Is train travel included?

Yes. The package includes second-class rail tickets on five rail legs: Frankfurt Airport to Wurzburg (ICE), Wurzburg to Rothenburg, Rothenburg to Nuremberg, Nuremberg to Munich (ICE), and Munich to Heidelberg (EC/IC). First-class upgrade available for USD 199.

Is this escorted or independent?

Independent self-guided tour with day-by-day itinerary and information sheets provided. No tour manager accompanies you. Two exceptions: an escorted all-day coach tour to the Royal Castles on Day 5 and a guided Night Watchman tour in Rothenburg on Day 2.

Which hotels are included?

Wurzburger Hof (Wurzburg, 1 night), Romantik Hotel Markusturm (Rothenburg, 1 night), Hotel Victoria (Nuremberg, 1 night), King's Hotel Center (Munich, 2 nights), Hotel Hollander Hof (Heidelberg, 1 night).

What castles and attractions are included?

Admission to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Castles (via coach tour), Heidelberg Castle, Wurzburg Residence and Marienberg Fortress, Nuremberg Imperial Castle, and Munich museums including Residence Museum, Nymphenburg Palace, and Hall of Fame.

What is not included in the price?

Airfare to/from Frankfurt, all meals except daily breakfast, gratuities, and drinks. Lunch and dinner are the traveller's responsibility.

Travel to Europe (To-Europe) · Independent rail vacation package

7-Day Heidelberg & Bavaria Vacation Package by Rail (7R05)

Seven-day self-guided rail loop through Bavarian cities and castles from Frankfurt

Travel to Europe's 7-Day Heidelberg and Bavaria Vacation Package is a self-guided rail journey through southern Germany for independent travellers comfortable navigating cities on their own. The tour departs Frankfurt Airport aboard the ICE high-speed train and ends in Heidelberg after six nights across five carefully chosen hotels. Days are structured around rail travel and self-guided exploration: you ride trains between Wurzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nuremberg, Munich, and Heidelberg, spending your mornings and afternoons walking medieval Old Towns, touring museums, and visiting castles. The package includes two highlights led by others: a Night Watchman tour through Rothenburg's walled streets and an all-day escorted coach trip to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Castles in the Bavarian countryside. Daily breakfast and all rail tickets are included, along with admission to major sites. The itinerary balances rail time with unhurried stays, typically one or two nights per city, making it well suited to couples and older travellers seeking the structure of a package without a guide's constant presence.

What to know before you look closer

Single supplement is high: USD 2,069 for solo travellers versus USD 1,379 per person for pairs, nearly 50% above half the double rate.
All meals except breakfast are not included; lunch and dinner are the traveller's responsibility.
The package ends in Heidelberg but requires a separate airport shuttle to Frankfurt; the return journey is not included in the main itinerary flow.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Wurzburg
Frankfurt Int. Airport/ Wurzburg
High-speed (ICE) train from Frankfurt Int. Airport to Wurzburg, with an optional stop in Aschaffenburg to visit the Renaissance Palace. Explore Fortress Marienberg and the Prince Bishops Residence in Wurzburg.
Day 2railovernight: Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Regional rail from Wurzburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a medieval walled town. Evening English-speaking Night-Watchman tour.
Day 3railovernight: Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Rail from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Nuremberg (under 1.5 hrs). Visit the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle) and medieval Old Town.
Day 4railovernight: Munich
Munich
High-speed ICE train from Nuremberg to Munich (about 1 hr 20 min). Sightseeing and self-guided walking tour of the city center.
Day 5overnight: Munich
Escorted coach tour to the Royal Castles
All-day escorted coach tour via Oberammergau to Linderhof Palace and Neuschwanstein Castle, including a guided tour of the castle interior.
Day 6railovernight: Heidelberg
Heidelberg
Speed-train InterCity (IC) from Munich to Heidelberg (about 3 hours), plus taxi transfer to the hotel. Walking tour of the Old Town and Heidelberg Castle.
Day 7
Frankfurt Int. Airport
Tour ends. Airport shuttle bus from Heidelberg hotel to Frankfurt International Airport (about an hour).

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2English-speaking Night Watchman tour through the medieval streets of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the evening.
Day 5All-day escorted coach tour to Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace in the Bavarian Alps, with guided castle interior tour.
Day 1High-speed ICE train from Frankfurt Airport to Wurzburg, with option to visit Aschaffenburg Renaissance Palace en route.

Included

Unrestricted High-Speed ICE rail ticket Frankfurt Int. Airport to Wurzburg, with admission to Wurzburg Residence and Marienberg Fortress
Rail ticket Wurzburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber
English-speaking Night Watchman tour in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rail ticket Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Nuremberg, with admission to the Imperial Castle, Deep Well and Sinwell Tower
Rail ticket Nuremberg to Munich, plus ticket for unlimited public transportation within Munich
Admission to Munich Residence Museum & Treasury, Cuvillies-Theatre, Hall of Fame and Statue of Bavaria, Nymphenburg Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum and Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain
All-day escorted coach tour to Oberammergau and the Royal Castles (Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace), with admissions
Rail ticket Munich to Heidelberg, plus taxi transfer from Heidelberg Central Station to hotel
Airport shuttle transfer from Heidelberg hotel to Frankfurt Int. Airport
Buffet breakfast daily
6 nights hotel accommodation per itinerary

Not included

Airfare from/to your origin to/from Frankfurt International Airport
All meals other than breakfast
Gratuities (tips)

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes. The package includes second-class rail tickets on five rail legs: Frankfurt Airport to Wurzburg (ICE), Wurzburg to Rothenburg, Rothenburg to Nuremberg, Nuremberg to Munich (ICE), and Munich to Heidelberg (EC/IC). First-class upgrade available for USD 199.
Is this escorted or independent?: Independent self-guided tour with day-by-day itinerary and information sheets provided. No tour manager accompanies you. Two exceptions: an escorted all-day coach tour to the Royal Castles on Day 5 and a guided Night Watchman tour in Rothenburg on Day 2.
Which hotels are included?: Wurzburger Hof (Wurzburg, 1 night), Romantik Hotel Markusturm (Rothenburg, 1 night), Hotel Victoria (Nuremberg, 1 night), King's Hotel Center (Munich, 2 nights), Hotel Hollander Hof (Heidelberg, 1 night).
What castles and attractions are included?: Admission to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Castles (via coach tour), Heidelberg Castle, Wurzburg Residence and Marienberg Fortress, Nuremberg Imperial Castle, and Munich museums including Residence Museum, Nymphenburg Palace, and Hall of Fame.
What is not included in the price?: Airfare to/from Frankfurt, all meals except daily breakfast, gratuities, and drinks. Lunch and dinner are the traveller's responsibility.