Planning a trip to Austria and Italy with wife and kids (11 and 15), who are big soccer fans and hence planning the trip around the Inter-Lazio game on 17/18 May. Our first preference was Munich-Gladbach game on 10/11 May, but the tickets are almost impossible to get. We are active family so have packed a bit in the itinerary. Love the mountains, gardens and nature vs historical towns and hence picked Austria and Cinque terre (picked vs Amalfi primarily as it is nearer to Milan, where we plan to see the Inter game)

3-5 May: Fly into Vienna, spend two nights in Vienna, one and a half day for Vienna, and taking a late afternoon train to Salzburg.
5-9 May: Spend 4 nights in Salzburg, one day for local, one day trip to Konigsee and one day to one of the lakes near salzburg (possibly Hallstatt), but flexible to chose something more approachable as well.
9-11 May: Night Jet from Salzburg to Venice, spend one night in Venice, 1.5 days as we reach early morning and leave late afternoon for florence
11-14 May:3 nights in Florence, 2 full days for the city. On the third day, we leave early, check our luggage in Pisa and spend the day in Pisa, and take the late afternoon train to Cinque terre
14-16: 2 days roaming around the villages, relaxing around the beach and taking a boat across the villages. Late afternoon, train to Milan
16-19: Have kept the last 3 days in Milan for the game as schedules change due to champions league /Europe involvement for both teams. One day might head to Lake garda or Como and 19th to move around milan and relax as we have a late night flight out

Few queries:
1. Booked the flights but hotels are on cancellable mode, so have flexibility to modify. Any changes suggested in itinerary? Rome vs Milan is obvious, but kids and me are manchester united fans and dont want to see their game this year . they both know a few players in Inter and that would be an obvious choice vs Rome / Lazio / AC Milan games
2. Mostly staying near train station or old town across most locations for easy approach, do we need city passes at the locations?
3. If I am booking an 8am train from point A to B, is the ticket only valid for that time, or we can have flexibility and go by any other timed train, but without a confirmed seat?
4. Day trip to a lake around Salzburg and Milan? Right now looking at Hallstatt and Como, but open to suggestions

"3-5 May: Fly into Vienna, spend two nights in Vienna, one and a half day for Vienna, and taking a late afternoon train to Salzburg."

My questions:

If mountains are an interest, why did you not fly into Munich?
From where are you flying into Vienna?
What do you hope to see in Vienna in a day or so? And Salzburg?
How are you planning to reach Kφnigsee? Bus?

Bear in mind that Hallstatt is not exactly warmly welcoming day tourists any longer. The last I checked, timed-entry tickets (at a fee) were being tossed around, and rightly so.

Flying in from Mumbai, India, am getting good connections to Vienna and Frankfurt, Munich is slightly more expensive, but workable. If I l land in Munich, would allow me to visit Mittenwald / GP area as well, but will have to drop something in Italy. Would you recommend coming in Via Munich, go to GP (2 days), 3 days in Berchtesgaden and then onto Italy vs. the current plan? Or any further suggestions? and if I go that route, doable by public transport, or should I get a rental?

Since interest primarily was Berchtesgaden and halstatt, and hence salzburg, was looking to travel via Vienna. Flight landing at 7pm in Vienna, hence planned to stay there, if it was earlier, would have gone directly to Salzburg

You are quite right on Halstatt and its a bit touristy and a day trip may not do justice as well, but the missus is sold on it. Will have to take another stab to convince her of something in German Alps

Since you're interested in lakes near Salzburg, I'd suggest Wolfgangsee instead of Hallstatt, which has become a real circus.

https://wolfgangsee.salzkammergut.at/en/

Lake Como is very each to reach from Milan by train, you might consider heading to Varenna and taking a ferry to other towns along the lake. Bellagio is the most popular option, but is as much of a circus as Hallstatt IME.

https://lakecomotravel.com/boat-tours-ferry-lake-como/

I will caveat the following by stating that we had the privilege of living in Vienna for seven years. In short, save Vienna for a time when you can appreciate it.

3 May. Saturday arrival, with jetlag. Tourist sites will long be closed.
4 May. Sunday means all but the tourist stores and restaurants will be closed, though the museums will be open. Without advance tickets to perhaps, Schφnbrunn, or in the absence of serious planning you’ll just wander the Inner Stadt and not know what you’re looking at; or spend time waiting to enter museums. Our children were 11 and 15 when we moved to Vienna; yours will likely be equally as bored by looking at “old stuff.” Our Sundays were spent hiking in the Vienna Woods or on day outings; though again, you’ll need better planning.
5 May. Monday. The easily accessible museums are all closed, given your train schedule.

Fly into Munich and enjoy those alps. Take the gondola up to the top of Zugspitze. Hiking around Eibsee was one of our favorites when we were in the area; there is a lovely waterfall nearby. G-P is cute. Everyone will have a much better time.

Please skip Hallstatt. Daytrippers are the reason for the restrictions.

The remainder of your itinerary is equally as fraught with trying to see “everything,” but in the end you'll just have a checklist of places you transited through. Further, you don’t have all the time you think you have in your destinations. You have not accounted for transportation times (and delays); the checking in/checking out of accommodations; and the general confusion that comes from trying to navigate foreign cities for the first time.

Thanks fourfortravel and mel, this is very helpful. Have made changes to the first part of itinerary, now landing in munich, staying a night at airport hotel. taking a rental car for Fussen (1n), 3 nights GP, 3n Berchtesgaden.and back to munich. Any suggestions for another night, which I would have to spend either in these locations, or somewhere in the middle.

Broad plan:
1st day: Land in munich, rest
2nd day: late morning (around 11) pick the rental and drive to fussen (any places on the way to relax or to stop for lunch?
3rd day: Neuschwanstein and drive to GP, relax around town. Anything on the way to see? Aslo, does it make to see the Neuschwanstein from the inside? FYI, we visited Chateau de Versailles and found the gardens lovely but did not fancy the castle as we have seen plenty of similar castles in India
4th day: Mittenwald, the gorge walk and small hike around there or eibsee
5th: Zugspitze
6th: drive to Berchtesgaden. Any recos on the way, stopovers or a lunch place?
7th Ramsau, Hintersee, churches
8th; Konigsee, obersee
9th Back to Munich via chiemsee and return car
10-12: Munich and leave for Venice on 12th night

I was thinking of extending 1 more day in alps as would prefer countryside to a big town, but not sure where to add that day (or else cut a day somewhere and take a later flight from here.

Will probably cut a location in Italy as spending more time here to make it a bit less daunting

Are you driving back and forth to Munich every day, or basing in a couple of places? Hopefully it's the latter.

Regardless, you'll drive in and out of Austria, so be certain to have your Austrian vignette.

If Neuschwanstein is the only Bavarian castle you plan to visit, seeing the interior might be "worth it" for comparisons. You may want to purchase tickets in advance, as that's the only way to tour the castle. Consider adding Marienbrόcke to this day.

If you're basing in Mittenwald, not too far away is Seefeld in Tirol, a charming alpine town. Check the schedule to see when the Rosshόtte bahn (funicular) opens for the season--it might be too early. If it is open, take it up to the top. Soak in the views and have lunch at the top, or preferably, wander down past the cows and stop at the Hόtte for lunch.

If you're doing a loop tour, tiny Kufstein is worth a brief stop.

Hi,

Doing the trip in a loop. So staying 1n fussen and then 3 nights each in gp/mittenwald and berchtesgaden.austrian vignette I know is mandatory on cars and will get it

Will include suggestions for the trip. Will do online bookings for most places beforehand as last minute might be booked out. Thanks a lot