Lou

A group of 4 are planning a trip to Germnay in May 2003. Total stay in Germany app. 8 nights. We will be arriving in Munich and plan 2 nights at Hotel Uhland. Any iseas? From there we are thing as using Garmisch area as base for three nights. Visiting castles and Zugspitze one day, reserving day 2 for scenery,walking and maybe Fussen. On the third day can we make it west towards Salzburg. Any thoughts on itinerary , scheduling. From there we plan on driving to Rothenburg and spending a couple of nights. Thought of Hotel Burg. Any experiences? Maybe a day trip to Wurzburg. Is it worth it. Then back to Munich for flight home.<BR><BR><BR>I welcome any suggestions to itinerary or accommodations. It will be two couples with no children traveling<BR><BR>Thanks <BR>

Wayne

I am a bit confused by your reference to directions, such as when you will be well west of Salzburg but mention it as if you were east of there.<BR><BR>So just looking at your general objectives, and assuming you arrive and depart at Munich, here's what I would do: <BR>-Spend your 2 days after arrival in Munich.<BR>-Head straight north to Wurzburg for 2 days.<BR>-Drive south on the Romantic Road, stopping in Nordlingen, Dinkeslbuhl, and Rothenburg. Pick one of these for an overnight stop but visit the others as you drive south.<BR>-Continue south to Fussen or Garmisch for a 2 night stay. <BR>-From there, drive east past Innsbruck and on to Salzburg for 2 nights.<BR>-Go back to Munich for departure.<BR><BR>The days might not exactly add up, but that general circular itinerary would be my plan.

Rex

Here's a thought: go straight from munich airport to Salzburg. A lot of people do not get a good night's sleep on a trans-atlantic flight, and the two hour train ride can provide a 90 minute nap that makes the rest of the furst day more enjoyable/tolerable. stay in Salzburg two nights.<BR><BR>Then head back to Germany. That way, you have a longer stretch of days IN Germany for car rental (if you so choose - - and I strongly recommend that you do). Of course, you COULD rent a car right from the time you arrive, and take it to Austria and back with you.<BR><BR>But your plans are confusing to me as described. When are the three nights planned for Garmisch? Between Salzburg and Rothenburg? This is a LOT of driving! And &quot;visiting&quot; castles and Zugspitze in one day is pretty darn near unrealistic, unless you fancy getting up and at it at 5 am. Unless you mean exclusing Schloss Linderhof (which would be a shame). A visit to Neuschwanstein should really start with arriving THERE by 8 or 9 am, at the latest. Anything much later will add 1-2 hours standing in line to your day.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Mark

Just got back from 2 weeks in Germany. Had a group of 6 with me. We did 4 days along the Rhine. Stayed 2 nights in a Castle along the Rhine. We did Assmannshausen on the Rhine for 2 nights. We did Berchtesgaden for 3 nights. We stayed in a Tirolean town in the mountains of Austria for 3 nights. The Austrian village is about 2 hours from Munich. We stayed 2 nights 50 minutes outside of Munich. We did the day trip from Munich to Garmisch.<BR><BR>You can certainly e-mail me and I'll give you some thoughtrs.

Lou

Thanks for the updates so far. Keep them coming. I am in Munich to pick up my new BMW. I will have transportation.

Ann

Lou, in that case, your original plan is quite perfect. Get over jet lag, see some of Munich, pick up your car. You will certainly not want to drive your pretty new car in Munich (seriously), so plan to use public transport until you depart, then I'd recommend going first to Salzburg, if you must. Since you say &quot;towards&quot; Salzburg, I'm hopeful you're talking about taking in the scenery in the region rather than going into the town of. This will give you some nice drives to test handling the car, and short autobahn distances as well. How about a quick zip to Chiemsee for lunch (about 50 miles), then visit Herrenchiemsee, then go on to Berchtesgaden (the most beautiful area of Germany, IMHO) via a local highway. I'd stay at least two overnights there. Why not Salzburg? It's okay, but I think overrated and you'll have to spend about $35 just to get there for your Austrian autobahn vignette (required), where you again, will need to park your car and leave it. Heavy toll for a half-day visit, but I guess if you're buying a B-mer, it might not be a consideration! Seems to me you might as well have some fun driving some mountain roads. Leaving, loop back to the Garmisch area (about 115 miles). You should be able to visit Linderhof enroute to the Fussen area, maybe even stop in at the monastery in Ettal. Shopping in Oberammergau - maybe. If you still have time, stop at Wieskirche. I'd base in Schwangau (I love the Hotel Rubezahl) and get up early to see Neuschwanstein. That'll give you time to go into Garmisch in the afternoon and see Zugspitze. When you leave there, you can go to Rothenburg via Steingaden, a lovely drive with beautiful views of the Lech river. Definitely stay at the Burg Hotel in Rothenburg, and have dinner at Reichs Kuchenmeister (a good second hotel choice). But truthfully, Lou, I'd leave off the trip to the east. At Chiemsee, I'd turn south for the Garmisch area and leave Berchtesgaden/Salzburg for another trip; there's just too much to see/do in both there and the Garmisch region to short them. So, the two alternatives are: (1) Two nights in Munich; two nights in Berchtesgaden region; two nights in Garmisch region; two nights in Rothenburg. Lots-o picking up and moving, but maybe worth it to see a lot. I'd still vote for option (2) Two nights in Munich; three nights in Garmisch region; two nights in Rothenburg; one night in Munich (prior to departure). Best wishes for a wonderful trip...

