Sounds like quite a trek.. I wouldn't want to do this in two weeks, especially not during my vacation. And by the way: Füssen is definitely NOT on the way, no matter from where you are coming.

Agree, it sounds like just way too much unless you really want/need to be on the go and on the road the whole time. I'd pick one area of Germany and stick with it; and in a really major city like Berlin or Munich -- not both, on this trip, unless you want little else in between -- allow several days to explore the place and its immediate surroundings, a whole week in Berlin doesn't sound like too much. You could even skip both of those big cities completely, focus on Koln, Bonn, the Rheinland and over to Heidelberg, Rothenburg, Nuremberg etc. Or, head straight down towards Munich in a leisurely way, and do Southern Bavaria; or up and over to Berlin. And if you stay just in the Western edge of Germany you are actually closer to parts of Belgium and France -- Strasbourg maybe, or Champagne -- than to much of Germany, so a driving route could take in a bit of all three with much less miles. I'd save Salzburg for another trip.

Anyhow I'd say you need to focus on what you really want out of the trip -- the great airfare only gets you there, the rest is for you to prioritize. If it is scenery, the trains in Germany are a dream; you will miss a lot on the Autobahn, including the chance to meet some Germans on the same train. If you like more cozy spots with BNB's, try some of the smaller towns -- still with excellent rail service. Pack lite and take taxis if you must, but I'd never want to drive so much in this period of time.

I hear you about it being a very FULL itinerary. We're still working it out.

I'm getting resistance from my wife on going all-rail (since I found that great '2-fer' pass on the DB website) as she's SO fond of little, impromptu side trips when the inspiration strikes. The insurance plan I have from AmEx makes rentals more reasonable than usual but I *really* like the idea of the Autozug and I may just use a discount pass for that to get the river trips (which my wife would LOVE) as an added, relaxing bonus.

On a side note, is there anyplace in Germany that is similar to Hallstat?

I don’t mean this as an insult, but is this your first time in Europe proper? I ask this because you are still being very idealistic about what you can accomplish on a two week vacation. (You didn’t say how long this is going to be, so I’m guesstimating)

Let’s just look at your Berlin/Munich/Salzburg/Fussen portion for a second. It will take you 6-7 hours to go from Berlin to Munich. It is 3-4 hours from Munich to Salzburg roundtrip. It is 6 hours from Munich-Fussen roundtrip, assuming that you catch the bus right off the train. That’s 15-17 hours of seeing Germany/Austria from a train window. Then, factor in your time that will be spent using public transport in each city. (Namely Berlin and Munich as it’s generally better not to drive there) That will easily bump you to the 24 hour mark. Figure that you will sleep 7 hours per night. On 12 nights, That’s an additional 84 hours there. Plus, you won’t see anything of value on your last day and at least half of your first day. Assuming that you don’t nap due to jetlag, that accounts for another 24 hours.

So, on sleep, travel and transportation alone, you are already down 125 hours, or 5.2 days and you haven’t seen anything, eaten a meal, walked around to explore the city, explored other areas of interest by car or train or gotten to/from Dusseldorf for your two flights. Yes, there are ways to cut this number down a bit like renting a car in some places or taking an overnight train. But, figure on 5-6 days being collateral damage on a 2 week trip. 4-5 cities would be my max over 12 nights.

No insult taken.

No, this isn't our first time to Europe. In 2010, our honeymoon covered London, Paris and Ireland. 2011 was running all over Scotland in just under 2 weeks.

We're putting everything we'd LIKE on the table and then seeing what doesn't make the cut. I just discovered the Autozug (like Amtrak's Auto-Train) and that could buy us back one or two "drive most of the day" days by doing that overnight in a train compartment with the car in tow.

Things keep changing - except for the non-refundable plane tickets that dictate the start & end. I wanted to seem some sights in Hamburg but that looked impractical at first because of other things we wanted to see. Now it's looking like Hamburg could be convenient (because of the Autozug) and Salzburg less practical (the Autozug being a LOT more expensive when they cross the border). Then I find out things like how you can't take pictures inside the castles near Fussen and, well, suddenly that becomes a "see" as opposed to a "see and do".

...and at work, everyone who's been to Germany has a hundred suggestions of what we Just Can't Miss! :)

Does that make sense? I mean, you'll be using a rented car. In Germany, most car rental companies don't charge an additional fee for one-way rentals (at least the larger chains), so it might be easier (and cheaper) to get rid of your car before boarding the train and picking up a new one at your destination. You should definitely calculate the price of multiple car rentals (you may not be able to get a long-term discount, but you'll probably save the price for one day and the fare for the AutoZug) and compare it to the total cost of using the AutoZug (and having to pay for the car when you're not actually using it).

I echo this. You can rent in Duesseldorf and it will only cost you a little more to drop off in Munich. (Like $30.00 or so) If you try to drop off in Salzburg, it will cost you hundreds more. Germany is pretty friendly with their in-country car policies. It all comes down to what makes sense to you financially.

Neuchwanstein is a really cool experience. The scenery there is absolutely amazing. However, the castle interior is largely unfinished. The tour, to me, is a waste of money because of this. The allure for most is because it’s the “Disney Castle”. However, logistically, it’s a nightmare to get to. It will take you 3 times longer to get there by train/bus than simply driving it. So if you find yourself with a car in Munich, it’s worth the extra effort. Personally, for me, I think the Nuremburg is a better excursion and you can easily do it via train.

While I can’t say that I’ve been to every city in Germany, these are my personal experiences:

Duesseldorf: Cool Aldstadt. Next to the Rhine. Not much in the way of scenery

Hamburg- Not a ton to do unless you want to go to the…ahem…”boys town” district. (Reepburg I think?)

Frankfurt- Financial capital of Germany. Interesting city center. Avoid like the plague if you aren’t easily entertained.

Berlin- My favorite city in Germany, and perhaps Europe. So much history there, albeit the town isn’t that old due to WWII. Very liberal vibe and nice English speaking people everywhere. Great food choices.

Nuremberg- Interesting city and reminds me of Salzburg a bit. Very historical for WWII purposes.

Munich/Salzburg- Exactly what you think it is: Picturesq with great beer. Salzburg is so close that it would be a shame to skip it. Salzburg looks like what most Americans think that European cities look like. Excellent scenery and a very walkable city.

Romantic Road- This is an awesome tour if you are driving. The Mrs. will love it. Very gothic cities along the route and it ends in Fussen. Check it out: http://romanticroad.com/

As much as I like the scenery of Neuchwanstein I do agree the tour isn't worth it plus you only get to see a few rooms inside the castle. In addition it is PITA to get go. When I went in 2010 my friend and I took the train (he wanted to go) and it took forever. It was slow........

I would 2nd the day trip to Salzburg recomendation.