Trying to plan a 10-day spring break trip for myself, husband 26 y-o daughter and possibly 28 y-o son. We love going places we've never been, and Salzburg & any area of Germany is on my bucket list. I'm a pianist & music teacher so Salzburg is high on my list. I've read a few blogs that have listed Munich and Austria are within a couple hours travel so have been thinking of those two cities, Any other suggestions for a 3rd (or 4th). I also noticed a few have recommended Lauterbrunnen/Grindelwald via stopping in Luzern. My husband and I lived in Zurich in recent years for about 2 months & absolutely loved it, but we have been to Jungfraujoch and stopped briefly in Lauterbrunnen/Grindelwald enroute on a a day trip. We have also spent a day in Luzern which was enough. I'm open to spending a bit more time in Lauterbrunnen & Grindelwald I suppose, but was wondering if there are any other destinations that would work well with Munich & Austria. Or another area of Switzerland. Looking for some place that's not too far, accessible by train within a few hours and perhaps has an international airport that we could either fly into or out of at the end/beginning of our trip. We do enjoy some easy/moderate hiking, quality food (although daughter is vegan & gluten free), picturesque surroundings whether it be nature or architecture. Open to staying in two countries as well. Thank you!
Posted by
Irving
2948 posts
What about the Bavarian Alps? My understanding is you can see DEs alps by public transportation but I would rent a car.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6501 posts
Austria's a country, Salzburg is a city in Austria. A third candidate for your time might be Vienna, the capital of Austria, about 2.5 hours by train from Salzburg. It has a beautiful center, palaces, museums, an opera house, and much more. Salzburg is between Munich and Vienna, so your path should be Munich-Salzburg-Vienna or Vienna-Salzburg-Munich. Open-jaw (multi-city) flights would save you the time and cost of backtracking on the ground. If you have just ten full days in Europe (where you wake up the morning after arrival and go to bed on the ground the tenth night after that), you might not want to split them among three destinations like those, with so much to do and see in each city. You might enjoy the trip more if it's just Salzburg and one of the others -- or a different one.
Posted by
Lancaster PA
245 posts
Vienna is about 3 hours by frequent trains from Salzburg. As a music teacher, you will love being in the music capital of the world. It also offers great architecture and the natural surroundings of the Vienna Woods. The airport should serve you well too. No car needed, it would actually be a hindrance.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2311 posts
Assuming your 10 days includes your departure day from the US and departure day from Europe, I wouldn’t add another stop.
We’ve been to Salzburg twice, each time for 5 nights, and I absolutely love it and the surrounding are (Berchtesgaden, Werfen, Hallstatt). Some of the most beautiful scenery, and more affordable than Switzerland. A car is helpful for exploring these areas, but not required. You could fly into Munich, spend 3-4 nights, take the train to Salzburg and fly home from there.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5381 posts
With only 10 days, I suggest that you visit Munich, Salzburg and Vienna.
Posted by
OP
San Francisco
9 posts
Thank you so much for these helpful tips!