Itinerary help-Munich, Salzburg, Venice
 

Husband and me will be going to Germany next September during Octoberfest. The following is a lot of driving which doesn't bother us at all. We love looking at beautiful buildings and scenery. Not into museums.

Please help/critique my itinerary:

Day 1 – Arrive in Munich – check in at Hotel Platzl (reservation already made). Spend half day sightseeing.

Day 2 – Still in Munich

Day 3 – Leave Munich. Head for Rothenburg via Altmuhltal Valley Road perhaps stopping in Eichstatt and Pappenheim. Arriving in Rothenburg and taking the Nightwatchman Tour. Stay at Hotel Gotisches Haus

Day 4 – Sightseeing in Rothenburg and then leave heading toward Lake Constance. Stop somewhere for the night?

Or do we need another night in Rothenburg?

Day 5 - Arrive at Meersburg sightsee and spend the night.

Day 6 – Drive to Lindau sightsee and spend the night.

Day 7 - Leave Lindau and drive to the Garmish/Fussen Area spending the night in this area.

Is this too much time or not enough in the Lake area. I'm not sure what we should do in this area.

Day 8, 9, 10– In the Garmish/Fussen area.

Places we want to see:

Oberammergau
Linderhof
Neuschwanstein
Zugspitze
Herrenchiemsee

Day 11 - Leave Garmisch/Fussen area and drive to Berchtesdgaden.

Day 12 – Berchtesdgaden

We want to see Eagles Nest
Salt mines

Again, enough or not enough time in this area?

Day 13 – Leave Berchtesdgaden drive to Salzburg. Spend night in Salzburg.

We want to visit the ice caves at Werfen

Day 14 – Leave Salzburg early drive to Venice and arrive mid-day/afternoon.

Day 15 – Day in Venice

Day 16 –Leave Venice as late as possible and drive to Munich airport area for the night.

Day 17 – Depart Munich for home.

I know, Venice shouldn't be here at this time, but I really want to try to get there. I checked about dropping the car in Germany and train to Venice. The train is almost an 8 hr ride. Dropping the car in Venice is expensive and the flight prices I got were expensive too.

I've not done much of your itenerary but thought I'd make a few comments.

The Eagles Nest and Salt Mines are easily do able in one day. I really enjoyed the slide in the Salt Mine! Shame they wouldn't let me just keep doing that instead of continuing with the tour!

I thought I'd check on one point. Are you familiar with the "difficulty level" of the ice caves? I was floored by the climb that was involved. It was too much for me but I'm not the picture of athleticism. There were others who were very fit on our tour who were beat when finished! As a result, I would allow yourselves the time to sleep in the following morning if you aren't accustomed to the altitude and the incline!


Have you chosen a hotel in Vienna? We found one we would recommend if you need a suggestion.

Give yourself more time in Venice, or skip it completely. Visting there for only a day or two is not worth all the time you will have to spend traveling there, and then returning from there to Munich.

To spend more time in Venice, I suggest reducing the number of days you scheduled for Garmish/Fussen. One night there should be adequate.

If you skip Venice completely, I suggest giving yourself more time to see Munich. The single day you allocated for this is probably not enough. You could also give yourself an extra day for the area around Salzburg. You will be in Munich and Salzburg anyway, and there are many places to visit in these two areas.

If you go to the salt mines out of Salzburg, it looks like you don't have any time to wander around in Salzburg itself. It is worth a couple of days. Hotel Recommendation in Salzburg: Pension Steinerhoff. On the edge of town, charming, moderately priced with incredible mountain views.
Have you searched the threads here? I posted a trip report after our trip, although we took the train everywhere instead of driving.
Vera
Vera

Your itinerary looks OK, but I would personally rob a day from days 8 through 14, and add another day to Venice. Other than that, I think you'll see a lot and have a great trip. You will be going to some of my favorite places.

You need to delete some of your itinerary. If you are going to Octoberfest, then it looks like you'll have either very little time there or very little time in Munich, itself. Taking in all of the sights at the fest and then seeing a fair amount of Munich requires more than one and a half days. Same thing with Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. You can stay outside of Berchtesgaden for several days and from that one location visit all that this area has to offer, including Salzburg. If your one day in Berchtesgaden is rainy, then you won't see anything at the Eagle's Nest. The Salzburg/Berchtesgaden area is quite large with lots to see and do. Pick one spot and stay for 5 nights or so...you can even take a day trip by bus from Salzburg or B'gaden if you need to see Venice (it's a long day but at least you won't be driving) Those tours leave about 5:30 AM and return to the B'gaden area around 10PM..Just my "two cents"...

I just realized your itinerary says "Venice", not Vienna. But my same advice applies: Your itinerary does not give you enough time in Venice, and forces you to spend too much time in-transit. Either cut time from one of the other places on your itinerary, or better yet, just drop Venice from this trip. I love Venice, but it does not fit well into your current itinerary.

I don't think I'd head off in the opposite direction of the main part of my trip to see Rothenburg. It's very pretty, but it's also a very packaged tourist product. Worth stopping off if you're going in that direction anyway, but of dubious value as a side trip that takes you away from your main route.

I also would not go all the way to Venice for just one day. First of all, Venice is one of the worst destinations for a trip of a day or less in Europe.

Of course, you say you like to drive, but what does the driver actually see except the road--at least I hope the driver is concentrating on the road and traffic and not on the beautiful buildings and scenery!