Help with itinerary for Germany and Austria trip May 2006
 

I am planning a 13 night trip to Germany and Austria next May. I will fly in to Munich and out of Vienna. I want to take the train from Munich to Salzburg, then from Salzburg take the train to Vienna. Does anyone have any suggestions of places to stop and stay between my main stops? I'm planning on 4 nights in Munich, 3 in Salzburg and 4 in Vienna. That leaves me 3 extra nights. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Topping for you with the suggestion of your adding something as to your interests and whether or not you have been prior to this (assume you have not).

Castles? Museums? Scenery?

I have never been to either country. I love architecture, the castles, churches, small towns. I was hoping for suggestions for small towns that are on the way from Munich and from Salzburg by the train. Thanks again.

Hi e -

Between Munich and Salzburg, you could stay overnight in Bechtesgaden. See Kehlstein and Konigsee.

After Salzburg, I strongly recommend that you see Hallstatt while you're in the area. It's a scenic 1 hour drive from Salzburg, but if you're really set on using trains, it's about 2 1/4 hours. The village is definitely worth an overnight stay. That's dangerous, though, because it's so beautiful you might not be able to leave.

Farther toward Vienna, I would recommend stopping at Melk. The monastery is very impressive. And be sure to take a short cruise down the river to Durnstein or Krems, where you can pick up a train to Vienna.

I really enjoyed a visit to St. Florian's Abbey about 10 miles outside of Linz on the Danube. St. Florian's is less famous than Melk Abbey further east on the Danube (Donau) River but was more captivating for me. Both are worth seeing.

http://www.oberoesterreich.at/st.florian/

Also just outside Salzburg is a lake district known as the Saltzkammergut that is quite beautiful. Hallstatt is a small town destination in the area.

http://www.tiscover.at/hallstatt

The drive (or bike ride or boat ride) from Linz to Vienna along the Danube is very appealing but I am not sure how it one would do it justice by train.

Regards, Gary

It's too bad that you can't rent a car for the drive from Salzburg to Vienna. We had a wonderfully scenic drive from Salzburg to Hallstatt last year that was a highlight of our trip. After spending the night in Hallstatt you could drive north to visit Mauthausen concentration camp and from there you can pop right off the autobahn to visit Melk Abbey on your way to Vienna. That's exactly what we did last year and it worked out well.

I suggest you reconsider using a car.
Yes, train and bus service is good in Austria, but at times limiting in terms of mobility and timliness.

True, you don't need a car in Munich or in Vienna. But for visiting some of the smaller towns, which are much of the fun of visiting Austria, you can get around better with a car.

On the other hand, you can do quite well with train and bus.

The Austrian rail system has a web site at www.oebb.at. Some of the captions are in English. The site provides details on most all connections.

For Vienna, be sure to acquire a U-bahn map and, better still, a map that shows bus routes. The tram is also a neat way to get around Vienna.

PS Here's the link to my trip report from last year http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...en_name=whitey

It sounds like a great trip. I agree that a car gives you a lot more flexibility but remember, if you rent a car in Germany and drop it in Austria you will pay to have it shipped back to it's home country unless you are lucky enough to fund a rental agency that has a car with Austrian tabs.

While you are in Munich you can day trip to Fussen to see Neuschwanstein by bus tour (Panorama Tours), rail (Bavaria pass) or by car(arrange in advance through Gemut.com).

While you are in Salzburg take the Sound of music tour (expecially if you are traveling by train and won't be driving through the salzkammergut). They take you out to Mondsee to see the SOM Wedding Chruch and you get a little taste of the beauty of the area. They also stop for a Summer luge ride down a metal track that is a lot of fun.

Thank you all so much for your ideas. I did consider renting a car, but I am traveling solo and when I realized how much more economical the train would be I figured that would be the way to go. I haven't totally ruled out a car for some part and the idea for renting one between Salzburg and Vienna may be something I could swing. If I go in March I could probably afford the rental car because air fares are so much more reasonable, but I decided to "splurge" on airfare for a change. I just received huge packages from both Salzburg and Vienna full of maps, brochures, etc. I can't wait. Thanks again.

When we were in Austria in May we rented a car for the drive between Salzburg and Vienna and stopped at Halstatt and Mauthausen on the way. Hallstatt is a charming little town and Mauthausen is a very-intact concentration camp just outside Linz. We found it disturbing but fascinating, and it was definitely one of our most memorable days.