Rothenburg, Germany, is a major stop on the Romantic Road, a 260-mile trail that takes visitors from the town of Würzburg in the Franken wine region to Fussen in Bavaria (where you can stay while visiting Neuschwanstein Castle), known for its well-preserved medieval architecture.
Offering guests the opportunity to explore more than 1,000 years of history, Rothenburg is a popular destination for tourism in Germany throughout the year, and getting to this Bavarian city is relatively simple, no matter where you are traveling from. However, you are likely coming from the nearest airport, Stuttgart Airport (STR), which is about an hour and a half drive from Rothenburg. Stuttgart is a major hub for Germanwings and TUI flies, but a larger airport is Frankfurt Airport.
Fortunately, there are several convenient ways to get to Rothenburg, including direct service on train and bus lines that span the entire country. In addition, there are a number of guided tours and day trips to Rothenburg from other major cities in Germany, so be sure to ask your travel agent about package deals if you want to add the city to your German travel itinerary during your trip.
How to get to Rothenburg by train or bus
Rothenburg train station is about a ten minute walk from the city center (within the walls of the Rödertor gate), but it may take a little longer to get to the market square or Marketplatz .
To get to Rothenburg directly, the only regional two-car train with direct service here is the Steinach train, which ends at Rothenburg od Tauber station and takes about 15 minutes. As a result, you will likely have to make several train changes if you are coming from a larger city like Frankfurt or Munich; Alternatively, you can buy your train ticket to Ansbach station and take a 16-kilometer bus to Rothenburg.
- From Munich: The train service to Rothenburg takes about three hours and passes through Augsburg. Multiple daily train services depart from München Central Station; You will need to transfer to Nuremberg Central Station to catch a train to Ansbach and then to Ansbach Bahnhof Station, which offers a bus service to Rothenburg.
- From Frankfurt: Europabus ED190 travels daily from Frankfurt to Füssen with stops in Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Munich, among other stops on the Romantic Road. There may be a discount on the bus if you have a rail pass. The trip takes about two and a half hours.
- From Berlin: While it may be quicker to fly to a closer city, you can also take the train or bus from Berlin to Rothenburg, which will take between five and seven hours to complete. Trains run several times a day from Berlin Central Station bound for Bamberg Station, from where you can transfer to a train bound for Würzburg. Once in Würzburg, take a train to Steinach, which has a 15-minute express train that ends in Rothenburg.
Getting to Rothenburg by car
When it comes to having the most flexibility with your travel itinerary, there is no better way to get to Rothenburg than by car. Although train and bus trips take roughly the same amount of time as driving, the ability to stop along the way makes renting a car a worthwhile investment if you have some extra time to leisurely roam during your visit. .
- From Frankfurt: Take the A2 towards Würzburg, then the A7 towards Rothenburg. The distance is approximately 120 kilometers and takes approximately two hours to complete.
- From Munich: Take the A8 motorway towards Augsburg-West, then B2 towards Donauworth, then the scenic Romantic Road towards Rothenburg. Alternatively, you can continue on the A8 and take the A7 to the Rothenburg exit instead of taking the B2. It should take around 2 hours and 45 minutes to drive this route.
- From Berlin: Take the A 100 to the A 115, then take the A 10 before turning left onto the A 9, which will take 371 kilometers to Nurnberg before joining the A7 towards Würzburg / Rothenburg. The whole trip should take between five and six hours, but you should plan a few stops along the way to enjoy the scenery.
Coach tours and day trips
If you only have limited time in this part of the country, or don’t want to worry about what to do on your trip, there are a number of coach tours and day trips to Rothenburg from Munich and Frankfurt.
For example, Viator offers a “Romantic Road, Rothenburg and Harburg” day tour that originates from Munich and offers guests the opportunity to see some of the most famous sites along this part of the Romantic Road. . A longer version of this same journey originates from Frankfurt and includes Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein in addition to Rothenburg and the Romantic Road.
