Help with Germany , Switzerland, Austria itinerary
Apr 30th, 2011 | 05:41 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Help with Germany , Switzerland, Austria itinerary
We are looking at spending 11days traveling with the following potential itinerary. Looking for input and help.
Fly into Frankfort June 12th.
Bacharach June 12&13 - Rhine river trip from Bacharach to Koblenz, Burg Eltz Castle.
Dinkelsbuhl June 14&15 - base for Rothenburg, etc.
Fussen - June 16&17 - King's Castle's
Somewhere in Swiss Alps - June 18-20, looking for advice on where we can get to in the time we have.
Salzburg - June 21 & 22 - Need to do this for the Sound of Music tour.
Fly out of Munich late on June 22.
Fly into Frankfort June 12th.
Bacharach June 12&13 - Rhine river trip from Bacharach to Koblenz, Burg Eltz Castle.
Dinkelsbuhl June 14&15 - base for Rothenburg, etc.
Fussen - June 16&17 - King's Castle's
Somewhere in Swiss Alps - June 18-20, looking for advice on where we can get to in the time we have.
Salzburg - June 21 & 22 - Need to do this for the Sound of Music tour.
Fly out of Munich late on June 22.
Apr 30th, 2011 | 10:39 PM
#3
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,247
Likes: 0
You could handle that first stop (Bacharach) by train from Frankfurt airport easily.
And rent car after that.
The Berner Oberland is obviously a very attractive area in Switzerland. Just you and 10 million others know that ;-)
A less overrun area, especially for driving around, is the lower Engadin. It borders Italy and Austria and gets much less tourists. It's only a short drive from Füssen and would put you in a better location for driving to Salzburg afterwards.
Since you only have one full day (the 19th) to spend in the region of your choice, I don't know if it's worth to spend half of the 18th to get from Füssen to the Berner Oberland and most of the 20th to get from there to Salzburg.
And rent car after that.
The Berner Oberland is obviously a very attractive area in Switzerland. Just you and 10 million others know that ;-)
A less overrun area, especially for driving around, is the lower Engadin. It borders Italy and Austria and gets much less tourists. It's only a short drive from Füssen and would put you in a better location for driving to Salzburg afterwards.
Since you only have one full day (the 19th) to spend in the region of your choice, I don't know if it's worth to spend half of the 18th to get from Füssen to the Berner Oberland and most of the 20th to get from there to Salzburg.
May 1st, 2011 | 11:43 AM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,228
Likes: 0
"Bacharach June 12&13 - Rhine river trip from Bacharach to Koblenz, Burg Eltz Castle."
It really is a good idea to grab a train on that first day rather than to drive jetlagged or drowsy in unfamiliar territory.
Burg Eltz involves a good bit more travel and is probably best on the 13th.
On the 12th, If you can use the train connections that reach Bacharach at 10:26, drop bags at hotel and head to the docks for the 11:15 cruise north. Partly because the scenery declines after Braubach, I suggest that you end your cruise there (1:20) which gives you a nice trip through the most scenic section. The extra hour to Koblenz is unexceptional and not a great use of limited time - and it's a lengthy urban walk to to the train station for your return. Instead, consider a tour of Marksburg, the best castle to visit on the Rhine, a real medieval castle that has seen 800 years of history without being destroyed: www.marksburg.de You can return by train north via Koblenz or by train south to St. Goarshausen, then ferry across to St. Goar, then train south to Bacharach.
If you must take a later cruise north, I'd suggest getting off in Boppard, which is a handsome town with a number of attractions. Mostly modern Koblenz has a few charms but they're hidden mostly in a small part of town near the Deutsches Eck that lies a good distance from the station.
If you don't have a railpass or don't want to use a railpass day, buy a daypass at the airport for Rheinland-Pfalz (24 Euros for two) which covers Mainz and beyond - all the above train travel on the regional trains. You'll also need two single-tickets to cover the trip from FRA to Mainz - about 4 Euros each. (There's an 8:37 train from FRA that would get you on the regional trains and get you to Bacharach in time for the 11:15 cruise.)
On the 13th, you can both get to Moselkern and back for the walk to Burg Eltz on the same R-P daypass (24 Euros.) You can use it to visit nearby Cochem on the same day if you have time, or to stop in Koblenz on the way back to pick up a car, if that's how you'd planned to head to Rothenburg/Dinkelsbühl.
Walk to Eltz:
http://www.bensbauernhof.com/burgeltzfrommoselkern.html
R-P daypass:
http://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets-and...-pfalz-ticket/
It really is a good idea to grab a train on that first day rather than to drive jetlagged or drowsy in unfamiliar territory.
Burg Eltz involves a good bit more travel and is probably best on the 13th.
On the 12th, If you can use the train connections that reach Bacharach at 10:26, drop bags at hotel and head to the docks for the 11:15 cruise north. Partly because the scenery declines after Braubach, I suggest that you end your cruise there (1:20) which gives you a nice trip through the most scenic section. The extra hour to Koblenz is unexceptional and not a great use of limited time - and it's a lengthy urban walk to to the train station for your return. Instead, consider a tour of Marksburg, the best castle to visit on the Rhine, a real medieval castle that has seen 800 years of history without being destroyed: www.marksburg.de You can return by train north via Koblenz or by train south to St. Goarshausen, then ferry across to St. Goar, then train south to Bacharach.
If you must take a later cruise north, I'd suggest getting off in Boppard, which is a handsome town with a number of attractions. Mostly modern Koblenz has a few charms but they're hidden mostly in a small part of town near the Deutsches Eck that lies a good distance from the station.
If you don't have a railpass or don't want to use a railpass day, buy a daypass at the airport for Rheinland-Pfalz (24 Euros for two) which covers Mainz and beyond - all the above train travel on the regional trains. You'll also need two single-tickets to cover the trip from FRA to Mainz - about 4 Euros each. (There's an 8:37 train from FRA that would get you on the regional trains and get you to Bacharach in time for the 11:15 cruise.)
On the 13th, you can both get to Moselkern and back for the walk to Burg Eltz on the same R-P daypass (24 Euros.) You can use it to visit nearby Cochem on the same day if you have time, or to stop in Koblenz on the way back to pick up a car, if that's how you'd planned to head to Rothenburg/Dinkelsbühl.
Walk to Eltz:
http://www.bensbauernhof.com/burgeltzfrommoselkern.html
R-P daypass:
http://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets-and...-pfalz-ticket/
