europe22

Hello all,
We (kids- 6 &11) will be traveling to Switzerland and Germany/Austria in early August for 8 nights and would appreciate some help on picking an itinerary and a base. We are interested in scenic towns/villages, Castles and would like to do some hiking but is not the main focus of the trip.
Between Germany & Austria what do you suggest?

bilboburgler

Is "we" 4 people in total?

8 days for either combo is very small, can you extend?

Do you have a view as to likely airports in and out?

Do you have a view on public transport or car?

Do you have a big budget?

You could go small and pretty and fly in and out Frankfurt and just visit the Mosel and a bit of the Rhine

You could aim for Munich and do Bavaria

You could fly into northern Switzerland and stretch up to Lake Constance and southern Germany

You could focus on Austria

europe22

Thank you @bilboburgler for your response. Below are few more details. We specifically aiming for Swiss but also like to visit neighboring country so hoping someone shed some light on to choose the better itinerary. ( PS: Done Italy-Paris & England-Scotland in the past for 10 days each)
-Yes, we are family of 4.
- Unfortunately we can't extend the days.
- We are ok to in terms of airports (Flying from NY)
- Prefer to stay with public transportation.
- Budget is flexible.

Melnq8

With only eight nights I'd stick to a max of two bases in one country.

But if you insist on two countries, I'd go for Austria and Germany. For example, you could divide your time between Bavaria and Salzburg/Salzkammergut. Really easy to get to/from Munich to Salzburg.

You could fly into Munich and head to someplace like Garmisch, Mittenwald or Berchtesgaden (small alpine towns in Bavaria). And then head to Salzburg - perhaps bypass the city itself, but near Salzburg you'll find the Salzkammergut - the lakes region - very pretty scenery, small towns and loads to do. Then head back to Munich for departure.

I've been to all three countries many times, and personally, I find it easier to get from Germany to Austria than from Germany or Austria to Switzerland - especially with so little time - but it really depends on which areas interest you.

We've combined Switzerland with Germany twice - we flew into Zurich, then took the train to Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany. From there we easily visited the Black Forest, Colmar (France) and Basel (Switzerland). This really doesn't fit your brief though.

We've also visited Austria from Switzerland, from the Engadine. Our route took us from Zuoz to Scuol (Switzerland) then on to Martina (Austria) and Landeck where we connected to the RailJet to Innsbruck, and then on to Seefeld.

What is your wish list for Switzerland? Do you have an area in mind?

fourfortravel

Consider focusing solely on Bavaria and Salzburg/Salzkammergut, especially if this is a first visit. We spent a week in the area in 2009 when our children were 7 and 12, and had a rental car to explore the area (we flew IAD to FRA and back). Then we moved to Vienna, Austria for seven years (2012-2019) and spent many weekends in the region, always with our vehicle. Scenic towns ooze quaintness; castles and ruins are plentiful; lodging is very family-friendly; and you'll have the freedom to explore without being tied to public transportation.

tcreath

I've been to all three several times, and we are going back next week with our twelve year old twins. With your relatively short time frame I too think it would be easier to combine Germany with Austria, flying into Munich. Munich to Salzburg by train is an easy couple hour journey. Or fly into Munich and out of Vienna and work your way over. We stay in Berchtesgaden, in southeastern Germany near Salzburg but we rent a car. If you are traveling by train Salzburg would be easier. Your kids would probably enjoy a boat ride along the Wachau Valley.