bktraveller

Hey there... this is my 1st post here.
so, we are planning for a trip to Austria this summer(july end-aug mid) this year for a family of 4( wife, 2 kids and me) from US. We were originally thinking about a 10 day trip to Austria. But after doing some research, realized that getting to Switzerland (Zurich) is not that hard from there and it’s not making much difference in the airfare as well. So, we are confused right now to just focus on 1 country and do Austria or should we take advantage and do both the countries at the same time by extending the trip to 20 days. So that it’s 10 days in each country. Obviously, it will ASC the expense of additional 10 days, but would take away the hassle of coming back again.. lol!

we have never been to Europe( other than airport transits!). Any suggestions/ recommendations/ feedback from you all?

really appreciate the response as we are looking to finalize the plan soon.

neckervd

Defiine first the places you want to see. Zurich is not the only airport for Western Austria. Munich is often closer.
Once we know where you want to go or what you want to do and see, resp. what are your interests, we can make a proposal.

kja

Your trip, your call! Do some research to identify what you would like to see and experience and how much time and money you have to indulge those interests. I would strongly encourage you to start with some good guidebooks -- perhaps the Michelin Green Guides or the Rough Guides, or you might want to browse several different guidebooks at your local bookstore or library.

And you can read the trip reports that some of us file on this forum with the intent of giving people a sense of what they might want to see and what to expect. Here's one on my time in Switzerland:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...thanks-983126/

fourfortravel

Agree that it would be helpful to know perhaps the ages of your children along with everyone's interests before more specific advice can be offered. There are numerous trip reports here to give you flavors of Switzerland and Austria, as well.

Having lived in Austria for seven years, we found Austria to be a much less expensive version of Switzerland for the kinds of outdoor activities we enjoy, namely hiking and wandering. Ten days would give you a decent sample of Austria, though if you're into outdoor activities (namely hiking) you could add on extra days as desired. We took nine days for a hiking holiday in Tirol a couple of summers ago and only explored two valleys, as an example. Just my thoughts.

Sassafrass

IMHO, anytime you can take a longer trip, you should do it. What to do and where to go on the trip is a bigger question. What first interested you about Austria? What do you want to see and do there? The only thing I know I would suggest with 20 days would be to include a bit of Germany or (perhaps fly into a major city like London or Paris, or another place - just throwing it out for thought) for three or four days, then get a cheap flight to Munich. How old are the children?
Right now, do not buy any tickets for anything until your itinerary is exactly what you want. As you plan, know that with a week or ten days, you can really rush around, but the longer the trip, the more you will need some down time.

isabel

I agree with Sassafrass that if you can do 20 days instead of 10 you should do it. Makes your total cost per day less as the airfare is going to be the same regardless you are optimizing that expense. Plus there the hassle of flying from the US, getting over jet lag, etc. And 20 days is not a particularly long trip, in fact I think it's almost perfect for a family trip. So I would look at things in Austria, Switzerland and Southern Germany. But as others have said, you need to decide (and then tell us) what kinds of things you are interested in, what made you choose this region in the first place. Then we can give you better advice. I would certainly include Switzerland, but do know that it's noticeably more expensive than Germany and Austria so maybe limit the time there.

twk

I really enjoyed my 16 day trip to Switzerland in 2016. You can read my trip report if you click on my profile. As has been noted, you get more bang for your buck with a longer trip. I will say, however, that there are limits to how long I want to be away from home, and for me, 16 days is usually plenty.

BarbAnn

When our son was younger, we took him on two trips to Europe. We where on the ground for 21 days on both trips. One trip he was 9 and the other trip he was 13. One one trip we visited Switzerland, Austria and Germany, staying seven days in each country. Depending on the ages of your children, their are ways to save money, but have a great time. If you can afford the time, definitely go for the 20 days. Let the kids help plan activities or sights. It would be a family trip your children (and you) will remember and talk about for years.