Black Forest stopover

Hi there

Will be travelling by train at the end of September from Switzerland to enjoy Germany for 5 nights. I have booked 2 nights in Stuttgart and our last night before flying home from Frankfurt in baden Baden. That leaves 2 nights before Stuttgart... I thought a stopover in the Black Forest might be peaceful and picturesque. I am not sure of where to go..... The place would have to be convenient to a train station... any suggestions??

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Do you already know where you will cross from Switzerland into Germany? Basel, Schaffhausen/Singen, Konstanz, Romanshorn - Friedrichshafen (ferry), Lindau (via Bregenz/Austria)

As Baden-Baden counts already as Black Forest and as you can cross the Black Forest on the way from Stuttgart to Baden-Baden if you like, I would recommend a more eastbound route along the Swabian Alb.

http://en.s-alb.de/

Sigmaringen / Hohenzollern Schloss

http://www.sigmaringen.de/

www.hohenzollern.de/schloss-sigmaringen/en/

(one of the most interesting castles from the interior)

Hechingen / Burg Hohenzollern

www.hechingen.de/default.php?content=1711

preussen.de/en/today/burg_hohenzollern.html

Tübingen

http://www.tuebingen.de/en/1560.html

Bad Urach

http://www.bad-urach.de/

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Thanks for your reply

We will be leaving Zurich via train. I am having difficulty in finding the most straightforward routes for stopovers. Do you know if I can access a map with train routes in that part of Germany? I was actually thinking of spending two nights in a plce around Scaffhausen. We are really flexible with suggestions but just want to make it easier lugging bags around etc. Thanks again for your help

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Once you are in Schaffhausen you can use the Baden-Wuerttemberg group (2-5 people) day train ticket for 28€ to travel. Irt covers all public transportation in Baden-Wuerttemberg except the fast long distance IC, EC, and ICE trains. For using these tickets, they are valid only after 9AM on a weekday, and until 3AM the nextday. On weekends, travel is possible past midnight to 3AM the next day. Go to www.bahn.de , select English near the top of the page, and also select %26quot;only local transportation%26quot; to see what trains are valid with this ticket. Around Stuttgart, a VVS ( www.vvs.de ) group day ticket will be much cheaper.

I agree with abalada%26#39;s suggestions. Hohenzollern Castle by Hechingen is hard to access by public transportation, but you can always use a taxi to or from it to supplement the bus trip. Also, if you want to do some inexpensive shopping, Metzingen ( www.metzingen.de ) has Germany%26#39;s most factory outlets. The spa mountain valley town of Bad Urach ( www.badurach.de )is also nice.

Personally, I never tire of repeatedly visiting Tuebingen ( www.tuebingen.de ) with its hilly cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, castle, interesting nontourist shops, and one of Europe%26#39;s oldest universities. Just north of it is the lovely well-preserved medieval monastery Bebenhausen (in www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de ), just delightful, excellent sights, peaceful, and not over run by tourists.