Fine tuning Germany/Austria itinerary with your help!
Aug 4th, 2008, 12:51 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 656
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fine tuning Germany/Austria itinerary with your help!
Trying to fine tune our itinerary for our 2 week Germany/Austria trip, and I'm just getting more and more frustrated as the trip gets closer. I can't figure out where we should spend the rest of our nights!
As of right now this is what I have booked:
*Nov. 26 - arrive in Munich; check in to Le Meridien for 3 nights.
*Nov. 27 - daytrip to Dachau (thinking of going w/guided tour like Panorama), evening nice dinner for anniversary (4 yr wedding anniv! - suggestions welcome). Maybe trek over to Hofbrauhaus after dinner.
*Nov. 28 - Alte Pinotek, visit any other museums/sights we are interested in. Also Christmas market opens this day, so do some shopping.
*Nov. 29 - depart Munich early, rent car somewhere (not sure where yet) and travel to Berchtesgaden. Check in to Intercontinental Berch. for 2 nights. After check in, go to salt mines for afternoon.
*Nov. 30 - not sure what we are doing this day as it's Sunday. Thinking we might do the Sound of Music tour this day so we have next day free in Salzburg. Also possibly just relax and use spa services at our hotel.
*Dec. 1 - depart IC Berch EARLY, drive short distance to Salzburg, check into Hotel Goldener Hirsch for one night. Visit Mozart museum, do Christmas market, and anything else we want to see in Salzburg (need to do more research). If we didn't do Sound of Music the day before, we will have to do it this day.
*Dec. 2 - depart Salzburg early to head to Fuessen. On the way, stop in Wattens for the Swarovski Crystal World tour & gift shop (figure 3-4 hours for this). Maybe stop in Innsbruck for lunch. Check into Hotel Sonne in Fuessen late afternoon. Dinner at hotel.*Dec. 3 - Tours at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau this day. Hotel is reserving these as part of our package.
*Dec. 4 - Depart Fuessen early for Romantic Road drive. Visit Weiskirche on the way. Not sure of our day's plans here... we may stop in places like Dinkelsbuhl or Nordlingen on the way to Rothenburg, or we may not....
Check in this night at Hotel Klosterstuble in Rothenburg for 1 night. Do Nightwatchman tour.
*Dec. 5 - Spend day in Rothenburg - no hurry on leaving. Shop, visit Christmas market & Crime & Punishment museum. Depart late in day for Nuremburg, only 1 hr drive to here. Check into Holiday Inn Nuremburg for 2 nights.
*Dec. 6 - Visit Nazi rally sites, any other WWII interesting sites (not planned out yet). Visit Christmas market of course. Leave town for day trip elsewhere?
*Dec. 7 - check out of Nuremberg hotel - leave town - can do this early or late depending on what else we want to see.
This is where it gets fuzzy. We now have four nights before we depart from Frankfurt on Dec. 11, and I don't think we really want to spend any nights in Frankfurt at all. Our flight isn't til 2:30 pm on that day, so I can actually wait to return the rental car til that day. What would you suggest? I was thinking Heidelberg for 2 nights and then somewhere else, but it would need to be close enough to Frankfurt. I don't think we want to do all 4 nights in Heidelberg.
Please no comments about the hotels or locations we are already staying in - for most of these hotels we are using loyalty points or a combo of cash and points, and selected them so that we could save $$$.
As of right now this is what I have booked:
*Nov. 26 - arrive in Munich; check in to Le Meridien for 3 nights.
*Nov. 27 - daytrip to Dachau (thinking of going w/guided tour like Panorama), evening nice dinner for anniversary (4 yr wedding anniv! - suggestions welcome). Maybe trek over to Hofbrauhaus after dinner.
*Nov. 28 - Alte Pinotek, visit any other museums/sights we are interested in. Also Christmas market opens this day, so do some shopping.
*Nov. 29 - depart Munich early, rent car somewhere (not sure where yet) and travel to Berchtesgaden. Check in to Intercontinental Berch. for 2 nights. After check in, go to salt mines for afternoon.
