Comments on itinerary - Munich-Vienna-Salzburg
 

I am planning a trip to Bavaria and Austria during the first half of June. My planned itinerary is below. I would appreciate comments from fellow traverls who are familiar with this region. I also have a few specific questions after the itinerary.

Day 1 - overnight flight from US to Munich
Day 2 - arrive in Munich around 1000a. Stay overnite.
Day 3 and 4 - Sightsee in Munich. Stay overnite.
Day 5 - morning in Munich. Drive to Fuessen. Overnight in or around Fuessen.
Day 6 - tour King Ludwig's castles. Overnight in Innsbruck.
Day 7 - morning in Innsbruck. Afternoon at Krimmler waterfall. Overnight at Zell am See.
Day 8 - Drive Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse. Continue on to Salzkammergut area. Stay in Hallstatt area.
Day 9 - Tour Salzkammergut including salt mines, Dachstein ice caves. Overnight in Hallstatt.
Day 10 - Drive to Vienna. Overnight in Vienna.
Day 11 and 12 - Tour Vienna. Overnight in Vienna.
Day 13 - Drive along Danube Valley to Melk.
Stop in towns along the way. Overnight in Melk.
Day 14 - Tour monastery in Melk. Drive to Salzburg. Overnight in Salzburg.
Day 15, 16 - Tour Salzburg and Berchtesgaden. Overnight in Salzburg.
Day 17 - Overnight in Salzburg or outside of Munich (World Cup going on IN Munich - hotels are scarce or overpriced).
Day 18 - Noon flight to US.

Questions:
If I leave Salzburg early in the morning, will I have any difficulty getting back to the Munich airport in time for a 12:20 pm flight? (This will be a Monday morning heading into Munich - not sure how bad the traffic is on the Autobahn).

Is it worth stopping in Innsbruck (given that I am also going to Salzburg). What about the Krimmler Waterfall? Would it be better to spend an extra day somewhere else (e.g., Vienna).

Thanks!

Hmm. You have a packed itinerary.
If you get an early start, you should be ok on the autobahn to the airport because it is on the northeast side of Munich, well away from the traffic.

Where are you returning the car? At the airport?

As for the itinerary, I would take an extra day over seeing Innsbruck.
It is in a nice setting, but after 3 visits there and 2 to Vienna, I would take the time in Vienna.

The Hochalpenstrasse is spectacular if a somewhat pricey toll road.

I have been over on two visits. The second time we drove over 3 times because we came back from the Krimmel Falls that way. The falls are nice, but not the greatest I ever saw.

I think you have a good game plan and I would not tweak it too much now. You may change your mind once you are there.

Be sure you get the Austrian highway sticker for your car. The only highway driving I have done was with a car I rented either in Innsbruck or Salzburg.
Therefore, the highway sticker was already on it.

Also, some of those tunnels in Austria on the main roads charge a toll.

Last summer we drove from Salzburg to Munich's airport and it took us about an hour and a half (autobahn most of the way, but a little construction to deal with). Our flight was around noon. Agree with Bob that you shouldn't have any trouble making it, but give yourselves a little extra time.

Your itinerary sounds great! Hope you enjoy.

On our first trip to Austria, about a million years ago, we saw Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. I'd have to say that Innsbruck was my least favorite of the three. We went in winter, though, and alternated our cities with cross country skiing in small towns. I've been back to Vienna twice since then, and still haven't seen everything I want to. If you like art and music (and history and palaces), Vienna is a haven.

In Salzburg, the old town, and in Vienna, a car is an expensive item to have on hand because parking is expensive and driving is not easily accomplished because of the general shortage of parking places.

In Vienna the last time, a friend of mine arrived with a car. He parked it the whole time we were there.

In Salzburg, the major attractions, save one, are relatively close together.

Schloss Hellbrunn is a ways out, but it can be reached by bus.

A car is fine for your trip, but it will be an incumbrance in the cities.

As for the Grossglockner Hochalpenstraße, if you intend to exit into village of Heiligenblut, you will pass the toll booth. Unless you have a return toll ticket, you will have to pay again to traverse the highway.

We stayed overnight in Heiligenblut for seveal nights and drive via Lienz to see those waterfalls. Then we drove back to Heiligenblut via the Grossglockner.

When we returned to Salzburg, we took our landlady's advice and went back over it again. So we did it both ways.

I would rank it right up there with other alpine drives, including some of the passes in Switzerland (Furka, Grimsel, Sustern), Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain NP, the Beartooth Highway in Montana, and the Timmelsjoch between Meran, South Tyrol and the Ötztal in Austria.

All are different of course and the Grossglockner Hochalpenstraße has a character all its own.
If you thrill to the scenes of the high mountains, and the curves don't faze you, then it is a wonderful drive.

This sounds like a fun trip. I agree that Innsbruck doesn't have as much to offer as the other cities you intend to visit. while you are in Munich treat yourself to a very Bavarian meal at the Augustiner in the fussganger zone a couple of blocks toward the train station from Marienplatz.

If you have not been to the area before I recommend you steal a little time from somewhere else in the inerary to spend in the area between Fussen and Innsbruck.

You are close to ....
the Wiese Kirche(beautifu Rococo Church), Oberammergau (scene of the passion play and tons of wood carvers), Schlos Linderhoff (another great Ludwig castle), Ettal Monastary, Garmish-Partenkirchen (the Zugspitze), Mittenwald (the violin maker's village).

I think you can make it to the Munich airport even though you will have to go around Munich since Salburg is on the South and the airport is on the North. Monday morning traffic could be challenging.

Hi JW,

Looks like a nice visit.

Remember to buy the motor tax disk for Austria.

((I))

I agree on the Weiskirche, literally church in the meadow. It is small and does not look like a jewel from the outside, but the inside is a Baroque masterpiece. I hope you are fortunate enough while you are there to hear the organ. It is not as huge as one in a major cathedral, but it is of good quality.

I would not trade my visit to the church for anything in the tourist area.