passported

Planning a spring trip. Would like to spend a few nights in the Alsace area. Then make our way over to Salzburg and home from Vienna or Munich.

Assuming we fly into Paris and take the train to Strasbourg, pick up a car, do the Alsace...then what should we do? Drop car and train across Germany, stopping for a few nights here and there? Or can we just drive towards Salzburg? I'm assuming the countryside is lovely but we don't want to drive through any mountain passes. Can we pickup a car in France and drop in Austria?

Just looking for ideas on pacing, itinerary for a 2 week trip. I can fly into Frankfurt or Paris, or anywhere, really. We could also do it in reverse, into Munich or Vienna, out of Frankfurt or Paris.

Thanks!

Andrew

You could certainly do it all by train. But if you could fly into Frankfurt out of Munich, you could have a car the whole time and drop it in the same country you rented it in, so you'd probably avoid a big drop fee.

I guess I'd check out the train connections between Alsace and Vienna and Munich/Salzburg (which are fairly close together). If there's something in between you'd want to stop and see - ? Maybe you could train through it, but obviously the car would add more flexibility. I like train travel so I'd personally lean toward a train, but that's just a personal preference.

PalenQ

Strasbourg- Rhine/Mosel area (boat ride thru Rhine Gorge***)/ Munich/ Salzburg / Vienna- 3 bases before Vienna with lots of great day trips possible from each.

Trains are great - for info on trains- www.bahn.de/en - German Railways site with schedules for all of European trains; www.budgeteuropetravel.com (awesome online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of rail itineraries); www.seat61.com - awesome info on discounted train ticketing yourself online; www.ricksteves.com.

PalenQ

Would be a sweet road trip too - could drive the Mosel and Rhine bits go via Fussen and southwest Bavaria -thru Austria to Innsbruck and Salzburg - drive around the fabled Lake Disrict (a k a Sound of Music Country; into idyllic Hallsatt and the awesome high Alps - Vienna and back along Danube via fabled Wachau Valley and Passau to Munich.

But instead of renting in Strasbourg - cross the Rhine by train a few minutes to pick up a car in Germany and then do Alsace and back to Germany - returning in Munich or Passau, Germany -closest German city by a few-hour train ride to Vienna if flying out of there.

I love trains but I salivate at doing that potential driving route!

passported

Would it be too inclimate to do in late March/ early April?

passported

I think we can skip Vienna, probably too far east for this trip.

bilboburgler

Ok, I do this car trip annually and have friends who do it monthly. The key issue is the drop off fees.

I'd catch a train to Strasbourg and them Colmar for a few days tastings in Alsace. Depending on alcohol/drinking issues I might either rent a car and taste away, or catch a taxi to a smaller wine producing village (Colmar doesn't make much wine, while the villages do) and either stay there a few days with the odd drive into the surroundings for some fine walking.

Then I'd dump the car, get over the border (train) and hire another car to enjoy a drive into the northern Black forest, prior to sropping past lake constance and then into Bavaria before doing the car/train drop into Austria. Southern Germany is a lovely area and well worth a 7/14 day tour in its own right

May to October would be good. I've done it in winter and it is not nice.

PalenQ

early spring will not be cold and you have no real mountain passes to drive.

passported

April is a no go Bilbo? Trying to score off season flights for this.

Where would you rent the car in Germany in this scenario?

What are good places to sleep/base during the German portion of the trip?

PalenQ

Then I'd dump the car, get over the border (train) and hire another car to enjoy a drive into the northern Black forest>

Maybe take train to Freibourg -rent car and head for the Black Forest- mosey over via Ulm and its great cathedral perhaps - Lindau is a neat city jutting into Lake Constance then you can take the Bavarian Alpine Road - an official scenic road that meanders along the foothills of the Bavarian Alps say towards Fussen (Mad Ludwig's castles!

Then go thru the gap in the mountains to Reutte, Austria and drive to Innsbruck and Salzburg - thru lovely mountain valleys - no passes and end up in Munich via maybe Berchetsgaden.

Lots of possibilities.

PalenQ

Why not yes fly into Frankfurt - rent a car and do Alsace and then not have to hassle returning in France and re-renting in Germany and no need to take train to Strasbourg (but don't miss Strasbourg either!).

bilboburgler

I like P's routes

April, going to be so-so, just be prepared for a few wet dull days. Then a high will go through and it will be lovely.