imcanadian

I thank you so much for your patience, kindness, advice AND tact! lol.

Our flitting is over with indeed, & we have decided...please offer your advice on this itinerary if you would, once more??

Vienna...Oct.8-10, 2 nites
Linz/Mauthausen day trip, Oct.10
Salzburg...Oct.10-14, 4 nites
Munich...Oct.14-18, 4 nites
Klagenfurt...Oct.18-22, 4 nites
Vienna...Oct.22-27, 5 nites

With travel time, is this doable? We will not have a car, so travel by train &/or plane.

PalenQ

Isn't Linz/Malthausen closer to Salzburg than Vienna?
by about 45 mins each way if going by train it seems

tcreath

PalenQ, I was thinking the same thing. We drove through Linz and it was fairly close to Salzburg. I'm assuming the OP is making the trip to Mauthausen on the way from Vienna to Salzburg?

I personally would skip Linz, as there didn't appear to be anything there that a tourist would be interested in, and the town was not very attractive.

Tracy

PalenQ

yes a better reading of the dating indicates they will do enroute - fine - Austrian stations all seem to have ample luggage lockers.

JEFF_

I apologize for coming into this late. You may have had all the thoughts you need since your trip is happening very soon. From reading some of your past threads, I realize you’ve been agonizing over your itinerary and have explored lots of good ideas and suggestions.

I question spending four nights in Salzburg, especially if you don’t have a car for day trips. I’d say, even with travel time getting there, that two nights is enough. Also, I’m not sure about why you decided on Klagenfurt. It’s some 8 hours by train back to Vienna and even 3 hours from Salzburg… add another two from Munich.

Like others have suggested, I’d really consider going to Prague. It’s about 5 hours from Vienna and would definitely give you a different experience. It may not be Paris that you wanted to see, but it's a wonderful city and would seem to be a logical, easy addition to your itinerary if you'd drop Klagenfurt and spend less time in Salzburg..or even drop a day off Vienna.

tcreath

I would have to agree with Jeff on staying 4 nights in Salzburg, although I know from past posts that we both have similar thoughts on Salzburg. Its a beautiful city but not my favorite, although a lot of people seem to love it. Still, four nights, especially without a car, is a bit much. The city center is compact and relatively small. The surrounding countryside is amazing though, so if you are planning daytrips than I guess 4 nights would make sense. Otherwise, I would drop at least at least 2 and add it somewhere else.

Tracy

ira

Hi im,

Good itinerary.

What is drawing you to Klagenfurt for 4 nights?

Do you need hotel recommendations? If so, what's your budget?

imcanadian

Hi All!

Klagenfurt...the number of castles attracted us I suppose, but I imagine there are castles in many other places too, so let's forget that one then.

Arrive in Vienna Oct.8-10
Vienna to Bratislava, Oct.10-13 (1 hr)
Bratislava to Prague, Oct.13-16 (4 hrs)
Prague to Munich, Oct.16-20 (6 hrs)
Munich to Salzburg, Oct.20-22 (2 hrs)
Salzburg to Vienna, Oct.22-27 (day trip to Mauthausen) (3 1/2 hrs)

Have checked on trains for all these places & total for the two of us would be about $1,330.00 Canadian...does that sound pretty reasonable?

Does this itinerary make more sense, in the number of places & the direction from one to the other?

imcanadian

Concerning trains, do you find it just as easy to get a ticket at the station, as opposed to booking ahead?

tcreath

Are you planning on spending 3 days/nights in Bratislava? If so, I would cut at least some of those days and add them back to Vienna or somewhere else in your itinerary. Bratislava is interesting but we spent 4-5 hours there and that was enough.

