I am joining my husband at the end of a business trip in Stuttgart in mid-February. Is there anyone that can offer advice on things to see? Should we stay in that area or catch a train to somewhere else? We do not feel comfortable driving. We don't speak German and want to learn as much as we can before going.

First of all you don;t need to speak German. Most Germans - esp those at al involved in the tourist infrastructure (hotel, restaurants, shops, trains etc) speak at least basic English. You should of course learn the basic polite phrases along with menu German, but nothing beyond that is necessary.

For people to give you better advice you need to give us more info - how long you will have there, what your interests are, and what sort of budget you have (cheap, moderate or luxurious) - for instance a hotel budget wold be really helpful.

I didn't find anything charming or interesting about Stuttgart. I checked out of my hotel after 1 night and went to Baden Baden.

The middle Rhine is also very nice.

I lived in Stuttgart MANY years ago. While it was a nice place to live, we didn't find it so interesting for tourism. We had a car and drove almost everywhere, but you will have no problem getting around by train. Depending on how many days you have to travel, a few suggestions not too far from Stuttgart would be a visit to the walled town of Rothenburg o.d. Tauber, Heidelberg, and/or Munich. If you choose Munich, you could arrange for tours to some of King Ludwig's castles or even Dachau.

Stuttgart is a modern city that would not appeal to everyone. We spent a couple days there last Christmas season and enjoyed it.

The area around Stuttgart has a lot to offer and there is a local (Marcopolko) from Stuttgart that loves to act as tourist adviser on Tripadvisor. Here is an example:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...rttemberg.html

You need not travel far from Stuttgart to have a wonderful time.

Regards, Gary

I lived in Stuttgart for over 2 years. It is a vibrant, exciting city and a wonderful place to live, but it is not exactly your typical tourist spot. The city center was largely destroyed in WWII so you won't get much of the feel of a medieval German city, although the Koenigstrasse does offer some of the best shopping around.

There's much to see and do in the region around Stuttgart, but frankly February is not a particularly good time to explore the countryside. It will be cold and the days will be short, and since you will not have a car you will be somewhat limited. If this is your first trip to Germany, you may be better off traveling to a more tourist-friendly city like Munich as longhorn suggests. A lot depends on your interests and how much time you have - give us a few more details and we can help you out more.

Second that about Marko on TA. He will get you pointed in the right direction with tons of info about what to see and do in Stuttgart.