I disagree, and I take a lot of low-cost airlines in Europe. Ryanair IMO is by far the worst. Have had no problems with Easy Jet, Vueling, HOP, and Jet cost (maybe others, I forget). IME, Ryanir takes the cake for being totally intractable and having staff with serious attitude.

I disagree also, that isn't remotely true. I've taken both Easyjet and HOp and they've both been just as good a a regular airline. Easyjet has very generous carryon allowances, in fact, better than many regular airlines, and they don't charge anything unusual for a checked bag at all. It's usually only about 15 euro if you do it in advance.

No, they dont "forgive" people who decide to break the rules, why should they. I suppose that means they should allow someone to carryon something too large or something. People can buy and pay for whatever services they want easily.

Well 'Easy' should be easy, right? My French friends reguarly fly them and all say like Christina - no so for Ryan Air!

Agree with ToujoursVoyager's suggestions.

It is normal to feel like a "fish out of water" on a first trip overseas. Many of us first went to Europe while in college and were fortunate to have friends help break us in. We would love to help you but you might also get both of these books...

1. Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door 2018--this is not so much about Austria specifically but more about travel, changing money etc.
2. Fodor's just came out with its newest edition of Vienna and the Best of Austria. That should help you get an overview.

Finally, if you are up for learning a few words of German, it's more fun to do it with the video games with the Instant Immersion series of language learning. I've done well with French and Italian. These CD rom sets are around $35. I'm looking on Amazon and the most recent edition for German appears to b 2014 so be sure not to get the older ones.

I am so grateful for you all.

So November is a definite, we are trying to be with them for Thanksgiving since we won’t be with them for Christmas. We are okay with gray days since we will be with the babies
The grandbabies are 5,3 and 6 months.

Right now now we are looking at flights from Atlanta to Munich, and then maybe staying there a day or two (is there lots to see there?) and then take a train ride to Vienna.
We also thought we might take their family for a couple night adventure somewhere, just because we are all excited to explore, so would love ideas for that as well.

Budapest and the spas might be a feasible trip from Vienna. Catch a train stay in one of the hotels with built in ancient spa, prices move a lot on hotel rooms in Budapest and out of season you can catch a good deal.

Back to your original post, you write that you have "about 10 days" for this trip. Does this include your travel days? Are you flying into and out of Munich?

Also, is this your family's first move overseas? We moved to Vienna from the U.S. (our first overseas move) when our children were almost 11 and 16, just after the school year ended in June several years ago. Our transition went rather smoothly. However, we had several advantages: I speak German; our children were older and did not require constant hands-on (in addition, we had traveled almost annually overseas, so Europe wasn't an entirely unfamiliar place to them); and, most of our bureaucratic matters (everything from licensing DDog to opening bank accounts and so forth) were managed by others. In the ensuing six months I could explore Vienna at my leisure easily. All I am writing is that everyone manages a major transition like an overseas move differently. Sitting in a Viennese cafe lingering over an Esterhazy Torte and a Melange may be all the adventure your family desires...

Did your kids go to an English-speaking school? Did they learn German if not? Interesting life they and you must have!

Cheers!

Tamtot,
Flying to Munich and train to Vienna is perfect.

If you are flying RT Munich, You will be tired, but can rest on the train, so go straight away on to Vienna. Most stations have pretty decent food and sandwiches, so pick something up in the Munich station. Return to Munich a day or so before departure to see something of the City. You need to be in the city of departure the night before anyway, and no need for two hotel stays.

With three littles, a baby and two preschool age, don't plan on tons of explorations. You can have some plans and ideas, and the Mommy and Daddy can have stuff prepared for travel, but this time around, leave final decision until you are there. Don't push it. Weather could turn bad. Baby could be sick, etc. many things in that area can be done pretty much last minute.

Salzburg is about 2 & 1/2 hours by train, would be a wonderful, easy, overnight trip from Vienna, lots to see and do. I have not been to Budapest, but it is also about 2 & 1/2 hours. Both are, for me, too long for day trips, but good for an overnight. I have also not been to Bratislava, but a person I trust highly recommended it, and it is only a bit over an hour, so good for a day trip.


This is the most important bit. Vienna has some wonderful playgrounds! When we traveled with young kids, many, many years ago, we were always searching out parks and playgrounds. Vienna had the most innovative playgrounds I had ever seen, and I remember someone recently mentioning them, so googled playgrounds in Vienna. One is all about nature, at least one is inside, but the five year old should love them all. Look them up. They still look fantastic! We usually managed to see one or two sights of adult interest, like a museum or cathedral, lunch, then a playground.

The Christmas markets will be fun for you and also the little ones.

Hi tamtot,

Just a reminder that the German Christmas markets will be starting at the end of November -- some around 26 November and some around 29 November. So you may want to fly into Vienna for Thanksgiving and see your family, then train to Germany to see the Christmas markets, and finally fly home out of Munich. That is called an open-jaw ticket, and they can be just about the same price as a round-trip; just look at the "multiple destinations" tab on your airlines' sites.

