Help fine tuning itinerary for 1st timers in Germany/Austria
 

This is our 1st trip to Germany and Austria. Our itinerary is as follows:

Sunday - arrive Munich
Monday - spend day in Munich
Tuesday - Dachau in morning and then drive to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Visit castles
Wednesday - visit Mittenwald and ascend the Zugspitze. Spend night in Garmisch-Part.
Thursday - travel to Berchtesgaden, go to Eagles Nest & Konigsee, and then spend the night in Salzburg
Friday - Spend day in Salzburg
Saturday - Visit Halstatt and lake district (not sure where to stay in lake District or just visit area from Salzburg)
Sunday - drive to Wachua Valley - cruise Danube from Melk to Krems - spend night in area
Monday - travel to Vienna. We are meeting a group in Vienna for 5 days.

Is this itinerary feasible? We are having so much trouble deciding what to see and do. We like small quaint towns and beautiful scenery. We also wanted a little variety without packing so much in that we are always on the run. Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Hi; Your itinerary looks doable. A few things I would suggest, instead of two consectutive one nighters, stay the third night in Salzburg. Then on Sunday drive to Melk and Krems. That night stay in the lovely town of Durnstein. Dick

I don't know about your trip to Dachau - G/P day. Which Castles were you planning to visit? That day seems a bit tight to me.

Nice trip !
I would spend all 3 nights in the middle at the same place. My choice would be St. Gilgen--only :30 into Salzburg by car or bus, and about an hour from Hallstatt.
I would also skip Dachau but that is a personal decision.

I found Munich in one day to be very doable, so no worries there. See the Nymphenburg Palace! I also recommend lunch at the Hofbrauhaus, the iconic beer hall with great traditional food, too.

For Dachau, I suggest taking a guided tour - they're either free or very cheap and run by licensed guides, and since we found the site to be disappointingly run as far as commemorating the suffering and tragedy, it really helped to have a guide to answer questions and make it a meaningful visit. I think it takes about 4 hours, including travel.

You may want to consider jamming Dachau in with your day in Munich, particularly if you have part of Sunday in Munich as well. I assume by "castles" you mean the King Ludwig ones? If you want to go inside Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, the combined tour takes the better part of a day when you factor in wait times (reserve ahead!), so it would be difficult to combine with Dachau. We just hiked around the castles enjoying the view for a two-hour stop, but that may not be enough for you. The drive down from Munich is among the most breathtaking things I've ever seen, so allow time to enjoy it and make stops for photos.

Hope that helps! Enjoy your trip!

Thank you for your help. To answer Dutch's question, we were planning on visiting Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. It seems that trying to visit Dachau and both castles in one day would be very tight. We are going to be visiting the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna so maybe we wouldn't go inside to both of Ludwig's castles. Any thoughts? We do not like rushing. We enjoy taking our time and enjoying the sights and the people.

I'm not sure you could see Dachau in the morning and then drive to G-P and see the castles all in the same day. Dachau takes at least 2-3 hours and even that felt rushed (but emotionally draining). The castles take time as well, plus there is the drive from G-P to Fussen to see the castles. I think you would be much better off trying to fit Dachau in on the 2nd day or see the castles on Wednesday.

I wouldn't break up the nights between Salzburg and the lake district. I personally would choose the lake district over Salzburg to base myself (and St. Gilgen is an excellent choice), but either would be fine. They aren't too far apart though, and it's always best to keep one-nighters to a minimum, especially since you will already have a one-nighter in the Wachau.

Happy planning!
Tracy

If you want to keep the same itinerary, I would skip the two castles near Fussen and stop and see the Linderhof Castle near Ettal. I think that would give you time to take a tour of the castle and the gardens.

We have decided to stay 3 nights in the St. Gilgen area and base ourselves there for Salzburg and Hallstatt. Any nice inns or hotel recommendations?

Also, has anyone stayed at the Gasthof Fraundorfer in Garmisch-Partenkirchen? We were thinking of booking there. Any suggestions?

In St. Gilgen, check out Gasthof zur Post, a charming and delightful inn right in the center.

Hi there Sparki!

No comments other than to wish you well. I just always wanted to say "Hi there, Sparki!".

Thank you for making my dream come true.