Germany/Austria/Dolomites
 

Hi all,

I know no one can predict the weather, but we're wondering... we've traveled to these areas in mid/late October a number of times but are going this year in mid/late September. Based on your experiences, what might we expect?

Thanks in advance.

Paul

OK, I will play along. I think the weather in Germany, Austria, and Italy will be just slightly warmer and microcosmically less damp in late September than the last couple of times you have been there in mid October.

Of course, I am talking about just germany and Austria because its real easy to predict their weather 6 months in advance.

Weather in mid/late September should be nice. Depending on altitude, daily high temperatures should be around 20 to 25°Celsius, never really hot, never cold. Especially on higher elevations, the evenings can be pretty cool, so take a sweater. And be always prepared for a few rainy days.

Mid-late September in Germany should be pretty decent. I've been at that time before and it was nice, and, I was told by a native it's usually a little drier than in the summer. YRMV.

Early Fall is usually a good time to visit the Alps. Weather tends to be pleasant, warm during the day, coolish in the evening (layer clothing!). The mountains tend to be a bit more hazy than, say, in the Spring. However, I have taken some great pix in late September, early October.

Paul, where/when are you going? We are also going to Germany and Austria in September(7th-29th).

On our last trip to Germany and Austria, we were there from mid-September until the first week of October. We had mostly good weather with some showers in Berchtesgaden. It was definitely colder in the higher elevations but quite pleasant otherwise.

Hi all,

Thank you for the info. My wife was curious if it's typically warmer or more "rainy" than our basically "dry" trips in mid/late October.

Bettyk,

We're flying into/out of Munich... So far we haven't made solid plans yet. We're thinking of spending our first 3 nights ???, then heading to Alta Badia for 4 nights (hopefully a night in Venice in the middle of our stay from here), then Ramsau (Berchtesgaden area) for our last 3 nights. Have a 3:45pm flight home, which is really nice.

Paul

How about Bolzano or Castelrotto? We've been to Bolzano twice, altho the last time was about 10 yrs ago. Haven't been to Casstelrotto yet but I know it's been recommended a number of time by Fodorites.

Hi Betty,

We've been to both Bolzano and Castelrotto. The main reason we went to Bolzano was to see the "Ice Man" exhibit. Terrific.

Didn't care too much for Castelrotto. It's nice but... very small, plus we liked Val Gardena and Alta Badia so much more. The scenery in Alta Badia is simply fantastic!

As for old towns, if you are in the area, stop in Brixen/Bressanone. We loved it and I'm sure we'll spend at least an afternoon there again. If you liked Bolzano, you'd most likely love Brixen.

If you don't mind me asking... what are you're plans?

Paul

We will be in Val Gardena in late Sep and the weather history is quite good. I have been there before in early Oct and found it very pleasant.

Paul, don't mind at all.

We'll fly into and out of Frankfurt. Got a good fare of $581 RT from Houston on AA.

2 nights Rudesheim
2 nights Staufen (Black Forest)
2 nights Uberlingen on Bodensee
2 nights Mittenwald
3 nights Zell am See
3 nights Bamberg
3 nights Quedlinburg or Wernigerode -- haven't decided yet
1 night Goettingen

We're moving around a bit more than usual but wanted to get in some of those towns that have been on my list for awhile.

Sorry, I left out the 3 nights we are spending in St. Gilgen after Zell am See and before Bamberg!

Hi Bob,
Thanks for the response. We will be in the Dolomites around the same time!

Hi Betty,

Nice trip! Wish we had more time, but... we'll take what we have. We weren't planning on going at all this year until we got a price of $462 RT (non stop each way no less) from NJ on Lufthansa. We'll probably spend our last full day visiting Zell am See from Ramsau. We went there a few years ago (it was Nov. 1st) and it was pretty much closed up for the season. Beautiful place. Probably much nicer to be there when things are open!

Paul

$462 is a great price. Of course, I always seem to see great prices from the East Coast!

It's been almost 2 yrs since we were in Europe. Our trip to the UK was cancelled because of our sick dog. Since we lost her, we have nothing to keep us home -- as long as WE stay healthy. And since we are retired, time isn't an issue!

Hi Betty,

So sorry to hear about your loss.
We also have a pet issue this year. Our cat is going on 19 and takes meds for kidney, liver and thyroid problems. She's doing pretty good.
Odd how things go sometimes... the fares were great yet we still didn't want to buy tix due to our cat. Our "old" pet sitter (whom we love) had moved over a year ago, so we were kind of stuck. 2 weeks ago we walk into the vets office and there she is. She's moving back (unfortunately due to job loss) in the next few weeks. It will still be tough worrying about our baby but...

Paul

Thanks, Paul. Our Golden Retriever was 15-1/2 yrs old and she'd had a good long life.

When I got our UK FF tickets last August, it seemed like she would live forever. But all that changed after the first of the year. I'd already booked all of our hotels and car, but we decided we just couldn't leave her. She died during the time we would have been away, so I know we made the right decision.

Anyway, before we get another furry one, we figure we'd better work a nice trip in.