Tracy

PalenQ

yes a snap

but you could, on longer journeys get discounted online only advance tickets depending on the country and specific train

but in my long experience traveling trains you can almost always buy tickets as you go along without problems - with a few exceptions. All the trips outlined here would absolutely be no problem

<Have checked on trains for all these places & total for the two of us would be about $1,330.00 Canadian...does that sound pretty reasonable?>

well then either the European East railpass or Germany-austria pass and point-point in Czech republic would be much much cheaper if the $1,330 figure is for real. www.raileurope.com has prices in Loonies for these passes - not sold in Europe however.

imcanadian

Is this what you are meaning?

Total price for this product for all passengers: CAD 626.00
Eurail Austria-Germany Saverpass
5 days in 2 months; 2nd Class
2 adults : 1 @ CAD 606.00 each
rail protection plan @ CAD 20.00 each

So, this covers us in both countries & then we just need point to point tickets for Prague & Bratislava?

imcanadian

Sorry, didn't read your post completely....here is the East Pass...

Total price for this product for all passengers: CAD 478.00
European East Pass
5 days in 1 month; 2nd Class
1 adult : 2 @ CAD 227.00 each
rail protection plan @ CAD 12.00 each

JEFF_

I like your new itinerary. I can’t comment on Bratislava, I went from Budapest (another possibility) to Vienna. But just a thought: on the way from Prague to Munich you might consider stopping or staying a night in Regensburg. I liked it a lot. It would give you a somewhat smaller German town experience. It’s only an hour away from Munich, so it would be an easy day trip, too.
http://europeforvisitors.com/germany...regensburg.htm

This may help with train travel questions:
http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/rail_menu.htm

ira

Hi im,

I think that you have a good itinerary.

At this point in your planning, the only thing that I would consider changing is where to go from Oct 18-22.

You might find my trip report helpful:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35014078

We spent 4 nights in Salzburg. We were not bored. You can visit Herrenchiemsee, Berchtesgaden, etc.

I would exchange Klagenfurt for Prague or, maybe, Budapest. Definitely not Bratislava.

gforaker

Yes, it is way too long in Klagenfurt and Salzburg. Not bad places, but way too long. 2 nights are plenty for each.
Cut Bratislava.

Other places to add to take the place - maybe Rothenburg or Berchtesgaden. Klagenfurt is a nice place and OK if in your path, but maybe not worth a detour.

imcanadian

Jeff, thanks for the info about Regensburg, I checked it out & it seems right up our alley!

As for Bratislava, that is my husband's choice...have to compromise sometimes eh? lol

Klagenfurt is quite a distance, I realized after reading more here & on websites.

We were going to do Rothenburg, but changed our mind for Prague.

So I think this is it finally! We'll have 2 nites in Vienna right at the start (our anniversary is the 9th) & by the time we start to travel on the 10th, we'll be well rested & ready to go, & then we'll have another 5 nites at the end of our trip in Vienna as well.

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou...each & every one of you has been more of a help than you realize.

I knew nothing of European travel, & now I have a bit of knowledge at least....(isn't a little knowledge a dangerous thing?? lol)

Tonite I finish booking our B & B's & then it's the packing....I shall be back!

JEFF_

Not that you need anymore ideas, but Melk is a nice, easy day trip out of Vienna. You can take the train up and then coming back, take a boat to Krems, visit the town and then take the train back to Vienna.
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/desti...chauvalley.htm

(Of course, Bratislava would be an easy day trip too. Enough said. Never mind.)

Have a wonderful trip! You've earned it.

imcanadian

Jeff, I never turn away an idea or suggestion lol...seeing as we will certainly have time for daytrips, I appreciate your suggestions very much & thankyou!

PalenQ

Yes - those are the two passes

pass on the pass pro program IMO - have to file police report and buy regular tickets and then after you get home you get a refund of the lesser - the value of a pass when you lose it or the replacement tickets. Just keep all in a secure money belt, etc.

If you do the Eur East then you'd buy Salzburg-Munich, as low as about 29 euro i think. And the European East pass is cheaper to begin with and both cover Austria where the bulk of your train travels with be.