Salzburg day trip vs. quick overnight

I prefer Salzburg over Munich, so would take more time there. A day trip would be doable, but an overnight with kids would be not as rushed so a bit more enjoyable for all of you, IMO.

I recently flew from LAX to Vienna with a connection in Frankfurt. Given the jet lag I experienced I would not fly into Salzburg for one night and then get up the next day and get on a train to Munich and then have to check into a hotel again. Also I would save the day trip to Salzburg to July 9.

And similar to the above poster I wish I had stayed in Salzburg instead of Munich after I went there on a day trip.

Salzburg was nice but I preferred Munich as a big city. More to do and Salzburg is very, very touristy. However, I definitely would stay overnight in Salzburg just to see the old town in the morning without all the tourists.

As you can tell, I am in the minority but Munich just felt like a very livable place to me.

Thanks everyone. We decided to do 2 nights in Salzburg and 2 in Munich. I’m hoping the jet lag won’t be that bad and transferring from plan to train will be fairly easy.

I prefer Salzburg over Munich, also. If your plane is on time, if you deal with jet lag well, then traveling after an overnight flight may work for you. After experiencing a series of canceled and delayed flights during past trips, I decided same-day travel on arrival doesn't work for me.
The Munich airport is about 40 minutes out of Munich, so you need to navigate the S-Bahn train to the main train station, wait for your Salzburg train, arrive at the Salzburg main train station, short bus or taxi into Salzburg, find and check into hotel. That's a lot on jet lag.
Why don't you spend the first two days after arrival in Munich, then go on to Salzburg for 2-3 nights? Salzburg offers the Fortress, beer garden, salt mine, and the gorgeous Berchtesgaden area, among so much else.
Have a wonderful family trip!

Would love restaurant recommendations for Salzburg!

I'm also in the same boat as Pat and mikliz97 in favoring staying in Salzburg and daytripping to Munich. Going directly to Salzburg when you arrive is a good idea since your bags would already be packed.

Thanks for all of you feedback. I like both cities but think the kids will enjoy Salzburg more.
Pat, it is a real concern with the timing and jet lag but luckily my kid have prepared me for extended sleep deprivation. We are choosing to go to Salzburg first since we are taking a 4 hour train from Munich to the Frankfurt srea. I didn’t want to add any additional time to that trip.

Hi Suzann,
I noticed your post and wondered if you have read the "Train To Salzburg" topic posted by Pam on this forum? We just got back from our trip. We flew into Munich and took the train to Salzburg by following the advice given on this forum in that posting. I actually went to the DB app and bought the tickets on line once we landed in Germany. People said you can buy it right at station but someone mentioned having an issue w/ her CC so I just did it on line. It is the Bayern ticket and is a good deal. On the app, it asked if I wanted first or second class seats. Not sure why since it's all open seating so be sure to opt for second class! (you will see that i asked about that on the posting)
Anyway, it was easy peasy (one poster even described which way to walk on platform to get better seats.)
Just wanted you to read through that posting ahead of your trip.

Have a wonderful trip!
Joanne

We love Salzburg! Glad you’re making time for it. Even though these are all touristy, I like to watch the Sound of Music again before going, look up the film sites, and we go find several of them when we’re there. The castle is fun to visit, and I think you can even do a SoM bike tour now.

Would love restaurant recommendations for Salzburg!

During a recent visit, we found dinner at Herzl https://www.restaurantherzl.at most enjoyable - so much so that we returned the following day for lunch. Authentic dishes of the region (including a delicious dessert of Nockerl ), conveniently located on your walk down Getreidegasse.

Joanne, your question was the reason we considered an overnight, now two nights, instead of a day trip. Thanks for the inspiration and tips. I am glad everything worked out for you and hope I get the same.

I’ve taken my kids to Salzburg a few times. Be sure to make time for Hellbrunn Palace and the trick fountains. Your kids will love it.

As for restaurants, we love Augustinerbrau for a family experience.

Took the Grandkids to the Saltzburg Zoo. They were a little younger, but we had a good time.

I love Salzburg. I'd go there over Munich most times.

I do worry that adding 4+ hours of train travel to this 4 day whirlwind isn't a great use of your very limited time.

I guess, with the short itinerary, I'd vote Munich. Walking tour, beer gardens, English Garden/urban surfing - there's a good bit to do.