Germany & Austria w/ 86-year old mom - advice needed
 

My husband, sister-in-law and I are planning to take their 86-year-old mother to Germany and Austria. The only times we can go are November and March, neither of which are ideal, we realize. Is there a significant difference in the weather for those months? Considering that she is 86, we’d like to go sooner rather than later, but if March is definitely a better time to go, maybe we’ll wait and hope for the best.

We’re considering 2 options: a trip that we do ourselves including 3 days in Munich, 2 in Salzburg and 3 in Vienna. Mom is in remarkably good health, but not up to much walking, so our plan is to take lots of taxis, train travel between the cities and bus tours or a private guide for ½ day driving tours of each city. In Munich, we’d also like to get out to Neuschwanstein Castle and in Vienna, do a day trip up the Danube to Melk Abbey. Are those doable in November and March?

The 2nd option is a Danube or Germany river boat cruise, where we could settle in to 1 accommodation and not have as much travel. It looks like there are some that run in both November and March. Again, is one time better than the other?

Our hope is to keep this to about $3,000 per person, including airfare from Washington, DC and Boston.

Any thoughts or suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Only you can judge what your mother is capable of physically, but even taking conveyances like you mention can be very wearing. Travelling in Europe can be tiring for people of any age! My guess is the cruise would be the better bet. I went with my mother when she was 65 and she couldn't handle it.

I'd do the river boat cruise because it's less travel. And I'd do it sooner rather than later just because...

Is your MIL used to cold weather?
We went to Germany for the first time in March and it was great. We were blessed to have just missed a major snowstorm, we had a car.

Neuschwanstein was open and there weren't a lot of tourist there. I think there is a little cart or carriage that will take you to the castle.

Nov. is the season for Christmas markets.

I'm 74, and I have no problem with any kind of travel, but I think 86 is a different story. My first thought is that I'd do the river cruise. If your MIL is tired, she can spend the day on the boat rather than go marching around town. But I'd investigate the river cruise too. See what cities you visit and explore whether there needs to be a lot climbing up to the shore from the boat.

I was in Dürnstein, which is a stop on a Danube cruise, and it looked to me like there was a little walking that might be strenuous for an 86-year-old.

A caveat might be that if you choose the other option, you would have more control of your style of travel. You could choose whether to do any uphill walking, etc.

The weather is hard to predict but March has two advantages: notably longer daylight hours than November, and the first little spring flowers are out while in November you have the last whithering leaves falling off the trees.

If you are looking for Christmas markets, these only start around the last weekend in November.

Bus tours are not a great ides for someone with problems walking. Often the buses have to park far from the sight you are supposed to be seeing and not much time is allowed for the visit - so someone who can;t keep up with the group may have to stay behind in the bus. You are much better off with taxis - which can usually get much closer to the entrance to things - and allow your MIL to stop and return to the hotel if she wants.

You might also consider if you can organize a wheelchair for some of the larger venues so her walking there will be limited. Also, the do have camp chairs that can be folded up into a sort of large umbrella size - and it might be useful to have one of those.

Here is advise from a 84 year old male, originally from Bavaria.

Take the river cruise, in November. Spend a couple of days in Munich, then train to Regensburg or Passau to pick up the cruise along the Danube and arrange at the end of the cruise to fly back to either Munich or Frankfurt for your return home.

Or fly into Frankfurt and pick up the cruise there, along the Main to the Danube, and then along the Danube as far as you want to go.

March is likely to be colder than November, and if there is a chance of snow, it's more likely in March than in November. As you said, either time is iffy as far as weather is concerned.

I agree with the advice regarding a river cruise in November.
These are a good way to visit many places with convenience and less stress.
Contrary to the advice above most Christmas markets open in the moddle of November.
example for Vienna.

www.christkindlmarkt.at

Some museums will provide wheelchairs with advance reservations.
this allows good visit and less tiring look for example to th eKunsthistorishes Museum in Vienna

www.khm.at

November probaly has better overal chances of less extreme weather and for the boats - more cruise options - You find very few in march.