Mike

Ann, I couldn't have said it better. That's a Great!! itinerary. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. <BR><BR>We also stayed at the Hotel Rubezahl and loved it. Wonderful dinner overlooking the Castle, and one of the best breakfast buffets I've had in Europe, included in the cost of the room. We stayed there late June for about $100. Here's their web site http://www.neuschwanstein-hotel.com/.<BR><BR>

Ann

Thank you, Mike, what a nice thing to say. I forgot to add, Lou, that I will be happy to send you some recommended routes if you're interested in any of my suggestions. Cheers...

tee hee

&lt;&lt; You will certainly not want to drive your pretty new car in Munich (seriously), so plan to use public transport &gt;&gt;<BR><BR>And why not? Is there a list of other cities he should not drive in, while it is pretty and new? When can a pretty and new car be driven in a city? Is Des Moines safe? Boise, Idaho? I hear they have mud on the streets there sometimes, and some cars end up getting scratched in that one parking lot they got there!<BR>

Lou

Thanks to all for helping me put my itinerary together. Ann, I welcome your thoughts . You can send to my email address. Mike I have checked up on Hotel Rubezahl, looks great. I thing you changed nmy mind from setting base in Garmisch. To all, I don't plan on driving in Munich, but I plan on enjoying it on the rest of my trip. At this time based on feddback <BR><BR>Temp Itinerary<BR>Day one land in Munich, pick up car stay at Hotel Uhland.<BR>Day two - visit Munich , stay at Uhland<BR>Days three,four,five - drive to Schwangau and use Hotel Rubezahl as base. Plans are to visit the castles, Fussen, Garmisch and other spots ???. Is it possible, worth it to try and use a day to travel east towards Berchestan (sp?) and get back the same day.<BR><BR>Days six and seven - drive north on Romantic Road and use Rothenburg as base staying possibly at Hotel Burg. Hotels seem pricey in Rothenburg compared to other cities. Is this Hotel worth it or can you make a suggestion. I don't mind paying as the Euro price is still below a comparable US hotel in large city. Plan on possibly visiting Wurzburg while on the way.<BR><BR>Day eight- back towards Munich to drop off car for voyage home. <BR><BR>Any thoughts/feedback would be appreciated. You guys are great.

notusre

While I happen to enjoy Wurzburg very much and often recommend it for trips coming from Frankfurt, it just doesn't seem to fit for you. It's not very far from Rothenburg but unless you plan on starting from there (after Munich) as suggested earlier than I would see it to be more of an inconvience. There are many beautiful things to see in southern Bavaria. If missing Wurzburg would mean giving you that extra time to squeeze in Linderhof or just driving through that beautiful countryside then I would say leave it for a time when you fly into Frankfurt.

up

but hopefully, not scratched up.<BR>

jeff

Ann is on the mark - do not misss Etal....bring home some bleberry schnapps...It's the only place in the world to buy it...I dream about it!!!!

