Going to Germany for the first time - any recs?

I%26#39;ll be hitting Berlin, Munich and Cologne/Dusseldorf in February. May drive to each city. Any cities along the way that we should hit? Maybe something off the beaten path or not too touristy?

Don%26#39;t they have wine regions in Germany?

Anything else that I should be sure not to miss??

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If you travel from city to city, then driving is definitely not the best option. German cities aren%26#39;t LA.

%26gt;Any cities along the way that we should hit? Maybe something off the beaten path or not too touristy?

It is rather hard to decide as there are too many places where you can stop and visit. Hardly anything here (with a few exceptions like Neuschwanstein or Checkpoint Charlie) is %26quot;touristy%26quot;. But please get a good guidebook for Germany to see all the possibilities.

%26gt;Don%26#39;t they have wine regions in Germany?

Yes we do - for you, the Lower Franconia around Würzburg would be on the route from Munich to Cologne, or alternatively the Palatinate area west of Mannheim/Frankfurt, or Rheinhessen further along the Rhine, or the Mosel valley...

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if you are driving from Munich to Cologne, and can take your time, you might consider the Romantic Road - check this out, if you like:

http://www.romanticroad.com/

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really? you don%26#39;t suggest driving? if we were travelling from Berlin to Munich and wanted to stop at some other cities, is that easy to do by train?

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Sure - trains are fast, comfortable and less stressful than driving - there is also a whole range of train tickets available within Germany that can make your journey a lot cheaper as well europetrainsguide.com/200907153/Countries/Ge…

Remember that many/most German cities are medieval and were therefore not designed for cars - you will find it to be an expensive hindrance in cities.

Just stay clear of Rail Europe!

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You didn%26#39;t tell us how much time you have for this trip. You could easily spend 4 nights in Berlin, 3 in Munich and 2 in Cologne without getting bored. Thus I%26#39;d say if you don%26#39;t have more time then an overnight in the countryside/town along the routes between those cities doesn%26#39;t make sense. For a few hours in a city inbetween you could easily break up the train ride. Leipzig, Bamberg or Nürnberg come to my mind between Berlin and Munich e.g.

Also, would you be prepared to drive on snowy/icy roads? February is still winter here in Germany! Nobody knows about the road conditions in advance. Definitely take trains.