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I am planning an approximately 6-day trip in Germany with some friends(20-30 years old). From what I have read, there are plenty to see, so we will focus only on the southern part, namely the Bayern(Bavaria) and Baden-Wuertemberg regions. We are looking for... well everything: from museums and castles to remarkable sights in nature or Theme Parks(we wouldn't like to see some boring art gallery with paintings only). I have a plan-schema, but I am not sure about anything, so would you please provide some feedback?

First 2 days will be spent in Muenchen. There are a lot of things there, but I don't know what's worth seeing: is the German Museum(Deutsches Museum) better than the Technic Museum in Spayer? Are the Zoological and Botanical Gardens nicer than Wilhelma in Stuttgart? I am asking these in order to improve the trip. What else would you suggest here?

The third day we will focus on castles: Ettal Monastery, Linderhof, Neuschwanstein and Oberammergau. The problem is that we don't know by what means we should get to our objectives, since renting a car seems pretty expensive(from what I have found on internet, but please correct me if I'm wrong), so we will have only the trains and maybe some buses(anything else?). Any suggestions? Is there anything else in that area?

The fourth day, we would like to spend in Rothenburg, Wuerzburg(I don't know exactly what is here, but people seem to recommend it) and maybe Nuremberg (only because it's in the way). I don't know exactly whether we should visit these places(people here Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic - Suggestions for 3 week vacation recommended it). What do you think about this?

The fifth day should be spent in the Black Forrest(Schwarzwald) also because of some recommendations, but nothing very clearly. Could you please tell me what is worth seeing there?

The last day will be spent at Europa Park. I read it's really cool. Please tell me if I'm wrong or if you have any suggestions.

We would like to see the Herrenchiemsee castle and Kehlsteinhaus(Eagle's Nest), but there is nothing else in that area(from what I currently know). What do you think about them? Is it worth staying another day just to see these two things(or anything else)?

I know this is a long text, but this place seems to provide some really reliable information. Does this sound like a good approach? Any suggestions or opinions are appreciated. No decision has been made, these are only the first ideas.

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  • What is your form of transportation – user141 Jul 5 '12 at 20:12
  • @Andra We intend to fly to Muenchen and there we'll see. Probably we will travel by train, since I have found some nice offers, but I don't know exactly(honestly, I don't have any idea on what's the best choice). Do you have any suggestions? :D – Dragos Jul 5 '12 at 20:27
  • For the Black Forrest(Schwarzwald) I would recommend renting a car – user141 Jul 5 '12 at 20:31
  • @Andra How about the castles? And what exactly is worth seeing in Schwarzwald? – Dragos Jul 5 '12 at 20:38
  • I really like the Schwarlzwald for its nature and its small lakes. I imagine getting there by train can be difficult – user141 Jul 5 '12 at 21:43
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First of all, I think it's going to be difficult to see all those things only using public transport. Even though public transport is quite reliable in Germany and you can get almost everywhere, it takes a lot of time. When you take a car you will be able to travel far faster. Otherwise, you will spend most of the day with traveling. You mentioned your some friends, so sharing the expense for a car should be sooo expensive. I think you will find some good bargains here on Travel SE for rental cars.

In Munich, you can easily spend two days. There are a lot of things to see, such as Frauenkirche, Marienplatz, Alter Peter, Hofbräuhaus, Odeonsplatz, the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic parc, Nymphenburg, Pinakothek (the old and the new one), Karlsplatz / Stechus, Staatsoper, Viktualienmarkt and if you're there during September, the Oktoberfest is also really worth a visit.

From the tower in the Olympic park you also have a very interesting view over the city and the Olympic parc.

If your an automobile fan, you may also be interested in the BMW Welt. And if you're into soccer, you could also visit the Allianz Arena, the home of the infamous FC Bayern Munich!

The Deutsche Museum is especially interesting if you're into technical stuff. It is really worth a visit and it is the most visited museum in whole Germany. You won't be able to see everything there in one day. (On a side note, take a look at the postcards you can buy there in the souvenir shop. I'm on one of them ;)) So I would really recommend the Deutsche Museum in Munich instead the one in Spayer.

