Scary travel in Germany
 

I'm struggling to figure out weather to rent a car or travel by train. I'm taking a train from Bruges to Nuremberg on July 11. (Eu ail?) I have family in Nuremberg, so I'll spend 2 days with them.

I want to see Rothenburg, Colmberg, Dinkelsbuel, Oberaamagau, Fuessen, the castles, Dachau, and Munich, then fly home from Munich on the 18th. (I'd love to go to Regensburg too because I studied there, but the time is too short.)

Option 1: Ask family to drive us to Schloss Colmberg, and take public transportation to the Romantic towns, and then down to Fuessen.

Option 2: Rent a car. Yikes! If I can avoid this it would be great. I get so stressed when I drive (even at home when I don't know where I'm going) and I'll be driving w/ a teenager.

The train from Colmberg to Fuessen is 9 hours!

Any bus or couch suggestions; or should I just bite the bullet and rent a car?

Most thankfully yours,

RedwoodCityMom

Scary? No. According to the DB site, the travel from Colmberg to Füssen can take as little as 4 1/2 hours, via Ansbach, treuchtlingen, und Augsburg. Each journey begins with a bus trip from Colmberg Rathaus to Ansbach, where you catch the train for the onward journey to Füssen.

It will be much easier and faster to see the Romantic Towns if you have a car.

You can drive very relaxed at a leisurly pace, than no need to be scared. Driving in Germany is just the same as driving in North America, except that you won't find streets with four or five lanes in each direction.

Definitely not scary. Sure, vehicles travel at a higher pace, but if you do as well you will be fine. In fact, we have found Germany one of the very easiest countries in which to drive - very efficient and well done. It is unnerving the first couple of days to be going 160 km/hour and have cars whiz past you but you truly do get used to it. Then you return home and the 100 km/hour speed limit feels so draggy!

"Driving in Germany is just the same as driving in North America, except..."
In Germany everyone seems to know the rules and how to drive. You don't find people coasting along in the fast lane drinking coffee and talking on their cells. IMO, Germans tend to take driving seriously which makes driving there a delight. Here's a website to help:

gettingaroundgermany.home.att.net/regeln.htm
gettingaroundgermany.home.att.net/parken.htm

When the OP writes: "I get so stressed when I drive (even at home when I don't know where I'm going) and I'll be driving w/ a teenager." -- I would think it not very wise to say, Oh, sure, no problem, you can drive in Germany where they generally drive about 160 km/hour! JMHO

Sure - they drive pretty fast in the far left lane of the autobahn. On all their regular roads German drivers do not speed as there are speed limits.

They are, however, very courteous drivers. No one hogs the outside lane - people pass and then move to the right lane.

We drove in Germany for a month and, quite honestly, I would prefer to drive there than on any interstate or beltway around a city.

The road to Fuessen is a suburban road and not at all like the autobahn. My recommendation would be to rent a car - see as much of the country as you can - I know you'll love it!!

Conquer your fears, don't sucumb to them, specially when it involves the potential to enjoy yourself so much more. I think you should drive, just take a deep breath and drive to the right.

They only drive that fast in the far left lane. Stay in the right lane and you will be fine. They actually have better and safer driving manners over there.

But if driving makes you that nervous you should seriously consider traveling with a friend who can do the driving or using public transit to visit a shorter, more manageable list of German towns. If you don't enjoy yourself, what would be the point of the vacation?

Time to turn that teenager (how old?)into a navigator. Buy a good map at one of the service stations in Germany and enjoy the adventure. If you get lost it just means you get to see something you hadn't planned on seeing.

We enjoy traveling by car in Germany but my wife has the navigator role and she takes it seriously. If you really want to simplify things get a GPS unit and it will give you turn by turn instructions.

First of all, Thank you to all who responded!

My fear of driving isn't so much about speed, as it is about not knowing where I'm going. I'm imaging being in Dinkelsbuel and not being able to find the hotel, or a parking space.

Also, do you think the itinerary is too much?

Germany seems to make much better use of road signs than we do in the States, not only on roads but within towns and cities too. I rarely get lost there, but tend to need a GPS to find my way around Washington D.C.

There is plenty of public transpo in Germany so anyone who is afraid to drive shouldn't be on the road. Get a rail pass and you'll truly be on vacation.


I think one of the problems with driving in So.California is that there are few options for the scared and clueless. So you find people who refuse to speed up when entering a freeway or who haven't figured out what the fast lane is for.

First, the Romantic towns are so small that it is impossible to get lost.

Secondly, you can buy a very detailed map. Maps in Germany are much more detailed than those you can buy in the US.

Thirdly, rent a car with a GPS system and then you can completely relax and enjoy the landscape.

There is another aspect to this. Attitude! Get in the mindset that you will get lost and that is part of the adventure. You won't get very lost - those are small towns. But getting lost and figuring it out with your teenager will make for wonderful memories and stories. And you will both feel so good when you find the hotel or whatever. Don't deprive yourself and child of this great opportunity to really bond. It is a great adventure but you need to program yourself to enjoy it. Have a great time. CJ

Hi Mom,

Ditto AisleSeat.

