Suggestions - Germany-Austria-Switzerland Itinerary
 

I just finished putting this itinerary together. Any feedback will be appreciated. I think 2 nights in Appenzell might be too much. I will be using public transportation. I've been to Stein am Rhein twice previously and loved it. Rothenburg and Salzburg I visited as a teenager (too long ago to remember clearly), and all other places will be new to me.

Fly into Frankfurt
Bacharach - 2 nights
Cochem - 3 nights (day trips to Burg Eltz and Bernkastel-Kues)
Rothenburg - 2 nights
Bamberg - 2 nights
Regensburg - 1 night
Salzburg - 2 nights
St. Gilgen - 2 nights
Hallstatt - 2 nights
Mittenwald - 1 night
Meersburg - 2 nights
Appenzell - 1 or 2 nights
Stein am Rhein 1 or 2 nights
Fly out Zurich

I would like to add that I don't intend to do any rigorous nature hikes (maybe a few walks). I enjoy photographing the places I visit, taking in the architecture and ambience, sitting in cafes, occasionally visiting a museum. I also intend to day trip to Dinkelsbuhl from Rothenburg.

It looks nicely planned in terms of distance covered and days allowed, except perhaps at the tail end.

You have two 1 night stops planned in your last 4 days, when you will probably be "tiring" a bit from the trip, and your last 6 nights have 4 "moving" days in them.

Salzburg to St. Gilgen to Hallstatt is only about 1.5 hours, total. Could you save a day there by staying in Salzburg an extra night and visiting Hallstatt from St. Gilgen, or vice versa?

Looks nice.

Rhine/Mosel:

I'd suggest seeing Trier as well.

Be sure to see Marksburg:

www.marksburg.de

St. Goar is more centrally located than Bacharach for Rhine outings, and there's a ferry right there if you want to cross the river. And you can see three castles from town.

Don't buy railpass days for outings on the Rhine and Mosel - the distances don't justify it. You can get daypasses cheaply too for just yourself (20 Euros) or for up to 5 people (28 Euros) which cover the Mosel and the Rhine north to Bonn.

http://www.vrminfo.de/vrm/english/si...rp-ticket.html

This is so strange, I must share. I was just at the travel store in Pasadena, Calif, and met a Swiss couple from Luzern. They told me I could skip Appenzell, especially after being in Austria. Then they said, "maybe" one day if I like architecture.

Thank you, Russ and Aramis, for the helpful comments. I may have to skip Trier this trip. A person just can't see it all in one trip, and I'm covering quite a bit of ground. I've already purchased my airline tickets so have about 3 weeks and 2 days. I will definitely try to get to Marksburg castle.

That's 12 towns and 2 airports in 23 days. Sounds a little rushed to me.

I would skip redunant type places like Bamberg and Regensburg and do only one of those (3 nights in Bamberg and maybe spend a few hours walking the old town in Regensburg on your way to Salburg). Same for Salzburg - I would do 2 nights in Salzburg, skip St ZGilgen and Halstatt this trip (weather will be marginal), add 3 nights in Munich and maybe 2 in Mitenwald. Don't skip Munich, it is one of Europe's great cities.

Consolidate the Swiss stops too. Personally, after many trips to Europe, I try to hit 3 or 4 places max per trip and stay atleast 2-4 nights per places (at least).

Hi oldmac,
I'll keep what you say here in mind, along with the other recommendations. I've been to Munich, and will skip it this time. I've considered adding a night to Mittenwald and skipping Appenzell. I will be going in June/July, so weather in the Austrian lakes should be good, and since I've never been there, really want to just slow down and enjoy. My friend, Betty, who contributes to the forum here, highly recommended that I stay in both Hallstatt and St. Gilgen. I'll consider tweaking this part, though.

Thanks for all suggestions!

susan

St. Gilgen and Halstatt are 40 km apart. They are both great places, but that's a hop skip and a jump apart to have to pack up move.

Some folks in here try too hard to have people do exactly what they have done.

And for a second opinion on the matter, Bamberg and Regensburg are NOT redundant unless, maybe, one considers all of Bavaria redundant.

Meersburg is a gem and you can visit Mainau, Lindau, and Konstanz very easily from it. I don't know about Stein am Rhein connections. If you are now considering dropping Appenzell, you might think about more time in Meersburg as a consolidation at the end of the trip.

Thank you very much, Aramis. I've been looking at photos of both Bamberg and Regensburg, --with my interest in photography, I can see that they each have beautiful, unique features. I'll consider reducing some time in the lake district and adding it somewhere else. I do appreciate your feedback.

I might add that the reason for the 2 nights in St. Gilgen was to give time for a leisurely boat trip across the lake to St. Wolfgang, and also have time to take the lift up for the views.

By public transit, it becomes necessary to become slightly more strategic in planning -- a little less flexible in moving from town to town. With Hallstatt, I just want a room right on the lake with a view.... very little moving around. Ah, bliss.

