Train or Drive
 

I am honing this itinerary after discussions with my husband and some friends. Here is what I have:

Prague
Munich
Salzberg
Fussen - Neuschwantstein
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Oberland
Lucerne

Now I need to figure out the best way to get from place to place. Drive? Train? (I still think I have at least one-too-many destinations, but I have to put it on paper. Can anyone help with the logistics? Thank you in advance!!!

Hi sailorgirl12,

How much time do you have for this trip? I like to spend at least four nights in a place or else my memories of the trip are just a blur. Remember, too, that you lose about half a day of "outside" time with every move because of the chores of packing up and checking out, then checking in and unpacking again. That doesn't take into consideration the time it takes to travel from one country to another --

For this trip, you should have about a month.

s

FIRST, I would PLOT this trip ON A MAP. When you do so you'll see you are doing a certain amount of backtracking.

If you really REALLY want to do it at your speed then I would use a car. I've been to all of these places by rail...it can be done...but not on the same trip.

Example..to get from Salzburg BACK to Fuessen you'd end up going back to Munich more or less. From there to Rothenburg, you would have to go back to Munich again. From there to the berner Oberland back to Munich a THIRD time pretty much, etc.

Thanks for your input -- truly appreciated. Believe it or not, this trip has been "cut" from the original list! If we cut out the Prague, and instead focus on our places in Germany and then go to Switzerland, is this more manageable? (I really want to go to Salzburg, but I can cut that if I must.) Please make suggestions about what to cut/exchange. I really have gone through the travel books and internet sites -- I just need direction. Thank you!!!

You still didn't tell us how many weeks you plan to invest in this trip (I hope at least 3 weeks, otherwise forget it).
What do you call Oberland (means just higher part of an area)? There are dozens of Oberland all over Europe, in Switzerland alone, we count at least 5 of them (St. Galler Oberland, Buendner Oberland, Zuercher Oberland, Waadtläender Oberland, Berner Oberland)

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE !!!
We are not mind readers.

You will need at least 18 days on the ground if you drop Rothenburg, which does not fit well.

Thank you for your comments. As you suggested Dukey, I plotted the trip on a map, and have since cut out Rothenburg -- it makes sense. (I use Mapquest all the time, but didn't think of using it for this purpose!) After plotting the distances, looking at driving vs. riding the train, this is what I think works:

From Prague, take train to Salzburg.
Train from Salzburg to Munich
Train from Munich to Lucern - Berner Oberland

The only place I think that renting a car makes sense is in Munich.

As far as the time we have, 2-3 weeks, depending on where we go and how we travel between stops. (I apologize if I upset you bobthenavigator!)

Please let me know your thoughts, I really do appreciate the help.

You ask for help but do not give us the most important element. Now you say 2 OR 3 weeks. How can you plan anything until you know which---that is your first decision.

I appreciate your concern for the time I have to spend -- it is flexible. What I need to know is the best way to get from place to place. Does anyone have any thoughts on that? Train or Drive?

I will then plot it out and decide exactly where I want to go and for how long.

Thank you for your input.

What do you need a car for in Munich? To explore a large city, a car is useless if not a nuisance. Füssen and Neuschwanstein can easily, and a lot cheaper than by rental car, be reached by public transport on a Bayern-Ticket - check the countless Neuschwanstein threads on this forum.