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Self-Drive Romantic Road

Sail down the beautiful rivers

Exeter International White Glove Self-Drive Program Includes:

A pre-programmed GPS system for you to use while in Europe.
Every day will be set up for you and you can’t get lost!
24-hours local help line available to you as you travel and manned exclusively by Exeter local staff.
Our expert advice in finding the perfect car for your trip. Your car will be waiting for you to pick up locally and will show you exactly where to return it when you are finished.
The freedom to deviate and explore on your own and then jump back into your planned itinerary at any time.

For custom luxury travel, tours and self drive programs to Germany, please contact one of our travel experts.

White Glove Self-Drive Downloadable PDF

Download PDF Itinerary here.

ITINERARY

DAY 1: Arrival
DAY 2: Nuremberg
DAY 3: Romantic Road
DAY 4: Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Munich
DAY 5: Bavaria
DAY 6: Munich
DAY 7: Departure

PRICING FROM

$2,825 per person, based on two guests traveling together. Please contact Exeter International for specific pricing and availability.

Arrival | Würzburg

Today you will arrive in Frankfurt. Upon your arrival, pick up your rental car and head towards Würzburg, located about 1,5 hours from Frankfurt. Check-in at your deluxe hotel. After some time to settle in, you may want to drive to the city center (about 20 minutes), and meet your local guide.

Würzburg is the center of the Franconian wine region, and the cultural hub of Lower Franconia. Like Dresden, the city was severely damaged during WWII but experienced an extensive renovation that brought all the historical sites back to life.

Your guide will take you first to see the Residenz – the prince bishops’ palace considered a master work of XVIII century German Baroque. This vast complex offers magnificent state rooms, as well as beautiful frescos throughout. Later, continue your stroll through the lively Old Town across the Alte Mainbrücke (Old Bridge) to the Marienberg Fortress, built on a hill overlooking the river Main and the city surrounded by vineyards. The Fortress was built on the site of an old Celtic stronghold, and there is also a museum illustrating the over thousand-year history of the city.

To finish the day, your guide will take you to visit one of the most unique places in Würzburg, the Hospitals. Originally created to provide charitable care for the old and the sick, these institutions are nowadays house of over one hundred elderly residents, and they operate as a self-financing foundation, being the main source of income their own vine-growing. Guests can sample some of the varieties and also enjoy some delicious local meal.

Exeter Services: Guide (3 Hours)

Hotel: Schloss Steinburg

Nuremberg | Nuremberg

For today we recommend you to visit the nearby city of Nuremberg, located about 1.5 hours away, where you will meet a local guide for an overview tour.

The city's history reaches back to the year 1050, its name "nourenberc" translating into "rocky hill". Nuremberg's famous landmark, the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle,), towers above the Old town, which is protected by the 3 mile long city wall with its many towers. Another site you may enjoy in the Old Town is Albrecht Dürer House, where you can see the workshop of the greatest artist of the German Renaissance.

If you wish, your guide will also show you The Nuremberg Courthouse. An exhibition provides details on the trials which took place in Courtroom 600 after World War II. (Because this will be on a weekday, there is a possibility that a Trial is taking place in the Court Room so it will not be possible to see it.)

Later on your own, and on your way back to Würzburg, you can head to the former Nazi parade grounds, just outside the city center, where you will see Nuremberg’s former WWI memorial along with the largest Third Reich ruins in the world. You can also visit the Documentation Center, located in the Congress Hall, one of the foremost examples of Nazi architecture that is still intact.

Return to Würzburg for an evening at leisure.

Exeter Services: Guide in Nuremberg (4 Hours)

Hotel: Schloss Steinburg

Romantic Road | Romantic Road

Begin your Romantic Road journey today. We recommend for you to stop at some of the charming towns along the route, like Wertheim or Weikersheim, where you can see the magnificent Renaissance castle and its Versailles-style garden.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is your destination today. After checking-in and drop of your luggage, you might want to explore this medieval town.

A free Imperial town, Rothenburg is located in the Tauber Valley, at the intersection of the Romantic Road and the Castle Road. Considered an architectural jewel in the region, it features a completely preserved XIV century medieval town wall, a historical Market Place with a Gothic and Renaissance Town Hall and several churches.

Exeter Services: No Services

Hotel: Eisenhut

Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Munich | Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Munich

This morning, continue the journey towards Munich. We suggest to first stop at the Market Place of Feuchtwangen, where you can buy the famous and delicious pralines!

Continue to the charming town of Dinkelsbühl - lying in the idyllic Wörnitz Valley, this is one of the best preserved medieval towns in the country. Enjoy a stroll along the walls and through the cobblestoned streets, filled with colored houses full of history.

Head south towards Munich. Upon arrival you will check into your luxury hotel, and have the rest of the day at leisure.

