Rhine River or Romantic Road?
 

I'm in the *very* early stages of planning a Germany trip for next year, and would appreciate any comments or suggestions to help me decide between visiting Rhine River towns or Romantic road towns.

It will be in the fall, we will probably tour the towns by car. I have been to Germany before, but only the very southern area (as an off-shoot of a Switzerland/Austria trip). I hate to admit it, but I do like "touristy" things to do (visiting castles, museums, etc.). I also like to take scenic walks, and while I'm not a true hiker, I don't have any mobility problems so slightly strenuous activity is fine (biking/hiking).

I'm leaning toward the Rhine River area myself, but my husband thinks it might be a little monotonous, and thinks the Romantic Road is a better option because we could combine it with a visit to the alpine areas in the South (either start or end there). He hasn't been there before, and while I've visited So. Germany before, I'm not adverse to going again, because it's so beautiful.

What do other Fodorites think about Rhine river .v Romantic Road -- which one would offer me the best combination of scenery and activities? I appreciate all suggestions, even if they are criticisms. Thank you in advance.

I should have added that we're thinking of doing about 14 days total, including travel days. Thanks.

You have time to do both. To select one, I would probably do the Romantic Road, but I have done each of them the same number of times.

I'd look at the Mosel, just more fun than the marketeers "Romantic Road". While the Rheingau is special I'd follow the road south from the junction of the Mosel with the Rhine and head off across the Pfalz to Alsace. This whole stay in one country thing is not sensible and Alsace is special ending in Starasbourg. If you still have time cut over to the Danube Ulm and Lake Constance

You have plenty of time to do both. Taking some time to go along the Mosel is a good idea.

What type of other activities are you interested in?

"Romantic Road" - not its real name, of course, but a marketing concept for a north-south trip, one that has some good destinations but also one that bypasses dozens of places in Bavaria that are actually more charming and interesting than many that happen to lie on the RR. Don't let the RR confine you. Be sure to look into other destinations as well before choosing a route. Here are just a few.


Regensburg
Nuremberg
Bamberg
Bayreuth
Iphofen
Ochsenfurt
Marktbreit
Bad Windsheim (Freilandmuseum: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...h_Bavaria.html )
Berchtesgaden
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Mittenwald
Lindau

I did a 3 week Germany/ Austria trip in 2011 (not my first time in either country). My favorite stops in Germany were in Bacharach (Rhein) and Rothenburg (Romantic Road). I stayed in Cochem on the Mosel, because I was relying on trains. The Mosel area is lovely, too. I just thought Bacharach was such a charming village. I'd been to Rothenburg before as a teen, and was prepared for lots of crowds. It actually wasn't bad, and I especially enjoyed it in the evenings and early mornings. Almost no one on the streets at that time.

To echo what others have said, yes, you have time for both. The Alsace is also a delightful region. I stayed in Colmar. You could stay in Rothenburg ob der tauber 3 nights (day tripping to other villages while there) then go to the Rhein for 2 nights, the Mosel for 2 or 3, and then Colmar for 3 (visiting other villages on the Route du Vin. That would make up 11 nights, giving you the option to add a night or two to your favorite destination.

The stops I wish I had skipped were Bamberg and Regensberg. For some reason I just thought these paled in comparison to other towns I've visited.

"I hate to admit it, but I do like "touristy" things to do (visiting castles, museums, etc.). I also like to take scenic walks, and while I'm not a true hiker, I don't have any mobility problems so slightly strenuous activity is fine (biking/hiking)."

You'll like the Rhine region. You'll have short hikes from the towns of St. Goar and Braubach to the castles of Rheinfels and Marksburg. The Rheinsteig (east bank) and Rheinburgenweg (west bank) trails that run along the clifftops are a huge draw for both long distance and dayhikers (many towns like St. Goar and Oberwesel are very close; 2-3 hours on foot gets you from one to the other through some awesome scenery.) For biking, the nearby Mosel River is terrific. The 45-minute walk from Moselkern to Burg Eltz castle is mostly very easy:

www.burg-eltz.de
http://www.bensbauernhof.com/burgeltzfrommoselkern.html

Museums: check out the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, the Peace Museum in Remagen (north of Koblenz), and the terrific open-air museum in Bad Sobernheim. The Falconry show at Reichsburg Castle in Cochem is great too.

www.bruecke-remagen.de

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...neland_Pa.html

http://www.falknerei-reichsburg-cochem.de/fotobuch.htm

I don't find this stuff "monotonous" at all.

I've done the hike from Moselkern to Burg Eltz as a solo traveler. It's not a bad hike, but it's all uphill and it was over 90 degrees F when I was there. I opted to share a cab with some folks I had met on the train for the trip back to the station.

I agree with Russ that you will love the Rhine, but since you are so close, you should also stay on the Mosel. If you are traveling by train, stay in Cochem (for the Mosel part only) and day trip one day to Burg Eltz, and the next take a boat ride to Beilstein.

Now that I've given this more thought, you should probably think about visiting Rhine, Mosel and one other place (not two other places). I've learned from my last Germany trip that fewer stops makes for a more relaxing and meaningful vacation. Your original thought was about the romantic road. As I said you can easily visit Rhine, Mosel and Romantic Road in a 14 day vacation.

You can see my photos of Backarach (Rhine) and Cochem (Mosel) and Rothenburg here::
http://www.pbase.com/scbowen/germany__austria_2011

Just a comment on the Moselkern hike. It's been many years but when we did it, we were not allowed to leave our bags at the station. Perhaps that has changed?

There are no lockers at the Moselkern station. I was day tripping from Cochem, so this was not an issue for me.

MY vote is for one week in Bacharach (Rhein) and one week in Bamberg!

http://www.vacation-in-rhineland-pal...le%20Rhine.htm

MY vote is for one week in Bacharach (Rhein) and one week in Bamberg!

http://www.vacation-in-rhineland-pal...le%20Rhine.htm

I agree with the Bacharach part, but I was bored with Bamberg after 2 nights. It was a very crowded weekend when I was there (some sort of festival going on?). The historic old center is lovely, but It doesn't have the charm of Rothenburg. Besides, your original interest was in the romantic road. You should probably stick with this plan.

I wouldn't recommend trying to see Mosel/Rhein from one base. Have a base on the Rhine (German: Rhein), and another base on the Mosel. My recommendations for villages in which to base are Bacharach and Cochem (especially if arriving by train). On the romantic road, stay in Rothenburg; in the evening, you'll practically have the place to yourself. You can day trip to other villages during the day (you will need a car for this part).

Thank you all for the great suggestions! I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I was really tied up this weekend. Since it seems unanimous that I'll have time to do more than one area, I will look into doing both, or doing a Rhine/Mosel combo, or branching off to the Alsace region. And I'll probably have a lot more questions once we have firmer plans! You guys are the best.

Well Udderly this sounds exactly like the trip my husband and I are planning for Sept 2014. We will have two weeks. Interests the same as yours, hiking and castles for me, museums for my hubby. Also my husband has put on the must do list, VW factory tour, Claas and Fendt combine factory tours. I guess you can tell we are farmers. I will follow these posts. K