A week ago, I posted a message asking general idea between Frankfurt and Munich. I got some good feedback, did some reading on my own, and pretty much narrowed down to Wurzburg and Bamberg. We arrive in FRA on Friday morning. Depend on our friends' flight schedule, we will have to arrive in Munich either by Saturday or Sunday night.

* If we need to get to Munich by Saturday night, we can only visit one, and spend a night there. What will you recommend? I am leaning towards Wurzburg, as it is closer to FRA and we can get off the train sooner. Walking is usually the best way to deal witb jet lag. But we will miss Bamberg, which many of you really like. I am aware it will be wine vs. beer, but we are heading to Munich anyway...
* If we need to be in Munich by Sunday night, we will have time for both. To minimize packing, we will base ourselves in one, make day trip on Saturday to another, and start heading to Munich on Sunday. Which one will you prefer as a base?

Thanks,

Without considering your timeframe issue, I'd pick Bamberg. It is well-preserved and really charming. Wurzburg is just another re-built town, with a very nice Residenz.

Bamberg makes more sense from a charming standpoint. Wurzburg makes sense from a logistical standpoint. Which is more important to you?

Bamberg is not to be missed, and we will visit if we only have 1 night. What if we have 2 nights? Does it do justice if we visit Bamberg in a day trip from Wurzberg?

The train ride from Würzburg to Bamberg takes just one hour - and Bamberg is really small. So, it will be an easy daytrip - even a half-day trip is no problem at all.

Würzburg's main attraction is the Residenz - a truly gorgeous palace which is UNESCO World Heritage. Otherwise, Würzburg has the Mainfränkisches Museum, a nice riverbank and a nice old town with many beautiful places to drink a glass of wine. The "Silvaner" is the specialty there (for whites), and if you want to try a red wine take a "Domina".

Bamberg is one of the very few cities in Germany that have not (or hardly) been destroyed in World War II, so what you see in the old town is authentic, not rebuilt. The baroque old town is really special.

Don't misunderstand me, I do consider Würzburg a place that is well worth visiting, and there is much more to see than just the Residenz. If I have to pick only one place in Franconia, however, I choose Bamberg in a heartbeat.

Bamberg as a daytrip? No, I'd spend the night and sample the local beer in the evening. Bamberg's speciality is Rauchbier (smoked beer); you'll either love it or hate it. I love it. Or sample Franconian wines (which can also be done in Würzburg, but the beer is only found in Bamberg).
With two nights its either one night each, or, depending how early in the first day you arrive, stop in Würzburg for the day, drop your big luggage in a locker at the station and continue to Bamberg in the evening and stay for both nights to have a full day.

Quokka, that is exactly what we are going to do. We will be heading form ROT to Bamberg, via Wurzburg (with a stop to see the Residenz, with luggage at the station), then head to Bamberg for 2 nights.

Thanks for the great idea, will try for a short stop in Wurzburg (at least to stretch the leg) and proceed to Bamberg.