From fairytale castles in lush green valleys to villages of timber-framed houses and glistening alpine lakes, travelling through these towns and villages is like stepping into a postcard. To drive from its northern point in Wurzburg to its end at the alps covers a distance of km and is admittedly probably the best way of seeing the smallest villages, cobbled streets and breathing in that fresh alpine air. The comprehensive public transport system in Germany makes it relatively easy for non-drivers like me to experience the highlights of the Romantic Road at a slow pace unlike some of the whistle-stop tours that companies offer.
It also gives you flexibility to add other stops onto your route - which we did! Like most UK teenagers I learnt to drive at 17 but quickly learnt that I hated driving even more than I hated being a passenger I suffered with car-sickness as a child… and occasionally as an adult, too , so renting a car on holiday is always a last resort. Besides, getting acquainted with the public transport of a country is one of the best ways to experience what life is really like there.
Yes I have horror stories of being vomited on by a small child somewhere near Montpellier, and waking up to an empty purse on an overnight train to Prague… but these memories are surpassed by great memories made on the tracks.
For a self-titled Romantic trip, surely the romance of the railways is the most fitting form of transport? Frankfurt am Main is the nearest major airport to the traditional start of the route in Wurzburg. Of course it is possible to jump directly on a bus from the airport to the head of the route, but after a morning flight we were happy to spend a day exploring the city.
Unfortunately the weather put a stop to my first planned activity, which was climbing the Main Tower. I always like to get to a rooftop or high point in cities and the observation deck here would have been great to see views of the whole of Frankfurt… but it does close during electrical storms.
