I've only been working on this for two weeks or so. I imagine it'll get an overhaul before next summer.

7/24 arrive Munich, drive to Amberg 1 3/4 hours/111 miles
7/25 Amberg (family)
7/26 Amberg (more family)
7/27 Amberg to Passau - 2 hours/117 miles
7/28 Passau
7/29 Passau to Berchtesgaden - 2 hours/90mi
7/30 Berchtesgaden
7/31 Berchtesgaden (Salzburg day trip?)
8/1 Berchtesgaden to Garmish - 2 1/4 hours/ 120 miles
8/2 Garmisch
8/3 Garmisch (day trip-Oberammergau, Fussen or Innsbruck?)
8/4 Garmisch to Lindau - 2 1/4 hours/94miles
8/5 Lindau
8/6 Lindau to Zurich 1 1/2 hours/73 miles
8/7 Fly out of Zurich in AM.

You'll notice that Munich is conspicuously missing from this itinerary. Should we at least spend one night there when we arrive and leave for Amberg the next day? I am not interested in vising museums on this trip. Mainly small towns, mountains, scenery, old churches, perhaps a castle or two. I really just want to get a feel for the towns. Hit as many beer gardens as I can manage without changing wardrobe sizes. What's in my itinerary that you would shorten or leave out? (family time and airports are pretty much set in stone. Where would you go instead? I thought about making a brief foray into the Black Forest area, but it seems like it doesn't fit. Any opinions welcomed.
Thanks for your time!

Passau isn't really a small village; I wonder what your interest in the place is.

On the way south from Amberg, an interesting triad of towns is Weissenburg, Eichstaett, and tiny Pappenheim, in between. Pappenheim is a very attractive town with a tourable old castle ruin (see the falconry show there) on the hill in the middle of town. W'burg is an old walled town on a small scale with fewer touristst than somewhere like Rothenburg. Eichstaett is very cool too. Biking along the Altmuehl river that connects these places and other small towns there is a popular pastime there. You might look into this area as an alternative to overtouristed spots and larger cities like Passau. Otherwise, I like your selections!

I'm not familiar with Amberg or Passau, but I can highly recommend Berchtesgaden and Garmisch. Salzburg is an easy drive from Berchtesgaden, but it's not exactly a small town.

You might want to consider a drive on the Rossfeld Hohenring Strasse, a scenic toll road (sort of above Berchtesgaden) that makes a loop from Obersalzberg to Oberau - gorgeous scenery.

You might also enjoy the Salzbergwerk (salt mine) in Berchtesgaden.

The Konigsee is also a "must see".

Garmisch is also a great choice - the Zugspitz, gorgeous scenery, etc. You can get from Garmisch to Mittenwald in about 20 minutes if you're interested in a side trip to yet another scenic small town.

From Garmisch you can also easily drive to Fussen (as you mentioned) - two hours - home of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.

Another 1-1/2 hour drive from Fussen and you can be in Oberstdorf in the western Bavarian Alps. It's a car free resort and it makes an interesting stop.

Oops, I've gotten off track here - sorry - there's just so much to see in the area!

Have a great trip!

PS - Hotel Bavaria is a great place to stay in Berchtesgaden

Having visited Ruhpolding, Germany over the years several times during the month of Sept., am wondering if anyone knows of a similar town in the mts. in either Germany or Austria where we could use as a base for side trips. Ruhpolding also had evening entertainment, which was a plus. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I tend to concur with Russ on Passau. We have been there 2 times and like the town, but I would not put it high on the list for first time visitors. Instead, I would use that time to spend more days in the Berchtesgaden/Salzburg area or Garmisch area.

The rest of your itinerary looks okay. I just hope you are not booking it too full and will spend too much time in the car. Bavaria is a great area to see, but tough to drive in after a few beers. They do not like DWI in Germany!

Have fun, this is one of our favorite spots to visit over and over and over.