Having your teenager be the navigator will make him/her an important part of the journey rather than just a sullen lump sitting in the back seat with earphones on.

>I want to see Rothenburg, Colmberg, Dinkelsbuel, Oberaamagau, Fuessen, the castles, Dachau, and Munich,

Plot the routes from

Nuremburg to Rothenburg ob der tauber

Rothenburg to Oberammergau via Wies

Oberammergau to Fuessen via Linderhof

Fuessen to Munich via Garmisch

at www.viamichelin.com

The scenic routes are outlined in green.

Mark your route on a decent map (Michelin No. 546- Bayern and No. 730- Osterreich are good).

Use the zoom function at www.viamichelin.com and/or www.mappy.com to follow the road through the towns to see where the route jogs.

Usually the roads are well marked.

Use the hybrid function at www.map.google.com to get an aerial view of the countryside.

Better yet, let your teen do this for you.

You won't need the car in Munich, and you can visit Dachau by bus.

Also see www.romanticroad.com/default.htm#index

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

We found driving in Germany to be really easy - but if driving in strange places stresses you out, then take the train. You wont have the same freedom as you would with a car, but everything is a trade off, right? Do what you are comfortable with. And if the train means that you can't easily get to one or two of your planned destinations, then substitute others. There are so many great things to see in Germany.

Rothenberg is an easy train ride from Nuremberg - we did that as a day trip. There are 2 train changes, which I thought would be confusing, but it wasn't. Very easy. We also took the train between Munich and Nuremberg, which was also easy - this was a direct train, not changes. Just sit back and enjoy the scenery.

Since you only have 7 days, you might consider this:

Spend time in Nuremberg, taking day trips to Rothenberg and Colmberg. Then take the train to Munich, basing yourself there for the rest of your trip. From Munich, you can take a day trip by train to Fussen. I think you can get a bus from Fussen to Oberamergau and take a train back to Munich from near there. This will allow you to see everything except Dinklesbuhl, you will be able to do everything without a car, and not end up spending a bunch of time on trains and buses with your luggage.

Another alternative is the bus. I know there's a bus that goes up the Romantik Road. But that's about all I know.

I think if driving is such a problem, it wouldn't be much of a vacation for you. Unless having GPS navigation to direct you would calm your nerves.

Just out of curiosity! Did you find Germans that actually used the words "Romantik Road" when refering to "Romantic Road". In German it would be "Romatisch", so where does the "k" come from? :-)

The bus is called Europabus. Google it. CJ

Romantisch..., :-)

We were in France in last September. The car we rented was not available so we wound up with a car that had a GPS. It enabled us to get into and out every town and city without getting lost. We found that most towns do not have good signage.

We are going to Germany in May and the GPS is a mandatory item. Depending upon which rental agency and type of car you are renting it may cost more but for us it well worth it.

WOW!! Thank you for all your input. I really appreciate it.

I have decided to borrow a car from my family in Nuremberg. I've purchased a GPS
Garmin Nuvi 370 Pocket Vehicle GPS Navigator and Personal Travel Assistant with European Maps and am so excited about it. I don't think I'll be getting lost here or any where now!

Hi redwoodcitymom,
That's great about the navi - I don't think you will regret your decision to drive. It will be much easier to get to the small towns you want to visit. As others have said, Germans are "typically" safe and courteous drivers, and the speed limits are strictly enforced (especially within towns - the speed limit is always 50 kph or less), although that doesn't mean you won't run into the occasional speedy type who becomes instantly impatient with you. Just be relaxed, and remember that taking a wrong turn now and then is not the end of the world (and the navi will tell you how to get on the right track again!). A few suggestions:

1) Always have backup maps, just in case. See if you can borrow a good road atlas from your family, or buy one when you get there. For serious road trips, a detailed road atlas bought in Germany is better (and more manageable, as they are typically spiral bound books) than any map I've found in the U.S.

2) Sometimes in tiny medieval towns, even navigation units can get confused because the streets are so close together. It's important to check the street signs and know where you are (this is where the teenager's eyes will come in handy!).

3) If you park in a garage, wait until you are out of the garage to turn on the navi so it can "find" your car accurately.

4) Familiarize yourself with European street signs and driving laws before you go - you can google this on the web.

5) Parking in the towns you plan to visit is pretty straightforward. In Rothenburg you just park outside the city walls and walk in - there are lots of signs. In the others, first follow the signs to "Zentrum" (center) or "Altstadt" (usually the part of town you want to visit!), then look for the universal blue square with the white "P". Many of the signs even have a digital display telling you how many parking spaces are left. Be sure to check whether you are supposed to pay first or upon your return. Many garages require you to take a ticket when you enter and then you stop at the "Kasse" machine BEFORE you get in your car and pay the required fee.

Are you staying at Burg Colmberg? We were there in December 2005 and loved it!

Have a great trip!

logos, I've wondered that myself. I think it's just a common belief that a hard "c" in English becomes a "k" in German.

And isn't it actually Romantische Strasse? ;-)

Memo: get a navi :)