Originally Posted by
djplong
We're finally getting a handle on our summer trip to Germany and I had a question for anyone who knows the area well.
Specifically, what is the best sity or town in the Black Forest to use as a 'base'. Somewhere we can return a rental car (doing a 1-way rental to drive around southern Germany, ending up in the Black Forest) that has good rail connections back to Dusseldorf (to catch our flight home). From looking at map, Freiburg appears to be a good candidate for everything, even side trips to Switzerland or France if we so choose.
Are there better spots? Baden-Baden seemed skewed to the north, just as Lorrach seemed skewed to the south.
Thanks in advance!
I think Freiburg is probably the best, although it is formally not in the black forest but the Rhine valley. Access to the black forest is easy, though, via the Hoellental. However, it might even be better to stay directly in the black forest and then return the rental car either in Freiburg or in Stuttgart, and then take the train back to Dusseldorf. This is true if you want to mainly hike in the Black Forest and visit, e.g., the Schwarzwaldhoefe and things like that. Accommodation will be cheaper (but also a little bit more rustic). Note that for virtually anything to do in the Black Forest you want to use a car since public transport in the black forest is not the best. Don't underestimate the times to travel from A to B within the black forest, it is very hilly and the roads are mainly small and curvy.
If you also want to do side trips (e.g., 1d in Strasbourg and visit the romanesque churches in the Voges) or a 1d trip to Basel, Freiburg is much better.