>>Not sure how far the Ludwig castle is driving from Koblenz.

4 hours 40 minutes

>>would love to see Rothenbrug (sp?)

Rothenburg - absolutely 2 hours 45 minutes
Nuremberg - absolutely 3 hours 10 minutes, or 1 hour 10 minutes from Rothenburg

>>Considering options for other days -- Moselle River? Heidelburg? Is the Black Forest close enough to get to by car?

Mosel - Absolutely; Cochem and Burg Eltz are highlights 0 hours 45 minutes
Heidelberg - Meh....
Black Forest - Meh... Baden Baden (closest )2 hours 30 minutes Freiburg (Heart of BF) 3 hours 30 minutes

"Fri-Sun -- Road trip with him, we want to see the Ludwig castle (and others), would love to see Rothenbrug (sp?), maybe Nuremburg. Not sure how far the Ludwig castle is driving from Koblenz. I know this is so much to fit in a weekend..."

Probably too much. Rothenburg IMO doesn't require a lot of time. I would suggest seeing nearby Bamberg for sure if you're interested in old-world Germany. Like the Cologne cathedral and the Middle Rhine Valley, it's a UNESCO world heritage site; its old town is just fantastic, and its brewery-restaurants and Rauchbier are pretty unique.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/624

Ludwig's Neuschwanstein takes all of 30 minutes and IMO is not worth the long trip when your time is short and when you're already in a GREAT area for tourism. The Residenz (palace, also UNESCO WH) in Würzburg, on the way to Rothenburg, is an opulent affair worth seeing.

http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/objects/wu_res.htm

Nuremberg is interesting as well. Closer to Rothenburg is Weikersheim, a Romantic Road town with another interesting palace.

http://www.schloss-weikersheim.de/en/palace-weikersheim/Palace/243631.html

Beer: East of Rothenburg, check out the "Beer Road" microbreweries between Bad Windsheim and Uehlsfeld (see map.)

http://bierstrasse.de/index.php?id=320
http://t3-kundenserver.de.dedi661.your-server.de/typo3/tourismusserver/cms/index.php?id=832

Bad Windsheim is also the home of the Franconian Open Air Museum:

http://www.stripes.com/military-life/travel/bad-windsheim-time-travel-at-franconian-open-air-museum-1.102354

Rothenburg wouldn't be the most central spot from which to explore these places. For a good small-town base for all these destinations , look into Iphofen, Bad Windsheim or Neustadt an der Aisch.

"Mon-Fri -- stay in Koblenz (with car rental) to be close to our son; day trips (he will be in class) to Cologne and Rhine River. Considering options for other days -- Moselle River? Heidelburg? Is the Black Forest close enough to get to by car?"

Rhine Castles: Marksburg and Rheinfels Castles are both great. Burg Eltz near Cochem is too.

Rhine towns: Linz (north of Vallendar, which by the way is a very nice place itself) is maybe the most attractive old-world town on the Rhine. Bacharach to the south is its rival. You may wish to visit Remagen (good WW II museum there) north of Vallendar but on the west bank: http://www.bruecke-remagen.de/

Mosel: Cochem, and more distant Bernkastel and Trier, are all fine destinations. The free-flight falconry show (4 times daily, dark Mondays) at Cochem's Reichsburg castle shouldn't be missed:

http://www.falknerei-reichsburg-cochem.de/fotobuch.htm

Highlight of our last trip down the Mosel were the Roman ruins in Trier.Spend a day exploring the city- all within easy walking distance of the center. Just fascinating to see how far the Roman Empire extended and view what remains in Germany.

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Tourism-g187394-Trier_Rhineland_Palatinate-Vacations.html

Thanks all! Seems like I really need to consider whether the Ludwig castle is worth the trip all the way down south -- 6 hours or so round trip that could be better spent?!! Especially since it sounds like there are castles in the Rhine area where we will be all week.

I think I will make our base for that weekend in Nuremburg -- I can use my Starwood points and sounds like we will be close enough to explore Romantik Road destinations... including Wurzburg and Bamburg?

Thanks again--
Michele

Nuremberg is the perfect spot to be to visit both Bamberg and Wurzburg - it is about 50 minutes from Bamberg and 1:10 from Wurzburg driving and about 50 minutes to each via direct train.

Rothenburg is only 1:20 away but it requires two quick changes in smaller station, Ansbach and Steinach, which are very simple. You walk directly across the platform from one track to the other in Ansbach (4 minute transfer time) and over a couple tracks in Steinach (14 minute transfer time).

Thanks Aramis -- that will be the plan! We will have a car for this part of the trip -- with GPS, hopefully we won't get lost!

I am so appreciative for all of your tips -- so many things to try and work in. Very much looking forward to seeing all these wonderful sites!

Question -- can Trier and Cochem be seen in one day? And would Linz be combinable with a morning trip to Cologne (main purpose to see the Dom).

Michele

Koblenz to Trier, via Cochem is about 2 hours driving, and with the faster return leg ( no diversion for Cochem) about 3:15 for a return trip.

Cochem itself is quaint, but apart from the small castle, which can be seen in one hour by guided tour, less if you are just strolling, you could be in and out in 2 hours, 3 if you make it lunch. That makes a 6.5 hour day before stopping to see anything in Trier.

Trier has some very interesting Roman sites but if you only devote 2 hours to the city, you have an almost 9 hour day by the time you get back to Koblenz.

A simpler and more leisurely option for a Cochem day would be to visit Burg Eltz and Cochem - about 2 hours driving, in total, but a pretty long way down to the castle form the parking area and en even longer walk back uphill .

If you have a car and visit Bamberg I can suggest two things.

Basilica Vierzehnheiligen just a few minutes north north of Bamberg - stunning stunning interior;

http://www.vierzehnheiligen.eu/

and if there is an ounce of beer lover in any of your folks, the HISTORISCHER BRAUEREIAUSSCHANK SCHLENKERLA, in Bamberg. The world famous Rauchbier (smoked beer and the award winning Bamberger Zwiebel (Bamberg Onion).

http://www.schlenkerla.de/

I'm tearing up again.....