lou

Thanks to all for the input on my proposed itinerary. I have been reading many of the mesages on Southern Germany and it appears that the Berchtesgaden area is beautiful and I may want to include in my trip.<BR><BR>I can still arrive in Munich , pick up car and spend two nights in city.<BR>From there I am considering visiting Berchtesgaden. My dilemna at this time , is <BR>a) is this a day trip with return to Munich possible in a day. I would spend the night in Munich , then proceed to Schwangau are for a three days and later to Rothenburg for a couple of nights. Or should I plan on <BR><BR>b) two nights in Munich<BR>travel to Berchtesgaden for two nights<BR>travel west to Schwangau area for two nights<BR>then two nights in Rothenburg before returning to Munich for travel back to US.<BR><BR>Looking forward to your ideas.<BR><BR>

mark

Berchtesgaden is beautiful. Been there half a dozen times. Will go back again, definitely.<BR><BR>Salzburg is a great town, but Berchtesgaden is an even greater place to spend a few days. Rather than exploring Berchtesgaden from Salzburg, why not explore Salzburg from Berchtesgaden.<BR><BR>It's 45 minutes by bus to Salzburg. It may make sense to take the bus. There is just too much great drinking and partying to be doing if you using public transportation. Being the designated driver isn't much fun if you enjoy beer or wine.<BR><BR>While in Berchtesgaden, if you are into walking why not consider walking from downwtown Berchtesgaden to the Konigsee. There is a great walking path that is about 6 kms long. (You can get the directions from the travel office. The path is paved and it runs along the river from downtown to the Konigsee. You will catch the path opposite the trainstation.) <BR><BR>Once you get to the Konigsee, why not continue to St Bartholomew (island and chapel on the lake)get off the boat and continue walking to the other lake that sits behind the mountains. Haven't done that, but I am told, and I have read on another Fodor's post, that this lake is even more beautiful than the Konigsee.<BR><BR>Lunch, beer, or coffee on the terrace of the Malerwinkel cafe overlooking the Konigsee would be a great place to spend a few hours. The Malerwinkel is named that because alot of painters sit on the terrace to paint the Konigsee. The cafe sits about 10 minutes by foot from where the boats are.<BR><BR>If you are into nature the way we are, why not consider walking up to Obersalzberg on the way up to the Eagles Nest. You can take a chairlift from downtown Berchtesgaden. The lift will get you within 2 kms of the Obersalzberg. You will need to walk a very nice path through the woods with some outstanding views of the mountains and the village of Berchtesgaden. <BR><BR>Once you have walked the 2 Kms to the Obersalzberg, this is where you will catch the bus to the Eagles Nest. (Or, you can always continue walking past the Obersalzberg and get to the Eagles Nest by foot.)<BR><BR>Make sure that you get to the Hofbrauhaus in Berchtesgaden. Excellent place. Great food, beer is outstanding. On Saturday nights you will probably find some excellent, authentic Bavarian music. Check it out. You won't be dissapointed.<BR><BR>There are other things to do in Berchtesgaden. There are plenty of great hotels away from it all. With a car, you can explore so many of the better hotels, at a better price, up in the mountains surrounding Berchtesgaden.<BR><BR>Have a great time. <BR><BR>I'd like to trry and get back next summer.

Snoopy

Alpenstra&szlig;e!<BR><BR>http://www.german-alpine-road.de<BR><BR>

boo

Darn it, I wish I could afford a new BMW and the trip to Munich to pick it up. Must be nice to be a rich boy. I am so jealous I am green. Poohy

whatsup?

Boo,<BR><BR>Get a stinking life!<BR><BR>What is it to you that this guy is travelling to Munich to pick up a car. There's a good chance that this guy works his butt off and has earned the right to drive a BMW. <BR><BR>Besides, a BMW isn't all that much more than some of the SUV's that many people are driving around this country.<BR><BR>Give him credit for earning the right to drive a nice car. Stop your whinning and this class envy nonsense!!

uncle sam

whatsup,<BR><BR>don't you just love class envy and class warfare!<BR><BR>Boo sounds a lot like Tom Daschle!<BR><BR>US

GeorgeBush

We really need to help people like Boo understand that every American should be able to travel to Germany and pick up their BMW. Americans can afford it, problem is that we lose too much each payweek to government!<BR><BR>Anyone earning a decent living could easily afford a BMW every 4 years if they looked at what the Federal, Local, and State governments took from them each payday. <BR><BR>We are the greatest country in the world. Taxes are entirely too high and it is only going to get worse.<BR><BR>So, lets get Boo and his fellow Americans that feel the same way an attitude change. Start demanding more from your government and everyone will be have the additional funds to not only buy a new car, but to also travel to faraway places around the world.<BR><BR>These attitudes won't go away any time soon, but if the Republicans can continue their winning ways for a few generations to come....we will have hope.<BR><BR>I understand this has nothing to do with travel, but it is something that needed to be addressed.<BR><BR>