*Nov. 30 - not sure what we are doing this day as it's Sunday. Thinking we might do the Sound of Music tour this day so we have next day free in Salzburg. Also possibly just relax and use spa services at our hotel.
*Dec. 1 - depart IC Berch EARLY, drive short distance to Salzburg, check into Hotel Goldener Hirsch for one night. Visit Mozart museum, do Christmas market, and anything else we want to see in Salzburg (need to do more research). If we didn't do Sound of Music the day before, we will have to do it this day.
*Dec. 2 - depart Salzburg early to head to Fuessen. On the way, stop in Wattens for the Swarovski Crystal World tour & gift shop (figure 3-4 hours for this). Maybe stop in Innsbruck for lunch. Check into Hotel Sonne in Fuessen late afternoon. Dinner at hotel.*Dec. 3 - Tours at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau this day. Hotel is reserving these as part of our package.
*Dec. 4 - Depart Fuessen early for Romantic Road drive. Visit Weiskirche on the way. Not sure of our day's plans here... we may stop in places like Dinkelsbuhl or Nordlingen on the way to Rothenburg, or we may not....
Check in this night at Hotel Klosterstuble in Rothenburg for 1 night. Do Nightwatchman tour.
*Dec. 5 - Spend day in Rothenburg - no hurry on leaving. Shop, visit Christmas market & Crime & Punishment museum. Depart late in day for Nuremburg, only 1 hr drive to here. Check into Holiday Inn Nuremburg for 2 nights.
*Dec. 6 - Visit Nazi rally sites, any other WWII interesting sites (not planned out yet). Visit Christmas market of course. Leave town for day trip elsewhere?
*Dec. 7 - check out of Nuremberg hotel - leave town - can do this early or late depending on what else we want to see.
This is where it gets fuzzy. We now have four nights before we depart from Frankfurt on Dec. 11, and I don't think we really want to spend any nights in Frankfurt at all. Our flight isn't til 2:30 pm on that day, so I can actually wait to return the rental car til that day. What would you suggest? I was thinking Heidelberg for 2 nights and then somewhere else, but it would need to be close enough to Frankfurt. I don't think we want to do all 4 nights in Heidelberg.
Please no comments about the hotels or locations we are already staying in - for most of these hotels we are using loyalty points or a combo of cash and points, and selected them so that we could save $$$.
Aug 4th, 2008, 02:38 PM
#2
Hi jenblase,
On Dec. 3 - Fuessen, you may want to check out the Tegelberg cable car after you tour the castles. It's only 1 mile from Neuschwanstein.
www.tegelbergbahn.de
For your last 4 nights, I'd suggest either the Rhine or the Mosel, although we liked the Mosel better. We recently spent 4 nights in Valwig (just across the river from Cochem) and loved it. Many small, beautiful villages/towns along the Mosel, including Trier, which is a pretty good size city with very worthwhile Roman sites.
www.moselhighlights.de
We stayed at and can recommend the Hotel Rebenhof. Very nice place and very reasonable.
www.hotel-rebenhof.com
Our recent photo's are at:
www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/index.html
Hope this helps.
Paul
ps:
We loved Rothenburg and the Nightwatchmans tour was great!
On Dec. 3 - Fuessen, you may want to check out the Tegelberg cable car after you tour the castles. It's only 1 mile from Neuschwanstein.
www.tegelbergbahn.de
For your last 4 nights, I'd suggest either the Rhine or the Mosel, although we liked the Mosel better. We recently spent 4 nights in Valwig (just across the river from Cochem) and loved it. Many small, beautiful villages/towns along the Mosel, including Trier, which is a pretty good size city with very worthwhile Roman sites.
www.moselhighlights.de
We stayed at and can recommend the Hotel Rebenhof. Very nice place and very reasonable.
www.hotel-rebenhof.com
Our recent photo's are at:
www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/index.html
Hope this helps.
Paul
ps:
We loved Rothenburg and the Nightwatchmans tour was great!
