Hi,
I am trying to plan a trip for sometime in the summer of this year (I know, I have to start making reservations NOW!). I will be using FF miles, and am thinking of flying into Munich and out of Rome. This trip will be a surprise for my husband's 30th birthday.

After doing some preliminary research, these are my thoughts:

Munich - 2 nights

Southern Germany (visiting castles & small towns) - 3 nights

Austria - 2 nights

Lake Garda - 3 nights

Venice - 4 nights

Somewhere between Venice & Rome - 2 nights

Rome - 2 nights

I am thinking about renting a car when we leave Munich & dropping it in Venice.

Can anyone suggest a good itinerary for this trip? Any places that we shouldn't miss?

We have been to some parts of Germany (Rhine and Mosel) and some parts of Italy (Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre).

Thank you very much,
Molly

Personally I think that 4 nights in Venice is a bit too much, especially if compared to the 2 nights in Rome where there is much more to see, but if you have already seen Rome that would be ok. I would suggest indeed 2 or 3 nights in Venice and as regards somewhere between Venice and Rome, why not Republic of San Marino? A night there could be an idea. And as you have already visited Tuscany, how about Umbria (as a place between Venice and Rome)? the landscape is very similar to Tuscany (hills, olive trees little villages perched on top of hills) and there are some lovely old cities like Assisi or Todi which are worth to be visited. Also Orvieto is lovely but I have seen here that maybe the Dome is under scaffolding....

Just my two cents worth, but I'd skip Austria for this trip and concentrated on Germany and Italy. Maybe spend one more night in Munich or the Bavarian countryside or add another night to Rome.

Renting a car in Germany and returning it in Italy may be very expensive. Check the rates at AutoEurope (www.autoeurope.com). It may be less expensive to split your rental. You could pick up and drop off in Munich or another southern Germany city/town, take the train to Venice, and do another rental when you leave Venice. There's a pull down list of pickup/drop off cities/towns in Germany on the AE website.

Our family did 5 nights in Munich, drove to Rome and then had 6 or 7 nights in Rome last summer. We stopped at Laga Di Garda on the way from Munich to Rome for lunch. If you've been to both cities before, you can probably skinny down the time, otherwise, we didn't have enough time in either one for all we wanted to see and do. I'd skip Austria this time.

mollyryan
Just a thought.
I think you are already too late for making reservations using FF miles,unless going after Sept. Contact your airline and see where, if anywhere, they will fly you this year using FF miles.
Most times, unless going business class, they are booked the first day that you are entitled to seek a reservation.

Hello everyone,
Thank you for the responses to my questions.

I just called my airline (couldn't make reservations sooner b/c I was waiting for miles to be credited to my account), and Gino is partially correct, I couldn't get the flights that I want.

The available airports (from Philadelphia) are Amsterdam, Frankfurt, or Munich.

I can fly:
1. to Amsterdam and out of Munich (perfect dates)

2. Round trip Munich (less desirable dates)

3. to Frankfurt and out of Munich or Frankfurt (less desirable dates)

Of course, none of these is ideal for the trip that I envisioned, but I don't want to give up on it.

The top priority for the trip is Venice/Northern Italy. Can anyone suggest an itinerary using the above flight schedule? It looks like the trip would be about 17-20 days.

Thanks!
Molly

Molly, I have done the Munich RT route several times and find it to be great. One big advantage is car rental rates--or even the Peugot lease program for more than 17 days. I always include the castles of Bavaria on the way down and the Dolomites on the way back. Your time in Italy will depend on your time in Germany and Austria. You can even spend your last nite in Salzburg if your takeoff is as late as noon. For Italy, I would try to include 3 destinations, but not Rome. Since Venice is a given, that leaves you two more. I would try to include one of the Lakes and the hill towns of Tuscany.
Let me know if you need more detail. This itinerary is one of the best.

Thanks Bob,
That route sounds great! Is there any way that it can be done in 2 weeks? Would you mind giving me some details about suggestions for where to go?

Thanks so much for your help,
Molly

Molly, Two weeks would be a bit tight but doable. Let me assume 14 nites in Europe--you lose a day going over. Also, I am skipping Munich per se--I do not like big cities:
Arrive Munich--drive to Bavaria--stay in Garmisch or Oberammmergau--3 nites

Drive via Brenner pass to Riva del Garda at north end of Garda--2 nites

Drive to Tuscany location--near Siena to explore hill towns--3 nites

Drive to Venice--park in Mestre--3 nites

Drive to Castelrotto in Dolomites-2

Last nite near airport in Freising

That is 14 nites and a good mix. If you include Munich then I would drop Tuscany, but that is a bad trade IMHO. This itinerary optimized the natural spendor--I would not advise it in August since all locals are on vacation.
If you drop Tuscany you can also include Salzburg in the mix on your way north--a better option than Munich. Good luck--this is one of my fav trips.