MrFun

Hello everyone. This is an awesome site and I look forward to your replies. (first post BTW)

We are arriving into Frankfurt (from Portugal business trip) just before noon on October 19th. We have 9 days (8 nights) available and need to depart Frankfurt the morning of October 27th.

I am surprising my wife with the plans (and perhaps myself, too!) so i'm the sole planner right now.

My initial thought is to rent a car and make a loop as follows:
Day 1: Frankfurt to Strasbourg
Day 2: Strasbourg
Day 3: Strasbourg to Lauterbrunnen (via Wine Route).
Day 4: Lauterbrunnen
Day 5. Lauterbrunnen to Salzburg (or Munich or Konstanz).
Day 6: Salzburg (or Munich/Konstanz)
Day 7: Salzburg
Day 8: Salzburg to Frankfurt
Day 9 Departure.

Interests: seeing the country (vineyard, mountains, etc), staying in/near the mountains, small towns, coffee on the patio, light hiking, taking a cable car, castle near Neuschwantstein (sp?), chocolate(!), seeing a concentration camp (Daschau??). We like nice accommodation and tend to prefer 4* hotels, but also enjoy a B&B (we like meeting people!).We are mid 40's, healthy, active and adventurous.

Questions:
Is this too much driving?
Should we consider the train for part of this?
Is Lauterbrunnen "open" in late October? (having a hard time finding hotels...does the place shut down and as a result isn't worth visiting?)
Could we bypass Lauterbrunnen and get the same feel staying near Salzburg?

hotel/B&B suggestions for each area?

Activities that have piqued my interest: Zeppelin ride near Konstanz, Cable car (somewhere), Neusch. Castle, Wine Route near Strasbourg, Chocolate tour.

Thanks so much for your time. Sorry for the short novel! mr fun.

TuckH

Yes, I think you're doing too much driving for 9 days - I'd omit Lauterbrunnen.

The beautiful Berchtesgaden area (inclusive of Salzburg) would be ideal for at least half your visit (where you'd stay in/near the mountains, small towns, coffee on the patio, light hiking, taking a cable car).

En route, you'd go from Colmar to Konstanz to Füssen to Berchtesgaden. With the Route du Vin, that'd be 4 days. On the drive back to Frankfurt you could stop at Dachau.

annhig

hi, Mr. Fun,

I was horrified by the idea of driving from Salzburg to Frankfurt in one day, but then i went onto www.via.michelin.com and disclovered that it would only take you about 5 hours! i thougt it would be more!

I still think it's too much - have you actually looked at a map?

there is a great wine route within germany in the Rhein-pfalz [the bit of germany that juts out over france] which would be lovely that time of year. You could head for Heidelberg, then down the weinstrasse into France and strasbourg, through the Black Forest to the Bodensee. Over to Municn for a few days, and back to Frankfurt.

this makes a nice round trip with plenty of variety, and lots to do around Munich. you could spend a night in nurnberg on the way back to frankfurt if you had a night to spare.

Were I you, I'd leave switzerland and austria for another trip.

regards, ann

ira

Hi M,

If you like to drive, you have an interesting itinerary that I think Mrs F would be very happy with. (with which Mrs F would be very happy)

Have you considered visiting Alsace instead of Lauterbrunnen?

My Lady Wife and I visited Salzburg and Lake Constance early this year. She liked Lindau so much that we are going back next year.

Since you are intrigued by the Zeppelin ride, I suggest Lindau over Salzburg.

We were very, very happy with our stay at the www.hotel-schreier.de

We have booked it for a week.

Enjoy your visit.

ira

PS,

Ask for the Vanilla room.

pja1

Hi,
I would drop Lauterbrunnen. Too much driving (for me at least). The scenery around Berchtesgaden area is beautiful! Last Oct. we stayed in Ramsau, a small village 15 min. from Berchtesgaden (a nice old town itself) and 45 min. west of Salzburg. There is a cable car (the Jennerbahn) just outside of Berchtesgaden. The Konigsee is also worthwhile.

www.berchtesgaden.com/e/e_index.htm

While not a 4* hotel by any means, we stayed at an absolutely wonderful place called the Mayringerlehen in Ramsau last year. The owners/hosts, Johann and Sabine, are the best.
www.mayringerlehen.de

1 mile from Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau is the Tegelberg cable car and sommeroddelbahn (luge ride).
www.tegelbergbahn.de
www.tegelbergbahn.de/208.0.html
We stayed in Fuessen twice at the Hotel zum Hechten. Very nice hotel on the pedestrian zone.
www.hotel-hechten.com

You mentioned "Wine Route near Strasbourg". A suggestion might be the Rhein and Mosel rivers not too far from Frankfurt.

Hope this helps.

Paul

TuckH

The "Wine Route near Strasbourg" (a.k.a. "Route du Vin&quot and "Alsace" are one and the same with Colmar at the southern end.

