Please comment on 1st time Germany itinerary
 

I would like advice on where to stay for a base on the Romantic road as well as how many days. We are 2 couples in our late 60s. We like cultural activities as well as easy hikes. . Dates are October 6-October 17

Fly into Munich. 5 nights (day trip to Neuswanstein castle)
Train to Salzburg. 2 nights - possible visit to Berchtesgaden (Should I make it 3 nights instead?)
Train back to Munich and pick up car - spend 4 nights driving along the Romantic road. Maybe Nordlingen as a base? (Is this too long a time for this area?)
Drive back to Munich and return car to airport.

Instead of taking the day trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein, should I instead go there when I pick up car in Munich? I think I would have to spend the night in Fussen then and visit the castle in the morning. Might not have enough time to take train from Salzburg, rent car and drive to Fussen in time to see the castle the same day. But not sure.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Let me make a few observations first. 1. The Romantic Road is linear. It may not be best to plan a "base" for it. 2. You can drive the Romantic Road from one end to the other in an easy day. Time depends on how many stops your make and for how long. 3. Berchtesgaden is at least half a day by itself from Salzburg because of the crowds, especially if you're using a train or bus to get there.. Although they might not be too bad in October. 4. Weather in October can be cool and rainy. Be flexible.

I would suggest a different itinerary to visit these places:
1. Fly to Munich. 4 nights -- see the sights. (Oktoberfest is in September, BTW.)
2. Rent car in Munich, drive to Salzburg (2 hrs). 2 nights.. One day in the city and one day to visit Berchtesgaden.
3. Drive to Fussen. 2 nights there (3 hrs drive time). Visit Oberammergau en route if you want. Visit Neuschwanstein, hike a little.
4. Drive the Romantic Road. 3 nights, last one in Munich for the flight. Possible stops: Ulm, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nuremburg, and countless others. For the two nights along the RR you could stay in Nordlingen and back track the second day.

If I've miscounted your nights you could take one out of Munich or add one to either Salzburg or Fussen. We've stayed in both cities and they're very comfortable. This part of Germany and Austria is wonderful. Good roads, easy driving, great food and accommodations. Have fun!

MichGuy, Thank you for your suggestions. Very helpful. We have revised our itinerary, so it looks like this now:
New Question: Do we spend night in Fussen or spend all 3 nights in Nordlingen?
4 nights Munich
2 nights Salzburg
2 nights Innsbruck
1 night Fussen (spending night so we are not rushed coming from Innsbruck, but maybe we could see castle and continue on to Nordlingen so we don't have to add another hotel. )
2 nights Nordlingen
We have afternoon flight from Munich so we will drive from Nordlingen to airport and drop off car there.

Our dates are end of August to Sept 7. We do not want to be part of Octoberfest and the only dates in October we could go would be after October 17 and I heard it might be cold and rainy then. Can't always rely on perfect weather. It is what it is! Thanks again for your help.

Train to Salzburg. 2 nights - possible visit to Berchtesgaden (Should I make it 3 nights instead?)

Two nights only gives you one full day, and if you spend that day in Berchtesgaden you've little time for Salzburg and environs.

We spent four nights in Salzburg without day trips (other than a 1/2 day trip to the Untersberg) and we still didn't run out of things to see and do.

I would definitely stay at least 1 night in Fuessen - 2 if you can manage it. It's a nice area AND you do need to leave time to see Neuschwanstein. Hohenschwangau castle is right there and it is great to tour also - I actually enjoyed the tour of Hohenschwangau more than Neuschwanstein, so I would vote for seeing both. Be sure to buy tickets for the castle(s) ahead of time - they do sell out. If you don't spend a night in Fuessen, you're looking at 4 hours of driving between Innsbruck and Nordlingen, plus time spent touring the castle(s) - that won't leave you much time to see Fuessen itself or any of the towns between Fuessen and Nordlingen.

For the Romantic Road, the real draw of that route is visiting the towns along the way, not necessarily the drive itself. So make sure you leave plenty of time for exploring.

Good advice from november_moon. I also liked Schwagau better than Neuschwanstein. And your new time of year has a bearing on your itinerary. In late August / early September the crowds at Berchtesgaden and Neuschwanstein will really slow you down. The road from Innsbruck to Fussen can be slow going. I'd stay one night in Fussen and relax. Driving north out of Fussen is pretty easy.