Hi, <BR> <BR>I have a short stay in Germany en-route to India. I'll be there mid-March for 5 days, only 4 days available for sight-seeing. I had posted some questions here and got some great suggestions, especially from Russ. I hope you'll see this message as well, Russ. <BR> <BR>1. I will be travelling by train. I'm going to get a German rail pass. I defenitely want to see Marksburg. How long will that take ? <BR> <BR>2. It seems like the boats don't ply the Rhine until April, at least the cruises don't seem to start until then. Does anyone know if there is any "local" service. I would at least like do the stretch between St.Goar and Bacharach. <BR> <BR>3. How long does it take to tour Reichsburg in Cochem ? <BR> <BR>4. I can't decide whether to make the long trip from Koblenz to Fussen to see Neuschwanstein and catch a glimpse of Bavaria from the train window, or to visit Rothenburg and the other places around there. Would the train ride be worth the time ? I've already been told that Neuchwanstein alone is not worth the long trip. What would you suggest I do with 3 d2 to 3 days if I didn't go to Neuschwanstein ? <BR> <BR>5. If I did go to Fussen, I would be able to spend a whole day there. I'll stay the night too. How long does it take to see Neuchwanstein and the other Ludwig castle if I get an early start ? <BR> <BR>6. On my last day I plan to end up in Heidelberg and take the train to Frankfurt airport from there in the morning. <BR> <BR>Please help me out ! <BR> <BR>Chitra

Hi, Chitra. The Marksburg tour took only 45 min to an hour, as I remember. It's open from 11-4 in the off-season. The walk from the train station (uphill) is somewhere near 30 minutes. There is a little choo-choo train shuttle that takes you up from the center of town, but I can't be sure it operates in March; you may need to taxi up if you're in a hurry or don't wish to walk. The tour is in German, but the guides will answer questions in English. If your German isn't adequate, read up on the place a little before you go so that you can ask questions of the guides, who are helpful and speak English, for the most part. <BR> <BR>Here's a webpage that may have some answers for you on the Rhine boats. <BR>http://www.loreley-linie.loreleyvall...ses/index.html <BR> This line operates in a limited way in the off-season -- I think you have to preregister for a ride from Boppard to the Lorelei (which looks like the only route they offer.) Click on the link near the bottom that mentions the winter and low-season trips. There's an on-line form you can use to sign up, I think. <BR> <BR>The Reichsburg isn't open until Mar. 15. Its tour is around 45 minutes, and the place is open from 9-5. Plan on a 15-min. walk from the center of town. Ask for a handout in English with the guide's spoken text translated. Most will answer your questions in English as well. <BR> <BR>You seem like the type of visitor who would like to squeeze in a lot of sights into your stay. I'd recommend a trip to Würzburg, which, although it is in Bavaria, is really quite close to Frankfurt and has a lot to see. The Residenz (palace) there is a UNESCO World Heritage sight and will amaze you: http://www.wuerzburg.de/tourismus/se...idenz_eng.html <BR> <BR>Here's a list of other sights in Würzburg: <BR>http://www.wuerzburg.de/internationa...rismus/sights/ <BR> <BR>You could stay a couple of nights in Würzburg and make a daytrip to Rothenburg from there (not very far) on one of those days. Here's a list of W'burg hotels. I stayed at the Barbarossa (#91) -- central, inexpensive, clean, good breakfast, nothing fancy. <BR> <BR>http://www.wuerzburg.de/tourismus/ho...ndex.eng.phtml <BR> <BR>From Würzburg, you could train southwest over to Heidelberg via Bad Friedrichshall (near Heilbronn) and the scenic Neckar River Valley, which also has a lot of castles and pretty towns. Hirschorn Castle, a bit before Heidelberg in the town of the same name, has a really nice hotel/castle which is great for meals/refreshment, especially when the patio is open (I doubt you'll be this lucky in March), due to its tremendous view of the river valley below. Bad Wimpfen (near Bad Friedrichshall on a side route) is another good town to stop off in. Heidelberg itself has a fairly pleasant old town area (a bit far from the train station, however) and a castle visit there (right near the old town) isn't bad either, if a bit touristy. <BR> <BR>This much shorter circular route might not cost you as much as a railpass, actually; do you know how to check train schedules and ticket prices at www.bahn.de? <BR> <BR>If you go to Füssen, it takes a full and very busy day to see the castles there. <BR> <BR>I hope this is helpful. Let me know what other questions you have, and I'll try to help.

