Sorry to say, it is incomplete, but perhaps this could give you an idea or two:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/amazing-two-week-family-vacation-to-germany-czech-republic-and-austria.cfm

Loved our trip to the region last summer!

Kimi - I just quickly peeked at your TR - the SOM bike tour sounds amazingly fun!!! Def going on my list of musts!!! How can you not love this movie and the music!!! Dh and I are both huge fans!!! So you think its a good idea to visit Salzburg as a day trip from Munich or should we move hotels and spend multiple days?

"Incomplete" What does that mean?

In Berner Oberland, go up in the mountains.

- any thoughts?

for your Swiss part do not neglect considering getting a Swiss Pass - valid not only on all trains you will be taking to Interlaken or in full up to villages like Wengen, Miurren, Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen - basically the only 4 mountain villages you can chose from to stay in. Passes also valid on lake boats and give 50% off most aerial gondolas and mountain trains to mountain tops and also free entry to 400+ Swiss museums. - Use it to go from the German border to the Italian borcer.

for lots of great info on Swiss trains, the Berner Oberland and Swiss passes I always highlight these IMO fantastic sources- www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

I wouldn't do all those daytrips from Munich, too much going back and forth. I think I would spend a few nights in Salzburg and then maybe just an overnight in Fussen to see the castles. That is what we did. In Salzburg I think your boys would enjoy the salt mines as well as the sommerrodelbahn (dry tobaggan runs open off season). We also did the SOM bicycle tour and loved it!

Ferrari museum is in Maranello not Modena, but not too far from each other. We went to the Ferrari museum while we were in Bologna and it was an easy drive. My husband and son loved it, and even my daughter and I thought it was fun! While we were in Bologna we also did this fabulous food tour with Alessandro of Italy Days Food Experiences ((http://www.italiandays.it/). We all loved it including the kids.

If you enjoy hiking, I would really suggest you consider the Dolomites. We had a great trip there, loved the hiking, and the huttes everywhere on the mountains are so great to stop for some food and a little rest.

Here are some links to my trip reports along with pictures:

Dolomites/Bologna:
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/category/travels/europe/bologna-bellagio-dolomites-milan-2010/

Salzburg/Fussen/Munich:
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/category/travels/europe/germany-czech-republic-austria/

I would rent a car for at least part of your trip, too much train travel will get to be a drag. A low end MB with GPS is the way to go and not expensive if you use gemut.travel..

We have 15 nights. Kids are boys and 13 1/2 and 10 1/2.>

About the Swiss Pass if you have kids under 15 they get a free pass - a Family Pass where they never pay a cent to ride anything - even things the Swiss Pass normally only pays a discount on - on things like the Jungfraujoch train that can be a huge savings. Get the free Family Pass when you order your Swiss Pass.

I meant incomplete only because I had not finished the trip report, however I am trying to remedy that.

I would indeed stay in Salzburg and not just visit as a day trip. That's my opinion only, but I felt Salzburg had a very special magic. Enjoy!

Moving bases is always a pain IMO - a day trip lets them at least see that wondrous city of Salzburg - relocating takes a lot of a day - and really for most folks a day in Salzburg would be enough - especially a family with two kids. I love Salzburg and have indeed spent days there but for the OP's limited time a day trip would be fine.

I would rent a car for at least part of your trip, too much train travel will get to be a drag.>

well that is a subjective look at it - to me driving is a drag - too much train travel will be a drag? Sounds like for sure - well I can relax on a train - if I am driving my eyes are peeled on the road, etc.

Some folks may find too much train travel to be a drag but not nearly everyone or even the average person on the OP's limited itinerary involving only a handful of rail journeys.

Thanks to all!!
PalenQ - I dont think we will rent a car as the drop off fees are crazy!

jgg - Seems we have the same ideas for family travel!! Last summer I remember reading about your Barcelona trip!!

Can Wengan, Grindelwald, Interlakken be a base for day trips futher out from B.O.? I think we are cutting out moving hotels to Zermatt to heading straight to Italy after BO and Lucerne stays.

For some reason this trip is giving me a tough time - its harder than all the other trips I have planned!!

The point of going to the BO is to be there and do the activities on offer, not to use it as a base for trips elsewhere.

With boys that age I suggest Grindelwald. You will have a luge up on the Pfingstegg lift, and a zipline (Firstflieger) on the First lift. From the top there is a beautiful hike to the Bachalpsee and an adventurous ont=e to the hut on top of the Faulhorn. You can also rent Trottibikes and ride down from First. You can also ride the gondolbahn up to Mannlichen for a veiw into the Lauterbrunnen Valley, walk to Kleine Scheidegg, and take the train back down.

