Hello all. I need some help planning a May-June 2004 trip to what we hope will include Munich and surrounding areas, particularly Mad Kind Ludwig's castle (however you spell it) and other Bavarian towns, possibly Vienna or Salzburg or both, and possibly Budapest. We have 8 or 9 days.

Questions:
1) can anyone recommend a good budget package discounter? We don't want some bus tour but I would rather spend my time researching fun activities and the history and culture of these places rather than agonizing over just the right hotel. I have looked at go-today and a few others.

2) is it possible, on the other hand, to book this all ourselves and not pay an arm and a leg?

3) are those 4 cities too much for 9 days? Should we cut back? Germany is a must, so it is a question of Austria or Budapest.

4) and what is an arm and a leg? I have only been to Europe once, so I have only a limited idea of what a reasonable travel budget is. We (husband and I, both early 30s) do not need to stay in the nicest hotels or eat in the finest restaurants; we just want to go and see and do and not break the bank. I was thinking in the neighborhood of $2000-$3000 - is this possible, too much, just right? (we would be flying out of Washington DC)

Any answers would be hugely helpful.

It seems like too much to me. I would suggest Munich, the surrounding area and Salzburg. Leave Vienna and Budapest for another trip. Budapest is worthy of a trip of it's (its?) own.

If you're interested in King Ludwig's castles, don't miss Linderhof. It's a little gem and I enjoyed it much more than his unfinished Neuschwanstein. From Munich, you can visit them both in a day trip.

Have a wonderful trip!

Is that budget total for both of you including airfare? Will you be there for 9 full days and nights?

Depending on your traveling experience and comfort level doing it on your own, I would book it yourselves. If you rent a car through Kemwel it is very reasonably priced and you will have freedom to see some cool small towns you might otherwise miss. In May of last year we rented a nice Passat station wagon for 2 weeks for $525. Purchase the collision insurance through Travelguard because it is cheap and you pay NO DEDUCTIBLE!

You will be stretch very thin if you try to cover that much ground. In Sept. I visited Munich, Vienna and Budapest in 12 days and it wasn't enough but I prefer to really get a feel for a place before I move on rather than exhausting myself running from town to town trying to visit all the sites at a break neck pace.

I would skip Budapest on this trip due to the distance away from Munich but definitely put it on your calendar for another year.

Here is what I would recommend:

Fly into Munich and stay there for 2-3 nights. The beer gardens are fabulous and so are the parks. Rent the car on the day you are leaving. it is not fun to try to find parking nor do you need a car because the transportation system is so easy to use. you may want to take a day trip to King Ludwig's from Muncih or hit it on your way down to Austria. Salzburg is beautiful and full of friendly people. We stayed in a house that an elderly couple rent rooms out of. It was one of the highlights of our stay. We had a room with a balcony, killer view, wine in the afternoon, hot breakfast served in the a.m. for 12 Euro a night per person!! It was awesome!

From there you may want to make a day trip to Hallstatt. We had planned on a day trip but loved this picturesque town on a lake so much that we stayed 2 nights. We stayed in another private house on the lake. We had a room with a wrap around balcony and light breakfast for 20 Euro per person. Vienna is a city I could spend a week or two in! Much more expensive than Munich and Salzburg but well worth it!

I can't remember the names of all the places I stayed but I can look them up and let you know later if you would like.

You can save lots of money by renting a car and staying outside of the larger cities.
If you are arriving in Munich stay a couple of days there and then rent your car as the previous poster suggests.
If you stay in the area around Berchtesgaden you can easily visit Salzburg, Hallstatt, and many other spots with a reaonable drive time. I agree to leave Vienna and Budapest for another trip. Stick to Bavaria - Munich, Salzburg, Hallstadt and leave the rest for another great trip.
You can get lots of info on this board for good, inexpensive hotels or B&b's in this area.Have fun planning your trip!

I think $2000 for both of you is very low. Assuming airfare of $600 each and hotels at $100 per night you've already spent $2100. If you spend $300 on trains or car (for both) that leaves only $600 for 9 days - $66 per day for both of you for meals, entrance fees, local transport or gas, etc. I would think the $3000 figure is rock bottom for this trip.

I also agree that doing Bavaria, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest is too much for 9 days - you would spend the best part of 3 days just getting from one place to another.

nytraveller, tds824 said she doesn't mind staying in budget accomodations so I truly believe she can get by with spending $50-75 per night by staying in smaller hotels and private homes. We did it easily and we were pleasantly surprised at how nice the places we stayed were. However, I do agree that in Vienna you will be lucky to get a central hotel for under $100

>are those 4 cities too much for 9 days? Should we cut back? <

YES, YES

Two cities is best, three is OK.

I base this on my lack of rememberance of where I was and what I did back in my twenties, when I did that sort of thing.

Thank you all so much and please keep the ideas coming.

Eurotraveller, I would love to know the names of the places you stayed or at least where you found them. That sounds wonderful.

So here's a question...if we stay in Bavaria, should we fly into and out of Munich or out of somewhere else?

Again, thanks so much, this is incredibly helpful!

Agree that you will have more than enough to do focusing on Munich, Salzburg, Hallstatt, and Ludwig's Castles with only 8 or 9 days. That's only two days per location - not counting travel time to and from each location.

Staying in pensions, or B&Bs is the way to save money. Also agree that you will get a better deal in the small towns.