I live in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, south of Munich, so let me know if you'd like more information on things to do here. Some popular sight-seeing attractions are Neuschwanstein castle, Füssen, Linderhof castle, Oberammeragu Passion Play theater, Ettal Monastery, Mittenwald (village in the Alps), and of course the Zugspitze (Germany's highest mountain). Munich itself has about 5 or 7 Christmas markets, lots of history, museums, gardens, lakes, etc. If you have the desire, Germans tend to still sit in beer gardens when it's cold... they just drape a blanket across their legs (you'll see outdoor cafes with blankets folded on the backs of the seats). Berchtesgaden is another wonderful Bavarian village in the Alps, and it's not far from Salzburg and/or St Wolfgang & St Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee (google to see how gorgeous they are).

Another possible destination might be Lindau on Lake Constance (Bodensee).

Have fun as you plan!

s

PalenQ, both children attend(ed) the American School; the language of instruction is English, and German is compulsory from Grade 6 to 9, so our daughter earned her B2, then switched to French in Grade 10. Our son began school in Grade 11 and thus neither learned nor speaks German (but has a B2 in both Spanish and Russian).

No need to go to Germany for Christmas markets. See: https://www.austria.info/uk/things-t...istmas-markets

Budapest has one, too.

I love that area in November. Ditto on Swandav's suggestions. Thanksgiving is early this year but the markets will be opening before you leave. The store windows are decorated in Munich.with the best displays for the holidays.

So, I've been studying airfare. I feel like this is almost impossible, but if I book through Travelocity, we could fly to Zurich on November 16th,
return November 26th (Atlanta), for $1411 for the both of us. (Virgin Atlantic to Zurich, and British Airways from Europe). We then can fly
Ryan Air over, and we would take the train back at the end of our trip and enjoy the sites.
I tried to book directly through airline, but it's nowhere near that cheap.

Have you all used travelocity? Is it trustworthy?

Thank you!

Are the flights you found non-stop or do they connect somewhere? Train back to where? Munich? Zurich? If they are connecting flights, I would want them to be code share partners, but I can't tell if this is true from your description.

With only 10 days to visit, I would place a high value on the actual amount of time I had with my family to visit. If you fly on November 16, I assume you arrive in Zurich (did you mean Munich?) on November 17. To connect through to Vienna on Ryan Air, what time would you arrive in Vienna? It may be that you real visit now begins on November 18. Assume that most if not all of November 26 will be about returning home. November 18-25--effectively 8 days. I'd weigh time lost against money spent, being sure to add in the Ryan Air ticket fees to the computation.

I know many people who happily use Travelocity. I prefer to book my tickets with the actual airline so I can deal directly with them if there is some trouble.

These are things I do not know, but should be considered.

What will Ryan air cost, including all luggage?
Is the airport used by Ryan air the same one you will fly into?
In many places, Ryan air uses an airport some distance from the main airport in a city. For example, it uses Stansted rather than the major international airports in London, and Frankfurt Hahn rather than Frankfurt Am Main in Frankfurt. This adds considerable travel time and extra transportation costs getting from one airport to the other.

How long is the train trip from Vienna to Zurich? What is the cost?
Will these extra costs negate the savings on your international airfare?
How much extra time will this plan eat up, including the time you need to allow between your international flight and boarding the flight on Ryan Air?
Were you thinking of booking that as a separate ticket from the international flight?

It is not usually a good idea to comment on places I have not been, but others can chime in with personal experience. I have read many times that Zurich is pretty much a business city with not much to recommend it for sightseeing. Since you must be in the city of departure the day before, it might be worth a little more money to spend that day in a place you will enjoy.

This plan, including all the total costs of international airfare, cost of Ryan Air, cost of luggage on Ryan Air, train, and taxis or shuttle from one airport to the other, would have to save me at least $200.00 per person before I would consider it.

I hope not to be negative, but to look at the whole picture, not just one part.

call Delta, get a comfort seating, pay the extra, and be happy, fly out of ATL, avoid a nightmare. Sue

You guys , I'm sorry I'm so all over the place.
Just a zillion options for getting over there.
I thought I had found great rates from Atlanta to Zurich, but it involved layovers,
and extra hours of travel, so I guess you get what you pay for.
I think I'm back to our Munich plan.
Fly directly from Atlanta to Munich,
take the train over to Vienna, love on those grandkids,
and then spend a couple days in Munich before we fly home.
Is Munich worthy of 2 days of sight seeing?
Thanks for your patience and all of your insight.

"Fly directly from Atlanta to Munich, take the train over to Vienna, love on those grandkids, and then spend a couple days in Munich before we fly home."

A splendid idea.

"Is Munich worthy of 2 days of sight seeing?"

Absolutely. Especially so around the Christmas season.

Oh my goodness. Did you read my post at #30? Will you arrange your flights to be there for the Christmas markets? Munich has something like 5 to 7 of them! In addition, you can visit Regensburg, Garmisch, and lots listed at post #30, etc. Munich has enough for several weeks worth of activities!

s