Hi Russ, <BR> <BR>Thanks a lot for your help. I'll be in Germany from March 16 - 20, visiting Reichsburg on the 17th or 18th, so it should be open. Do you think it would be too much to do Marksburg and Reichsburg in one day ? I'm pretty fit, and energy and stamina is not a problem for me, but I want to be realistic too. <BR> <BR>You are right, I would like to see as much as I can. I don't know when I'll have an opportunity like this again. The other thing is that if there are no cruises on the Rhine, it may not be worth spending a lot of time there. I'll take the train from Koblenz to Mainz. <BR> <BR>Another reason for wanting to go to Fussen (apart from Neuschwanstein) was that I'd at least be able to get a glimpse of Bavaria. Will the train trip give me a flavour of the countryside or is it better by road ? <BR> <BR>I'm still pretty confused. The trouble is with all I want to see, I probably need at least two weeks there, but I can't have that. <BR> <BR>Chitra

The Bavarian countryside isn't too exciting until you get to the mountains. The train may be better because you can look and don't have to worry about watching the road.

Hi, Chitra: Paige is right about the route through Bavaria and about the train being the best way to see the sights. It's pretty all along the way, but it becomes truly spectacular as you approach Füssen and the Alps. March is usually still fairly winter-like -- not too many blossoms out yet -- so if you really want some scenery, I think southern Bavaria is a good bet. <BR>You sound pretty sold on Füssen, so give it a go. <BR> <BR>Here's my suggested itinerary: <BR> <BR>17th: The Reichsburg opens earliest. Take an early morning train from Limburg to Koblenz, and store your luggage in a <BR>locker there, then get to Cochem. If you can see Reichsburg and Cochem in the morning, there's a train that pulls out at 12:03 for Koblenz, where you connect with another for Braubach, arriving there at 1:15. See Marksburg, then catch the 4:30 train back to Koblenz, connecting with another that takes you southward along the Rhine. This train is the RB, a slower train that stops nearly everywhere along the way, giving you a chance to at least peek at the castles and towns along the way. It pulls into St. Goar, a nice town surrounded by castles and vineyards and a good place to stroll around, at 5:26; you could also get off in Bacharach, another popular town with lots of half-timbered buildings, cobblestones, and the like, at 17:37 instead (going to Bacharach would let you glimpse the Lorelei Rock on the opposite side of the river from the train window.) St. Goar has a little ferry that takes you across the river into St. Goarshausen, where you could look around as well. Alternatively, I suppose you might be able to head straight to Bacharach and then return to St. Goar and St. <BR>Goarshausen to explore, too. Have a nice meal somewhere, then catch a train back to Koblenz. Instead of overnighting there, get your luggage, then hop on a night train for Augsburg (or maybe Munich.) There are several that leave between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., but I'd suggest getting into Augsburg early, if possible. You'll have to pay a supplement for a bunk in a Liegewagen if you don't wish to sleep in a regular seat, but this won't cost much. See if you can reserve this in advance so you don't have to worry about it there. There's a departure from Koblenz at 10:54 p.m. with a change at Frankfurt Airport (once at the airport, you need to walk to the other station there) that gets you to Augsburg at 5:35 a.m. Have breakfast there, then catch the 7:14 for Füssen and arrive there at 8:57. <BR> <BR>18th: Once in Füssen, drop your bags at the hotel, then head off, and you'll have a good shot at seeing everything there in a day. <BR> <BR>19th: Make your way back to Heidelberg. The most direct route takes you through Ulm (nice cathedral) and Stuttgart, but I think it would be good to take the train through the Neckar River Valley (probably change in Stuttgart) for the best scenery. <BR> <BR>I'm unclear whether you depart on the 20th or 21st; if you have the extra day, consider heading to Rothenburg or Würzburg on the way back north -- a little out of the way, but worthwhile if you don't plan to spend much time in Heidelberg. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. Let me know if this makes sense or not. Feel free to e-mail me if you wish. <BR> <BR>Russ