vanenechy

Hi everyone,

Looking to travel to Munich, Salzburg and Vienna and have about 10 days to do so. Which do you all think would be worth the extra night?

This is what we where thinking:

Arrive Frankfort airport
take train to Vienna (4 nights)
train to Salzburg (2 nights)
train to Munich (3 nights)
train to Frankfort (1 night)

Can't wait to hear your responses.

Thanks in advance -
Vanne

blackduff

Why not fly direct to Vienna and then work your way back to Munich. It would save you the time in a long train ride and it will give more time visiting the cities.

Just a thought.

Blackduff

ira

Hi V,

Why fly into/out of Frankfurt if you are visiting Munich and Vienna?

MUC is a major international airport.

SAnParis

If I had to fly in & out of Frankfurt, I would take advanatge of the Mosel or Rhine in lieu of going all the way to Vienna. You can day-trip to Salzburg from Munich. I would stick to the areas between (FRA & MUC)& save Vienna for another time (or fly into one & out the other). The times I have visited Vienna I've either flown directly in, or gone from MUC.

kdcwood

I think you have been given some very good advice!

The first time I went to Europe (14 trips ago) my girlfriends and I started off our two week trip very much like yours. We were naive and didn't quite understand the distances. We flew in and out of Frankfurt because we got a great promotional fare and grabbed the tickets before we knew where we wanted to go. We immediately hopped on a train to Vienna, then trained back to Salzburg, and then onto Munich and other points west. We had a great trip, but afterwards agreed that we had spent way too much time on trains and should have tightened up our destinations. We would have had a better trip if we had cut the number of destinations and spent more time in fewer places.

The train from Frankfurt to Vienna is a 7 hour trip. Then to get from Vienna to Salzburg is another four. (Salzburg to Munich is just an hour and a half.) You will lose a tremendous amount of your trip getting out to Vienna and then heading back west.

If you are locked into Frankfurt, I'd suggest eliminating Vienna from your schedule. Spend a few days somewhere between Frankfurt and Munich. Or consider renting a car in Salzburg and spend a few days exploring the Bavarian Alps or Salzkammergut... experience the countryside in addition to cities.

Kathy

vanenechy

Thanks for all of the very helpful advice. The reason we are flying into Frankfurt is because yes, we are getting a great rate and because we don't have to lay over any where else (unfortunately Continental Airlines - our frequent flyer program) does not do Munich or Vienna non-stop.

We've altered our itineary a bit, now it reads like this;

Train right off the plan from Franfurt - Vienna

Vienna 5 nights

Salzburg 5 nights

Munich 2 nights
train directly the morning of our flight back into Frankfurt.

What do you all think now?

Vanne

vanenechy

Out of curiosity, since we will be on the train 7 hours bound for Vienna, would it be a good idea to make a stop over to Prague or do you think that 5 nights in Vienna are a must?

I appreciate any suggestion you all have to offer.

MaureenB

Fly from the U.S. then get on a 7 hour train? Wouldn't be my preference.

What about an inexpensive airfare to get to Vienna? And then to return to Frankfurt?

We did Vienna-Prague-Munich in 12 nights and it was great. But we flew into Vienna and home from Munich, which was ideal. We took the train from Vienna (after 5 nights there) to Prague (for 3 nights), then to Munich (stayed 4 nights, including day-trips to Salzburg and Fussen). It was a good plan.

You know that Salzburg is an easy day-trip from Munich, just about 2.5 hours by train. I think 5 nights in Salzburg might be too many, and 2 nights in Munich too little.

Felly

I think your days are allocated strangely. Salzburg is very nice, but there's only enough there for one night. Exploring the city and seeing a concert should only take two nights worth of time.

Munich is the place you should be spending much more time in. So, make your time in Salzburg only two nights, and spend 5 nights in Munich. Munich takes at least two full days to see, and then you really should take a daytrip by train from Munich down to Fussen to see Schloss Neuschwanstein. You can also take daytrips to Oberammergau, Rothenburg (ie., some of the Romantic Road towns). Very nice.

blackduff

Another city which can be visited easily from Munich is Augsburg. I cannot say exactly what's there, except the church is spectacular, from what I've heard.

