Near final itinerary in Germany
 

So, I have taken some of your advice and changed the itinerary a bit and have decided to use the train more and not stay in Nurnberg. At this point I still have not given up the Rhine since we fly out of Frankfurt. Also, I am not using the train to Rottenburg.
Day 1 We arv Berlin @12:45
Day 2 Museum Island
Day 3 Berlin, adult daughter arrives in the afternoon
Day 4- walking tour and other Berlin sights
Day 5-Berlin underground tour and other sights
Day 6- Berlin sights
Day 7- Train to Dresden
Day 8 Dresden, Royal Palace and Green Vault,Christmas Market starts
Day 9 train to Bamberg, explore Bamberg
Day 10 daytrip on train to Nurnberg (first day of market)
Day 11 Day trip on train to Wurzberg
DAy 12 Early Train to Munich- tour Deutsches and maybe City Walk
DAy 13 visit Dachau
Day 14 Pick uup car and drive to Linderhof
Day 15 Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau
DAy 16 - to Rothenburg (maybe stop in Dinkelsbuhl enroute)
Day 17- morning in Rothenburg and then to Rudesheim
Day 18 Rheinfels Castle and Marksburg to Frankfurt
Day 19 fly out at 7:20

Munich is tight. I could forget the day trip to Wurzberg on Day 11 and instead have one more day in Munich. Then we would not stop in Dinkelsbuhl on Day 16 but instead get to Rothenburg earlier and finish what we want to do that day. Then we could stop in Wurzburg on the way to Rudesheim. So the question becomes do we add the day to Munich or keep the 3 days in Bamberg. We may not fit in the Residenz Palace in Munich, what are thoughts on this Palace?
Thank you, thank you, What made this a bit tricky was the start dates of the markets and flight dates.

Looks good, though busy. Although I am normally partial to Wuerzburg (was born there), in your case I would skip it.

not worth it. Instead, take road from Rothenburg to Wertheim, drive along the Main to Miltenberg (stop for a look-see of this delightful small town ) and head north from there to the Autobahn A-3 to FRA and then on to the Rhein. This will avoid the Autobahn A-3 stretch across the Spessart mountains, which are notorious for traffic jams. It's a very pleasant, scenic route. Just outside of Rothenburg, in Creglingen, stop at the Herrgottskirche (well signed) and look ate the beautifully carved wooden altar by Tillman Riemenschneider. The littel palace in Weikersheim is also a short stop.

I knew I should have proofread the last, quickly added sentence!

So you are saying to not do the day trip to Wurzburg and instead add the day to Munich?

treplow, I am not seeing a Mittenberg that I assume is north of Rothenburg

First of all, let me say how jealous I am, your trip sounds great!!! Any chance of adopting me for three weeks? I've got just a couple of suggestions for your consideration:

Try and see the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin. It's in a big pink Armory building just west of Berliner Dom on Museum Island.

Buy a Berlin Museum Pass, 19 Euro for 72 hours. If you hit all the museums on Museum Island, it pays for itself and then some.

Consider seeing the Wieskirche and/or Etal abby on the way to Linderhof. Both definitely worth the brief side trip.

Dachau is easy to get to via public transport and you can see pretty much everything in 3 hours. You should have plenty of time to see the Residenz. I really like the little Christmas Market in the Residenz courtyard. Also consider seeing Nymphenburg if you can squeeze it in. My last trip to Munich I hit Nymphenburg after Dachau and had plenty of time to walk around.

I really loved Dinkelsbuhl and it is a easy cruise north on the Autobahn to get to Rothenburg after your visit. I think it is well worth a two hour detour.

Have a great trip.

agedud, so are you thinking that 2 days and 2 nights is enough in Munich. I am close to making hotel reservations and I was thinking maybe I should forget Wurzburg and spend that extra day in Munich.
Yes, I hope to make time for Wieskirch and/or Abby. Are we able to go into Wieskirche or just see the exterior?

Treplow wrote M-i-l-t-e-n-b-e-r-g, not Mittenberg.

And that altar in at the Herrgottskirche is worth the stop. That Tilman dude sure knew his way around wood.

Yes, you can visit the interior of the Wieskirche.

2 days is never enough in Munich but it's all about balancing wants with distance and time.

There is a lot to see in Munich and two days is very tight. The Deutsches, Dachau, and the Residenz are doable in two days and the main Christmas is best at night. You will be doing a lot of traveling and an extra night in Munich may be easier on you and your family. If you do spend an extra day, the Bavarian National Museum was surprisingly good and the Alte Pinakothek has a great collection of old masters (especially Rubens).

Wurzberg is beautiful and you can't go wrong either way you choose. Once you make the call, don't regret your decision, it's a win-win.

Yes, the town is Miltenberg. Wertheim, from where you head to Miltenberg, is the northern end of the Romantic Highway. Both are along the Main river, the German equivalent of the US Mason- Dixon line.

Yes, I would skip day trip to Wuerzburg and spend an extra day in Munich.

If you can fit it in, the Wieskirche is definitely worth a stop. Take a close look at the phantastic use of three-dimensional painting effects throughout of this baroque gem. If you like classical church music, try at least to get one of the rceordings of the church organ.

the residenz did nothing for me...

getting the vibe of rothenburg is important, but munich is much the same and there is more than one market in dresden at holiday time..

i have been to dacau twice, but i would consider dropping it in deference to more time in munich

I have decided to drop Nurnberg. So many of you said that Nurnberg was not your favorite city or Xmas market, therefore my decision. Now the only thing I need to decide whether to keep the itineray as above with forgetting Nurnberg and simply adding the day to Munich or taking the train from Bamberg to Wurzberg (leave bags at the station) seeing the sights and then taking the train to Rothenberg. Then of course we would take the train from Rothenbuerg to Munich.I am too tired to think now and will consider this tomorrow when my head is clearer! We just had 13 hours with 3 grandkids 3 and under.