April long weekend - Munich v Innsbruck v Salzburg
 

My first post :) My wife and I will be in Zurich next week, and have set aside the long weekend (Apr 3 to 6) to explore Austria or south Germany. This trip is last-minute, and I don't have as much time as normal to do my travel homework. We don't want to travel too far (e.g., Vienna), and would consider traveling by train, bus or rental car. A friend strongly recommended Innsbruck but I have read a few times that Salzburg is preferable. I wasn't initially that interested in Munich initially but the WW2/holocaust sites are of interest. We're in our late 30s, no kids, and are interested in historical sites, cafes and restaurants, charming old town centres, natural beauty, but not so much art galleries.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks.

Welcome, sottovoce.

Innsbruck is a good base for exploring the Berner Oberland, [possibly not at its best this time of year unless you want some late season skiing], Salzburg is good for history and music, as well as trips into the Salzkammergut, and it seems that you know [something] about Munich.

however, given you have such a limited amount of time, if you pick Salzburg from Zurich.it's a good 5 hour + drive, and 6 hours on the train according to googlemaps. Innsbruck is 3 hours drive, and Munich is about 3 ½ hours with the train getting you there in 4.

if you don't mind the extra hour or so's travelling, I think that Salzburg best fits your bill.

Innsbruck for the Berner Oberland? That's in switz.

Of the 3 Innsbruck, while charming, has the least to see and do. I think salzburg is great for a long weekend - you might be frustrated n Munich by having to miss so many top sights in only a couple of days.

I would pick Salzburg---worth two days.

I would choose Salzburg. We have been to all three and enjoyed all three. One thing I would alert you to. We were in Munich on Easter Monday a few years ago and everything was shut down. Some restaurants were open but that was it. It was a ghost town.

Thanks for all the replies. What do people think of spending one night in Innsbruck (to break up travel in nothing else) then continue on to Salzburg for Sat and Sun nights?
SV

Been researching Munich for an upcoming trip. Munich is suppose to have the least rainfall in April while Salzburg gets a lot of precipitation year round.

I may do a day trip to Salzburg out of Munich but will wait until the last minute to see how the weather looks. Otherwise, there are other S or SW of Munich.

The weather forecast does not look too good for the Northern side of the Alps.
It's supposed to stay somewhat rainy, too cool for the season (10-12C max).
You may want to keep an eye on the weather forecast - or check what is foreseen for Ticino / Tessin.
Which would be an easy train ride from Zürich, and has nice small towns, the lakes - and usually much better weather than us up North.

Innsbruck for the Berner Oberland? That's in switz.>>

of course it is, NYT - my excuse is that I was posting while I was tired and should have been in bed. Apologies sottovoce. I was mixing it up with Interlaken!

Innsbruck is good for ½ a day - the Goldenes Dachl, the palace of Maria Teresa - but it's not Salzburg. A night there would be sufficient and as you say would break up the journey. you could then call in at Berchtesgarten on the way to Salzburg which might fit in with your WW2 interests.

Do check the opening times at whatever your destination becomes. Your long weekend runs from Good Friday to Easter Monday, so it is possible that some attractions (and restaurants) may be closed or open with limited hours.

Your problem is that you want to visit regional capitals only (like most tourists from overseas). There are tons of gems between Zurich and Munich, between Munich and Innsbruck as well as between Innsbruck and Salzburg.
As suggestetd above, I would rather go to the South if the weather forecast for the northern side of the Alps is bad and that for the southern side good. You could then check towns like Meran, Bozen, Trento or like Aosta, Turin, Oropa, Lake Orta.....

Well, I'm sorry but Bozen and some of those other "gems" cannot hold a candle to Salzburg IMO even when it IS raining!

I recommend Salzburg. As you are traveling over Easter week-end, Salzburg is the most likely to have places open (in this case, going to a heavily touristed area works in your favor).

All due respect to Neckervd, but I would not recommend going to a lesser-known spot over Easter week-end. Too many places will be closed. OTOH, no matter where you go, many hotels will be sold out. You need to book your hotel NOW. And also book your Easter Sunday late lunch/dinner. To be on the safe side, I suggest a hotel with a decent on-site restaurant that can fit you in on Easter Sunday.

If you take the train, also book NOW and make sure you have a seat reservation. This will be a heavily traveled week-end, so it's one time where I strongly recommend going in first class if budget allows. And take as little luggage as possible because storage space will be at a premium.

FWIW, I took the Railjet from Zurich to Vienna two weeks ago and the ride to Salzburg seemed to go by quickly enough. IMO, forget breaking up in Innsbruck and just head straight on to Salzburg. And also, FWIW, I prefer the Railjet to the regular EC train.

I'm particularly glad about comments regarding weather, because currently the forecast is MUCH nicer for Ticino than for Innsbruck/Salzburg. That might be the deciding factor, in addition to less travel time.

Although my understanding is that Salzburg just gets a lot of rain except in the winter months.

But Salzburg is suppose to be great despite the rain.

Salzburg as well as Munich get a lot of precipitation all year long. In fact, this region gets roughly twice as much rain as Berlin, for example. It's a really wet spot in Central Europe - which you would not guess from watching Sound of Music.
That's why people from Munich spend their long weekends at Lago di Garda or in Carinthia - and not in Salzburg.
And currently it's *%$%* miserable outside for late March...

Don't worry about the rain. Take a rain proof jacket. IMHO, with only three days and what you have said are your interests, I would base in Munich all three with a daytrip by train to Salzburg. Skip Innsbruck this time.

Spend half of one of your days going out to Dachau.on public transportation in Munich.

One night go to the Bavarian Evening on the third floor of the Hofbrauhaus. I think it is at 7pm. The Deutsches Museum near Marienplatz is a Huge science museum that is interesting and can take all the time you want to give it.

If you go to Nymphenburger Palace be sure to go into the carriage house to see all the Cinderella coaches.

As far as restaurants are concerned we really like the Augustiner Brewery Restaurants. There are several, one near the train station, one by the Frauenkirche and our favorite on the pedestrian street from Karls Tor (Stachus) to Marienplatz. They have very Bavarien food. The bier's pretty good too. A good place for lunch if the weather permits the s the Viktualien Markt (a block from Marienplatz where the glockenspiel is. It is kind of a farmers market with several casual eateries.

I would do a day trip from Munich to Salzberg. Being a very religious region much will be closed for Easter so Munich is the safest bet. Christmas time in that region is a ghost town! The Deutches Museum in Munich is amazing, a good experience especially for those who's country was on the other side. They have a massive collection of WWI & WWII aircraft, the original nose cone of the Graf Zeppelin, impressive space exhibit...it would be a shame to miss what was easily one of Europe's best modern history museums!!! (Only topped perhaps by the Imperial War Museum in London).
Innsbruck is pretty but a drive-by.

I took Mom to Salzburg a few years back. It rained every day, not just a brief passing shower, but real rain, including some big thundery downpours. Plus a few snow flurries! Despite that, we still had a very enjoyable trip and were glad we went to Salzburg.

If not Salzburg, then Munich. I would not go for Innsbruck on this trip.

Eventide, the Deutsches Museum will be closed on Good Friday (April 3) and parts of the museum are closed as part of a major renovation program. http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/information/closures/

Ticino is always overcrowded over Easter and Whitsuntide and prices are on their top level.
Waiting times at the San Gottardo road tunnel can easily exceed 2 hrs.
That in contrary to alpine areas in Italy, in the provinces of Aosta, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Sondrio, Bergamo, Bolzano/Bozen, Trento..... (except places popular with folks from Northern Europe and overseas, but these places aren't the real gems anyway).