Arriving in Munich, taking train to Salzburg in late August for 3 days; Then picking up rental car and driving from Salzburg into Italy via Brenner Pass. Planning to stay in Trento (Villa Madruzzo) for 3 nights. Day trips to Verona, Venice. Driving from Trento back to Vienna for one night to catch flight to Dublin to visit family before heading back to U.S. Not sure about all this driving. We need to return the car in Austria to avoid excessive charge for dropping off in another country! What driving route should we take from Trento to Vienna? Don't want to go back the way we came. ANY SUGGESTIONS welcomed....I can always change places/routes, just not the flights!

Not a good plan---Vienna is too far for 1 nite.
Also, Venice is too far for a day trip from Trento.
I would start over.

Can you give me some suggestions? Keeping in mind Salzburg, northern Italy, Vienna

Your arriving and departing flights and dates don't work for the places you want to see. If the flights can't be changed, you need to revise the list of destinations.

Not understanding the replies! I was under the impression that Salzburg to Italy is not a long drive. We want to spend 3 days in Italy once we get there, just not sure where, without taking us too far away from driving back toVienna were we fly out to Dublin.

OK--try this.
Land Munich--get car---drive to Salzburg for 3 days.
I would stay on Wolfgangsee and day trip into Salzburg.

Drive to Trento---about 4 hours. I would prefer north end of lake Garda, but your call.

Drive back to Bavarian castle country---Garmisch or Oberammergau---see castles.

Fly home from Munich---drop car. Forget Vienna--it is a 7 hour drive plus stops--kills an entire day.

Things to do near Trento:

Visit Bolzano and the Museum of Archeology, pay your respects to the ``Ice Man.''

Visit the castle ruins near Castlerotto, see the friezes depicting the story of Tristan and Isolde.

Trento itself is a nice little college town, fun to walk around in. I had two of the best meals of my life in Trento -- I'll try to look up the names of the restaurants ...

Visit scenic towns on Lake Garda.

You could probably get to Verona for a day trip, but I agree Venice is too far.

You could stay in Innsbruck on the way back to Germany/Munich.

Really need some help! Why is Salzburg to Trento and then back to Vienna not good planning...we have 5 - 6 days to do this???

See above!

On www.viamichelin.com:

Salzburg to Trento 3 hr 30 min driving

Trento to Venice 2 hr 30 min driving

Venice to Vienna 6 hr 25 min driving

If you don't mind staying a different place every night or so you could do in 5-6 days staying Trento, Verona, Venice (leave car somewhere just outside), and somewhere back between Venice and Vienna.

And if you go this route through Venice you have a different way back to Vienna without backtracking through Salzburg.

BobtheNavigator, thanks! Not familiar with Wolfgangsee??? Airlines are outrageous and was able to get good fares flying out of Newark, NJ to Munich; then Dublin to Newark. Only could find flight to Dublin on Aer Lingus out of Vienna. Not sure how much it would be if I changed the whole thing around...pick up car in Munich, try to fly out of Munich to Dublin??? I am so confused at this poing. We don't really need a car in Salzburg for the 3 days. Another problem is the car rental return in the same country, am I correct on if we don't they charge $$$$$$

In August, I predict the driving times will be a little longer than viamichelin.com reflects.

If this is just a driving trip, then I agree with laurie_ann. But FYI this route is parallel to the same trip by train without the traffic/parking issues.

2 nights Salzburg
1 night Trento or Verona
2 nights Venice
(one long day of driving)
2 nights Vienna

rethinking this...2 nights Villa Madruzzo,do Lake Garda area those 2 days and 3rd day drive to Venice and stay one night in Venice. Next day drive Venice to Vienna, stay near airport for early flight to Dublin