Aug 4th, 2008, 02:50 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,009
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'd suggest two nights in Tuebingen. It's a lovely university town located on the Neckar River. You could do a day trip if the weather is nice and visit Hohenzollern Castle or Herrenberg, which are shown in the photos below.
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/292...11574650LcBJyr
Here is Tuebingen:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/241...11574650MckYEj
Here's Hohenzollern Castle:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/259...11574650KaMSTm
The castle is open year round and is located in nearby Hechingen:
http://www.preussen.de/en/today/hohe...rn_castle.html
Then, you could spend the next two nights in Heidelberg if you wish or perhaps stay in Wurzburg or one of the smaller towns close to Wurzburg like Miltenberg am Main. We also loved Iphofen. It's a beautiful small town close to Wurzburg but makes a nice base for visiting other little towns in the area. All of these are within 1-1/2 hrs or so of Frankfurt.
Miltenberg:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/211...11574650uhwqyu
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/215...11574650WntFFv
Iphofen:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/135...11574650EfkKBF
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/292...11574650LcBJyr
Here is Tuebingen:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/241...11574650MckYEj
Here's Hohenzollern Castle:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/259...11574650KaMSTm
The castle is open year round and is located in nearby Hechingen:
http://www.preussen.de/en/today/hohe...rn_castle.html
Then, you could spend the next two nights in Heidelberg if you wish or perhaps stay in Wurzburg or one of the smaller towns close to Wurzburg like Miltenberg am Main. We also loved Iphofen. It's a beautiful small town close to Wurzburg but makes a nice base for visiting other little towns in the area. All of these are within 1-1/2 hrs or so of Frankfurt.
Miltenberg:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/211...11574650uhwqyu
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/215...11574650WntFFv
Iphofen:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/135...11574650EfkKBF
Aug 4th, 2008, 02:51 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,037
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We are set to embark on a trip that gives us 3 days in Nuremberg and 2 in wurzburg befor heading home via FRA. In Nuremberg we have a day going from there to Bamburg, then Vierzehnheiligen and up to Coburg, Kronach, Kulmbach and return to Nuremberg, and a second that would be a day trip to Regensberg (and Passau if we can push that far and still return to Nuremberg that night), then to Wurzburg via Rothenburg, Bad Mergentheim, Wikersheim and a second day just in wurzburg (with a possible trip early morning to Ashaffenberg before spending the rest of the day in wurzburg) and then taking a train early morning from Wurzburg to FRA airport in time to catch our 10 something a.m. flight out to the states.
One way or the other, some of what we're doing should be able to "sop up" some of the time you have left in that area. enjoy.
One way or the other, some of what we're doing should be able to "sop up" some of the time you have left in that area. enjoy.
Aug 4th, 2008, 03:38 PM
#6
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 903
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We have done this area many times during the Christmas markets....five or six. A few comments:
1. Why change hotels to move from Berchtesgaden to Salzburg? It is an easy drive over and back and would save the hassle of packing.
2. Save the Salt Mine trip for bad weather. If the weather is good when you arrive do your outdoor sight seeing then. Save the Salt Mine till last because the chance of rain or bad weather is good in Novemnber and the mine is all underground.
3. Rothenburg v Nuremburg: We have driven from Rothenburg to Nuremburg and back same day with no problem. The WWII sites in Nuremburg are interesting but really have no tours built around them. You just visit and look. I would recommend more time in Rothenburg and also visit the Christmas market in Nuremberg. The WWII stuff will not take too long.
4. Dachau is not an all day destination. The visit is short. Plan something else to do on this day.
5. Sound of Music tour is fun. Just be sure the weather is nice as you get out of the bus to walk to some areas.
5. Mozart Museum: It is across the street from the hotel we stayed in last summer...Bristol (great place). This is simply a walk by yourself tour. Does not take long. You may want to sign up for a Salzburg city tour. It will give you a good overview of the town. The castle is a good tour also.
