Germany to Austria in 11 days? Help!
 

My husband, daughter, and I are flying into Germany and out of Austria (Munich to Vienna). So far, we only have our last three nights booked in Vienna. What to see in between?

Munich - 3 days

Salzburg 2 days

Sound of Music Country - Lake District - 2 days

Vienna - 4 days - do a day trip to the Wachau Valley - Melk Abbey - boat ride on Danube - awesome easy day trip from Vienna.

Are you going by car or train - trains are easy and superb - for a lowdown on the European rail system check out these fine sources: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com (download their free online European Planning & Rail Guide's chapter on Austria for rail itineraries.

Many folks just love Hallsatt - so chose between the Lake District and Hallsatt - a sweet Alpine resort town on a placid lake - right up in the high Alps - also easily accessible by train.

If renting car be aware of probably steep drop-off charges for renting in one country and returning to another - again the trains in Austria and Germany are so so superb.

Nice trip !
I see getting a car for 3 days as you leave Salzburg for this itinerary:

Munich- 3
Salzburg-2
Get car--to St. Gilgen as base for SOM country--3
Drive to Vienna via Melk---drop car---3

Have fun---I love this region.

What to see could depend on the time of year you are traveling (and, of course, what interests you). In months where the weather is reasonably consistent, the standard Munich-Salzburg-Salzkammergut-Vienna is a lovely combination.

At other times of the year it's a good idea to have flexible itineraries in the event the Salzkammergut, for example is wet and miserable, or the Danube cruises that everyone seems to love aren't running. If you are visiting around Christmas market time, that in itself sets up a different itinerary.

Going in 3 weeks!

wordfreak, thanks. The standard route should make for a nice holiday, with picking up a car in Salzburg and dropping in Vienna.

These are only my personal thoughts on the (Vienna) itinerary:

1. On the drive from Salzburg/Salzkammergut to Vienna, stop at Melk Abbey. It is a nice way to break up what is not a terribly scenic route once you leave the Salzkammergut, Leaving Melk, drive along the Wachau Valley route to Krems (stop for lunch, perhaps at Brauhof?), then make haste via the S5 to Vienna, as that stretch is not particularly scenic, either. Do not forget to purchase an Austrian 10-day vignette.

2. In July, the Lippizaner studs are on holiday out in Steiermark, but the young foals are brought in to frolic in Vienna's Burggarten on good-weather afternoons. The viewing is free, and the foals are absolutely adorable. The only performance at the Spanish Riding School in the summer is "Piber meets Vienna," not the traditional exercises.

3. At Vienna's Rathaus, the summer evening film festival will be underway. Seating is free, and first-come, first-served. Local restaurants have stalls along the plaza, though the queues for food can be lengthy. It is more enjoyable to drop in for lunch, where you can decide on anything from Schnitzel to Curry to Croatian tiny fried sardines (yum!), and actually find seating to enjoy your meal.

4. For a truly Viennese experience, take the 38A bus from the terminus of the U4 (Heiligenstadt) to Kahlenberg for incredible views over the city. Walk downhill through the vineyards to either Grinzing or Nußdorf and have a light meal at one of the many heurigen (wine taverns).

5.You did not indicate the age of your daughter, but even our two teenagers love an afternoon or evening at the Prater, Vienna's amusement park in the center of the city.

6. If you are planning to visit Schönbrun, purchase your tickets online and in advance. You'll not regret doing so. If you are planning to eat lunch at Schönbrun, make reservations or take your chances.

7. If a tour of the Opera is on the itinerary, take it in a language other than English if possible. You'll enjoy a smaller group and more time to enjoy your visit.

8. Skip the dry Sacher Torte and the insufferable lines at Cafe Sacher and have gelato from the vendor at Stephansdom instead. :)

Happy Planning!

I'd suggest doing Melk as a day trip from Vienna so you can do the awesome cruise thru the Wachau Valley - I guess though you can drive along the valley though IME the boat is a lot nicer as you can see both sides of the river. But anyway do not miss the Wachau Valley - the darn prettiest stretch of the whole long Danube.

My husband has some interest in going to Prague. How would we fit that in? Or should that be for another trip? Any hotel
My daughter is 21. She just got back from a study abroad in Milan and bopped all over Europe. She's one lucky kid.

