Hi,
I've written on this forum before and have finally decided what cities we will visit in May 2026. We will be gone for about 3 1/2 weeks, flying into Prague and out of Munich. Here is the basic itinerary thus far. All suggestions are welcome.

We land in Prague at 9:00am (non-stop from JFK)
Day 1- 5: Prague (including the day we land)
Day 5 overnight train to Budapest
Day 6 - 9: Budapest
Day 10: Train to Vienna
Day 10-14: Vienna
Day 14: Train to Salzburg
Day 14 - 18: Salzburg
Day 18 - 23 Munich (including a day trip to Dachau)

What I am looking for is some recommendations of a small, scenic, local village, where my husband and I can spend a night or two, recharge, enjoy the town, and mix with some locals. We would like to avoid tourist traps, if possible. For example, I love the idea of Hallstatt, but seeing the hoards of tourists invading the town each day takes away from the overall experience. We are not huge wine drinkers, but we love great food, shopping, and people watching. I have a bad back, so I am not extremely physical, but I can do easy hikes or ride e-bikes. I would love a suggestion for somewhere in Austria and somewhere near one of the other cities - Prague, Budapest, or Munich. Finally, should we consider renting a car in Austria, or travel via train?

In Austria I would suggest Melk near Vienna. You can use it as a launching pad for the rest of the Wachau Valley (Durnstein and Krems by river). Melk will keep you for a day but it is very picturesque and I think it would be OK to do overnights there (I day-tripped from Vienna).

Lavandula

Did this trip but without Munich and we loved it. You don't need a car in Austria unless you want to venture out of Salzburg often.

No advice on villages except to say Melk is beautiful but touristy. The Abbey is not the most access friendly place either.

Are you going to Dachau for the Holocaust sites?

Travel by train.

Some villages to consider - Berchtesgaden, Mittenwald, Fussen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Hi!
I would shorten the Salzburg stay to 3 days in order to include a stop in Melk, as suggested by Lavandula.
In the morning, visit the monumental baroque abbey of Melk. In the afternoon, take a short cruise on the Danube (Sightseeing Cruises Wachau) to admire the picturesque Wachau Valley — after all,it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.If you decide to stop in Melk, I recommend Hotel Restaurant Zur Post. As the name suggests, they also run a restaurant — and it’s very good. I had a delicious char there.

Absolutely.

Yes.

If this helps I can tell you the major sights I saw in Munich, Germany. I have not traveled to any part of Hungary or Austria: Saturday after arriving: Alte Pinakothek (an art museum), Pinakothek der Moderne (another art museum)

Sunday: group walking tour; the Egypt museum. Saint Michaels church briefly; Frauenkirche – the one with the two towers; Hofbräuhaus am Platzl (a restaurant that sells food and beer originally built in 1589) for no more than about 10 minutes including using the men’s room, just to see the inside.

Monday: preserved and reconstructed remains of Dachau nazi concentration camp; didn't make time for Dachau the town outside the camp; then the Marionplatz and rode the elevator to the top of the Neue Rathaus.

Tuesday: 1/3 of the Munich Residenz museum (after you enter, there is only a one way path, you can't leave and re-enter; when I skipped ahead to the men's room they wouldn't let me continue the audio tour where I left off); Bavarian National Museum for just under 4 hours; the Englisher Garten (a park) including the Chinesischer Turm, a Chinese-style tower next to a beer garten /restaurant with a lot of outdoor seating but I left immediately because there was too much cigarette smoke.

Wednesday: Schloss Nymphemburg; the Lebnachhaus museum for just under 2 hours (German artwork from about the 1800’s to 1930’s and a few more recent works)

If I was going to Austria I would probably take the trains and avoid renting a car.

From Salzburg a good day trip is to Eagle's Nest in Germany. The mountain views are gorgeous. The town of Berchtesgaden is only 25 km from Salzburg .
And in Salzburg there is the Marionette Theater with shows based on The Sound of Music. Also the fortress or Hohensalzburg castle overlooking the city showcases the city's complex history.

Thank you everyone for all of your responses. I wanted some opinions regarding the following:
After Vienna, we plan to rent a car and drive to Durstein for 3 nights. We will be staying at the Richard Löwenherz, and from there we plan to drive(?) to Krems, Melk, perhaps take a cruise on the Danube, and rent Ebikes to tour the Wachau Valley. I know many have said not to rent a car, and we still might not, but I can't figure out how to get around to the above places from Durnstein. Can someone suggest a good itinerary for us? Is Durnstein a good town to make home base? Thanks in advance...

Alexis

A car would only be unnecessary should you be keeping primarily to cities. Since you're now including areas more remote, a car for this portion would make sense.