March can have (lots) of snow, November usually not.

Thanks very much for your suggestions. At this point, she'd like to go and we'd like to make it happen.

The river cruise is a fabulous idea for your mother. There is plenty of time for rest on the boat, but the views are always scenic. There are regular mealtimes so that you don't have to expend energy worrying about self-catering. You're back on the boat at night so that she can go to bed if she's tired, but also stay up and have a glass of wine if she's feeling up for it. That said, there is plenty of freedom and there are lots of options to take in various activities, sights, and tours. It can be more or less tailored to your desires. This sounds like a great, low risk, high reward way to go.

Another vote for the river cruise in November. I think the non-cruise idea involves just too much walking.
I agree that your chance of better weather is in November.

Another thought:

We travel by train in Germany and love it. But, if I was traveling with my Mother (86 today by coincidence), I would rent a car and travel to smaller towns & villages, where a car is more practical. If my Mother was up for walking to see a sight, fine. If she was not, we could take a drive. In most areas of Germany/Austria there is a scenic drive nearby. That is certainly true near Munich or along the Danube.

Regards, Gary

We are taking my 79 year old mother on a river cruise this November. It was a decision we reached after taking her on a Munich-Salzburg-Vienna trip in late November of 2008. While she is in good health, the walking was just too much for her and we ended up having to limit our own enjoyment and travel style in order to accommodate her.

We love that time of year as we enjoy the festive atmosphere of the Christmas markets so this year we are taking a Christmas Market cruise that leaves from Frankfurt and ends in Vienna. My husband and I will go off on our own several of the days we are there and probably for an overnight as well.

Having experienced a river cruise already, we believe it will be an ideal compromise. She can go on the scheduled tours with those that move a bit slower and we can meet back in the city or at the boat later in the day. It is very easy to meet others and I know she will be quite happy with a book in the public lounge in the afternoons - stunning views and lots of others doing the same.

We determined that this type of trip enables her to travel with us yet gives each of us a bot of freedom to explore at our own pace.

I thnik it also depends on what type of things she would like to do . Is she is great fan of Opera and Ballet? If so, Vienna is a must. You will have no problem getting taxis door to door in Vienna. Just careful if you go to Schoenbrunn as it is a looooong walk to the main doors.

I have traveled with my aging mother who has difficulty walking more than a half a block or so, and we have had wonderful experiences in Vienna, Budapest, London, Paris and one of her favorites.. the Mosel and Rhein self drive, stopping at many little villages and taking a "car tour" most places.

Good luck and enjoy creating these memories.

I think the river cruise would be ideal but i think you are a little low on the budget of $3000 pp cruise that would include airfare. $4000 pp is probably more realistic. Good luck in your search.

"You will have no problem getting taxis door to door in Vienna. "

We did actually and my mother had a cane. One driver refused to take us to the restaurant we had booked for dinner because he said it was a short walk - it was 30 minutes. We actually had two rude cab drivers in Vienna, the only ones we encountered on our trip.

It made for an unpleasant visit and we actually cut our planned time short and returned to Salzburg.

As I research the river cruises I realize that our budget is too low, and we would want the best chance of good weather, which is certainly not November. We're refining our plans to do just Munich and Salzburg for 4 nights each, then back to Munich for the night, before flying back to the east coast. We'll take day trips from those cities and use use private guides, wheelchairs, taxis, etc., to get our mom around comfortably. She'll have no problem staying back at a hotel if she doesn't feel up to doing something. We took her to the Grand Canyon last year, and believe me, she didn't sit much out!

Thanks again to all of you for your suggestions.

kfusto.. how disappointing! I certainly am glad my experience was different! It would NOT have been enjoyable with that problem, that's for sure.

I would re visit the cruise option- remember you have your room , meals ( normally at least Breakfast and evening meal , often snacks) often some tours including guides , city transport for tours and more - add these to a room price in a hotel . meals transport , guides etc. and most often the cruise is a good bargain and certainly more convenient.

