We’ll be travelling through Switzerland, Austria and then Germany by train in September/October.

For the German part I thought we might stay at these places but I’m not sure how much time to allot to each:

Regensburg 2 nights? ( We’ll be arriving from Vienna)

Garmisch-Partenkirchen 4 nights?

Lindau 3 nights?

Gengenbach 3 nights? ( leaving from here for Zurich)

I’d like to have enough time for day trips in the surrounding area for all but Regensburg. Do you think I’ve allowed enough time at each?

Hi ja,

I think 3 nights in Lindau would be fine, if that means 3 days as well.

Hi jacooper,

I think the number of nights in a place will depend on what you want to do there.

For instance, from Lindau, you could spend 3 or 4 full days doing day-trips to other towns on the lake and doing bike tours on the trail that circles the lake. Similarly, from Garmisch (where I live), you could spend a week there seeing Ettal, Oberammergau, Murnau, Füssen & the castles, and Mittenwald; ascending the Zugspitze, Alpspitze, Kreuzeck, and Wank; and hiking or walking the Kramerplaeauweg, the Philosophensweg, the Partnachklamm, around the Eibsee, and from the Alpspitze to the Kreuzeck; biking the many river trails or around the mountains.

I spent 4 nights in Regensburg last year, and I thought that was a good amount of time to see the city and get a feel for the place. I also spent 4 nights in Lindau a few years ago, and I only got to one other town and didn't do any biking.

So, if you could tell us what your plans are, we may be able to let you know if you have enough time.

s

Thanks Swandav

I don’t cycle although my husband does. I also can’t hike far as I have problem feet. In Regensburg I’d just like to visit the main sights - churches etc and wander around the old town.

From Garmisch I’d like to see Mittenwald, Oberammergau and any other sights that would be easy for me to visit. I’m not interested in seeing the castles though.

From Lindau I’d like to see some of the other lake towns such as Meersburg and do a lake trip.

From Gengenbach we’d travel to some of the other Black Forest towns. I’m in two minds about Gengenbach - we might stay in Rothenburg instead.

We’ll have about twelve nights total in Germany, so what I’m trying to decide is how long to allot to each place.

Combine your Lake Constance cruise with the journey to Gengenbach. Take a boat from Lindau to Konstanz and board there a direct train to Gengenbach, may be like this:
Lindau dp 13.00 - boat - Konstanz 16.10/16.40 - train - Gengenbach ar 18.52

Car or trains and buses? All places are easily reached by train - and all seem to fall within the Bavarian Pass coverage area - bargain 30-35 euros for travel all day on regional trains for both. For lots on German trains and Swiss, Italy check www.bahn.de/en - great site for easy to reference schedules; www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. Seems like you may be renting a car and that is great too.

Thanks.

No, we won’t be renting a car. Also, we’ve decided now to stay in Rothenburg ob der Tauber instead of Gengenbach.

So, should the order be Regenburg, Rothenburg OBT, Garmisch, Lindau OR

Regensburg, Garmisch, Rothenburg OBT, Lindau?

1st order above is more logical. Much more so.

If you want to fly home from Zurich, you should end your trip at Llindau, less than 2 hrs by direct train from Zurich airport.

https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/...-tickets.shtml

Also comes in first class for not much more and regional trains do not take seat resevations so 1st class greater chance of finding two seats together, etc. That said not all regional trains have first class - check first at www.bahn.de/en.

Vienna

Regensburg (2 nights)

Rothenburg OBT (2 nights)

Garmisch-Partenkirchen ( 4 nights)

Lindau (4 nights)

Zurich

Thanks

I think that’s what we’ll do.

Lindau 4 nights - what do you plan to do - what day trips? - have you been to Munich before?

Hi again,

I'm afraid I still see some vagueness in your plans -- with "any other sights that are easy to get to" for Garmisch, and "some" lake towns for Lindau. For Garmisch, that could add a week to your plans, and for Lindau, that "some" could either be 2 lake towns or 6 of them.

Anyway, I mostly agree with dugi_otok, except I would do 3 nights in Regensburg (which leaves you 2 full days of exploring):

Regensburg x3
Garmisch x4
Lindau x4
Rothenburg (odT) x1

I'm glad you opted out of Gengenbach -- I did a day-trip there once and just didn't care for it. There is no pedestrian zone in town, and I was distracted by all the traffic, noise (car horns honking), pollution, jockeying for parking, etc. I didn't think the scenery or surroundings were good enough or unique enough to make it a worthwhile stop (at least for me).

Hope your trip is coming along, and have fun!

s

If never been to Munich I'd opt for a few days there - really neat city in many ways - a fun city.

We thought we’d just stay at smaller places on this trip, so are not going to Munich.

It’s over four months before we arrive in Germany, so I have plenty of time to research things to do. We only have 12 nights to use so won’t be able to spend a week in Garmisch, but I’m sure four nights will give us time to see a few things.

I really don’t like one nights stays so I would rather stay two nights in a place allowing one full day plus the afternoon of arrival to look around.

Taking boats on Lake Contance is great - and Constance is really neat larger city. So yes lots of neat day trips from there. In nearby Friederchshaven - short train ride a way is the home of Zeppelin airships and a museum there documents their history being made here.

Useful site for Lake Constance: Suggested private boat trip experiences | Bodensee Tourismus

In addition to Palen:
Places around Lake Constance mosts visited from Lindau im Bodensee:
Viewpoint Pfaender (boat, train or bus to Bregenz plus gondola)
Friedrichshafen Dornier Museum, Zeppelin Museum (boat or train)
Ulm (train)
Meersburg medieval castle (boat)
Mainau Island (boat)
Unteruhldingen Lake Dwellings (boat)
Konstanz (either direct boat or boat to Rorschach plus train)
Reichenau Island and Abbey (up to Constance as above, then boat)
Medieval city of Stein am Rhein (up to Constance as above, then boat or train)
Medieval city and castle of Schaffhausen and Rhine Falls (up to Constance as above, then boat or train)
St. Gallen (medieval city center, Unesco World Heritage monastery): train or boat up to Rorschach plus train
Heiden/Appenzell (boat to Rorschach plus cog wheel train)
Hochjoch/Sennigrat (train to Schruns plus gondola)
Schafberg or Versettla (train to Schruns plus bus and gondola)
St. Anton am Arlberg (train)
Heidiland/Bad Ragaz(train)

Ok seems like OP has been to Munich so understandble to skip this time.

Garmisch possible to take short train ride to Austria and visit Innsbruck though a large city neat architecture and mountain-climbing trams to Olympic ski jump site and neat area for hiking - high above Innsbruck itself. Just for a taste of Austria.

" Just for a taste of Austria"
The OP will visit (probably Eastern) Austria before heading to Regensburg and will then stay at Garmisch and Lindau, both less than 5 miles from the Austrian border.
The direct railway line from Garmisch to Lindau goes through Austria too (Ehrwald, Ausserfern).