Netherlands to Germany
Down the Rhine and into the Schwarzwald, with the Nürburgring an easy detour on the way.
Direct
620 km
385.3 mi
Scenic route
780 km
484.7 mi
Days
2
about 6.5 hr direct
Tolls
£10
one way, per car
The drive
Amsterdam to Baden-Baden is around 620 km, most of it on toll free German autobahn, which makes this one of the cheapest long drives in Europe.
The detour worth taking is the Eifel, where the Nordschleife sits about an hour off the direct line, followed by the Mosel valley road south.
Two easy days, or one long one if you skip the Mosel.
April to October, though the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse is often driveable year round.
Worth the detour
Eifel, Germany
Nurburgring Nordschleife
The Green Hell loops through Eifel forest with 73 legendary corners open to the public.
9.3 / 10 · 21 km
Mosel, Germany
Mosel Wine Road
The river road twists beneath vineyard slopes past the hairpin loop at Bremm's Calmont.
8.9 / 10 · 95 km
Black Forest, Germany
Schwarzwaldhochstrasse
Germany's original scenic highway rolls along a forested ridge with panoramic Alpine views.
9.2 / 10 · 60 km
Where to break the drive
Nürburg
Tourist sessions on the Nordschleife most evenings in season.
Cochem
Mosel wine town, easy overnight before the run south.
Questions
About 620 km, roughly 385.3 miles, by the most direct route. The scenic version described here runs closer to 780 km.
Around 6.5 hours of driving on the direct route, which most people split over two days. The scenic route takes 2 days without rushing.
Budget about £10 one way per car in tolls, vignettes and crossings, before fuel and hotels.
April to October, though the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse is often driveable year round.
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