If you're into castles as you planned on your third day, you could also go to Falkenstein or Schloss Höchstädt. But generally, I would recommend to focus on Neuschwanstein.

In Rothenburg there is nothing really special as far as I know, but it is just that city itself that is beautiful because it has a nice old town.

In the Black Forest you can see museums, churches and castles. You can also do some sportive activities like hiking, etc. In general, you can enjoy there the nature and the small villages. It is a more rural area. The only special things I can think of are planting mines that you can visit.

Unfortunately, I can't add anything to Herrenchiemsee castle and Kehlsteinhaus, because I've never been there.

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  • How about the Zoological and Botanical Gardens in Muenchen? I know it's Muenchen, but are they worth seeing, or should we find something else? – Dragos Jul 5 '12 at 22:18
  • What else would you suggest seeing in the area I specified? I am thinking about skipping the Schwarzwald-day, since there isn't a "highlight". I don't doubt about the beauty of the forest, but if it isn't something really great, then I would like to see something better in that time. – Dragos Jul 5 '12 at 22:21
  • Schwarzwald is not really a forest even though the name suggests so. It is more a mountains region (even so there are really a lot of forests there) – RoflcoptrException Jul 5 '12 at 22:32
  • I was not really interested into the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, but that's really a personal opinion. If you're going to Europapark anyway, I would also consider to visit Heidelberg, Ulm and the famous Ulmer Münster or Lake Constance. – RoflcoptrException Jul 5 '12 at 22:36
  • Or if you going to Europapark and you're not very strict about sticking to Germany, I would really consider to visit Strasbourg. – RoflcoptrException Jul 5 '12 at 22:38
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In my opinion your plan is unrealistic. You are describing a very large area and you only have 6 days. If you want to focus on Bavaria alone, then anything above Nuremberg should be excluded.

Having said that, I will give my recommendations of the Franconia / Bavaria region, because it is the main one I have experience when living there.

  • If you are into shopping, check the adidas and puma factory outlets outside Herzogenaurach (almost half price for many items)
  • For transportation in and around Munich, check here and in general here
  • The old city part of Bamberg instead of Rothenburg/Wuerzburg
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  • Those 6 days have become 7 and the new plan(in days) is as follows: 1. the city Muenchen; 2. Deutsches Museum; 3. Neuschwanstein, Linderhof & Oberammergau; 4. Nuremberg & Bamberg; 5. Ulm & Hohenzollern Castle, sleeping in Stuttgart; 6. Wilhelma in Stuttgart; 7. Europa-Park. What do you find here unrealistic? What else should I change here and on what should I focus more? Thank you! – Dragos Jul 10 '12 at 8:08
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    It really depends how much you spend on (for example) the castles: some want to see every single item and read its tag, others just browse quickly. I haven't been to the Deutsches Museum. Muenchen in one day, probably is OK to see some few things. You can't do both Nuremberg and Bamberg in one day, choose one city only. And for the rest I have no experience. Hope this helps :) – ilakast Jul 11 '12 at 20:33
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If you want to visit mainly cities, going by trains and public transportation should be just fine (although you have to decide between cheap or fast). For visiting castles etc. in the countryside I would recommend a rental car.

I recommend Holidayautos for renting a car. It's an agency and not a rental car company. Usually you get a car from one of the big companies, but MUCH cheaper. In addition they provide stuff like unlimited mileage, CDW without extra fees, etc.

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  • Thank you! Do you have any suggestions about the touristic objectives? What would you change on the plan? – Dragos Jul 6 '12 at 8:52
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When I stayed in Munchen what I liked the most was a visit to Dachau, which was a model concentration camp during the Second World War. It is a short trip by train, and there are some guides that reunite groups in the Hauptbhanhof (main station) for the journey, for not expensive prices(I have payed around 15 euros for the train ticket plus entrance in the camp and guide accompaniance)

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