Have an opportunity to go to Volkach for work and am looking at adding some days before and after the trip to explore Germany. This would be the first time to Europe, and will probably bring my wife and two daughters. We'd be flying from Denver, so it looks like Frankfurt would be the best option. Open to suggestions as I start to plan. This would be in Mid October.

Not sure how old your daughters are but I'll assume you don't want to go to the big Oktoberfest (all the towns will have them so maybe find a small town festival, I've been to a couple and they're super fun and less crazy than the big ones).

On the front end I would consider Strasbourg France, only a couple hours away by train and it's a beautiful little town. Perfect for a couple days and then take the train to Volkach for work.

Personally, I love southern Germany the most. So after work (if it was me) I'd probably take the train down to Fussen, close to the border of Austria. The Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau castles are close by and there are other day trips available. Innsbruck Austria is 3 hours away, Seefeld Austria (one of my favorite towns) is right there too. The trains are super easy to navigate and the views are second to none.

I personally don't think the cities in Germany have all that much to offer, especially Frankfurt and Munich. Berlin & Dresden are better but a lot further away. If you share how many days and the types of things you and your family would be interested in we can provide more accurate suggestions.

Feel free to reach out with questions or if you need help planning the trip!

It really depends on where your interests lie.

If you like cathedrals, Cologne is about 90 minutes away, the cathedral there is spectacular. Frankfort has a decent cathedral, but it doesn't really compare.

If history is your thing, Aachen isn't too far away. The cathedral started construction when Charlemagne was emperor. Also, what is now the city hall was built for Charlemagne. It's not too far from Frankfort. It's also close to Maastricht, Netherlands. It's also a nice city to visit with a lot of history. Both of my suggestions could be done as day trips if you have a car.

You might consider the old medieval towns of Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbuhl, both of which are just south of Volkach. These two towns have intact city walls, along with beautiful old buildings. Rothenburg is extremely well-known and therefore has much more tourists. However, you won't see as many tourists in Dinkelsbuhl. Despite the fact that Rothenburg is very popular, it is IMO still worth seeing, especially if you can visit during the week.

Some great feedback so far. Early stages of planning, especially with just finding out about the trip this week. We had been planning for our first European trip to be to Italy next year. Kids are 8 and 12, and we'll be leaving for the trip on her 13th birthday. Our family roots are in Brandenburg as well as some small towns near Switzerland. Just don't want to be too aggressive with only being there a week.