I have never planned a trip to Europe before and am leaving July 16th to meet my son in Munich. I will be there until the 28th. I fly in and out of Munich. Our plans at this point are to spend 2 nights in Munich and will then go to Salzburg for 2 nights. Then we had plans to visit a friend in Normandy and at the last minute that has fallen apart! So I have been trying to think of something else.

Some places I had thought of visiting he has already been to, Prague and Budapest, or his father is taking him to, Northern Italy. My other idea was Tuscany, but everyone says it is hot and crowded and I have been to Italy (although loved it!). I was going to head up to Rothenburg and then to Bruge, but seems like too long a trip and may not be worth it. Also thought of Strasbourg, France, since it is in that direction. Soooo, I am feeling frustrated and really need help, there are simply too many choices. I honestly thought this would be easier.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
jeanettec

I am not sure how many days you will have. But in any case, I would suggest to stay in the area. What is easily accessible from München?

- Upper Bavaria. It is very scenic, you can go into the mountains, see scenic lakes, castles etc. Attractions include Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Berchtesgaden. A boat ride on the Königssee is an outstanding experience.

- Austria. Salzburg is beautiful, and Wien is outstanding.

- Central/Northern Bavaria. There is the romantic road with several incredibly picturesque towns: Rothenburg, Nördlingen, Feuchtwangen.. Würzburg has a breathtaking baroque palace, and in Frankonia you find more historic villages and vineyards.

I would keep it simple and enjoy both Hallstatt and Vienna.
You seem to have 11 days in Europe. Use the trains and see these destinations:
Munich 3
Salzburg 3
Vienna 3
Hallstatt-2

Have fun !

Well Strasbourg is pretty nice. If you want to see lots of smaller towns then look at staying along the Mosel ith Trier as the most obvious place to start (Birth place of Karl Marx) then work your way down river

I'm with traveller1959 - keep it simple and stay local if you're flying into Munich. There is a lot to see in that part of the world. I would not bother with Bruges this trip. I like the Romantic Road myself (although not romantic and not a road); Würzburg is a good choice, with some other nearby cities Bamberg, Regensburg, Nuremberg (which is in Franconia).

Lavandula