June 30-- fly from US to Paris

July 1-- arrive Paris for 5 nights

July 6---take train from Paris to Munich for 4 nights. We will spend a couple of days exploring Munich and then two days we want to take day trips. Day trips to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, Mittenwald, zugspitze, neushwanstein castle. How should we plan the day trips?

July 10--travel Munich to Rothenburg for 1 night stay

July 11-13 Castle Hotel Auf Schonburg for 2 nights exploring the Rhine Valley and trip to Burg Eltz castle. Rhine cruise? How for to Burg Eltz from the Castle Hotel Auf Schonburg?

July 13 to Frankfurt for stay at airport hotel for early flight home to US on July 14.

We will rent a car for the last part of the trip. I understand we don't need it for Munich, but we will for the day trips from Munich and then to travel to Rothenburg, Castle Hotel and to Frankfurt.

How does all this sound? We got the best ticket prices flying into Paris and out of Frankfurt. There are 3 of us traveling. My husband, teenage son and I.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions.

Sorry! That should be how FAR to Burg Eltz castle from Castle Hotel Auf Schonburg?

Thanks!

For your train travels you should investigate the France-Germany Flexipass railpass which would cover all your train travel, with the Paris-Munich being the most expensive.

A 4-day flexipass out of a 2-month period costs $285 p.p. in 2nd class and $316 in first class. If you want to go first class i think the pass could be a good deal but maybe not for 2nd.

To get an idea of euro prices for trains in Germany and the Paris-Munich train go to: www.bahn.de - also the best site for schedules for all of Europe. For any info on passes i always recommend BETS (800-441-2387; www.budgeteuropetravel.com) for their expertise and no usual $15 mailing fee. But check bahn.de to see if they have a SPAR fare - restricted but heavily discounted fare on the Paris-Munich route (or www.voyages-sncf.com for French rail fares). I also like to refer folks to www.ricksteves.com for good info on trains and passes.

You really wouldn't need a car to see the Rhine Valley as you could hop the K-D boats that ply the Rhine Gorge several times daily (100% covered by railpass) - get off at a wine town or castle and reboard - also train station at nearly every dock.
Can also take train to Moselkern (via Koblenz), two miles walk or taxi ride from Burg Eltz.

Assuming that you want to take the scenic route to Burg Eltz, the majority of your time will be spent winding your way up the Mosel River from Koblenz. If time is critical, there may be more direct "overland" routes that would connect the Oberwesel and Burg Eltz areas more directly (i.e., without going through Koblenz). Otherwise, with stopping, the trip could take from several hours to all day. Burg Eltz is a little tricky to find once you leave the river. Just be alert for signs - no matter how small.

Boppard is a common departure point for Rhine cruises, especially the more elaborate ones (e.g., dinner cruises, etc.).

Your itinerary sounds entirely reasonable. Most try to pack far too many destinations into a two week trip. The Rhine/Mosel portion could be a little hectic, but a day or two of hectic will not spoil your trip.

Your plan to pick up a car in Munich is exactly what I would do. I would prefer to drive from Munich to the Middle Rhine via the Romantic Road than try to connect dots by train. Bavaria and the Middle Rhine are car touring territory.

You can do your day trips from Munich without a car. You can get the Bayern Ticket, which is good throughout Bavaria - restricted to trains after 9am and non-ICE trains. Very good value.

Hi mauitammy

For some excellent travel advice, try mappy.com and viamichelin.com. Two great websites to give you very detailed driving, pedestrian and public transportation directions. I find them invaluable.

Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks to ALL for taking the time to help me. I appreciate the advice.

Rick Steves' guidebook has very good instructions for driving to Burg Eltz. Try to spend a little time on the Mosel; it's beautiful.

By the way, we stayed at the Schonburg and really enjoyed it.

If at all fit Burg Eltz is a swell few-mile gently sloping uphill hike from Moselkern, where you can park or get off the train or Mosel boats. It's also easy to find the road that snakes up there a roundabout way.
But hiking is great - you see the castle high above thru the trees - raising anticipation as you hike.

I hope you are not taking the "you don't need a car advice" seriously. The Romantic Road is notoriously inconvenient by public transportation and the Rhine/Mosel area is not much better. You will waste a lot of your precious time waiting for connections, taxis, etc., and you will have considerably less flexibility. Trust your judgment and stick to your original plan.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to help us plan our trip. I really appreciate it!