davidman820

Hi All

My wife and I are planning a trip to Munich in April. We plan to visit The Castles and The Romantic Road, at least Rothenberg as well. I'm trying to figure out the best way to go from Munich to Bavaria. It seems like the bus along the Romantic Road has an awkward schedule and we won't see much. Should we just rent a car and drive out there or is there a better way to go? Thanks

hetismij

Firstly Munich is IN Bavaria, it is the capital. I would hire a car, it gives you the freedom to go as you want, where you want, for as long as you want.

Wayne

Munich is considered to be in Bavaria -- but the Romantic Road isn't. Be that as it may, the only way to see the several villages along the RR is to rent a car. I'd suggest you consider stopping at some village in addition to Rothenburg, such as Dinkelsbuhl or Nordlingen, and if you have time also visit the city of Wurzburg, a baroque jewel.

Dukey

Actually, you can visit several of the villages Wayne mentioned by rail but a car would give you a lot more flexibility.

You can also visit the castles in Fuessen through a combination of rail and public transport but there again a car would give you more flexibility.

travelfan1

We flew into Munich, spent the first night in Dachau (right outside of Munich) and then drove to Rothenberg (staying within the walls),down the Romantic Road to Oberammergau. We had no trouble and had never driven in Europe before.

Have a wonderful trip.

katzen

Last summer my husband and I did a similar trip. We rented a car and we found this way to be the best transportation for seeing the area. From Rothenburg we drove down the romantic road stopping in many of the small villages and then heading to Munich. It's a very easy drive and we were there in August.

katzen

oops, forgot to add that we then drove from Munich to Fussen and spent the next day at the castle.

rhapsody

Fodorite hausfrau is an expert on the romantic road and lives near Paris. Search for her name.

RufusTFirefly

Not all of the RR is in Bavaria, but I do believe that most of it is. At least most of the best known cities and towns along the road are; e.g., Wuerzburg, Rothenburg, Dinkelsbuehl, Noerdlingen, Augsburg, Landsberg, Fuessen. Unless my memory of that trip is getting dimmer than I think it is.

JEFF_

The towns along the RR are wonderful, but there's nothing romantic about the road itself. I recall it being fairly narrow with lots of traffic.

ira

Hi D,

I think a car would be the best way.

If you start from Fuessen, I think you might like to visit Linderhof, Oberammergau and the Wies Kirch on your way north.

Be aware that you will need a road-tax sticker if you drive into Austria.

You might find this helpful:
www.romanticroad.com/default.htm#index

milliebest

If you take the bus, can you get off in a town and stay overnight and then get back on the bus the next day ?

hausfrau

Well, I'm no expert, but I'll try. (And I live in Stuttgart, which is only "close to Paris" if you are an American who likes road trips, like me.)

When it comes to small-town hopping, I am partial to driving a car. When it comes to the Romantic Road, a car makes even more sense. There are so many places to see that you can't get to by train. April should be a nice time to visit - you shouldn't have trouble with traffic on the roads. Yes, it is all local two-lane roads, but not any different from typical European country driving. You should have no problem if you give yourself enough time. We drove the Romantic Road in 5 days (overnights in Wuerzburg, outside Rothenburg, Augsburg, and Neuschwanstein/ Hohenschwangau) in December 2005 and we felt like we just saw the highlights.

In addition to the spots everyone talks about (namely Rothenberg and Neuschwanstein), here are a few other highlights:
- Wuerzburg (great fortress and wonderful old city, lovingly rebuilt after WWII)
- Rothenberg is a must-see day trip, but instead of staying in town, try Burg Colmberg, a fabulous castle-hotel a few miles outside of town.
- Other small towns of note include Bad Mergentheim, Dinkelsbuehl, Noerdlingen, and Landsburg am Lech
- If you like castles, visit Schloss Harburg
- the Wieskirche, an incredibly beautiful church out in the middle of nowhere
- If you go to Neuschwanstein, do Hohenschwangau as well to get the whole story. I recommend Hotel Mueller just below the castles - they will arrange your castle tickets for you and they have a nice traditional restaurant.

Happy planning!

scubapuppies

Renting a car gives you so much more flexibility and driving in Germany is so easy! Rothenburg ob der Tauber is so pretty, don't miss that. And if you drive south from Rothenburg to Austria along the "Romantische Strasse," you'll find many lovely small towns along the way. If traffic is too slow, you can cut over to the larger highway that runs parallel for a little while. In Rothenburg, do find a restaurant called the "Burger Keller" - ask for the owner (see my previous posts). The food is great but the free entertainment is even better. Plus his dark beer served on tap is one of the better ones we've had in Germany.

If you have the time, visit the castles of Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau. It's a pleasant walk uphill to Neuschwanstein (I'm saying this after doing it in the snow!) and nearby the castles is the charming Wieskirche (mentioned above); it's a beautiful church in a meadow. You'll feel religious no matter what your beliefs are after seeing it.

Enjoy the trip! I love Germany, have a beer for us...

rhapsody

Sorry hausfrau for confusing the two cities. You spend quite a bit of time to do informative posts. Thanks for that.

Bird

I'm trying to figure out a part of the Romantic Road that ISN'T part of Bavaria. Doesn't the road extend from Wurzburg in the north to Fussen in the south?

If you are comfortable driving a car in Germany, rent a car. A car can be a headache in Munich. I would think you would see a lot of the route by bus, but I've never done it.

logos999

>igure out a part of the Romantic Road that ISN'T part of Bavaria
http://www.bayerninfo.de/radler/schema/vs_rw_62.htm

quokka

Bad Mergentheim and Weikersheim, for example, are in Baden-Württemberg. Two hardly known jewels, by the way, which I recommend seeing.

Bird

Thanks logos.

I've driven the RR several times, but never realized it left Bavaria.

Has any one but me driven around a city like Nordlingen or Dinkelsbuhl and felt like you can enter but never leave?

mauitammy

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