Hi All,
We are a family of 4: hubby and I ; 21 year old daughter and 22 year old son. My daughter is doing a program in Austria this summer. She needs to be at Vienna airport on Saturday, 5/20 by noon to join group and start her adventure. Ahead of her program, we’d like to travel as a family.
We would like to see Salzburg/alpine areas Bavarian alps, St. Gilgen, St Wolfgang, Vienna (Melk) and Budapest. We are thinking it makes sense to use combo of public transport and car rental.
Here is my prelim itinerary. It keeps changing as I read tips/suggestions on this and other sites.Someone suggested this place in Anthering (very near Salzburg) which looks lovely. Has anyone else stayed here? http://www.neuwirtgut.at/ It requires a 5 might minimum stay. We could spend a couple days seeing Salzburg, then rent a car and do day trips/explorations to the Bavarian Alps (hour away), St. Gilgen etc while staying at this apartment. When we are ready to move on, we can return rental at Salzburg train station and take train on to Vienna. I am not sure if 5 nights is too long to spend in this area given we’d like to see Vienna (w excursion to Melk) and Budapest.
Sunday 5/7 Flight from Boston to Munich (fly out Sunday , Arrive Monday morning )
Monday 5/8: train to Salzburg. Nap/refresh at a in hotel in Salzburg (or apartment in Anthering) http://www.neuwirtgut.at/ Walk around /dinner. Sleep Salzburg/Anthering
Tuesday 5/9: explore Salzburg. Walking tour, sites suggested in book etc. Sleep Salzburg/Anthering
Wednesday:5/10: more exploring; cooking class at Edelwiess cooking school; pick up rental car and drive sound of music sites(or is it worth time/cost to do Bob’s tour for SOM?); head out to either base ourselves in Ramsau (Barviarian Alp) or St Gilgen area or stay in Anthering to reach these places (hour away) to do day hikes, cable car rides, exploring on our own? Sleep in same spot
Thursday 5/11: Visit St. Gilgen or Ramsau area (whichever we didn’t do on Wednesday). Sleep in same spot.
Friday 5/12: Not sure what to do-----we would need to stay in area for 5 night minimum at that apartment. I like idea of 2 bedrooms and kitchen etc…but if it is too long a stretch, we can find another place to stay w/ no minimum and head to Vienna today. I don’t mind sleeping at hotel in Salzburg for our first 2 nights and then staying in place with no minimum (Bavarian Alps area or St. Gilgen) for other 2 nights.
Saturday : return rental car at Salzburg train station. Take train to Vienna. Sleep in Vienna
Sunday: mass in Vienna, walking tour, see sites sleep in Vienna
Monday: do day trip excursion to Melk area per RS suggestion (public transport) or book a tour company to do this. Sleep in Vienna
Tuesday: train to Budapest. Sleep Budapest
Wednesday: walking tour Budapest . Sleep Budapest
Thursday; Budapest (or do tour that takes us outside city) sleep Budapest
Friday : train to Vienna . (or stay another day/night in Budapest as long as Saturday train not a big issue since have to get DD to Vienna airport for noon).
Also, would ideally love to stay at place that offered 2 bedrooms. It seems like hotels only sleep up to 3 people. We had a hotel/apartment on a previous trip that was ideal. It had one room/bed for hubby and me and then 2nd bedroom w/ twin beds for kids. Would love to find that, especially in the non-city overnights. Is there anything like that in Vienna, Budapest or do we just need to rent 2 rooms?
Thanks for any/all suggestions. I realize this is a work in progress. I have been spending so many hours trying to get it right and I realize that, no matter what, we will have a fun family adventure, time together and that it will work out. I’m just not sure how long to allow in each place.
Any feedback on itinerary, places to stay, recommendations for places that have room for 4 (with 3 beds).
Thanks very much for your help.
Joanne