MrFun

Thanks everyone for the help. Wow! Very insightful comments. So, i've revised the plan and dropped Strasbourg. I wanted to include Strasbourg because it was in France, but from what i read it has more of a German flavour. Agreed?
Lauterbrunnen is gone too.

Please comment on the following revision:
Day 1: Frankfurt to Lindau (approx 4 hour drive). Stay at Hotel Schreier.
Day 2: Zeppelin ride (Friedrichshafen) in morning, and day in Lindau, leave late afternoon for Fussen (Hotel-Hechten). 90 minute drive.
Day 3: Neuschwanstein Castle and Tegelberg cable car. Back to Fussen for the night.
Day 4:travel to Berchtesgaden (3 hour drive). Enjoy the town. Sleep in Berchtesgaden for nights 4,5,6&7.
Days 5,6,7: Enjoy the town. Hike? Eat Chocolate?? Coffee? Day Trip to Salzburg?
Day 8: travel to Nurnberg (3hr drive). See Dachau on the way. Sleep in Nurnberg.
Day 9: drive to Frankfurt airport for 1pm flight.

Ira commented on Lindau. should i allocate more time for that area? Harvey's idea about Berchtesgaden seems to appeal to our likes.

I'm assuming i need a car to do this tour. would anyone try it via train (with some modification perhaps?)

Thanks again for the help. All the links were so helpful.
Regards to all.

TuckH

It's a shame to drop Strasbourg and the wine route (it IS French). See if you can't include it to start your loop.

Don't neglect Meersburg on the Bodensee - nicer than Lindau IMO.

The town of Berchtesgaden itself is not that great IMO - it's the general (mountainous) region that is. Find a place to stay high above the valley.

On your last day, be sure to allow enough time to get through the congestion around Frankfurt.

ira

Hi MF,

> Sleep in Berchtesgaden for nights 4,5,6&7....Day Trip to Salzburg?

I would stay in Salzburg and daytrip to Berchtesgaden.

I would add one night to Lindau and visit the gardens at Mainau on Konstanz Insel.

You might find my trip report helpful:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35014078

Enjoy your visit.

pja1

Hi again,
I would rent a car for your trip. Driving is easy and so many places you may want to stop along the way.
While Berchtesgaden may be "not that great", we liked it and found it be a very nice old town to walk around. I do agree with staying just outside of Berchtesgaden itself, more in the mountains.
If you are based in the Berchtesgaden area, an option for a day trip could be Hallstatt and the lake region east of Salzburg. We did this last Oct and it was 1:30 each way to Hallstatt. The drive was through beautiful scenery.
www.hallstatt.net
There are so many choices!

Paul

TuckH

I'd suggest Bamberg in lieu of Nürnberg - more picturesque, smaller in scale, easier accessibility. About the same travel time to Frankfurt...

MrFun

Ok, so now i'm thinking i'm back to Plan A. As Strasbourg is about 2 hours from Frankfurt airport i thought staying somewhere there or as far as Colmar would be a good option.

Would an afternoon (5 hours?) in Strasbourg give us a good taste of the city?

If we stayed in the area for one night then we could visit the Wine Route on the way to Meersburg/Lindau (arriving later in the evening). Does a day give the area justice?

i think the sole reason for the Lake Bodensee area is to be close for a Zeppelin ride. Anybody done the Zeppelin? (it is pricey so i hope the weather's good)

I'm undecided whether to stay in the Berchtesgaden area or head into Salzburg. I am unfamiliar with Salzburg but would like to find a place in the mountains, somewhat similar to Berchtesgaden. Or are the two areas much the same?

I realize we'll be covering a lot of ground. i've tried to design a loop to get a taste of France, Switzlerland, Austria and Germany, if only for a night or even a few hours.

Finally, would you recommend making hotel reservations at this time of year (Oct 19-27)?

I look forward to seeing your feedback. Many thanks.

lucy_d

I second Ira's suggestion to stay in Salzburg and daytrip to Berchtesgaden.

TuckH

An afternoon (and evening) in Strasbourg would be ideal. Visit the cathedral and the 'Petite France' area - both very much worthwhile.

Next, a leisurely day along the 'Route du Vin'. Perfect.

The Bodensee is not one of our favorites (especially when compared to the Salzkammergut lakes) so, except for Meersberg and Lindau (and your Zeppelin ride), I wouldn't spend time there.

Regarding the Berchtesgaden area, since your stated objective is "staying in/near the mountains", I again suggest finding a scenic rural spot. Something like these, places we've stayed at...

tinyurl.com/y6478a
www.sappenlehen.de/

They're ferienwohnungs (apartments with kitchen, terrace, etc). How's your German? There are many B+B's in the area too and I'd suggest that you book ahead so you won't lose time upon arrival.

You're right on the German-Austrian border so you could, and should, make day trips to Salzburg and the Salzkammergut (Hallstatt, St Wolfgang, etc).

I think you have a compact loop and the makings of a lovely trip.

MrFun

Thanks for the feedback. i think we'll follow this route, more or less, and post a report on our return. Thanks again!