6.Innsbruck has the Old Town. That is where you want to go for a short stop. Not much else to do if you are driving through. Old Town has the history and places to eat. If you miss Innsbruck, do not worry.
7. Weiskirch is beautiful and worth the short stop. If you get a chance visit Oberammergau and Ettal Abbey. Oberammergau is the town of wood carvers.
8. I would again recommend more time in Rothenburg. You can eat in HELL. It is a restaurant in an old forge very close to the criminal museum. Not expensive.
9. The Rhine or Mosel area is good to end the trip. We have stayed in Assmannhousen on a few trips and made the easy drive to Frankfurt airport for journey home. We also stay in Heidelberg for the last night as it is a very easy drive to airport.
Have fun....great time to go. Take long johns!
1. Why change hotels to move from Berchtesgaden to Salzburg? It is an easy drive over and back and would save the hassle of packing.
2. Save the Salt Mine trip for bad weather. If the weather is good when you arrive do your outdoor sight seeing then. Save the Salt Mine till last because the chance of rain or bad weather is good in Novemnber and the mine is all underground.
3. Rothenburg v Nuremburg: We have driven from Rothenburg to Nuremburg and back same day with no problem. The WWII sites in Nuremburg are interesting but really have no tours built around them. You just visit and look. I would recommend more time in Rothenburg and also visit the Christmas market in Nuremberg. The WWII stuff will not take too long.
4. Dachau is not an all day destination. The visit is short. Plan something else to do on this day.
5. Sound of Music tour is fun. Just be sure the weather is nice as you get out of the bus to walk to some areas.
5. Mozart Museum: It is across the street from the hotel we stayed in last summer...Bristol (great place). This is simply a walk by yourself tour. Does not take long. You may want to sign up for a Salzburg city tour. It will give you a good overview of the town. The castle is a good tour also.
6.Innsbruck has the Old Town. That is where you want to go for a short stop. Not much else to do if you are driving through. Old Town has the history and places to eat. If you miss Innsbruck, do not worry.
7. Weiskirch is beautiful and worth the short stop. If you get a chance visit Oberammergau and Ettal Abbey. Oberammergau is the town of wood carvers.
8. I would again recommend more time in Rothenburg. You can eat in HELL. It is a restaurant in an old forge very close to the criminal museum. Not expensive.
9. The Rhine or Mosel area is good to end the trip. We have stayed in Assmannhousen on a few trips and made the easy drive to Frankfurt airport for journey home. We also stay in Heidelberg for the last night as it is a very easy drive to airport.
Have fun....great time to go. Take long johns!
Aug 4th, 2008, 03:40 PM
#7
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>In Nuremberg we have a day going from there to Bamburg (Bamberg!), then Vierzehnheiligen and up to Coburg, Kronach, Kulmbach and return to Nuremberg,
- all of these in ONE SINGLE day???
>and a second that would be a day trip to Regensberg (Regensburg!)(and Passau if we can push that far and still return to Nuremberg that night), then to Wurzburg via Rothenburg, Bad Mergentheim, Wikersheim (Weikersheim!)
- again, all of these in ONE SINGLE day????
Sorry, that's crazy. Each of these places deserves a full day trip (ok Weikersheim and Bad Mergentheim can well be combined).
- all of these in ONE SINGLE day???
>and a second that would be a day trip to Regensberg (Regensburg!)(and Passau if we can push that far and still return to Nuremberg that night), then to Wurzburg via Rothenburg, Bad Mergentheim, Wikersheim (Weikersheim!)
- again, all of these in ONE SINGLE day????
Sorry, that's crazy. Each of these places deserves a full day trip (ok Weikersheim and Bad Mergentheim can well be combined).
Oct 19th, 2008, 10:56 AM
#8
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just got back from our Germany trip 6 days ago. While at Berchtesgaden we travelled by bus up to the "Eagle's Nest" and enjoyed the most beautiful view/scenery I've ever seen. It's a wonderful way to appreciate the Alps.
Oct 19th, 2008, 06:21 PM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,904
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
