Jun 03, 2013 - 04:08 PM
Tony, I don't know if you're a beer man, but if you are, go to the Andechs Monastery in Herrsching (near Munich). Take the Munich S-Bahn (S8 line) to Herrsching and then take the bus or taxi to the monastery. Try every beer they've got (obviously don't drive). They are fabulous, and the setting is beautiful. As for beer halls, most tourists flock to the Hofbrauhaus, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, I prefer the Augustiner Großgaststätten (on the main pedestrian walk between Karlsplatz and Marienplatz). I like their beer better, and it's less touristy.
I agree with Joe about Dachau. It is an incredible experience, especially if you have a good tour guide. He's also right about Burg Eltz, which I wouldn't want to miss. Most tourists go to the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles in Bavaria, and they are impressive. However, it's a hassle to go (huge lines, a little expensive for what it is, and not very accessible), and of course, they're not real medieval castles. Burg Eltz is the real thing, and you'll spend more time actually looking at castle and less time standing in lines and hemorrhaging money. (If you do go to Neuschwanstein, drink a Neuschwanstein beer while waiting in line. It'll make the process easier, and it's a pretty decent beer.)
The Austrian vignette is easy to get. If you don't get one in the gas station, the Autobahn that connects Munich to Salzburg has a stop near the border where you can purchase them. I bought one last week when i went to Hallstatt (which is beautiful, by the way). It's just a little sticker you put in the upper left hand corner of your windshield.
No visit to Rothenburg is complete without the Nightwatchman Tour. It is touristy, but it is fun and fairly inexpensive.
One final note, if you've never driven in Europe, I'd study the road signs. Most of them are intuitive, but a few of them do not mean what you'd think they mean.