Shangreen

I am hoping to get some input on destinations in between Munich and Amsterdam that are accessible by train. My husband & I are flying into Munich March 27th and want to take a train directly from the airport heading to ? (we don't know where) as a stop-over on our way to Amsterdam. We have some time to play so multiple destinations are what we are looking for. We prefer to see small towns that are not "tourist traps" but since we will be relying on train travel I'm not sure if that is possible.

Ultimately, we will return to Munich for some area sightseeing and to catch our flight back to the states on the 4th of April.

Places to visit as well as any hotel or bed & breakfast information will be greatly appreciated. This is our first trip out of USA & want to see all that we can fit in.

Thanks in advance.

rex

While this is not a "fatal flaw" of your posting, one common problem of a uestion like yours is that "we" cannot tell: what all went into making the decisions that you have made thus far?

Perhaps this was a (relatively) impulse air travel purchase, based o a bargain sale fare into out of Munich. Or maybe there is some (unstated) factor taking you to Amsterdam, and financial constraints required this particular air travel plan.

Otherwise, it is somewhat hard to put into context, why travel along this fairly lengthy (and borderline ninteresting) rail corridor, and then turn around and travel the same route back again?

Be that as is it is... here is some limited inf that might partially answer your question(s).

You cannot, as far as I know, board a train at Munich airport that goes anywhere you want to go without going into Munich first.

And for two nights stop, I might propose Ulm (admittedly not really all THAT small) and Coblenz - - for the ccess it provides you to Burg Eltz.

Best wishes,

Rex

rkkwan

Fastest trains between Munchen Hbf and Amsterdam CS takes over 7 hours, with a connection between Mannheim and Koln. If you haven't been to Koln/Cologne before, that would be the most reasonable place to stop overnight.

Cruising the Rhine along the way is highly recommended, if you have the time.

Russ

Shangreen says,

"We prefer to see small towns that are not "tourist traps" but since we will be relying on train travel I'm not sure if that is possible."

Not to worry. The 6,000 plus train stations in Germany and the rail infrastructure were not designed solely with international tourists in mind but mostly with the idea of moving Germans around. There are plenty of places you can go by train that aren't overloaded with tourists.

Avoid Rothenburg if you don't want to be shoulder to shoulder with tourists. An alternative might be Weissenburg - an old walled town between Munich and Nuremberg, not as well preserved as Rothenburg, but still pretty cool. Other nearby towns of interest include Pappenheim and Eichstaett.

Further north, Franconia in northern Bavaria is an interesting area to visit. I'd suggest Bamberg - a city, but not terribly big, and very well-preserved, and undertouristed, IMO.

Weikersheim, Miltenberg, and Wertheim are small-town cuties you might head as you move west toward the Rhine. On the Rhine, St. Goar is my favorite, but Boppard, Bacharach, and Oberwesel are nice stops too. Tourists keep the Rheinland alive, but it's generally pretty innocent and inoffensive.

A detour along the Mosel to Cochem (gorgeous but popular and sometimes crowded) or even less popular towns is good too - Try Bullay if you want it almost tourist-free.

I usually stay in Cochem at either Haus Mattes or Haus Hilken, very close to each other on Loehrstrasse and close to the old town center and the trail up to Cochem's castle. These are B&B's that run roughly 20 Euros per person per night.

Nomadic1

Two places you should consider are Cologne and Heidelberg.

The Cologne Cathedral is breathtaking and is an amazing gothic building. Climb the stairs to the top of the spire for an unforgettable view. The Roman-German museum is another worthwhile sight in Cologne. The Cathedral and museum are next to the train station, so no additional travel is needed.

Heidelberg has a nice castle and a great bridge that spans the Neckar river. The oldest university in Germany is located here and the for the best views of the city, head to Philosophenweg. It's a serene place to look out over Heidelberg and the river. Heidelberg is a worthy city to visit.

Have a good trip!!!

oakey

Well I lived in Munich for quite a few years and did the drive and train ride to Amsterdam many times.
I see somebody has already mentioned Cologne and I also recommend the city. The cathedral is great and it is a vibrant big city. The Germans consider the people of Cologne and the Rhineland, the friendliest and most tolerant in the country.
You might also want to stop in Frankfurt despites its reputation, it is a fascinating European city. The city center skyscraper sykline is totaly unique in Europe and there are some excellent museums and cafes.
I am not sure if the train will pass through Nuremburg but it has a wonderful medeival city center and some major historic sites.
Utrecht in Holland is right before you get to Amsterdam and it a student town that feels like a smaller cleaner Amsterdam. It is also worth a quick visit.

Bird

By my count you'll have eight nights in Europe and you want to see Amsterdam by train with a stop in between and then back to Munich? I don't think that gives you enough time in either place. If you really have to see Amsterdam on this trip, I would recommend a night train to Amsterdam there and/or back. While in Munich and Amsterdam you can make some short day trips to get away from the city. Dachau near Munich is a must-see IMO.

Andre

Another way to shorten the trip in at least 1 direction is to fly DBA from Dusseldorf or Cologne to Munich.

www.flydba.com

Hope this helps,
Andre

FHurdle

I think you should visit the place you are flying into!

You say you want the smaller towns, and that's fine, but what a great trip it would make to visit Prague and Vienna or Salzburg, along with a small town or two.

I don't know how you got your tickets, but may I suggest to you that you look into open jaw tickets for the future? They are usually available for no additional charge, and you can, for example, fly into Munich and out of Amsterdam.

Another poster suggested Ulm. I spent the night there a dozen years ago, and while I don't remember that much, I do remember thinking it was a neat place to stop.

Good luck on your trip, whatever you do.

brucec

The rail network is very extensive in Germany having used it several times over the years. Take the local Airport train to the main Munich train station. From there take a train to Wurzburg which is about 2 1/2 hrs away by train. Wurzburg is a good small town train hub to many great sites in Germany. Wurzburg is close to Rothenburg which is off season at the moment so there won't be as many tourists but a top site. Wurzburg is close to Bamberg,Nurnberg, and other cites. Wurzburg is a small hub for ICE fast trains. Since you are traveling a lot on the train purchase a rail pass it will make things a lot easier. Since you are traveling here for the first time go to a travel agent and purchase a rail pass and map out a plan of where you would like to go since your time is limited. They can also book some hotel, bed and breakfeast for you.Make sure you have a good rail map. They have wonderful Rail Guide books with timetables and descriptions of many of the sites along the way.Bruec

Russ

brucec's suggestion for Wurzburg as a base for rail trips is a good one if you have some time to spend. The rail station is fairly close to the city center and there are departures to all points of the compass. But with 132,000 inhabitants and many more in adjacent suburbs, W'burg has a city-like feel to it and isn't really a "small town" in my book.

RufusTFirefly

I second Bamberg as a wonderful small city (around 40,000 population, I think). Wonderfully preserved Altstadt not damaged by the war. River runs right through the Altstadt. Has tourist things to see and do, but not overrun with tourists.

pgmargate

why would you not fly into munich and out of amsterdam. it doesnot seem to make sense.see munich first then proceed on the rest of your trip.