Regarding Vienna and taxis. - I live in Vienna and use taxis sometimes - I have never experienced any problems and taxis are all metered for a fair price charged. Most non smoking too.

No idea of the above poster problem - this would be an exception and not often found certainly in my opinion.Perhaps a language issue ?
We even have numerous lady taxi drivers .

It was not a language issue at all as I speak passable German and also had the name and the address of the hotel written down by the concierge of our hotel, the Vienna Marriott.

We went to the taxi stand across the street from the hotel, got in and then had to get our when the driver decided it was not a long enough fare for him. It was quite upsetting to my mother and we ended up walking but she was not up to it and it ruined the evening for her.

That same afternoon we had wandered into what looked like a cozy little cafe to get a bite to eat - it was located on a side street near the hotel. We started to remove our coats and hang them and were basically shooed out. No reason was given and it was not at all courteous. We were well within the opening hours posted on the door of the cafe so I still have no idea what it was all about.

Those two incidents were on the first day and set the tone for the short trip. It was my third trip to Vienna and though it is not one of my favorite cities in Europe, I have always enjoyed my stays there. This was an exception based on previous visits and we decided to cut our losses and leave early. We were all happy with our decision.

As for the river cruise, molker is correct that there is a lot included. All meals, daily tours, wine and beer with dinner, lovely rooms, bottled water in our rooms, free movies - all were included in the price of the cruise. To duplicate this with hotels, meals and tours of equivalent quality in these areas would be difficult, based on my experiences there over the course of 20 years or so.

It might pay to check it out again.

Would you entertain the thought of renting a car and driving...as another poster mentioned. ? Your mother would certainly qualify for a blue handicapped placard ,,accepted internationally with the same symbol. This would put you very close to sights . (just an idea)

Sounds like you will be mostly in large cities,,which is something, however, to think about..(are you up to driving with all the traffic). Cars are wonderful on the autobahns, small quaint villages, restaurants,, and a great way to experience the countryside.
Having said the above: You have had an abundance of people suggesting the best way would be a river cruise, which would be nice....given your mother's age and abilities to walk .
Getting on and off the train usually is not real easy and sometimes must be done quickly.....
Lots of think about...
Vienna is wonderful,,,and Salzburg a real treat(we drove our car right into Salzburg and it was easy) Munich might require a bus tour ,as might Vienna,,,,but a good way to get an overview of those cities. With a car you could enjoy the countryside and villages.
The ONLY time in many years of travel that we did NOT have a car was entirely cities in NOVEMBER. Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest......and it snowed (beautiful from the train) on the trip from Salzburg back to Zurich.
(We still love Nov. and March travel....usually void of a lot of tourists and crowds, and you get the real feel of the country.
Your trip will be nice, I'm sure....such a gorgeous part of the world....and your last post above sounds great. Lots to see around Salzburg and Munich. ~~~basing 4 days in each city.

The taxi question- looked and saw the poster stayed at the Marriott - the worse place to find a taxi in Vienna- most taxis in line there are driven by those of original nationality other than Austrian and seem arrogant - strange - in the times I have ever been in that area.
Why the Marriott has done something about this I can only imagine.
A tip - you do not like the driver or he does not understand or wish to take you somewhere - simply go to the next taxi in line - easily done -
Again I repeat most all taxis in Vienna are not just clean but reliable with courteous drivers and meters to guarantee rate.

In most cities an rental auto is an expensive nuisance- costly parking - many narrow one way streets in oplder areas and frequently very limited if any parking near many tourist sights .

In cities if needed rely on public transprt or a taxi.
Auto may be OK in the country areas but why do this when other more effective alternatives exist

I'm encouraged to hear that November may not be such a bad time to be there after all. We'll go early in the month and hope for good weather.

There are definitely advantages to the all-inclusive river cruise. I'll price out each option for us.

molker, we are back in Vienna this December for two days so anticipating a more positive experience this time around.