Highlights of Germany self-drive

Spend today exploring Berlin at your own pace. The city’s complex history, edgy street art scene, and Neoclassical monuments make it a varied modern capital and sprawling metropolis that shows a plethora of identities through its many districts. We’ll provide plenty of suggestions to ensure you make the most of your time in the city.

You’ll pick up your fully insured car hire this morning as you embark on a full-day excursion around Potsdam, Sanssouci and Cecilienhof Palaces. On the outskirts of Potsdam’s cobblestone streets is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sanssouci Palace, or ‘the Versailles of Germany’. After, you’ll travel to the English Tudor manor house styled Cecilienhof where the Allied powers met after World War II to discuss the occupation of Germany.

Leave Berlin and drive southwards to Nuremberg in the state of Bavaria. The journey is just over five hours, however, both Leipzig and Dresden are about halfway should you choose to stop en route. Arriving in Nuremberg you’re free to explore the medieval city at your leisure. There are plenty of sights to visit in this historical town, including the hilltop Kaiserburg Castle, the pastel-painted Weissgerbergasse, and the jostling main square’s Hauptmarkt.

This morning you will meet your private guide to discover the labyrinthine corridors and vaults that lie beneath Nuremberg’s medieval old town. The carved red sandstone tunnels and spaces were used primarily for the ripening and storage of beer and, during World War II, provided vital shelter for its residents. After the tour you’ll visit a brewery and whisky distillery with a tasting of local specialities.

Leave Nuremberg and drive to Rothenburg, where half-timbered houses, pastel-painted stone buildings and a fortified ring wall envelop the city. Today it boasts a thousand years of intact history among its cobblestones, appearing largely as it did during the Middle Ages. After exploring Rothenburg’s authentic avenues, you’ll join the notable Romantic Road and drive southwards to Munich, winding through medieval villages, wooded forests and tiny Bavarian towns flanked by looming mountains.

Today you’ll discover how Munich became a World War II stronghold with a private walking tour of the city often called ‘the capital of the movement’. While many of the World War II-era buildings were destroyed by bombing or Allied forces, some important places remain. You’ll visit museums based in what was once the headquarters of the National Socialist Party and see the beer hall where Hitler scripted his plans.

Today is yours to explore Munich and the surrounding area at your own pace. You could sip Bavarian beer in the Englischer Garten or explore the culinary delights of Viktualienmarkt. Take a tour of the BMW Museum, venture to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest or the nearby Austrian city of Salzburg. Spend this evening in Munich’s National Theatre for an evening with the State Opera and Orchestra, followed by a revealing and privately guided behind-the-scenes tour.

You’ll leave Munich today and follow the Romantic Road to Neuschwanstein Castle. Here, you’ll catch a glimpse into King Ludwig II’s whimsical tastes through the spiked turrets, the Romanesque castle’s design, and its homage-filled interior inspired by composer Richard Wagner, whom Ludwig greatly admired. You’ll continue your journey to Freiburg, partly following the scenic German Alpine Road, snaking along the Austrian and Switzerland borders through the German Alps, past glimmering lakes and lush green pastures.

Today you’ll meet with your private guide and venture to the farmers’ market in the cobblestone square surrounding the Münster. You’ll learn of the market’s history and the architecture of the buildings on the square while sampling your way through the market’s myriad spices, sausage and locally made crafts. After the market you’ll head to a local cafe to sit and enjoy the city’s special atmosphere, followed by an afternoon at leisure.

This morning you’ll depart Freiburg and drive to Heidelberg, which sits nestled in a thickly forested area and has long drawn visitors to its romantic cityscape. It was once the heart of the German Romanticism movement, which is still today seen through its uniformly red-roofed buildings, the gentle arches of the old stone bridge, and the imposing castle. You’ll then continue your journey to Frankfurt, which is a further hour or so drive northwards.

Today, you have a full day at leisure to explore Frankfurt. The city offers a plethora of museums, a neo-classical opera house and a multitude of universities, making it a cultural hub. Peruse the stalls at Kleinmarkthalle, or perhaps explore Römerberg’s medieval square, visit the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, or see where Kings of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned at Frankfurt Cathedral.

You may have some time to spend in Frankfurt this morning, perhaps browsing the city’s shops for any last-minute souvenirs. You’ll then drive to Frankfurt Airport where you return your hire car and board your onward flight.