I would agree that the schedule may be a bit tight (i.e., a lot to do). Not sure if this is your first time to Bavaria, but I would recommend seeing some of Munich. The old city center is awesome and there is a lot of history and culture that to experience in Munich.

We visited Munich for our third time this summer and still find it interesting. We stayed at the Hotel Garni Kriemhild which is located next to Munich's biggest beergarden the "Hirschgarten".

All the other places you listed are good choices. We also recommend staying in Reutte, which is in Tirol Austira. I know, this is a Rick Steve's suggestion, but it is a great place and the Koch family are very focused on making your holiday very enjoyable. There are many things to do and see there as well. If you need any other suggestions, etc. Let me know. Would be gald to share our information.

Other than that...have a great trip!

Thanks everyone for your replies. With regard to Passau, primarily I was looking for somewhere to stop about halfway between Amberg and Berchtesgaden. I also noticed that they have some boat trips on the Danube into Austria and I thought that might be interesting. I'll check into Weissenberg and Eischstatt. Anyone else have any suggestions on where to stop. How about Regensburg or Landshut? Anyway, Thanks and keep any suggestions coming!

Hi. Friends have told me that Regensburg is lovely, but I've never been there myself. (Do an image search at Altavista to see what comes up.) Your itinerary looks dandy to me. If you are really interested in small and pretty, try to visit Mittenwald (violin makers, painted houses)-- in fact, I'd stay there instead of Garmisch -- but I r e a l l y like small. I do think you'll enjoy the daytrip to Salzburg. And bravo for remembering Lindau on Bodensee. If you have time, drive up the lake to visit Meersburg or Uberlingen or Wasserburg. Now for your night before the return flight, if you'd prefer to stay outside of Zurich but close to the airport, Bulach is a charming small town with a good hotel (Zum Goldenen Kopf). J.

HM,

It would appear you've the makings of a terrific trip.

It would be a shame, however, to spend so much time in southern Bavaria and not spend at least 48 hours or so in Munich. It's an attractive, most welcoming place, one that would surely satisfy your interest in old churches. Examples of this are the onion-domed Frauenkirche, the rococo Asamkirche, and the Peterskirche, the latter of which features memorable views of the city from its narrow "summit". By the way, Munich's Marienplatz is a wonderful square, an inviting blend of Germany past and present.

As regards your time around Berchtesgaden, rather than spending a mere day in Salzburg, why not spend at least an overnight? There is a good deal to see and do in this distinctive, classy medieval town. Evenings are especially appealing, and you'll no doubt enjoy strolling Salzburg's narrow streets, enjoying an outdoor cafe while listening to the sounds of Mozart.

There is much to be said for rural, small town Bavaria, but don't miss out on the region's urban pleasures.

I agree with the above posters that Passau could be "passed by". We have driven there from the Bavarian Alps and enjoyed a trip on the river, however, there really isn't a lot in the area.
Instead, I would head for the general area of Berchtesgaden and spend more days there. From there you can do Salzburg ( 20 minute drive), the Kelstein, the Konigsee, cable car or lift up the Jenner or other mountain top areas, hike the beautiful alpine trails, visit nearby castles, tour the Rossfeld Strasse, a trip to the salt mines, visit the Enzian Brennerie, a day trip to Hallstatt, St. Anton, on a rainy day you can take the train to Munich, and on and on!!! You can get a less expensive place to stay if you stay outside of the town of B'gaden in any of the beautiful surrounding areas, which will also be cooler and quieter if you hit a warm week.
The Mittenwald/ Garmisch area is also beautiful - we enjoyed the Hotel Post in Mittenwald. Have fun!

It seems like you'll have a great time.

I've done the Germany thing plenty of times.

One of the nicest trips I had was getting on the boat in Vienna and cruising the Danube to the town of Melk.

From Melk we got a night train and headed back to Frankfurt.

Drank plenty of wine that day on the boat.

To HMtravels, you also calls himself an eagles fan....

Living in South jersey, I too, am a big eagles fan.

GO EAGLES!!!

Maybe its our year.