Suggestions for 2-day base in Southern Germany - please need your advise!
Aug 8th, 2010, 08:44 PM
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Suggestions for 2-day base in Southern Germany - please need your advise!
First a disclaimer - I've been reading & using the advise of great posters like pja1, bettyk, and logos999 for our trip to Germany. Awesome suggestions. Finally gave in and decided to write for suggestions/help! I'm traveling with DH & German born mother-in-law (don't know if there's an ancroynm for that?!). Will be staying in Neustadt-an-der-Weinstrasse and staying with her sister's family for 3 nights (Sept 3-6). Dilema arises for the following 2 evenings (Sept 7 & 8): thinking of driving thru parts of the Black Forest "Crest Road"/Schwarzwald Hochstrasse (just to get a "feel" for the Black Forest) and head towards Lake Constance. Should we use Lindau as our 2 evening base to site-see the Lake area, as well as seeing the Neuschwanstein castle (so I can remove from it my "bucket list")? I don't need to do the entire tour (DH isn't too much into castles so we've compromised). We live in South FL & "Sound of Music" is my favorite movie (I know, lol!) so I REALLY have a desire to see the Alps. BTW, we have to be in Munich on the 9th. Please let me know what you think of this idea! Sorry for the long post!
Aug 8th, 2010, 10:30 PM
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The Black forest Hochstrasse is far from the Alps so you may want to take the ICE train to Salzburg where they filmed the movie and it's much closer to the Alps. Salzburg is just a 2 hour train ride from Munich. They actually have the sound of Music tour in Salzburg. The lake region Salzkammergut is a lot more magical than Lake Constance.
Aug 9th, 2010, 12:48 AM
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I own a condo in the Black Forest, so you may think I am biased. However, I would second DAX's suggestion to bypass the Black Forest if you have so few time.
Instead, I would suggest driving the A65, A8 and A7 directly into the Allgäu, the region where the Alps arise. It is a three-hour drive.
In the Allgäu, you will see wonderful Alpine scenery and some picturesque towns at the foot of the mountains. Almost everywhere are cable cars or other access to the mountain tops. You may see Oberstdorf, a nice town (which once hosted the winter Olympics), Hindelang, drive over the pass into Austria to Reutte, and then you are already in the Neuschwanstein area. Besides scenery, you may visit Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau Castle (a "real" castle) and Linderhof Castle (if DH is not exhausted). Stay overnight in the area.
The next day, proceed to Salzburg. You may take the autobahn or the more scenic route via Bad Tölz, Schliersee, Reit im Winkl, Bad Reichenhall. The route is called "Deutsche Alpenstraße". It is marked on the www.viamichelin.de maps if you zoom until the scenic roads are marked with green lines.
BTW, the acronym is MIL.
Instead, I would suggest driving the A65, A8 and A7 directly into the Allgäu, the region where the Alps arise. It is a three-hour drive.
In the Allgäu, you will see wonderful Alpine scenery and some picturesque towns at the foot of the mountains. Almost everywhere are cable cars or other access to the mountain tops. You may see Oberstdorf, a nice town (which once hosted the winter Olympics), Hindelang, drive over the pass into Austria to Reutte, and then you are already in the Neuschwanstein area. Besides scenery, you may visit Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau Castle (a "real" castle) and Linderhof Castle (if DH is not exhausted). Stay overnight in the area.
The next day, proceed to Salzburg. You may take the autobahn or the more scenic route via Bad Tölz, Schliersee, Reit im Winkl, Bad Reichenhall. The route is called "Deutsche Alpenstraße". It is marked on the www.viamichelin.de maps if you zoom until the scenic roads are marked with green lines.
BTW, the acronym is MIL.
Aug 9th, 2010, 08:46 AM
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May be a bit better: http://www.viamichelin.de/web/Routenplaner
Below is a map of a route we've driven in the past. It has a total drive time of 6 hours, but that's with no stops.
http://thirdmansystems.com/vacation/...toSalzburg.htm
Agreeing with Echnaton's advice.
I'm thinking it's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Neustadt-an-der-Weinstrasse to Füssen. We sometimes lunch there (we eat at a standup shop near the parking lot at the bottom of the climb to Neuschwanstein). See Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, and Linderhof. Linderhof has an excellent restaurant you can enjoy a meal there. And consider visiting Ettal also. A small amount of time. You won't need a vignette sticker for your car unless you use the main roads/Autobahn. But it's inexpensive and you can pick one up at a roadside petrol station. I would suggest staying in G-P or Mittenwald for the night. Then on to Salzburg early the next day and if you don't get caught up in stopping at every beautiful bit of scenery or deciding to stay and take a boat ride on the Königssee, you'll have time for a SOM tour. And I highly recommend the boat ride on the Königssee and the smoked fish you can get near St. Bartholomew Chapel.
Parking in the cliff side garage in Salzburg is cool.
Salzburg to Munich is less than a 2 hour drive. Maybe you can catch Herrnchiemsee on the way to Munich. If your DH isn't castled out by then!
