Romantic Road

Route

1. Würzburg Hbf

   Baroque Residence palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site

2. Rothenburg ob der Tauber

   Reached by a short branch-line change at Steinach

3. Augsburg Hbf

   Roman-founded city on the southern leg of the route

4. Füssen

   End of the line, gateway to Neuschwanstein Castle

What you'll see

• Franconian vineyard hills around Würzburg, then the walled medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, reached via a short change at Steinach
• Rolling Bavarian farmland between Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen (built inside a meteorite crater) and Augsburg
• The final approach to Füssen brings the Allgäu Alps into view, with Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles a short bus ride from the station

Stopover ideas

• Rothenburg ob der Tauber — walk the medieval town walls
• Nördlingen — Rieskrater-Museum on the meteorite impact site
• Füssen — Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles

Practicalities

Trains

RE regional trains Würzburg–Steinach–Rothenburg ob der Tauber, RE/RB onward to Augsburg and Füssen; the classic Romantic Road Coach (a seasonal bus) links the smaller towns the railway skips

Duration

about 4–5 hours total by rail and connecting bus if you ride the whole corridor in one day; most visitors spread it over 2–4 days with overnight stops

Best time of year

May–September, when the seasonal Romantic Road Coach runs and towns like Rothenburg are liveliest

Which ticket?

Every rail leg on this route is regional, so a Deutschlandticket covers the whole train journey; the seasonal Romantic Road Coach is a separate paid bus service and is not covered by rail tickets or the German Rail Pass. Rail Pass holders should ride the train legs on the pass and budget separately for any bus connections.

Plan the exact connection on the journey planner or work out whether a rail pass pays off on the trip planner.