Autobahn adventures – the ultimate German road trip with flights direct from Manchester Airport
A road trip along Germany’s Autobahn network is high up on the travel wishlist for any motoring enthusiast. Designed with high performance cars in mind and maintained with the efficiency and precision the Germans are famous for, it is among the very few public road systems in the world without a blanket speed limit.
Autumn is the perfect time to go, with a quieter road network outside the peak summer season and reasonable prices for flights. A one-way flight to Frankfurt from Manchester Airport with German flag carrier airline Lufthansa starts from just £135pp*, with car hire available at Frankfurt Airport – which sits directly opposite Autobahn 5.
Travelling to Munich, in the heart of Bavaria, you’ll criss-cross more than 400 miles of the iconic Autobahn network, and take in some of Germany’s most beautiful scenery along the way – with some must-see stops for petrolheads on route, including the HQs of two of Germany’s best-loved sports car brands. Fly home to Manchester from Munich with Lufthansa from only £117pp*.
History and romance in Old Heidelberg
Within an hour of setting off along the Autobahn from Frankfurt, you’ll arrive at your first stop. One of Germany’s most ancient cities, Heidelberg has been continuously inhabited for over 2,000 years and its university, opened in 1386, is one of the oldest – and best – in Europe. Historically a popular spot for honeymooners, the Old Town is nestled in a steep-sided valley on the banks of the Neckar river, and Heidelberg Castle towers over it offering sweeping views. The Philosopher’s Way is a popular footpath snaking up the hillside on the opposite side of the river to the Old Town, cutting through woodland, vineyards and botanical gardens.
Folklore and Fairytales in the Black Forest National Park
Travelling south along the Autobahn 5 for another 60 miles or so, you’ll see the picture-perfect Black Forest National Park open up in front of you. Quaint villages and crumbling Gothic castles punctuate the densely packed evergreen forests, which climb rocky mountainsides. The Black Forest is the inspiration for many of Germany’s traditional folk tales and fairy stories, famously collected and published by the Brothers Grimm in Georgian times, like Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin – and the mist that frequently gathers over the peaks of its mountains creates a mysterious aura.
Motoring museums and heritage in Stuttgart
Leave the Black Forest in a northeasterly direction and reconnect with the Autobahn network on Autobahn 8 at Pforzheim – then head eastbound towards Stuttgart. This city is the capital of Baden-Württemberg state, but more intriguingly for motoring fans, it’s also the capital of Germany’s world-leading automobile industry.
Porsche and Mercedes-Benz both call Stuttgart home, and both have museums at their headquarters dedicated to over 100 years of motoring. Porsche’s extensive collection of exhibits is housed in a futuristic-looking, purpose-built museum and boasts more than 700 rare vehicles. Mercedes-Benz fans, meanwhile, can check out more than 1,500 motoring-related exhibits, with regular special exhibitions throughout the year for a limited time only.
Classic German architecture and Bavarian culture in Mozart’s ancestral home
Head east along Autobahn 8 from Stuttgart and within a few hours you’ll arrive in Bavaria – a region with one of the most distinct identities in Germany, famed for its food, its Oktoberfest celebrations, lederhosen, and its traditional music.
The first major city you’ll come to is Augsburg. Wolfgang Mozart is perhaps more commonly associated with neighbouring Austria, where he was born and raised, but his family had its roots in Augsburg and the Leopold Mozart Haus museum is a tribute to the composer set in the childhood home of his father.
Much of Augsburg’s historic city centre was spared the destruction that other German cities witnessed during World War Two and the Rathausplatz, or Town Hall Square, boasts some of the finest surviving examples of medieval architecture anywhere in Bavaria.
Beer and bratwurst in Munich
Completing the Autobahn 8 leg of your journey, you’ll arrive in Munich within just over an hour of leaving Augsburg. One of Germany’s largest cities, Munich is one of Europe’s most popular spots for a city break – with tons to see and do.
Throw yourself into the Bavarian food and drink scene in the Old Town with a visit to the Hofbräuhaus München, a classic beer hall spread over three floors serving traditional beer in two-pint ‘stein’ glasses and typical German fare like bockwurst sausages with sauerkraut.
Stunning Alpine vistas on the Tegernsee
Before catching your flight home from Munich Airport, it’s worth taking a detour south – with the German Alps less than 40 miles away.
One of the best spots to go for a postcard-perfect snap is the Tegernsee, a lake at the foot of the Alps with various spas and resorts dotting its shoreline. Snaking mountain passes around the lake offer a very different driving experience to the Autobahn, but stunning nonetheless, and take intrepid explorers to breathtaking viewpoints.