suzski

I retire from the Navy after 30 years in 2012. I want to do a big trip to Europe with my husband, daughter (14), and mom. Here's what I was thinking:

1) Fly in to Munich, get rental car (or van) and visit Bavarian Alps attractions with Garmisch-Patchenkirchen as the base. 3 days in this area.

2) Commute via rental car across border to Austria. Using a town in the region (Salzberg? Linz?) as base, explore region for 3 days.

3) Commute via rental car across border to Czech Republic. Using Cesky Krumlov as base, explore region for 3 days before returning to Munich.

Obviously, this is a very rough outline, but, as someone who has been 'all over the world' but never spent any quality time in this region, I want to be able to get the most out of the time we have. As an aside, we are looking at vacationing either in July, August, or September (dependent upon whether I end up home-schooling the then-15 year old) and will have a max of 14 days to make the trip. We could also fly into and out of a city in Austria or the Czech Republic, as there is no requirement to fly into any specific locale....we just want to get the best bang for our buck.

I know that we want to see the following:
- Neuschwanstein Castle
- Dachau Concentration Camp (or similiar Holocaust camp)
- Hitler's Eagles Nest

Some of the following that interest us:
- Werfen Ice Caves
- Mozart Concert
- Prague

I am open to any suggestions....want to make this a very memorable 3-generation trip. Thanks in advance!

tomboy

1. 30 years! Thanks for your service!!
2. Not a bad start on your planning
3. Re: the Munich days--any interest in Rothenburg ob der Tauber? The Residenz in Wurzburg? Herren Chiemsee, a lake south of Munich? You might use the Fodor search function (which leaves a lot to be desired) or Google as to whether the Eagles Nest is really what you want. I'm under the impression that people who've see Hitler's home movies of it are disappointed when they see it today.
4. You might consider an open jaw into Munich out of Prague.
5. There's a book and movie written about Herman Goering's theft of art, and storage of same in a salt mine just north of Salzburg, which might appeal to you given your apparent interest in WW2 things. Girl 14 might find it interesting, and tie it to ice caves, which can't look TOO much differnt than a salt cave.
6. Having spent ample time in Bavaria, I realize Neuschwanstein is a standard viewing requirement, but do realize there are better and more representative castles in southern Germany.
7. If you cross the border from Germany into CzRep near Munich, if you research carefully you can find areas where remnants of the Iron Curtain still exist...guard towers, etc...which girl 14 might find interesting (what Mom was defending).
8. Cesky K is very nice, but there's not much around it, culturally speaking. I think it's a nice one day visit, but not 3. In a negative way, one could get a flavor of how the area was economically depressed versus West Germany, by closely observing how many grey cement buildings there are compared to the timber & stucco architecture in the West. Maybe a little background reading/viewing prior to the trip would prove insight.
9. There are a couple nice castles near Prague; maybe you could use one of the 3 days for daytrips there, basing closer to Prague than Cesky K.

Michael

I did a trip report that covers some of the area:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nly-vienna.cfm

but I was there before, so the pictures might give a better idea, especially if on the way to the Czech Republic:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7622926792957/

As for the Czech Republic, the beginning of this set might give you some ideas:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623046345988/

You might also want to stay in Munich a few days, for which I have pictures but no trip report:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623111626965/

unclegus

one thing to check up on is that many car rental companies do not allow you to take their cars into the Czech Republic

Michael

As for a , if your plate is too full around Munich, you could visit Mauthausen on your way to the Czech Republic.

http://www.jewishgen.org/ForgottenCa...hausenEng.html

annhig

hi suzki,

if you want to hire a car for the whole trip it will be difficult to do open-jaw flights -cross-border car hire has ruinously expensive drop off fees.

also look out for car hire conditions ref taking german or austrian hire cars into the Czech republic; it's probably ok the other way round!

you could do a nice trip flying into Munich, and after staying a few days there, get the train to Salzburg, spend 3 days [you'll get your Mozart], then pick up a car and tour the Salzkammergut and follow the Wachaw valley to Vienna, return car, spend a few days in Vienna.

that would be enough for me.

Michael

meant to write: "As for a KZ ..."

suzski

Thanks all for your suggestions and links! I had never even considered the potential problem of taking a rental car into the CzRep or the drop-off fees. So, maybe I need to rethink this to go thru Lichtenstein to Switzerland vice CzRep? If I spent a couple of days in Prague, do you think they would have excursions going to Cesky K for the day? Finally, do you think it is cost and time effective for our group of 4 to do part rental car, part public transport?

Again, thanks very much. I appreciate the photos, trip reports, and pearls of wisdom!

