Will be in this area for three weeks, but due to work requirements must limit my down-time to short day trips. Can anyone provide approximate travel times for some train routes to some surrounding cities you find interesting? I was assigned there in the 80's, and am familiar with the Rhine and Mosel areas, but am thinking I would like to explore areas along the French Border. Thanks for any input.

We really enjoyed Freiburg. The old town is lovely. It's about 2 hrs from Stuttgart.

http://www.freiburg.de/servlet/PB/me..._l2/index.html

About an hour or so from Stuttgart is Bad Wimpfen. It was one of our very favorite "discoveries" several years ago. It's small and compact but with many charming buildings and the ruins of a medievel Imperial Palace, all right on the Neckar River.

http://www.badwimpfen.de/showpage.php?lang=2

My two cents about a couple of options can be found with these links:

Wissenbourg: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/13f89/
Baden-Baden: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/12d15/
Bruchsal: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/1192d/
Esslingen: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/fd08/
Ladenburg: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/aa6e/
Schwetzingen: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/4bcc/
Karlsruhe: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/bdf4/
Konstanz: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/b0dc/

Neustadt / Weinstraße: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/8675/
Annweiler and Trifels castle: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/131ba/

Then there are Heidelberg, Tübingen, Speyer, and heaps of more options.

Thanks fore the replies, am looking forward to being in GE this time of year as I normally am there during Sept-Oct.