Hello Everyone!<BR><BR>My husband and I will be in Italy and Germany for 3 weeks in September-October of this year. I think I have the itinerary fairly planned but since we have never been there I thought I would see if you all would give me some input on what you think. Here goes-<BR><BR>- Arrive at 8:30 AM in Rome Saturday September 14th. Stay in Rome the 14th and 15th.<BR>- Take the train to Siena the morning of the 16th and stay in Siena for 2 nights.<BR>- Take the bus or train to Florence the morning of the 18th and stay in Florence for 2 nights.<BR>- Take the train to Cinque Terre the morning of the 20th and stay in Vernazza/Riomaggiore for 6 nights.<BR>- Take the train to Munich the morning of the 26th. Pick up the rental car in Munich and drive to Reutte. Stay the night in Ruette. (Two questions here, how long is the train trip from Vernazza to Munich and how long is the drive from Munich to Reutte?<BR>- The morning of the 27th we want to drive to Fussen and see the castles and then drive up the Romantic road. We planned on stopping in Wieskirche, Augsburg, Nordlingen, Dinkelsbuhl, and Rothenburg. We want to stay in Rothenburg for 2 nights and do day trips to Creglingen, Weikersheim, Bad Mergentheim, and Wurzburg. <BR>- The morning of the 29th we want to drive to Bacharach and stay there for 2 nights stopping in St. Goar, Heidelberg, Mannheim, and Ludwigshafen either on the way there or on the way back to Munich (or day trips).<BR>- The morning of the 1st we will drive back to Munich, drop off the rental car and check in to our hotel. We will be in Munich for for nights and plan on doing Oktoberfest twice and not sure what else.<BR><BR>OK - I know that was long, but any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!<BR><BR>Thanks so much,<BR>Heidi<BR><BR>

Heidi,<BR><BR>You do not need help,you need ongratulations. That looks like a very nicely planned trip.<BR><BR>My only concern would be the stop and go stuff, but that is one's own choice. My wife and I have travelled like that and we have also spent 7 days in Rome, for example.<BR><BR>If you do not mind the packing and unpacking...go for it because you've certainly hit some high spots.<BR><BR>God bless and good luck!

Heidi--<BR>I would cut the Cinque Terre to 2 or 3 nights if it were my trip, and I would add one or two nights to Rome. Also it looks as if the things you want to see on the 27th might need another day in that area. Otherwise, I think it's a wonderful itinerary. As for distances--the drive from Munich to Reutte will only take about 2 hours. The train trip from Vernazza to Munich will take you more than half a day, including changing trains. You need to check www.raileurope.com for train schedules. Have a great trip.

Heidi: You have put togethor a veteran's itinerary. Good job. We tend to move about a bit ourselves in order to see as much of a country as we can. So, the two night stays don't bother us. However, it is nice to kick back and just drink in the atmosphere from time to time. Couple of suggestions: Cinque Terra is great. Been there two times, the first time years ago when it wasn't so crowded. Six days are probably more than you need for CT even employing the "kick back" philosophy. Three nights would be about right and you could add a night or more to Rome. You will love Rome and you reslly can employ the "kick back" in Rome too. Besides the historical sites and the obvious must sees, it is great fun to just wander Rome and stumble into the little plazas where people live, eat, play, etc. The 27th is a very loaded day. You could use another day here to see "the castles and then drive up the Romantic road... stopping in Wieskirche, Augsburg, Nordlingen, Dinkelsbuhl, and Rothenburg". Stay in Augsburg one night and complete your trip to Rothenburg (through Dinkelsbuhl) on the second day. When you are in Sienna, be sure to make a day trip to San Gimignano.<BR>These are, of course, just my opinions. I am sure others will offer different options and when all is said and done, your wishes are the most important. Again, you have done a good job. Have a great time.

Hi Heidi,<BR><BR>Can my wife and I come along?<BR><BR>Good advice so far, <BR><BR>. . .beef up Rome<BR>. . .cut a bit from Cinque Terre <BR>. . .add the end day of Cinque Terre as a travel day as you head for Germany<BR>. . .the 27 needs to be two days Fussen will eat the day up (particularly if you decide to include Linderhof).<BR>. . . drive on the 29th is also a bit long.<BR><BR>Great plan, you are going to love it.

Hello There!<BR>The 27th., 28th., and the 29th., seem quite cramped. Maybe you can shave some nights off of Munich unless you are locked into that. Defintley see Dinkelsbuhl. If you need a Hotel there check out Hotel Blauer Hecht in the old town.<BR>Gary

Thanks everyone for all of your advice! I really appreciate it. I will add a day to Rome and shave 2 day from Cinque Terre to save more time for the Germany travel. Thanks again!<BR><BR>Heidi<BR>

The advice about CT is very good. Glad you added more to Rome.<BR><BR>One other area you may want to review is your 2 nights in Siena and then 2 nights in Florence. <BR><BR>The two towns are pretty close together, maybe 1 hour by car. We stayed in a villa in Siena for a week and easily drove up to Florence to see the area. <BR><BR>I would pick a hotel in Florence and stay there for the full 4 nights. That avoids one more unpack and then you can take a day trip down to Siena. I believe Florence has more to see and do than Siena and deserves more of your time.<BR><BR>Book the Accademia and Uffizi In Florence online so you have a specific time to get into both of these museums. The lines can get long and waste a lot of your time. If you have a reservation, you walk right in.The small extra charge you pay is well worth it as you walk ahead of a line stretching around the block.<BR><BR>Rothenburg is a fun city to enjoy in the evening. I would recommend you stay there versus Dinkelsbuhl. The MARKUSTURM HOTEL is great or the REICHS KUTCHENMEISTER. Try either and be sure to do the Night Watchman's tour at 8pm that leaves from the town square.