Help! Need Itinerary advice for Vacation in the Alps
 

I'm planning a family vacation this coming June in Bavaria (planning to station in Munich, Germany), Lake Como Region (debating staying in Como, Bellagio or Varenna), and then ending in Lucerne, Switzerland. The way our flights worked we could do a long lay over on Iceland for no increase in ticket cost... so why not add Iceland in too?

The whole family is over 21, there are four of us. We are very into good wine, beer and relaxation. Suggestions on good breweries and wineries would be great. Also general advice about our itinerary would be helpful.

Note: Not all items listed are things we are planning to do that day, more like ideas and possibilities for each day.

Cheers!


W June 13th ARRIVE IN MUNICH
Hofbrauhaus (famous beer hall)
Pauliner brewery
Augustiner-Keller, Arnulfstr. 52
Sight Seeing:
Marienplatz & Old town
Nymphenburg Palace

R June 14th Neuschwanstein Castle
Mary’s Bridge (good view of whole castle)
Alpsee Lake
Hohenschwangau Castle


F June 15th Salzburg, Austria
Sound of Music Tour
Mirabell Gardens (where tour ends)
Mozart Wohnhaus (5 min walk from Mirabell Gardens)
Sporer (liquor manufacturer, wine and drink tastings)
Augustiner Braustubl (Augustine Beer Garden)
Untersberg (can take a cable car up and down, featured on sound of music)
Werfen Ice Cave (30 mins outside of Salzburg)

S June 16th Dachau Concentration Camp (allow ½ day for camp)
Open from 9:00am-5:00pm (can drive or take the train)

S June 17th TRAVEL MUNICH → MILAN → LAKE COMO/BELLAGIO/VARENNA
~1 hour train ride to Varenna
Can Ferry to any town

M June 18th Kayak on Lake Como
Cooking Class

T June 19th Winery Tour
Enoteca Principessa

W June 20th TRAVEL LAKE COMO → MILAN → ZURICH → LUCERNE

R June 21st Chapel Bridge
Lion Monument
Folklore Restaurant (Fondue + Entertainment)

F June 22nd Mount Pilatus (via cable car or cog railway) + Lake Lucerne cruise = Golden Tour
Frakmuntegg (toboggan ride, “dragon caves”)

S June 23rd TRAVEL LUCERNE → ZURICH → REYJAVIK

S June 24th Videy Island
The Golden Circle

M June 25th Blue Lagoon

Maybe this isn't possible but I would check to see if there is a reasonable way to get to from Lago di Como to Lucerne by going through Lugano. How are you getting from Munich to Milan? If you are flying to Malpensa, there is a bus from Malpensa to Lugano, and from there you could travel to Menaggio & ferry to other towns.

I've never done these things so it might be more complicated than what you are planning. But that dip into Italy is quite time consuming travel. From Munich it is possible to take a fast train to Trento, where you could rent a car and head over to Lago di Garda for boating if that would appeal to you. Or get off the train in Bolzano & drive the Grand Dolomite road, and then drop off the car in Venice & fly to Switzerland.

Not quite sure what you are looking for in terms of a vacation or European holiday. The places you've targeted are all beautiful or interesting, of course, but it seems like you could have a more compact itinerary, with less time spent getting from one place to another and more time enjoying & sightseeing, if you picked different beauty spots, closer together. And you'd probably encounter fewer tourist crowds. But if you want to see these famous places in particular, up to you.

<<The way our flights worked we could do a long lay over on Iceland for no increase in ticket cost... so why not add Iceland in too?>>

Be prepared...that free stopover could be very expensive - prices in Iceland are insane and IMO, very low value. It almost makes Switzerland look like a deal.

Thanks for the input. We found really reasonable for Flights from Munich to Milan, and then Milan to Zurich. It was the same price as a high speed train, but way less time.

After talking to others about Iceland everyone is saying pass on that (didn't realize how expensive food and lodging would be) and increase our time in Italy.

I understand that you fly Munich to Milan, but less time for flying Milan to Zürich (you want to go to Lucerne, right?) than the high speed train? No way. It's 2:38 h from Como to Lucerne. It's going to take you that time alone until the plane takes off in Milan. You must be there an hour early (or two?), and getting from Lake Como to the airport takes more than an hour, too.

Munich city center - Como by plane via Milano Malpensa takes about 6 hrs.
Munich city center - Como by direct bus takes about 6 hrs 15 min
Munich city center - Como by train via Zurich takes about 7 hrs 15 min
Como - Lucerne by plane via Milan Malpensa - Zurich takes about 6 hrs
Como - Lucerne by train takes 2 1/2 hrs

Trains are the best way to go Munich-Salzburg - use the bargain Bavarian Lander Ticket where you all can hop unlimited regional trains for the whole day, including Salzburg, for about 40 euros a day-not p.p. but for all 4. Slightly slwoer than faster trains but tons cheaper.Buy it at the train station no need or reason to pre-order.

Munich-Como check www.bahn.de/en for discounted tickets and www.trenitalia.com for Como to Lucerne- check www.seat61.com for lots of info on discounted tickets - general train info I also like www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Of course use the Bavarian Lander Pass also when going out to Fussen and back -mainly regional trains on that run anyway.