lovingmy5in10

Hi- we've got Sept18-25 & would love to see some of these places. Also will be travelling with a 10yo,8yo & baby. Possibly my parents too. Would a van rental be our best bet? Or train to Venice later in the week (we fly in & out of Munich.) We will be budget travellers- accommodation likely hostels/inexpensive hotels- or rent an apartment?

dachsund

Hey there. I am looking to go those places as well. Don't know. Travel Channel has Bavaria on right now! 9:30 in California. Watch it if you can!

AisleSeat

Sounds like a fun trip. Is that the time the Oktoberfest is on in Munich? That will affect your hotel choices. I recommend Munich to Salzburg with a stop to see Ludwig's Herren Chiemsee on the way. A day or two in Saltsburg then back to Bertschesgaden with a boat ride on Konigsee. Then over to Oberammergau with a side trip to Linderhoff Castle/Palace. Then on to Fussen by way of Wieskirche. See the castles there and head back to Munich. The roads are good and the distances are not too far.

AisleSeat

I checked and Oktoberfest begins Sept. 17th. I goes for two weeks.

dachsund

good point aisle seat. Never been but I heard it is very hard to find lodging during Oktoberfest. Find something as soon as possible to save you the headache!

J62

You'll kill a day each getting to and from Venice from Munich. 7 hrs by train then transfers to hotel, etc. I would enjoy Bavaria & Salzburg and leave Venice to a different trip.

See my reply to your other posting on the same subject.

RufusTFirefly

Agree that Venice would be a bit much for a one week trip starting and ending in Munich.

rex

It's strenuous, but we did just what you are thinking to do in March 2000, as follows:

Day 0 - board plane
Day 1 - arrive Munich; few hours there, onward to Landshut (by van, we were a "family" of seven) - - we actually stayed at this place overnight (about 15 km outside Landshut) - - http://www.hohenpolding.de/firmen/linde - - an excellent bargain gasthaus.
Day 2 - two hours onward drive to Salzburg; there before noon. overnight there.
Day 3/4 - four hours to Venice - - two nights there; I have mixed feeelings about advising a repeat of what we did. We took the van on the ferry to Lido and stayed at Pensione Stella. This was a bargain basement trip for five teenagers, and I kept the entire trip at $750 (including airfare!), thus, this economizing was the only way to get two nights in Venice. But the ferry to and from Lido is almost as much as the cost to park it, and of course, we never used it there. If you can afford it at all, stay IN Venice.
Day 5 - two hours drive to Bassano del Grappa (arrived at dusk, to maxinize our time in Venice) - - an excellent place (saw the town over 5-6 hours the next day)
Day 6 - two hours drive to Hall in Tirol, to stay at www.heiligkreuz.at - - an okay destination
Day 7 - - two hours drive to a place I have trouble remembering (outskirts of Munich, in the SSW, generally); had to find rooms on the fly; had "reserved" rooms at a "Zimmer Frei" (house), but no one seemed to be home.
Day 8 - - flew home from Munich.

So you CAN do it; worked okay with teens - - are the 6- and 10-year olds high energy? will the parents keep up?

You may or may not wish to follow in my footsteps.

Best wishes,

Rex

sandyd

I would suggest focusing on Bavaria. The kids will love it. Don't miss the Tyrolian Slap Dancing in GAP (Gasthaus Fraundorfer). A trip up the Zugspitze. 4 of zany King Ludwig's castles! The saltmine tour in B-gaden. A day in Saltzburg. Mountains, lakes, hikes!