Rothenburg is in northwestern Bavaria, roughly equidistant between Nuremberg (about 80km southeast) and Würzburg (about 70km northwest). It sits on the Romantic Road (Romantische Straße), the tourist route that runs from Würzburg in the north down through Augsburg to Füssen and Neuschwanstein in the south.
By train: The most straightforward route is from Würzburg, which has fast ICE connections to Frankfurt, Munich, and most major German cities. From Würzburg Hauptbahnhof, take a regional train to Steinach bei Rothenburg (about 30 minutes) and change onto a single-car branch line that terminates at Rothenburg ob der Tauber station (about 15 minutes). The whole journey from Würzburg takes under an hour. From Nuremberg, connect through Ansbach and Steinach. Rothenburg station is a short walk from the Rödertor gate into the old town.
By car: From Nuremberg, take the A6 motorway west toward Heilbronn, exit at Schwabach-West or Herrieden, and continue on the B13 through Ansbach — around 45 minutes in light traffic. From Frankfurt, take the A3 south and continue on the A7 south toward Ulm, exiting at Uffenheim or Bad Windsheim; around two hours. Parking is available just outside the old town walls; you cannot drive inside the historic centre.
Romantic Road Bus: A seasonal Europabus service runs the length of the Romantic Road between Frankfurt and Füssen, stopping in Rothenburg. It runs once daily in each direction between April and October and is useful if you want to travel the full route without a car, though the schedule is not flexible.