fishskis

In early May, I am driving from Salzburg (or Munich) to Bellagio, which appears to be about 300 miles. I was going to do it in one day, but I am reconsidering due to the length of the drive.

Any ideas on a good overnight stop on the way, ideally about halfway or more towards Bellagio? One thought was to stop and see the castles (Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau), and overnight there, but it is still a pretty long drive the next day; so I was thinking about doing a quick castle stop, then continuing, and overnighting somewhere else closer to Bellagio. BTW, I am not commmitted to stopping at the castles; any ideas are appreciated.

Suggestions?

Thank you.

bobthenavigator

I would take the scenic route via Landeck, the Engadine, and St. Moritz.
I have done it all in one day, to the Munich airport, but that is a long day. I would stay in St. Moritz.

fishskis

I was thinking about St. Moritz, particularly if I leave from Munich, but isn't it the off-season? It seems that many hotels aren't even open then; is it going to be completely dead there?

Ingo

Agree with Bob - this route is the most scenic. On the other hand, it is indeed off-season, so you might look for a different place for staying overnight.

How about Guarda in the lower Engadine? It is about an hour driving from St. Moritz (north, so the next day's drive to Lake Como is an hour longer).

Three excellent options to stay there: the B&B type Pension Val Tuoi, the 3star Piz Buin, the 4star Hotel Meisser.

Not sure if all of them are open at that time, but it's worth a look. Guarda nestles high above the valley on a sunny terrace, gorgeous views. It is a picturesque small village.

I.

bobthenavigator

As always, good advice from Ingo.

Intrepid1

I think you may find that once you get to St. Moritz as towns go it is kinda sterile in the on or off season...better to stay in one of the nearby villages/towns as suggested above.

As to the "castles"..I wouldn't plan on that being a "quickie" regardless of your intentions..better IMO to not do it at all than do a slam-bam.

SloJan

Ok, here's a different idea. It is a bit longer, but you will get to see some different things (than most people!). Drive S from Salzburg to Ljubljana. You could even do the Grossglockner pass if you want to. You will see Lake Bled and Ljubljana. Stay overnight in LJ and experience Spring in Slovenia. Como is 4 hours due West.
Cheers,
Jan

Ingo

(Hi Jan!)

I am afraid the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse (pass road) will still be closed in early May. Too much snow.

fishskis

Thanks guys; I am once again amazed at the knowledge that exists on this board. Great sugestions; time to do a little more research, back to viamichelin.com.

SloJan, I love the Lubljana suggestion. Do you think it is ok (safe) to bring my new BMW there? Any nice, interesting/charming hotels you know of there? I must admit, I am completely naive when it comes to Slovenia; so thanks for the idea.

Thanks everyone.

SloJan

Your BMW will be just fine here. The Slovenes like nice cars and spend a lot of money on them, so there are many fine cars on the roads. Check out www.slovenia-tourism.si If you want to stay in Ljubljana itself, the Grand Hotel Union has a great location and is a 4 star. There are also very nice hotels in the mountains and in the Goriska Brda wine region.

Slovenia ia a beautiful country and May is perfect. The weather is mild and gorgeous, the mountains will be 'out' and the lakes will be full. You could also try WW rafting and canyoning while here in Bovec. Canyoning is when you ride the waterfalls down from heights anywhere from 5 meters to 15 meters. It is quite the thrill!

I can recommend hotels but I need a better idea of what exactly you are looking for. Charming, interesting hotels are a bit lacking in Ljubljana itself, but there are plenty in Slovenia.

Cheers,
Jan

SloJan

Oops! Hi Ingo! When are you traveling this way??

Cheers,
Jan

Ingo

Hi again Jan!

I don't want to make promises For April a sort of "training camp" is planned with my tennis team - either Lake Garda or Croatia. If the latter wins I might stop for two nights or so in Slovenia.

Cheerio,

Ingo

fishskis

Thanks Jan. I am going to see if I can get another day or two, and spend it in Ljubljana. I hope you didn't take offense to the safety question; I have been told by some people who have done the Euro delivery, that some countries are not safe (for the car) due to organized crime (Czeck Republic), and that BMW's insurance is not in effect in some of these countries. I am in the process of ferreting out the facts.

Thanks again for the help!

SloJan

Ni, I wasn't offended! We used to live in Budapest and that was a whole different ballgame. We currently own a BMW but would never have bought one if we still lived ther. We had one friend who found their BMW totally dismantled in their locked garage. The thiefs had gone into the kitchen, taken the keys and dismantled the car for parts in the middle of the night. Yikes!

Cheers,
Jan