Ludwig has two castles associated with his name: Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. The latter castle is the one that most people think of.

One B&B that is often mentioned is Pension Albrecht in Hohenschwangau. It has rooms about 70 - 90 euros for two people and some of the rooms give you a breathtaking view of Neuschwanstein, especially when it is lit up at night. Another pension with great views is Pension Weiher also in Hohenschwangau.

You should also try to see Neuschwanstein from the Marienbrucke - a bridge with a fantastic view of N. castle.

In Hallstatt there is the salt mine tour. Hallstatt's salt mine is the world's oldest and the tour is terrific. The best part are the wooden slides on which you shoot WAAAY downward into the salt mine.

The drive into Hallstatt will take you into beautiful parts of the Austrian Alps.

Salzburg is both Mozart and Sound of Music territory. Lots to do on both scores. Ummm, sorry for the pun!

Have fun! Do a search on Fodors and you'll find a great deal of information and recommendations!

My husband and I (also early 30s) did a similar trip last summer. I used the Rick Steves guide to help me find hotels. His accommodations were affordable and unique. Sometimes just searching for the pensions he recommended provided links to other similar places. We were able to book all accommodations on the internet months before the trip. That gave me time to do more internet seaches and book reading about the actual sights. This forum even provided some great restaurant ideas which came in handy.

If you enjoy beer, don't miss the picturesque Andechs Monastary about 30 mintues outside of Munich. It's a gorgeous location and many say, the best beer in Europe. It's on the way to Ludwig's castles and the heart of Bavaria.

I think you could see Germany and Austria in 9 days. You could spend 3 nights in Munich, 1 night in Bavaria by the castles, 2 nights in Salzburg (do consider a night or day-trip to Halstatt), 2 nights in Vienna. And if you want to taste Eastern (Central) Europe, do check out Bratislava in Slovakia. It's only an hour from Vienna and a different world. It's so cheap there and the town center is so fun. Bratislava might be an easier option than Budapest. I enjoyed Bratislava more for some reason.

Have fun!

You asked me to post some of the accomodations so here is the info:

Munich
I stayed at Hotel Helvetia near the train station in May. Easy walk from the main train station, great breakfast in the morning and if you don't mind using a bathroom down the hall it is a great bargain at about $50 a night for a double.

I stayed at Pension Frank in Munich in Sept. I stayed there because it was near my friend's house but I really liked the area and the room. It is near the University so there are a lot of great, inexpensive little restaurants all over and it is also not too far from the Englischer Garten, a must do with a few nice beer gardens. I think this was about $75 for two people with a bathroom down the hall. I never did see anyone else use the bathroom that was right next to our nice room.

In Salzburg we stayed at Haus Moser and LOVED it! This home is owned by the sweetest elderly couple who warmly greet you and offer you some nice Austrian wine. Our room had a deck with a fabulous view of the mountains! It was a short drive down to Salzburg and we didn't have difficult parking since we didn't mind walking several blocks. It was 12 Euro each per night with hot breakfast and plenty of helpful tips. Found it in Let's Go Austria & Switzerland (+ Munich). We really liked this guide book and I would highly recommend it.

In Hallstatt we stayed at Fruhstuckspension Sarstein (also in Let's Go). Amazing place right on the lake with a big balcony. We hadn't even planned on staying in this town but we drove in, walked around a bit and fell in love with it. We decided to stay the night and ended up staying for two. The town just has a good vibe! It was $20 Euro per person. There is a great restaurant with lakeside dining and nice fresh fish called Restaurant Braugasthof. We met a nice couple and had dinner with them along with two bottles of wine and dessert for about 18 Euro a piece. We actually dined there both night because we liked it so much. It is a romantic town and I wish I would have been there with my boyfriend (not that I had a bad time with my best friend!)

In Reutte we stayed just outside of town, actually in Ehenbichl. I don't remember the name of the hotel and I don't think it was in any book but it was fantastic!!!! We were driving through town on these one way, windy streets and drove up to the place we were thinking of staying. They were doing some exterior construction so we decided to move on. As we passed by a restaurant, I think the only one in that area, a woman came out, flagged us down and asked if we were looking for a place to stay. We parked and she lead us across this field to a beautiful small hotel. Our room had a great view balcony and very comfy beds. This was only 50 Euro a night! It was absolutely smashing! We had dinner in the resaurant that was across the field. Full dinner with a bottle of amazing wine for less that 10 Euro a piece!

I hope this helps!

Oh, websites:

www.hotel-helvetia.de
www.pension-frank.de

Happy travels!

thank you so much, everyone! I wish there was a way to fit in Budapest...still looking for good discounters if possible. thank you particularly eurotraveler for the great ideas and links. I think my hubby and I would prefer a place with a private bath but we are definitely interested in more economical lodgings. I will check out Let's Go! Thanks again.

A couple of places I mentioned do have rooms with private bath. We had a so called shared bath but we never saw anyone else! Have a great time!

I would like to piggy back on this conversation. I am thinking of going to Germany/heidelberg in late March/early april. I have a place to stay so I am just trying to figure out how much will I need for entertainment/meals for an 8 day trip. With the conversion to Euros from US dollars..Is Germany expensive?

Try to concentrate on two cities. Munich and Vienna, or Munich and Budapest. You could squeeze in a trip to Salzburg for a couple of days if necessary. You'll regret trying to do too much in too little time. (I speak from experience.)