Should I skip Prague? Southern Germany ? Any itinerary recommendation
 

I will be in Munich for 7 days holiday and would like to visit Munich, Salzbugh + Innsbruck & Prague. Someone suggested me to skip the Prague due to the distance & just focus on Southern Germany & Western Austria. Is it a good idea? I prefer the countryside & charming small town instead of big city. Any recommendation itinerary or place a must to visit in Southern Germany plus Western Austria? How can I reach there?

I'd stay inside a 75 mile "circle" (distorted) of Munich and Salzburg with only 7 days, and forego both Prague and Salzburg - - but then again, what season? Almost irrespective of the season, you can find plenty to keep you from being bored.

See it all best by car.

Best wishes,

Rex

TQ. Will traveling in the mid of Nov. How about by train instead of car? What is your recommended itinerary?

a agree...too much in too little time, skip prague and see more in your primary destinations.

<<I prefer the countryside & charming small town instead of big city.>>

Maybe I am not open-minded enough on this - - but to me this says "you need a car".

Having just been to Munich and Prague, I'd say it's a shame to skip Prague. Especially since you say you like "charming small town" instead of big city. Our feeling was that Munich felt more like a big, modern city. While Prague is a city, it feels more like a charming town if you're in the old section.
Could you arrive in one place and leave from the other, so you could see them both? The train from Prague to Munich took us 7 hours or so, and was a pleasant ride.
From Munich, you can take easy day-trips into Bavaria using the Bayern Pass. It's amazingly cheap, I think 22EURO for a round-trip pass for up to 5 people. You can easily get to Salzburg and to Fussen via train rides of less than 2 hours each way.
Lots of beautiful countryside and charm in Bavaria, so maybe you want to focus there.

Rex is correct: You need a car. The drive from Munich to Garmisch is not bad at all. You can enjoy Garmisch, Oberammergau and that area by car. The drive over the mountain to Innsbruck from Garmisch is also not bad, depending on weather conditions in November. We have done it a few times in November with no problems. It will just depend.

Another trip could be Munich to Berchtesgaden. You could stay in Berch and then easily drive over to Salzburg for a day trip.

Prague is too much to try to do in 7 days. Save it for tne next time.

Get a car. Focus on either Garmisch area to explore or Berchtesgaden. Both have great scenery and fun things to do.

Skip Prague. If you are traveling alone, then go by train. Driving might be too much of a headache, and the rail systems are comprehensive and efficient. Make sure you see Dachau and the castles near Fussen. If you are on a quest for the holy grail of beer, see Andechs Monastery.

Hello NJ,
Last Nov, my friends and I (2 guys, 1 gal, all around age 30) visited Munich, Salzburg, Prague, and Cesky Krumulov (small town outside of Prague). We spent 8 days total and traveled by train except when we took the bus to Cesky K. Our consensus was "loved Prague, CK, and Salzburg", but Munich was more of "it was nice, but not terribly distinctive from other big cities". I would say skip Munich and keep Prague. Salzburg and Prague are very pedestrian cities, and although they had alot of offer, they didn't feel like big cities. They were pleasant and we spent lots of time just strolling and exploring. CK is very quaint, and probably too tiny for more than a day or two. We also thought Prague was a much better value and had more variety in terms of food and sites than Munich. We would have taken Prague over Munich anyday. Have a good trip

As far as small town in that area go, I have two recommendations:
1. Wasserburg, which is right on meander of the river Inn, and because of it the architecture is a lot more reminescent of Nothern Italy than Bavaria. Nice small town to stroll around in for a couple of hours.
2. Burghausen, which has one of Europe's largest castles (as in fortress) in terms of area. Also nice town square down below, and directly across the border from Austria.

www.wasserburg.de
www.burghausen.de