Rothenberg-Munich or Munich-Fussen??
 

If you had your choice between the Romantic road from Rothenburg to Munich or Munich to Fussen (done by car as a day trip) what would you choose??? And why?

If option A includes waking up in Rothenburg, (or being there at sundown if the reverse), I'd choose the that option. Rothenburg before or after the crowds is a pleasure not to be missed. A tiny town with stone bridge and fortress on its hill between Rothenburg and Munich is Harburg, one of my favorites. J.

I second jmw44's response. We were there late afternoon to late morning the following day. No crowds. You really get the sense of a medieval village.

I dont think I will be able to be in Rothenburg for either. I am coming from Oberwesel (2 1/2 hours away) and I am really only using it for a stop along the way to Munich. With that being said is it still your choice? Better yet, will I regret it if I dont see Neuschwanstein (very mixed reviews) and opt for the first part of the RR??

R - I had to skip Neuschwanstein this first trip to Germany. We managed to see (tour inside) one incredible castle called Burg Eltz in the Mosel area. That satisfied my castle bug for now. It was the "real deal" - built in 1200's I believe - instead of Neuschwanstein being a late 1880's creation. Rothenburg gets really crowded with tour buses between the hours of about 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The view of Neuschwanstein from the surrounding area is fantastic. Just because something "only" a bit over a century old doesn't mean that it's less worthwhile seeing than something 500 or 600 years old. Plus the older family castle (Hohenschwangau) is just across the valley. And Linderhof is just about a 45 minute drive east.

Of course, I am a historian and anthropologist, so I do see things differently from folks with other backgrounds.

Rothenburg is "pretty" and worth seeing, but a bit touristy for my taste. I'd take the German and Austrian Alps over Rothenburg and its cutsey shops any day. Though Mrs. Fly did love that monstrous Xmas shop complex. How a Buddhist can be so much into Santa Claus and general Xmas decorating I'll just never understand.

To really get the sense of waking up in a real medieval village there would need to be a lot more garbage and less savory stuff in the streets than that left by the tourist hordes each afternoon. Probably fleas in the bedding, too.

But, again, the place is photogenic.

Bottom line, RChandler, is that it's your money, your time, your interests. I'd go to see Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, and Linderhof. jmw and aggiemom would go to Rothenburg. We just aren't the same people with exactly the same interests.