being main exception.

PalenQ

Romatick Road gets a lot of hype from its name conjurec up by German Tourist Board in 50s to spur tourism - again the road is not romantic but a busy two-lane thoroughfare - Castle Road much more romantic to me and yes Rhine and Mosel would be my choices too.

LorRan

hi there - looping back around to this now that we have a better idea of itinerary. We're taking your advice and dropping car in Amsterdam before flying (trains seemed to be 5+ hours long) into Frankfurt or Heidelberg. What do you think of the below itinerary ? Any amendments or anything missing? Too ambitious?

Mon - early am flight to Frankfurt from Schipol, take train to Heidelberg (see castle/town). Spent night there.
Tues- rent car and drive to Bad Mergentheim, spa time. Spend night there or between there and RodT? Anyone have experience with thermal baths/spa in Bad Mergentheim?
Wed - RodT in the am/lunch, afternoon in Dinkelsbühl?
Thurs - drive south, stopping along the way in Augsburg? Anywhere else? Stay the night right near Hohenschwangau? Any suggestions for <$150/night?
Fri - Visit Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein in am. Drive to Munich in pm. Fly out of Munich airport.

PalenQ

Hit the famous Weisskirche - little White Church - on Romantik Road not far before Fuessen.

Not much to look at on outside but be FLOORED by Baroque/Rococo or whatever they call that effuisively and brilliantly decorated interior where every shines so gloriously!

https://www.google.com/search?biw=15....0.73rhT9vnz94

LorRan

Thanks PalenQ - you're ever helpful! So grateful