While there are many ways to experience a Romantic Road Germany tour, the best option is definitely by car! By driving the Romantic Road you can stop in amazing towns like Rothenburg ob der Tauber, see the Nordlingen crater, and end in the Bavarian Alps in Fussen. Follow our Germany Romantic Road itinerary for all the best places to stop, and more great tips along the way!

Pin For Later ↓

More Europe Travel Inspiration

Our Romantic Road Germany Tour

Starting Point: Wurzburg Germany

Ending Point: Fussen Germany

Length: 324 km

Time Needed: 1-3 Days

Continue On: German Alpine Road Detour: One Week in Bavaria & Austria

After visiting northern Germany we rented a car and headed south. We had a little over a week to make it to Munich where we were catching a bus to Slovenia. Having traveled to Germany many times (but it being Jake’s first visit) I wanted explore Bavaria.

This would be something that was new for both of us! We thought the perfect way to get there would be to cut straight down the Germany Romantic Road, and check out some of the countries most beautiful towns.

We highly recommend starting in the north and driving the route south. The easiest way to do this would be to fly into Munich, rent a car, and head towards Wurzburg to start the trip. The whole drive is beautiful, but there’s something surreal about ending your drive down Germany’s Romantic Road and entering the German Alps.

Germany Romantic Road Itinerary

Obviously there are an endless number of towns that make up the Romantic Road. Just know that this trip isn’t about the end destination, but instead about the whole day of driving through the different towns and villages. I wouldn’t plan to stop at every place because it would extend your trip by a week or two. However, it all depends on how much time you have! We did this Germany Romantic Road tour in two days, and easily could have spent an extra day in any of the following small towns:

Wurzburg

Holzkirchen

Urphar

Wertheim

Tauberbischofsheim

Lauda-Konigshofen

Bad Mergentheim

Weikersheim

Rottingen

Creglingen

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Schillingsfürst

Feuchtwangen

Dinkelsbuhl

Wallerstein

Nordlingen

Harburg

Donauworth

Augsburg

Friedberg

Kaufering

Landsberg am Lech

Hohenfurch

Schongau

Peiting

Rottenbuch

Wildsteig

Steingaden and Wieskirche

Halblech

Schwangau, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau

Fussen

Staying on the Romantic Road Route

Unfortunately, you can’t just put the starting town of Wurzburg and ending town of Fussen Germany into your GPS. This is because it will automatically reroute you to the Autobahn and risk you missing Germany’s Romantic Road all together.

Do your best to follow the signs for the Romantic Road, but understand it’s tougher than you can imagine. At some points they were very clearly marked, while at others they seemed to disappear all together.

In all honesty it would be difficult to do this trip without a GPS. When we couldn’t find the signs we would just put in the town we knew was next, and it would bring us back to the road. If you really want to stay on the right track try not to skip any towns on the Romantic Road itinerary. Even jumping one place on your GPS can take you off the beautiful backroads and onto the highway!

5 Highlights from Germany’s Romantic Road

The Drive

Okay I’m sure this goes without saying, but the drive is really beautiful! I will definitely admit that we took more than one wrong turn on our way to places like Fussen and Nordlingen Germany. This led to quite a bit of time trying to find our way back to the actual Romantic Road…. But isn’t that part of the fun?

Nevertheless, each village and farm we passed confirmed that we had make the right choice of renting a car for our Romantic Road Germany tour. Some of our favorite parts of the drive weren’t the villages, but being on these crazy small roads that should have been a one way street. What a great way to see the nature of this beautiful country!

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

One of the most famous towns along the Germany Romantic Road is Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Each building is painted a different warm color, and the small winding streets make it truly special. Set in a stone walled fortress, the extremely walkable town walls wraps around and protect Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This is a MUST SEE along Germany’s Romantic Road, and we highly recommend staying the night.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Living the Fairy Tail and Avoiding the Crowds

Nordlingen Germany

More than just another beautiful town along the Romantic Road, Nordlingen Germany has a fascinating history. The whole town is actually built in an impact crater from a space meteor that struck Germany a long long time ago. Now with over 1,110 years of history, Nordlingen is the perfect place for a day or overnight stop on your trek!

Hiking to View the Neuschwanstein Castle

Did you even drive the Romantic Road if you don’t visit the single most intimate spot on the trip? No! Since we ended in the Bavarian Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle was a major highlight of our whole drive and time in Southern Germany.

We decided to do the hike to Queen Mary’s Bridge, and it was an amazing way to see the famous castle. (More information about that in our post below). So whether you’re visiting the castle or viewing it from above, Neuschwanstein will surely be a highlight on your Germany Romantic Road itinerary.

Hiking to Queen Mary’s Bridge

Fussen Germany

We knew that the town of Fussen Germany was the end of the Romantic Road, but we didn’t realize how stunning and magical it would be. At the base of the Bavarian Alps, Fussen has a small town feel in a very developed and well traveled area.

We spent one night in Fussen Germany, and it was not enough at all! Be sure to roam the streets, sip a beer at a local bar, and eat at one of the many traditional restaurants while in town.

Have any questions about the towns we visited or want to share your own experiences driving the romantic road? Comment below and let us know!

Safe Travels,

Brigitte & Jake

______________________________________

Where To Stay Along The Romantic Road

For individual hotel recommendations in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Fussen check out our posts! You can also view the latest hotel prices here in Germany.

*By booking through our website we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This allows us continue our travels and keep providing great content to our readers! You can also bookmark this link for all your future stays*