Attnymom

A few years ago we visited Munich, Prague and Austria and we only used a rental car to drive from Munich to Rothenburg and back. The rest of the trip was easily done by train or public transportation.

We were very thankful that we didn't have a rental car in Prague - I just find it too difficult to drive in the bigger cities in Europe. Especially if I don't speak the language (or understand the signage). We met some American ladies who had a rental car in Prague and they were in tears because they couldn't figure out where to park or where to go . . . much easier to take public transportation! Not to mention the huge fees most car rentals charge to take a car into an Eastern European country (we could have bought a car for the same price!)

Although we didn't do it, I am certain there are tours you can take from Prague to Cesky Krumlov. You can also take a tour from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle (thus no need for a car).

I recommend flying open jaw (i.e. fly into Munich, fly home from Prague).

wanttogo

I think that a car would be a nightmare in Prague. Try to get a hotel near Mala Strana or the Old Town and see Prague by foot. There are regular busses (similar to Greyhound) that go from Prague to Ceske Krumlov. My best recollection is that the trip takes about 2 1/2 hours. That is pretty far for a day trip. We stayed overnight at a bed and breakfast. The bus stop is a little ways uphill from town, so maybe it would be better to do wothout suitcases. I loved the town and there are quite a few art galleries on the side streets.

Try the Bishops House Hotel in Prague-on a little inlet right off the Charles Bridge-fabulous location.

Pat

krgystn

I agree with Attymom-- fly into Munich and out of Prague. I did a similar trip many years ago: Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Prague. We just took trains between the 4 cities. You can do day tours from each city so you won't have to rent a car. For example, in Munich you can day trip to Neuschwanstein. In Salzburg you can day trip to Eagles Nest, Sound of Music Tour, saltmines, etc.

Sassafrass

If you are not already familiar with it, you might want to look into the web sites run by Dirk Pepperd for military/retired military people.

RainyDay09

If you can afford a new BMW lease or purchase, you can get a 2-for-1 tickets on Lufthansa, one night hotel stay in Munich, and use of your brand-new car while you are traveling in Europe for free. The car will then be shipped to you in the US. I think Audi does the same thing, but I am not sure where they are located.

thomo7

tomboy,
Since I'm planning to do some places described in Suzski's trip I was wondering if you could expound a little more about the 'better and more representative castles in southern Germany'..? tks.

tomboy

thomo7: sure. but a bit of background first. a few decades ago, I was often in Germany on business, and on weekends would tour the area. my idea of a "castle" isn't something built in 1870, but maybe something at least 500 years earlier.
After all, my grandfather was born in 1870, so that's not at all old.

Neuschwanstein isn't very well furnished, as reconstructions go, but it definitely looks nice from the outside.


But consider some of these, far older, specimens:
http://www.roadstoruins.com/directory.html

tomboy

There's another not listed, on the road from Nordlingen to the E-43, which 25 years ago had a restaurant on the lower level, and was privatley occupied above. But centuries ago, was a CASTLE!

there's also a less dramatic, but more historical, building in Bad Mergentheim. Built by the Knights Templar for a base from which to launch the Crusades.

There are also many magnificent buildings, which complement the Residenz at Wurzburg in their drama. Pommersfelden, for example.

suzski

Okay, so maybe I need to rethink Neuschwanstein...how about Burghausen? It's on tomboy's list and sounds like a great one.

Also, if I do decide to use public transport vice a rental, is there some sort of all-inclusive ticket that I can purchase to travel from country to country and to various stops in between? I checked on site and it looked like it was going to cost the four of us almost $1200 to get from Munich to Salzburg.

krgystn, you mentioned that you had done a similar trip. Did you find it difficult to get public transport from the city to the sites outside the city? And did you mostly use bus or train for those sites?

Rainyday09, very interesting idea! Can you provide me a link where I can find more info?

Again, thanks all!

Suzan

molker

Please take your time to review train travel options
Example -

From Munich to Salzburg

the Bayern Ticket
2- 5 persons can travel on regional trains after 9 AM weekdays for 29 euro inclusive for all 4 persons.
No time restriction on weekends
this is a little less than the $1200 mentioned above ( no idea how you could possibly spend that sum on this journey)

Individual country train websites often show train ticket bargains
Germany
www.bahn.de
Austria
www.oebb.at etc.

krgystn

suzski, it was very easy to get publice transportation to the various sites. We were able to use either buses or sign up for day tours at a local travel agency or even right at your hotel.

RainyDay09

Here is a link to BMW: http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...nYourTrip.aspx.

Audi:
http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/e..._delivery.html