It's a few kilometers north of Munich so give it a good google and see if it's worth visiting.

Most people who told me that I should visit this place have all Germans. I never had the time.

Blackduff

vanenechy

All the advice has been great. I now contemplating doing:

Franfurt - Munich
(4 nights and day trip to Salzburg)

Train to Prague
(3 nights)

Train to Vienna
(4 nights)
Depart from Vienna

Does anyone know how long a train ride would be from Munich to Prauge? It looks pretty far. What rail company can I contact for schedules?

Vanne

ira

Hi V,

See www.airberlin.com for inexpensive flights between Frankfurt and Vienna and Munich.

You have a lot of time in Salzburg.

I suggest 2 nights for Salzburg, another night for a day trip to Berchtesgaden and a car rental for 2 nights in Hallstatt (or other town) and a drive through the Salzkammergut.

Enjoy your visit.

SAnParis

I'll stick to my original suggestions which would be to eliminate Vienna altogether (Prague is even further away) so you are (in effect) adding more train time to your trip. There is a plethora of things to do in the Rhine & Mosel Valley. I'd much rather spend a day @ Burg Eltz than on a train to Vienna. Even if you can't fly 'direct' to Munich or Vienna. Flying there (even w/the connection) is going to be much faster. Probably cheaper also, the trains aren't free. Salzburg is nothing more than a day-trip or over-nighter from Munich. What about Rothenburg, Wurzburg, Cochem, Koblentz, etc., etc. Many of these (in my opinion) rival or surpass your current itin. I question as to whether or not you are even reading what people are saying (?) based on your current revision.

vanenechy

After some reading and investing, we think Germany and the Alps is way too interesting to do in 4 days so we've decided to hold off on doing Germany for now and plan a better and more structured trip for next fall, perhaps even during Octoberfest. Given the sudden window of opportunity to travel the next two weeks, we are going to concentrate on Vienna, Salzburg and Prague. Thanks to all for the valuable input. I'll save your threads for next year.

Take care and happy travels,
Vanne

ToddGundlach

We are doing 3 nights in Munich, a day to drive (one night stop over) to Venice for 2 nights, another day's drive with one night stop over to Vienna, 2 nights in Vienna, then a morning's drive to Prague for another 3 nights, head back to Munich with a nights stayover in Passau.

Day 1 arrive Munich
Day 1, 2, 3 Munich
Day/Night 4 - Revine Lago (near Bastia)
Day 5, 6 - Venice
Day/Night 7 - Judenburg AT (Schloss Gabelhofen)
Day 8, 9 Vienna
Day 10, 11, 12 - Prague
Day/Night 13 - Passau
Day/Night 14 - Munich
Day 15 Back - USA

kdcwood

Vanne,

Everyone has their own personal preferences about where they want to go, the type of place that appeals to them. Hopefully we've given you some input at least related to travel times and logistics that will help you design a trip that works best for you. I usually look at www.raileurope.com (click on "train tickets and schedules&quot to understand how long a train trip might be, when and how often trains run etc.

I do want to offer an alternate point of view about Salzburg, as I know some here feel it is worth a day or two only. I've been to Salzburg five times, twice over Christmas. The last time we stayed in the Salzkammergut (St. Gilgen) for two weeks in the summer and absolutely loved it. We could have stayed a month (or more) and not run out of things to do. Yes, it's possible to tour the city and see the key sights in a few days, but there's so much more to savor in the city and within an hour or so.

Kathy

AisleSeat

I don't know how many of you there are but I really prefer car travel over train travel and with the time you have you could easily steal a day or two to exlore Ludwig castle county in the alps sort of between Salzburg and Munich. The Salzkammergut (Salt Mine region) between Vienna and Salzburg is also an outstanding visit (remember the opening scene from Sound of Music) as is the Danube valley.