Germany with an 18 month old - any tips?

[HaventAClue]

Hi,
We've been invited to a wedding in Germany in the summer, DD will be 18 months old. Wedding is in a little hotel in middle of forests etc. so thought we'd be better off staying in nearby town in bigger hotel with pool and things to do nearby etc. Is this a better idea?
Also, I was thinking of Eurostar then local trains but it would be Eurostar to Paris then three trains, a total of about 8 hours travelling with lots of changes - would we be better off flying? Any experiences of flying vs trains with little ones?
DD not walking yet but am sure she'll be toddling about by summer, is close now, so no idea what sort of things she will be doing by the time this trip comes up...
Any tips greatly appreciated, I don't know where to start in booking our trip,
thanks!

Whereabouts in Germany are you going?

German trains are great but I don't think I'd like all those changes with luggage and a toddler. I'd suggest driving or flying.

Landau, nearest city is Frankfurt, think we will fly as trains will take over 8 hours...
Does anyone know of stuff we could do in the area?
Have never been to Germany - how baby/child friendly is it? Will we need to take travel booster seat/cot or do you think places will provide? What's eating out with a little one in tow like?
TIA

We took DD when she was 15 months for a funeral and went back again for a proper holiday a few months later so she would have been the same age as your DD will be roughly. We flew then went by train for a shortish trip to get to where we were staying, I wouldn't fancy going by train all the way.

I never really got on with small children and hotels and preferred to self cater. Maybe not to your taste at all but what about a farm ?

This one might be a bit far, google reckons it is an hour and 16mins from Landau but it gives you an idea of the sort of thing available, it says that it is child friendly and I reckon you'd all have a lovely time, lots to keep DD occupied. It is an hour and a half's drive from Frankfurt. Can't find prices but generally they are reasonable, we're staying on one this summer which costs 400 Euros for the week.

We did eat out when we sent, I don't remember there being any issues and think most places do have high chairs. I suspect the places that didn't we used to keep her in the buggy but hopefully someone who has been with a young child more recently can give some advice.

i love Germany, we have been three times so far with our 4 year old, he was 2 when we first went. I find it very child friendly, very clean public facilities [loos, changing rooms etc] and everything so bloody efficient! Depends how much you want to do with an 18 month old, and i don't know that area particularly, so can't advise really where to stay.
Train or plane? Difficult one! Really depends on the child. We did long drives and i'm afraid resorted to a portable dvd player, but didn't have it on all the time.

the farm sounds like a lovely idea.

I would fly and I would definitely stay at the small hotel for the night of the wedding

Thanks for the responses everyone, we will definately fly and I will look into self catering and farms, which both sound like good ideas, especially after reading the "what was I thinking" thread about staying in a hotel with a toddler and spending the night holding hands in the bathroom...