Oh, and seeing WWII sights is high on DH's list, so any recommendations of must-sees are most appreciated.

You need to plan 3 trips. This one is only 11 days and looks like great fun.

PalenQ, "awesome" is relative when it comes to opinions on the "must-do" for any holiday. I can think of no greater torture than put-putting along the Donau on any day, much less on a hot and steamy July day on one of those cruises. :)

wordfreak, a little out of the way perhaps, but Schloss Itter might interest your husband. It was the site of the only WWII battle where Americans and Germans fought side-by-side against the Nazis. Between Salzburg and Vienna there is also Mauthausen.Within Vienna there are a couple of remaining flak towers (Augarten and Haus des Meeres) and places of Jewish history (monuments, Stolpersteine, Figl-Hof (the former Hotel Metropole that served as Gestapo headquarters). If you're really enthusiastic, about an hour's drive from Vienna is Sopron, Hungary (no HU vignette necessary), the border where the Iron Curtain first fell. There is a memorial (including a piece of the Berlin Wall) and a section of the old fencing to view, as well as the original border crossing gate.

Without dropping something from your itinerary, Prague would be a difficult add-on.

The vast majority of folks commenting here in the past would contradict you vehemently on your take of the boring boat trip thru the Wachau Valley - anyway in my decades of European travels one of the most bestest things I've done - driving would be fine too but the boat is so so cool - can use bicycles on board to ride between docks too if you want.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wach...=1600&bih=1075

PalenQ, perhaps there is another vast majority of folks not commenting here who would agree with me. I can counter your Google search with personal images taken in the Wachau Valley practically every month for the last three years, many of which look less than inviting. So what. In the end, the beauty of the Danube cruise (or eating at Jules Verne or soaking in Lady with an Ermine or anything else) is in the eye of the beholder. :)

You sure you weren't sleeping through the Wachau Valley portion of your trip?

http://tinyurl.com/nke76m5

44t - I just know that many many folks besides moi wax nostalgic about their wonderful trip thru the Wachau Valley by boat - I think you are the outlier here - yes beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I think most eyes will agree with me and Aramis and countless others who have expressed similar sentiments on Fodor's.

I appreciate your take and yes beauty is a subjective thing - some folks just don't care for nature and like cities more or vice versa.

PalenQ, at the risk of sounding impolite, why do you continue to insist that your opinion is the only one? You loved putt-putting along the Danube; I can think of no greater torture. Let it go.

why do you continue to insist that your opinion is the only one?>

You're missing the point - my point is that the vast majority of opinions are like mine - not that mine is unique at all - yours indeed seems unique - I have never read a bad report on the Wachau Valley trip - only glowing reports - to me one of the finest things I have done in decades of European travel. That said I no doubt you are sincere but believe me it is not jus tmy opinion but the vast majority of previous comments on Fodor's - don't shoot the messenger if you don't like the message!

I'm with fourfortravel here - apart from anything else it makes far more sense within the OP's itinerary to see Melk en route from Salzburg to Vienna [they will be going past anyway] rather than spending a whole extra day getting the boat there and back from Vienna.

The day trip up to the Kahlenberg OTOH was one of the highlights of our trip a few years ago [apart from the fact that we can't remember how many Heurige we visited!] - we particularly liked visiting the Beethoven Summer house and the nearby Heurige:

http://www.pfarrplatz.at/en/beethove...ovenhouse.html

PalenQ, you have misconstrued the whole matter. I have never written that the Wachau Valley is not worth seeing. I have visited at times across all four seasons and have sets of beautiful photos; conversely, I have visited at times across all four seasons where nothing has been picturesque. Because no one has written about the less picturesque Wachau Valley does not mean it does not exist.

Given the OP's short time frame in Vienna, and that they seem to be driving past Melk en route to Vienna, visiting the abbey absent the Danube cruise is a practical consideration, freeing up time for all of the other "must-do" when in Vienna.

annhig, DDog and I were up in the vines this weekend before sunrise (temperatures are in the 30's here) and it's as gorgeous as always. The vines are luscious and the grape-sampling, equally so. :)

lucky you, Fourfourtravel. the day we spent going up to the top of the Kahlenberg and then coming back down again via an indeterminate number of Heurige was one of the best we spent in Vienna.

much cooler here now - which is normal I think.