Fred

I am taking my wife and two teens (good travelers all) to Germany June 10-20. My initial plan was to fly to Munich spend a couple of days in the city and then head south. However, this is where the wheels came off the track for me - with roughly a week left to play with, do I head east to Salzburg and Vienna or stay in Bavaria with a few days in Switzerland? I expect we'll drive everywhere (although a day trip to Salzburg by train might make sense?). I could also use some advice about cities to fly into and out of. I don't mind beginning and ending in Munich but am open to suggestions. Thanks!

Joe

If you are flying into Munich, I would consider staying in Bavaria with a possible day trip to Salzburg. You might want to spend two or three days in Munich. Then maybe go south to the area near Oberammergau or the F&uuml;ssen/Schwangau area for two or three days. Maybe then two or three days in the Chiemsee area. A day train trip to Salzburg is very easy from Prien. The entire area is beautiful. Don't try to schedule too much into such a short time. <BR>Another option including Salzburg and Vienna is very doable. However, I will leave comments about options to those who know that area better than I do.<BR>Feel free to email me about places to stay in Munich and southern Bavaria.

ann

If you are driving youcould enjoy a good portion of Bavaria.<BR>From Munich, the drive is easy and very scenic heading throgh the mountains on the autobahn,<BR>My suggestion ;<BR>Mittenwald - a charming village in the alps<BR>12 miles further is Garmisch-Partenkirchen - another beautiful town, you can hike,take a cablecar to the tallest mountain in Germany -Zugspitze, there are cafes to have lunch...<BR>We love Lindau and Meersburg, these townsare on the Bodensee, Lake Contance. Our teens loved it! Of course there are the water sports, boat rides<BR>German beaches, sailing, biking...<BR>Many castles to visit too.<BR>Do not forget a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle 72 miles from Munich, we stayed in a cute hotel in Reutte, Austria right over the border, 10 min from castle<BR>email me if you'd like, we were just there.<BR>Have fun planning!!!!!!!

wes fowler

Fred,<BR>Drop me an Email if you're interested in a number of driving itineraries in Upper Bavaria. They'll expose you to three castles, thirteen Alpine lakes, the Zugspitze, a magnificent Baroque monastery and equally magnificent Baroque churches as well as some stunning scenery and charming villages. <BR><BR>I can also recommend some extremely reasonably priced inns that can easily accommodate four travelers. If, in the interests of economy, you're considering places to stay with eat-in capabilities, I can help you there as well.

Van R.

Basically agree with above ideas. Munich is a good choice to fly to - you can start or end in the city. Rent a car for a week & do a circular type trip to Salzburg - Innsbruck - Mittenwald - Oberammergau - Fussen - then up the Romantik Road to Rothenburg. Save Vienna for another trip.

jw

Hello, Fred. Now I'm a Swiss/Austrian zealot, but my advice is save them for another trip. The wonderful suggestions you've rec'd so far will keep you busy and dazzled for your ten days. A big yes to Mittenwald (frescos on the houses), Neuschwanstein, Lindau, Meersburg, and Rothenburg (do your best to be there at sun-up or sunset or spend the night, so you can appreciate it w/o the tourbus crowds), as well as the marvelous city of Munich itself! But has anyone mentioned Berchtesgaden? I'd surely try to squeeze it in. And, Fred, this is only the beginning. Southern Germany is filled with interesting places. If you drive from Rothenburg to Munich, take time to notice Harburg with its lovely bridge and fortress on a hill. If you are able to find the Phaidon Cultural Guide on Germany, you'll have a list so long you'll need a month! J.

jw

p.s. Wes, is your Baroque monastery Benediktbeuran by any chance? Anyone who loves "Carmina Burana" must make that a stop. I had almost forgotten about it.

John

Fred,<BR><BR>My wife and I did what Van R is suggesting (in reverse) last year.<BR><BR>Munich to Rothenburg (great fun/scenic city)<BR><BR>Rothenburg to Augsburg (great little villages along the way)<BR><BR>Augsburg to Schwangau (Neuschwanstein Castle - two castles to see)<BR><BR>Schwangau to Krun (Weiss Church?, Linderhof Castle, plus Oberammergau/Mittenwald)<BR><BR>Krun through Innsbruck to Salzburg (castle, Mirabel gardens, city center, salt mines)<BR><BR>Salzburg to Munich<BR><BR>This is a circle tour jam packed with tons of things to see/do. Something for everyone.<BR><BR>I have mentioned just a couple of places that we enjoyed, but there are many, many more points of interest.<BR><BR>The point is, this circle tour offers a great variety. We are seasoned travelers and this tour was one of our better choices in traveling through Europe for 3 months last year.<BR><BR>

wes fowler

JW,<BR>My itineraries include the Kloster at Ettal rather than Benediktbeurn. I chose Ettal due to its proximity to Linderhof, Oberammergau and a routing to Innsbruch through Mittenwald. I do have an itinerary that wanders to Bad Tolz, not far from Benediktbeurn, and on to Grossweil. That itinerary is designed to take in the open air museum ven Glentleiten.<BR><BR>It's interesting, if time permits, to visit both monasteries and compare the Baroque artistry of the Asams in Benediktbeurn with the equally stunning work of Zimmerman in Ettal, but for a quick introduction to the delights of Upper Bavaria my driving itineraries include only Ettal.

Dan

I won't have the authoritative expert sound that many of these posts have, but i did want to chime in with my experience. <BR><BR>As a backpacker four years ago, I made my first trek through this region, and would agree with the others that Vienna is a good trip for 'next time' It's quite a drive from Munich, and there's so much to see in the area. I may [strongly] suggest that you take a train ride to Salzburg though. It was one of my favorite spots; take the train in the morning, and even spend one night there, and leave the next evening. It's a perfect two-day/one night city, in my opinion.<BR><BR>As far as the other little villages and towns in Bavaria, listen to the others... I don't have the expertise in those areas.<BR><BR>Happy traveling--

Wayne

Fred---<BR>You've received a lot of good suggestions and will still suffer some angst because you can't do everything. I don't want to add to your frustration, but I would like to mention the lesser-known and generally unmentioned places that I enjoy when traveling in Bavaria. (I too would save Vienna, the Salzkammergut, and eastern Austria in general for another time, except for a slight detour I'll mention here.) I won't bother mentioning an itinerary; if you have a good map you can decide how you will travel to see whatever you want. These recommendations are mainly for their scenic beauty.<BR>1. Konigsee--This is still on my list of must-sees because of its incredible natural beauty, with beautiful mountains plunging into the emerald lake.<BR>2. Achensee--Directly south of Munich and northeast of Innsbruck,not very far inside Austria, this lake and the little vacation villages around it, along with the beautiful mountain scenery, is a real breath of fresh air in every sense of the word.<BR>3. Lindau, which has already been recommended.<BR>4. Stubaital---This valley that runs southwest from Innsbruck is, in my opinion, full of more Kodak moments per square foot than any other place in the Alps. There are several little (and not so little) villages along the way. Driving down this valley, which isn't all that long, is a feast for the eyes and the spirit.<BR>5. Wurzburg--Although north of Munich, this city is the very definition of the word "Baroque." It has the most beautiful cathedrals and architecture that you will ever see. It would make a nice day trip, by train or car, from Munich.<BR>So these are a few more thoughts to confound you. Good travels.

Fred

Thanks to all for these great suggestions! Makes me remember why I'm a confirmed Fodorite. Wes - I'll take you up on your offer. Thanks again.