With boys that age you may want to budget a day in Interlaken itself - to do the famous summer luge course there and also to visit a theme park with kids rides - yah I hear the chorus of 'tacky' 'you don't go to Switzerland to go to a kids' theme park - but think of the kids and give them a day there - the park is on the edge of Interlaken, in a meadow from which you can see the majestic snow-girdled Jungfrau Massif.

http://www.interlaken.ch/en/activities-excursions-adventure-festivals/a-world-of-fun-summer-activities-interlaken/theme-parks-summer-interlaken/explore-jungfrau-park.html

The Jungfrau Theme Park is now what it is called - just a km or so east of Interlaken.

PalenQ - I have taken trips with all train travel and other trips with all driving and I much prefer driving. No waiting or dealing with train schedules, but as you say, its subjective.
To avoid drop off fees only rent within a country - no drop off fees usually within the same country like Germany.

jp - No problem with that I have driven and biked all over Europe and loved it to - I think driving is especially fun with others - a family or a couple but as a solo traveler I find motoring very fatiguing and isolating.

and it depends what kind of trip - going only to places like Rome, Venice or Florence and using cars only to blast between them is useless as cars are useless in those cities - have to pay a lot to park them as private vehicles are more and more banned in Italian city centers and many other European cities to boot.

but weaving thru Tuscan and Umbrian hill towns between those cities is great by car.

So yes there are many variables and personal desires and I respect that - the efficacy of driving some places however is not great - like if just going to large Italian towns.

So now I revamped the itinerary as follows
Day 1 Fly into Stuttgart and visit MB - Overnight in Stuttgart
2 - Visit Porsche - Overnight in Munich
3 - Visit BMW Wekt Overnight in Munich
4 - Daytrip to Fussen w/viatour (or sim.) - Overnight in Munich
5 - Munich - Overnight in Munich
6 - Salzberg - SOM Tour - Overnight in Salzburg
7 - Salzberg - Overnight in Salzburg
8 - Travel - Overnight in Lucerne
9 - Overnight in Grindenwald
10 - Overnight in Grindenwald
11 - Overnight in Grindenwald
12 - Overnight in Grindenwald
13 - Overnight in Como or Maggiore
14 - Overnight in Como or Maggiore
15 - Overnight in Como or Maggiore
Day 16 - FLy to US from Milan

Should I bother with the overnight in Lucerne? Should I cut a day in night and spend 2 nights in Lucerne? Any other thoughts would be super!!! This is the toughest trip to plan!!!!

Yup I would cut a day out of Grindelwald or the Italian lakes and add it to Lucerne - Lucerne is small with not much to see really but it has lots of neat day trips to do - especially those involving a ride on lovely Lake Lucerne - spend a leisurely day on the lake, getting on and off at various neat places.

Ok. Thanks!

Possible day excursions from Lucerne include Mt Pilatus, take a boat to Alpnachstad then a thrilling mountain railway up to the summit and a thrilling aerial cable way down to Krens, in suburban Lucerne to bus the few miles back to the town center.

And a boat to Vitzau and take a mountain train up to the famous Mt Rigi summit - known for some of the sweetest views in all of Switzerland and take an aerial cable way back down to the lake at Weggis to catch boats or buses back to Lucerne

or do a whole day on the lake - boat to the far end of the fjord-like arm of the lake - to Fluelen and take the train back to Lucerne(can stop off at Mt Rigi on this jaunt).

Should I cut the night in Munich over Grindelwald or Como??

Should I cut the night in Munich over Grindelwald or Como??>

Well IMO you certainly have a lot of time in Munich - considering those auto things will not take nearly the whole day. 3 days on one lake would be more than enough IMO for the average traveler - the Grindelwald area has so so much to do - not just mountains but day trips on the lakes are wonderful as is Bern, in rainy weather, not unusual here, is much more enjoyable than being up in the hills, etc.

I spend two full days on Lake Maggiore and Lake Como and for me at least that was enough - but if you are the type to love to laze around or if like you you have kids that like to spend the day swimming, etc then it could be different.

Lake Thun at Interlaken also has some nice swimming places too!