Originally founded as a fortified trade settlement on the bank of the Isar River in the 12th Century, Munich was later granted a monopoly in the salt trade, which was so important in the Middle Ages, thus gradually growing in wealth and importance. In the early 16th century, it became the capital of Bavaria and reached its greatest growth in the 19th Century. Famous for hosting the annual Oktoberfest beer festival, Munich also has a multitude of architectural monuments, excellent historic sights, museums, and shopping.

Exeter Services: No Services

Hotel: Rocco Forte The Charles

Bavaria | Bavaria

This morning head towards the south and drive deep into Bavaria and into the Alps. Today you may visit Neuschwanstein, one of the most recognized symbols of Bavaria. The castle is located about 2 hours from Munich.

It took 17 years and over 6 million Gold Marks to turn “Mad” King Ludwig II’s fantasy into reality. Set in one of the world’s most beautiful locations, the castle overlooks the idyllic 700-year-old medieval village of Füssen. The views from the castle and from the nearby town are priceless.

Although the castle is still, to this day, unfinished, the interior is stunning. Neuschwanstein is designed in the authentic style of old German knights’ castles and is decorated in themes from Wagner’s operas.

If you wish, you can also visit the village of Oberammergau, which is most known for its Passion Play – first performed in 1634 and still performed once every 10 years. It’s a very picturesque village, as residents have a tradition of painting frescoes on their houses with scenes from fairy tales, folk life and bible scenes. If you want to pick up a souvenir here, Oberammergau is famous for its wood carving.

Another option is the Wies Church (Wieskirche), a UNESCO-protected baroque landmark. Completely unassuming from the outside, the interior of this church is magnificently decorated and is a highlight of Bavarian rococo architecture.

Upon your evening return to Munich, drop off the rental car and transfer independently to your hotel.

Exeter Services: No Services

Hotel: Rocco Forte The Charles

Munich | Munich

This morning, your guide will meet you at your hotel to take you on a walking tour of Munich’s Old Town.

You will see the Karlstor (Carl’s Gate) which was once part of the city’s medieval fortifications. Further east, you will pass the Burersaal (Citizens' Hall) which dates from the early 18th century and was initially a house of worship for the local Jesuits before becoming a church in 1778. Heavily damaged by the Allied air raids in the Second World War, it was rebuilt to its original form in 1945 and 1946. The façade with its double pilasters is the original, as is the statue of the Virgin with the Child on a crescent moon over the entrance.

Just a block away, the Renaissance-style St. Michael’s church was erected in the late 16th century as the spiritual center of the Counter Reformation. The church’s impressive façade is decorated with columns and rows of niches containing the statues of Bavarian rulers. The ground floor is dominated by a bronze figure of St. Michael slaying the dragon.

Next, you may wish to see the historic Frauenkirche church. This site was originally occupied by a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, before this new church with the distinctive copper onion domes was erected in the 15th Century. It is one of Germany’s largest Gothic buildings, able to accommodate a congregation of up to 20,000. You can take the elevator to the top of one of the over-300-feet-tall onion-domed towers for a good view of central Munich. Just right of the entrance, the sarcophagus of the Emperor Ludwig IV is carved from black marble and surrounded by figures of kneeling knights.

You will see the Marienplatz (Mary’s Square), which has been Munich’s focal point since it was first laid in the 1300s. Originally a marketplace, the square was later used for public events like fairs, proclamations, and executions. It is now dominated by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary atop a column erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of the Swedish occupation of the city. Don’t miss the Viktualienmarkt, the open-air food market frequented by locals and tourists alike. It’s a great place to pick up a fresh pretzel for a snack.

Continuing your walk north of Marienplatz, you will soon reach the historic street Maximilianstrasse which was built to connect the Old Town and the Imperial residence with the

river Isar further east. Today, this exclusive avenue is lined by neo-gothic palaces which house, among others, the Schauspielhaus - one of the most important German language theaters in the world; the building of the Bavarian Parliament; and the Museum of Ethnology. The western portion of Maximilianstrasse is known for its designer shops, luxury boutiques, and jewelry stores.

Crossing Maximillianstrasse, you will reach the Residenz – the former residence of the Bavarian kings and the largest downtown palace in Germany. A fortress was first built on this spot in the 14th Century, which was gradually replaced by a palace complex, which itself was later modified and expanded in stages and styles through the centuries. Restored to its original form after the bombings of the Second World War, the huge palace complex now contains seven courtyards, lavish living quarters which have housed foreign dignitaries, and several museums including the Residenz Museum, the Treasury (Schatzkammer), the richly gilded Rococo Cuvilliés Theater, and the Antiquarium – a large Renaissance ceremonial hall which is also the oldest surviving part of the palace complex.

Exeter Services: Guide (4 Hours)

Hotel: Rocco Forte The Charles