finny

This is our first trip to Europe. We're in our early 30s and enjoy good food, cultural sites (museums, etc), beer, hiking. Flying into/out of Zurich is fixed as are the first 5 days of the trip, but we're flexible after that. Trip is mid-Sept to mid-October.

Please let me know if this tenative itinerary is doable or too ambitious. If you had to sacrifice a location, where would it be?

Zurich (1 nt)
Munich (4 nts)
Prague (2 nts + take night train or bus to Budapest on 3rd nt)
Budapest (3 nts)
Vienna (3 nts)
Salzburg (2 nts)
Lucerne (1 nt)
Murren (3 nts)
Zurich (1)

Thanks in advance for your help!

PalenQ

IMo no but many others will say yes - too ambitious - but that is how I travel and for me it is actually leisurely but again many will say on this forum you need to spend several days in each stop - that travel time between bases will take up most of a day, etc. (consider using the many overnight trains, like between Munich and Prague or Prague and Budapest) to economize on time and save a night's hotel cost to boot).

Anyway if going by train here are some sweet info-laden sites to help plan that part - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

And with that much train travel be sure to investigate the Eurail Select Saverpass valid in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Hungary - a first class pass and IME of decades of incessant European train travel anyone on their first trip to Europe and on the trip of a lifetime should go first class - 2nd class ain't a cattle car but first class is so so much more relaxed - especially for folks carrying luggage around.

One advantage of a railpass in all those countries is that you can just hop on any train - with very few exceptions - any time - full flexibility and fully flexible first class fares can cost a ton of money and IME in first class you will always find empty seats - and often many of them - I usually can put my bags on an adjoining seat rather than fending for space in often already overstuffed overhead luggage racks in 2nd class.

adrienne

This would be too ambitious for me but it depends on what you want to see in each location. Have you a list of all the sights you want to see in each town? That is what determines how long you stay somewhere. Plus make sure the special things you want to see/do are not closed the day(s) you are there.

For instance, you have 1.5 days in Prague. This will work if you can see everything you want to see in 1.5 days. 1.5 days in Prague would not be enough for me.

As much as Prague is a wonderful city I would probably remove it from the itinerary as you're spending 5 hours to get there and 7 hours to get to Budapest. A lot of traveling for 1.5 days.

BigRuss

First, PalQ is the biggest train travel shill on this board.

Second, you need to have a better grasp of distances.

Thus, you don't need two nights in Salzburg - you can day trip it from Munich (70 miles, and your four nights could be overkill). You also don't need four nights total and two different hotels in Lucerne/Murren - they're just over 50 miles apart. Stay in one and day trip to the other.

Why three nights in Murren (it has 450 people)?

You need more than 2 nights in Prague and four nights in Budapest would be better. And the night train or bus will suck - the trains east of the old Iron Curtain are not on the level (quality, comfort, speed) of trains in Germany or Western Europe. If you want to think outside the box, consider the hydrofoil from Budapest to Vienna straight up the Danube.

If you do dump Salzburg and reserve it as a day trip from Munich, then consider switching Budapest and Vienna in your order. Vienna is 4 hours from Prague, Budapest is 3 by train and 4 by boat from Vienna. Beats a 9+ hour night train or a 7.5 hour day train from Prague to Budapest, although backtracking to Switzerland will be a long trip (a reason you should have booked an open jaw ticket).

finny

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. I realize open-jaw would be much more ideal, but the tickets were free so I'm not complaining... We'll be in Munich for Oktoberfest and also visiting friends there so that's why we spending 4 nights in Munich.

Although I'm hoping to see a lot while we're traveling, I'm also torn in regards to trying to find a relaxing balance. As such, I'm tempted to just drop off Salzburg or Lucerne/Murren. I just hate to think we're that close to the Swiss Alps and missing them! I'm also a little hesitent of the long travel distance to get from Vienna or Budapest (depending which order we decide on, Bigruss; we'd also talked about which order of the two would be the most beneficial)back to Switzerland so that's why I was thinking of stopping in Salzburg.

kja

Your itinerary is too ambitious for my tastes. I don't mind traveling "hard" and I don't seek out relaxation when I travel, but I do want to be able to see at least the major sites that are of interest to me at any one location with some depth.

I've been to each of these locations but Zurich and Murren, so I guess that tells you what I'd cut. I'd add time to Vienna - I love museums, and it has some wonderful ones (so I found 5 full days there to be just barely enough) - and to Prague and/or Budapest (so you have at least 3 days in each).

But again, that's just me.

The good news is that you will see some wonderful places!

nytraveler

To me you are short-changing every place except Zurich - I would have done open jaws into Munich and out of the last city. Zurich is a business city and there is really no need to be there.

I love Lucerne - but in this case I would bag it and add the night to Prague - which really needs more. But we just travel differently - not so much time in transit and more time actually seeing/doing things.

SusannahT

Having been to them all, I think they are great choices. Maybe omit Prague to save on travel, although wandering around the castle area & Old Town is doable & enjoyable. I would stay in Salzburg and not have it as a daytrip from Munich. I also think 3 nights in Murren is a lovely idea. There is so much to do in both places.

Melnq8

If you're traveling by train, please be aware that Lucerne to Murren is a three hour train ride and not doable as a day trip, unless you just want to sit on the train, look at Murren and then get back on the train.

And unlike BigRuss, I'd have no problem staying in Murren for three nights or a week for that matter, but I'd be there to hike. The rest of your itinerary makes me dizzy, but I'm in the less-is-more, slow travel contingent.

PalenQ

Why three nights in Murren (it has 450 people)?>

What a naive comment - Murren makes as good a base as any place in the fabulous Berner Oberland and this seems to have escaped BigRuss' grasp - so what it has only 450 people - what the heck does that have anything to do with anything - I guess BigRuss thought you would just stay in Murren the whole three days - well that is foolish of him to think. Ignore that comment and keep the 3 days in Murren to explore one of Europe's most wonderful areas - the Jungfrau Region which could happily occupy many more days - and Murren may only have 450 permanent residents but the town's size swells with many more folks staying in its many hotels - in one of the Jungfrua Region's nicest bases.

So BigRuss do you see why someone may want to stay 3 days in such a tiny town? Get a grasp of reality man!

rockitsman

Done similar trip last year, I would recomend stopping in Bratislava for 1 night between Prag and Budapest, break up the journey, Bratislava is also a bit of a hub which you would go through going to Vienna. A tip I learned was buy your rail ticket in Bratislava for Vienna( £10) / Budapest.
(£18),it is also cheaper to buy a return than a single for some reason !!

PalenQ

I did Bratislava as a day trip from Vienna and would recommend doing that - Bratislava for the average tourist if about a half-day thing and I hate relocating hotels too like you would have to do by staying in Bratislava one day - Bratislava is just an hour or so by train from Vienna and there are also hydrofoils on the Danube between Vienna and Bratislava.

susan001

Don't skip Murren (I stayed 3 nights and it was perfect). I've been to most of the places on this itinerary and Muren is the only one I long to return to.