Germany - airfare SFO-MXP / FRA-SFO late Sept 2012

We are excited to have pretty much nailed down an itinerary for late September but I was so surprised to find the Frankfurt fares substantially higher than Milan!

Here's our plan:
fly San Francisco to Milan - train to Verona
Verona - 3nights - include day trips to Padua/Vincenza and Lake Garda
Santa Margherita Ligure - 3 nights - include day trips to Cinque Terra and Portofino
Varenna, Lake Como - 3nights - include day trip to Milan
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland Berner Oberland - 3nights
Fussen for Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein- 2 nights
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - 2 nights
train to Frankfurt - fly Frankfurt/San Fran

We do need to arrive Milan in the morning to allow time for train to Verona
and we need to depart Frankfurt in the afternoon to allow time for 3 hour train Rothenberg to FRA. So we will be paying more for the afternoon nonstop FRA-SFO. Right now United is pricing about $1400 pp.

Okay, we added one day to the itinerary and are saving $448! Would rather spend that money in Germany having fun that give it to the airlines. We feel $1178 is a decent price and get the nonstop FRA-SFO return. Yea! Now back to the fun planning part. Always a relief to have the air booked!

Try starting your return from AMS or BRU, sometimes MXP, LIN or BGY are very cheap to fly to from FRA (69-99€ one way) so that may be an option on your way back.

Thanks oliver2002 - we went ahead and booked the SFO-MXP / FRA-SFO for $1178 pp. It is ideal for our itinerary so all set on that part now!

are you renting a car for any of your trip? you gain some useful flexibility, particularly around Fussen and Rothenburg. For example Rothenburg is only one, albeit the best, of several romantic historic cities on the way from Fussen to Rothenburg to Frankfurt.

We are not renting a car - just trains and a rail pass still to be researched. We did a fair amount of Germany 2 years ago which is why this trip only touches a few spots.