Below is a map of a route we've driven in the past. It has a total drive time of 6 hours, but that's with no stops.
http://thirdmansystems.com/vacation/...toSalzburg.htm
Agreeing with Echnaton's advice.
I'm thinking it's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Neustadt-an-der-Weinstrasse to Füssen. We sometimes lunch there (we eat at a standup shop near the parking lot at the bottom of the climb to Neuschwanstein). See Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, and Linderhof. Linderhof has an excellent restaurant you can enjoy a meal there. And consider visiting Ettal also. A small amount of time. You won't need a vignette sticker for your car unless you use the main roads/Autobahn. But it's inexpensive and you can pick one up at a roadside petrol station. I would suggest staying in G-P or Mittenwald for the night. Then on to Salzburg early the next day and if you don't get caught up in stopping at every beautiful bit of scenery or deciding to stay and take a boat ride on the Königssee, you'll have time for a SOM tour. And I highly recommend the boat ride on the Königssee and the smoked fish you can get near St. Bartholomew Chapel.
Parking in the cliff side garage in Salzburg is cool.
Salzburg to Munich is less than a 2 hour drive. Maybe you can catch Herrnchiemsee on the way to Munich. If your DH isn't castled out by then!
Aug 9th, 2010, 06:37 PM
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We were underwhelmed with the Black Forest. I think it's a little overhyped. There are some charming towns in the area but the Forest part was a let down IMO.
While I love the Lake Constance area, you are too far from the mountains. Agree that G-P or Mittenwald would be a great place to see the mountains.
While I love the Lake Constance area, you are too far from the mountains. Agree that G-P or Mittenwald would be a great place to see the mountains.
Aug 10th, 2010, 08:06 AM
#6
Hi,
You say you "REALLY have a desire to see the Alps" plus Neuschwanstein. Is Salzburg a "must see" or is it simply the Alps and Neuschwanstein?
If Salzburg itself isn't a must see, I'd suggest a night in Fuessen (Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Tegelberg luge ride and cable car, Wieskirche) and then perhaps do the Zugspitze (from Ehrwald, Austria) on the drive from Fuessen, via the Fern Pass and Innsbruck, to Mittenwald). Terrific scenery.
You could also do most of this (plus Linderhof) with 2 nights in Mittenwald.
If Salzburg is a "must see", then I'd suggest a night in Mittenwald and a night in the Berchtesgaden area (we love Ramsau). You'd get to stay in another beautiful Alpine setting and still visit Salzburg, which is less than 30 minutes away.
Hope this helps.
Paul
You say you "REALLY have a desire to see the Alps" plus Neuschwanstein. Is Salzburg a "must see" or is it simply the Alps and Neuschwanstein?
If Salzburg itself isn't a must see, I'd suggest a night in Fuessen (Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Tegelberg luge ride and cable car, Wieskirche) and then perhaps do the Zugspitze (from Ehrwald, Austria) on the drive from Fuessen, via the Fern Pass and Innsbruck, to Mittenwald). Terrific scenery.
You could also do most of this (plus Linderhof) with 2 nights in Mittenwald.
If Salzburg is a "must see", then I'd suggest a night in Mittenwald and a night in the Berchtesgaden area (we love Ramsau). You'd get to stay in another beautiful Alpine setting and still visit Salzburg, which is less than 30 minutes away.
Hope this helps.
Paul
Aug 10th, 2010, 11:08 AM
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I agree, the Black Forest is not worth the detour. You really need to get off the Hochstrasse to enjoy what the region has to offer, and you won't have time for that. Stay in the south and/or go to Salzburg to get your fill of Sound of Music territory as the others have suggested.
By the way, in German, mother-in-law is "schwiegermutter."
When I was learning German while living in Stuttgart, I got "schwieger" confused with "schwierig," which means "difficult." I got a kick out of telling my German teacher that I had a schwierig schwiegermutter. Hopefully you won't have that problem!
By the way, in German, mother-in-law is "schwiegermutter."
When I was learning German while living in Stuttgart, I got "schwieger" confused with "schwierig," which means "difficult." I got a kick out of telling my German teacher that I had a schwierig schwiegermutter. Hopefully you won't have that problem!
Aug 10th, 2010, 07:08 PM
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Thanks to all who responded - all is very appreciated! So now my question is: if we skip the Black Forest area what is the best/nicest route to GP/Mittenwald area for our base? We're leaving from the Neustadt-an-der-Weinstrasse area(specifically, Landau) on Mon, 9/6 and driving to Munich on 9/9. Thanks so much, Fodorites are the BEST! 
Aug 10th, 2010, 08:55 PM
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I would follow A65 towards Karlsruhe and from there take A8 towards Stuttgart & Ulm. After Ulm, head south on A7 towards Fuessen (Neuschwanstein). Traffic can be hell around Karlsruhe & Stuttgart during weekday commute hours so time your departure accordingly.