Ok - Thx!!! Im going to swap one night in Munich for one extra night in Lucerne....
1 Fly/Red Eye from US to Stuttgart
2 Stuttgart
3 Munich
4 Munich
5 Munich
6 Salzberg
7 Salzberg
8 Grindelwald
9 Grindelwald
10 Grindelwald
11 Grindelwald
12 Lucerne
13 Lucerne
14 Como
15 Como
16 Como
17 Fly Home from Milan - early morning flight to US

Seems a wrap and a nice one too. You can take a train from Como right to Malpensa airport - well with one change of trains - the Nord de Milano train line that has a terminus right at the boat docks in Como.

a novel routing to end could be to take the train from Lucerne to St Moritz and take the famous Bernina Express train (to me the most dramatically scenic train in all of Europe@!) and end up in Lake Como (not literally) by getting off the train from Tirano, Italy (where Bernina line ends) at Varenna-Esino and taking a boat to Bellagio or Como.

Could even break your trip in St Moritz for a night.

Thinking of renting a car for the Stuttgart - Munich portion of the trip. That way we can do Fussen on our own, and get in a little driving in Germany time.... Good idea/Bad idea?

Gpood idea IMO - consider driving along the Bavarian Alpenstrasse - a side road that skirts the foothills of the Bavaroian Alps much of the way towards the Fussen area. Obertsdorf is one gem of a town on that route (If i reclal the name correctly).

In Lucerne- what is the best area to stay?? It seems a little spread out. River, lake, train station, etc.... Having a tough time funding lodging.

Oops, finding lodging. Not funding!

In Lucerne- what is the best area to stay??>

best in which ways - cheaper - lake views - the string of fancy hotels along the lake stretching east from the train station seems very upscale - but Lucerne is small really so location-wise it doesn't make much difference IMO where you stay. It is also to me one of the most expensive cities in Europe for hotels - one reason I prefer the Interlaken area - it abounds in inexpensive hotels IME.

A view would be nice, but since we are 4 in most hotels we need 2 rooms, that's what's been tough. We don't want to feel away from the areas we want to explore. Since its only 2 nights. I found a family room at Cascada which I believe is near the train station, which will fit us all. Not sure if we will feel on the outskirts of the action. We don't want to have to walk 20 minutes just to get somewhere....

Lucerne's train station is right smack in the center of town a few minute stroll from every major site/sight.

Anyone stayed at Cascada?

Mostly good reviews on TripAdvisor 126/147 excellent or VG

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188064-d228134-Reviews-Hotel_Cascada-Lucerne.html

You really can't go wrong in Lucerne in hotels I think - no dumps allowed!

Renting a car for Füssen makes a certain amount of sense, although you won't really want it in Stuttgart or Munich. Perhaps just rent the car in the morning of the last day in Stuttgart, drive to Füssen and visit for the day, and drop the car in Munich that evening (or the next morning).

Stuttgart to Füssen would be about 2 hrs by car, and Munich is just another 1.5 hrs away. Only thing is the tour schedule to get into the castles might render such a plan unworkable (or you'd have to leave early from Stuttgart, which doesn't seem to be in your plans).

***Also note the spelling of "Salzburg" - while the difference between Berg and Burg may seem subtle, getting it precisely right is often very important when travelling in Germany/Austria/Switzerland. This isn't meant to nitpick, but you see cases of people reserving train tickets for Rothenberg instead of Rothenburg (ob der Tauber), or a hotel in Freiberg rather than Freiburg, that kind of thing.

Oh, I was going to make another suggestion. If you're out at the BMW museum, you and your boys might enjoy viewing the Olympic Park (site of the 1972 Olympics) and the Olympic Tower right across the street. From the tower, you get a nice view of the both the Olympic Park/Stadium and the BMW facility below, as well as views of the Alps on the southern horizon.

These are minor sites, but together with the BMW facility, could really round out a nice day trip.

Someone told me there was a BergBurg in Germany - a town - a berg with a castle - a burg?

Are you planning on staying in Como town on Lake Como or elsewhere on Lake Como? The train PQ refers to leaves from Como town. But most of us prefer staying mid lake on Lake Como: Varenna, Bellagio, or Menaggio. These locations are not so convenient to Malpensa. I believe there are buses to Malpensa from Menaggio and from Stresa on Lago Maggiore. But I think it's better to stay in Milan or close to the airport the night before you fly home. You are taking a big chance the farther you are from the airport and the more reliant you are on one form of transportation. Things can go wrong in Italy, strikes, breakdowns, traffic accidents. What if you miss your flight? Will you have to wait for another flight with enough empty seats? Pay last-minute full fare? It's just not worth squeezing an extra night on Lake Como.