Gunter

Having never been to any of these places, we would like to give you seasoned european travlers an idea of what we would like to accomplish in our two plus weeks in these locations. Problem is we are having a hard time deciding the most efficent route, and thats where we would like to enlist the help of the great people throughout this fourm, so here it goes. We will probably fly into Munich or Frankfurt. We want to go to the American cematary in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, (I have a relative buried there) not spending much time there, half day maybe. We want to travel the Rhine from say Koblenz to Bacharach or Bingen, maybe park somewhere near Koblenz and take a cruise south, and a train back north to get our car.Then travel south along the romantic road down to the Fussen or Reutte area. We want to see the castles in the area, spend some time in Munich, then head to Austria via the Berchtesgaden area, or head to Switzerland, more specific the Berner Oberland area(Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, Grimmelwald) for 3-4 days. The travel and sites in Austria are not clear to us yet but we will dedicate 3-4-5 days in country. We will be taking an overnight train from Vienna to Krakow, Poland to visit Auschwitz, then board an overnight train back to Vienna the same evening. Well that is a brief description of our travel plans. The route in which to take that facilitates our plans, but makes us efficent travlers to this point still escapes us. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

JoeE

I would like to start the replies you'll get with a suggestion for the day along the Rhine. I would suggest parking near the boat landing in Bingen. Take the boat northward (downstream) which is faster as far as St. Goar. You could also possibly go as far as Boppard. I think the most scenic is the area from Bingen to St. Goar, but it's ok on toward Boppard. You can easily catch a train at either town back to Bingen. Make sure that you get off at Bingen Stadt which is the station nearest the boat landing area.

AisleSeat

You mention a train trip and the romatioc road. How exactly are you planning to travel? If you pick up a car at the airport or trainstation in Germany there is apretty still surtax of about 21%. If you take the U-Bahn into Munich until you are ready to leave there and then pick up a car at a city lot you could save some money. We always stay at a hotel close to the main train station in Munich because it puts us close to the old city and the pedestrian zone.

Several thought come to me as I read your itinary. I have not been there but a friend of mind who lives in the area tells me that the Mosel vally is more picturesque than the Rhine so you may want to consider that. If you fly into Munich and see that city, rent a car for the romatic road to Rothenburg then head for the Rhine and Luxembourg then you could loop south to Fussen to see Neuschwanstein. From there you can take the road from Reutte to to Garmish, perhaps with a side-trip to Mittenwald (the violin makers village). Then through Oberammergau and Berchtesgaden to Salzburg (perhaps with stops at the other two Ludwig castles, Linderhoff and Herren Chiemsee). Once you get to Salzburg a good overnight is out in the Salzkammergut at Hallstadt. Time permitting you might go on to Vienna before completing the look back to Munich.

Jun04ItalyHoneymoon

What time of the year will you be traveling?

Two weeks is a good amount of time to spend in the Bavarian region of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We flew into Frankfurt but then immediately departed for the south. Although I can't remember why we flew to Frankfurt instead of Munich, it is probably because it was much cheaper to do it that way. If it had been possible to fly into Munich, it would have cut out a great deal of boring travel time on the Autobahn.

Do you have a particular draw to Auschwitz? If not, visiting Dachau would be more timely, as it is an easy trip from Munich, and it is a very good site to see. Certainly though, if you have connections to Auschwitz, then it would be a worthwhile day trip.

A Rhine cruise is lovely. We did just a couple hours cruise from Boppard to ..... the name escapes me but we saw the Rhine Falls. It was a very nice half day jaunt.

I would spend my time in Germany in the Bavaria region, travel the Romantsche Strasse, see Rothenburg, Munich, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but leave out Frankfurt and Berlin.

Salzburg, Austria is my favorite of favorite places in Bavaria, so it is a must. Vienna and Innsbruck are also lovely. I love Lucerne in Switzerland. Basically you can't go wrong in Austria and Switzerland. I think your trip to Luxembourg is going to take some planning to work into your schedule.

Sorry I can't give you specifics about how best to travel from place to place, but I would suggest starting out in Munich and other places in southern Germany, then heading east toward Vienna, then back to Salzburg and Innsbruck and then into Switzerland.

treplow

I think Aisle Seats' suggested routing and suggested side-trips are real good.

Now, let me be a bit more specific:

Try to fly into Frankfurt. From there, drive to Bingen and take the boat as suggested and return by train. Then cut from Bingen over to the A-61 Autobahn, heading north past Koblenz. At exit #37 take the Autobahn A-48, west. At the Cochem exit (#4) drop down to Cochem and continue along the Mosel to Trier. From Trier take the A-1 to Luxembourg. From L. Take the B-406 (Bundestrasse 406, comparabel to our US highway designation) via Remich to Mettlach. From there take the A-8 to the A-6 intersection near Saarbruecken. Continue on the A-6 east to the Enkenbach- Elsenborn exit (#17). From there follow the B-48 to Hochspeyer, and the B-37 to Bad Duerkheim an der Weinstrasse. ( I should mention, that I have not driven the Trier, Luxembourg, Enkenbach stretch of this itinerary. All the rest of what I am advising you I have driven repeatedly over the years.)

The B-271 Weinstrasse (wine highway) is a fun route, as the name implies. Take the Weinsterasse as far as the B-39, south of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse. Follow the B-39 to Speyer.

From Speyer, follow the B-39 to the A-5 Autobahn. Take it north for about 7km to the Heidelberg exit (#36). Visit Heidelberg, and the follow along the Neckar river on the Burgenstrasse (B-37/B27 (castle route) to Heilbronn.

At Heilbronn catch the A-6 east to the intersection with the A-7. Take the A-7 south to just outside of Fuessen. After Fuessen take the B-314 south to Leermoos, and the Austrian B-187/German B-23 to Garmisch.

From Garmisch take the German B-2/Austrian B-177 to Mittenwald, Seefeld and Zirl, where you pick up the Austrian A-12 east toward Innsbruck. Be sure that, before you get onto the Austrian Autobahns you get a user's decal. You can get it at any gas station before Zirl.

On the A-12 head east as far as Woergl (exit #17), and head east on the B-312 to Sankt Johann, Lofer and Schneizlreuth. There you catch the Deutsche Alpenstrasse (B-306) (German Alpine Highway) to Berchtesgaden. In Bgdn. continue on the B-305 to the Austrian B-150 and Salzurg.

Highlights of your trip to so far: The Rhein river cruise, Mosel river, Trier, Speyer, Heidelberg, Fuessen, the road to Garmisch, Zugspitze (Germany's highest mountain), trip t Innsbruck, Innsbruck to Berchtesgaden trip, environs of Berchtesgaden and Salzburg .

Now , let me make a suggestion: Drop Switzerland on this trip. It's simply too much to cover.

From Salzburg, take the Autobahn A-8 to Munioch, stopping in Prien (Bernau exit #106) for a visit by boat to the Herrenchiemsee palace of King Ludwig of Neuschwanstein (Fuessen) fame.

From Munich head north on the A-9 to the Allersberg exit (#55). Take the road west through Roth to Abenberg, Windsbach to theAutobahn A-6, (entrance #53.) Head west to the intersection with the A-7, head north to Rothenburg,

From there take the A-7 to the intersection with the A-3, head west. If you have time, spend time in Wuerzburg. Then head west on the A-3, it will drop you off at the Frankfurt airport.

I selected the Allersberg to A-7 route to by-pass Nuernberg. Obviously, if you have the time, you can always ignore this by-pass.

Figure on an average autobahn driving time of 90/h; driving time on B roads 60km.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions, especially about the Berchtesgaden, Salzburg area. This is my original "stamping" ground.