Still, I'll consider the points you made.

Hi,

Just wanted to add my 2 cents... While we found Bernkastel to be a charming old town, we didn't think it was too much different than Cochem. Cochem is a bit larger and has a nicer setting on the Mosel, in our opinion. Burg Eltz is fantastic! Marksburg is too. Just another opinion, we didn't find Dinkelsbuehl to be anything special. We probably should have skipped it for more time wandering around Rothenburg.

Mittenwald is certainly worth 2 nights. Not only is the village extremely charming, the views from the top of the Karwendelbahn (cable car in Mittenwald) are fantastic.

If interested, we have some photo's at:

www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/index.html

www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/travel15.html

Paul

Wow, Paul. I really appreciate your advice. I was just now thinking, maybe I should have added a night in Bernkastel. I am considering adding a night to Mittenwald, and thanks so much for the insight on Dinkelsbuhl. Taking the "romantic road" bus is a bit of a hassle. Tickets have to be purchased in advance, so maybe I'll just spend my time in Rothenburg.

As for Appenzell, I think it may be worth one night for photographing the houses there, but not two.

Anyone been to Appenzell?

Susan

I think that 2 nights each in St. Gilgen (although I preferred staying in St. Wolfgang) and Hallstatt is well worth it! Beautiful!

And, maybe it's just me, but packing up and moving on to the next place takes only a few minutes more than walking out of the hotel. I really don't understand those who say you will lose 1/2 day on each move vs. just staying where you are and taking public transport to and fro.

"That's 12 towns and 2 airports in 23 days. Sounds a little rushed to me. "

It would be for me as well but that is personal preference. I like to base in a few places and make day trips rather than packing and unpacking.

We loved St. Gilgen and also loved Bamberg and would like to spend time more time in both places. Salzburg is always a pleasure. We are not big fans of RODT and would not choose 2 nights there - an afternoon was enough.

HI again,

I'd base in Cochem and visit Bernkastel. To me, they're similar although we liked Cochem more.

With 2 nights in Rothenburg you really wind up with 1 full day. That's just right IMO. This also allows you to take the Nightwatchman's Tour, which was one of the highlights for us. The other being Tilmann Riemanschneider's amazing 500 year old wood carved alter in St. Jacob's church.

If interested, our "trip report" on the Rhine, Mosel, Romantic Road, etc. is at:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ith-photos.cfm

We visited Appenzell once, quite a while ago. The countryside is nice, but I don't believe it's too much different from anything you'll be seing in Bavaria and Austria. If it's on your way anyway, it's worth an overnight, but if I had to take a night away from Mittenwald to see Appenzell, I wouldn't. We really like Mittenwald (have stayed 7 nights so far!). Just our preference.

Paul

Joan -- thanks for confirming my instincts about the lake towns -- worth time there to soak up the beauty. Packing up in SG and moving to Hallstatt doesn't seem like a big deal. All this rest I will be getting will prepare me for the 6.5 hour trip to Mittenwald (didn't realize this until last night -- but M makes a good halfway point to Meersburg).

kfusto, thanks for the input regarding St. Gilgen and Bamberg. Yes I know RODT is touristy and crowded, but plan to spend time in the gardens during the day.

Paul, I've been planning to see Riemanschneideer's wood carving and Nightwatchman Tour, but thanks for weighing in on the need for more time there. All of this helps. I'll take a look at your trip report. Thank you for your valuable feedback.

IMHO, just having looked at photos, I think the village of Appenzell is worth a stop to photograph the uniquely painted storefronts (different from any other town).

So I've decided to pull one night from Appenzell and add it to Mittenwald I will most likely appreciate not having to move again so quickly after all the long journey getting there.

Also, I've decided not to visit Stein am Rhein (cry) this trip, since I've been there twice.

So it's looking like this:
Bacharach - 2 nights (visit Marksburg, and if time, St. Goar)
Cochem -- 2 nights (visit Burg Eltz, Beilstein and Bernkastel-Kues, if time)
Rothenburg -- 2 nights
Bamberg -- 2 nights
Regensburg -- 1 night
Salzburg -- 2 nights
St. Gilgen -- 2 nights
Hallstatt -- 2 nights
Mittenwald -- 2 nights
Meersburg -- 2 nights
Appenzell -- 1 night
Zurich -- hotel in old town -- 1 night
Fly out

This will be the lengthiest trip I've done on my own. A couple years ago I went to Alsace (based in Colmar), Stein am Rhein, Guarda, and Soglio. It seemed just right to me at the time. I decided to get more ambitious this trip because I've been wanting to see all of these places. Using public transit is not "quite" as tiring as driving, so I'm hoping I'll be fine with the length of the trip, but I will certainly let you know.

Thanks so much, everyone!

Oops. Cochem is 3 nights (not 2). I'll be staying at Hotel Lohspeicher, which really a gourmet restaurant with rooms. I've booked the half-board and they tell me "you will be surprised."

Have a great trip!