Suggestions for Urban/Outdoor Austria summer trip?

I enjoyed a too-brief visit to the Bodensee many years ago and have been trying to get back there.

Matt,

With the time you have, I would leave either Innsbruck or Vienna off of this itinerary. Either do Munich-Vienna-Salzburg-Munich or Munich-Salzburg-Innsbruck-Munich. I think that including all of these places is too much movement and will add too much time traveling.

If you have not purchased your tickets yet, you could fly in to Munich and out of Vienna to save time on backtracking.

As for your time in Salzburg, in addition to the places already mentioned you could rent a car and spend a day driving the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.

Jason

Thanks for the replies. I wondered whether this itinerary was too ambitious and will think of ways to scale it back. The original plan was to arrive in Munich and depart from Vienna, but we are locked into Munich for both, I'm afraid.

Matt B.

Have you considered the possibility of doing a bike tour along the Danube? With most bike tours you spend 2 to 3 hours biking from one locale to the next with sightseeing intermingled. Here are a couple of companies to check out: https://www.cycling-holiday.com. or https://www.velociped.de/en.html.

It's hard to pick wrong from your list of places. I agree with Jason to narrow the scope of the visit.

If you want a mixed city-nature experience, I would think about a Munich--Vienna--Berchtesgaden--Munich itinerary. Salzburg is a nice city with nature opportunities around it, but the Berchtesgaden area can deliver nature in grand fashion. I stayed 5 nights this past summer in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden in an amazing Ferienwohnung (holiday apartment) at Anfanglehen. There is excellent hiking in the area, and Salzburg is an easy day trip away, though I didn't go there (had been there twice previously and loved it, but there was too much to do in the Berchtesgaden area).

Good resources for the Berchtesgaden area are David Harper's "Your Complete Guide to Berchtesgaden" (available on the Eagle's Nest Historic Tours website) and the Cicerone guide for the Bavarian Alps ("Walking the Bavarian Alps").

Happy planning! You will enjoy your trip in this area of the world immensely, regardless of what you choose to do!

Yes, Jill, we have thought about doing some biking. My son and I would mountain bike across the country, but my wife just isn't into it. I'm sure we'll find our way onto 2 wheels at some point during the trip.

Thanks for the suggestion to look closer into Berchtesgaden. We have trimmed Vienna from the trip at my son's request and will be focusing even more on outdoor adventures. There appears to be no shortage in that area!

All are wonderful options. We loved Innsbruck, largely for the ease of getting there by train, and by accessing wonderful hiking right from town. We walked maybe 15 minutes from our hotel to the funicular, and in short order we were on a wonderful trail with many other options available. If we had had another day or two, we could have spent many more hours hiking and stopping at those fabulous alpine "huts" for food and drinks.

After your four (yes I changed that) nights in Vienna, I would suggest heading to the Salzkammergut Lakes region and staying near St. Gilgen. Amazing hikes, lakes (Hallstatt is near; Gosausee is spectacular). Try to stay on a farm - http://www.farmholidays.com/bundesverband/genuine-holidays-on-the-farm-in-austria.html?L=4. It is also easy to day trip to Salzburg from there. I would suggest four nights here as well and then head back to Munich. I'd skip Innsbruck - not really my favorite. Alternatively, instead of the Salzkammergut lakes region, stay in Seefeld in Tirol. Also has fab hiking, you can day trip to Innsbruck, see the Leutasch Gorge, Mittenwald, etc.

We have biked along the Danube and loved it. A trip to Passau would allow you to see some great sites as well as get in a bike ride. Would an electric bike help change one's mind? Also a quick 2 hour train ride south of Munich to Garmisch and Mittenwald would give you a great small town experience along with food and hiking or cycling experiences.

Yes, we have considered bike touring, but probably won't go beyond renting bikes for a day while there. We are avid cyclists, so E-bike not necessary. Based on advise received from this forum (and my son's preference), we have trimmed Vienna from this trip and will plan to see it on a future trip. The current plan for this trip is a loop from Munich through Innsbruck (or perhaps Garmisch) and Dolomites back up through Berchtesgaden or some variation on that theme.

Thanks!
Matt B.

In 2011, we stayed in the country S of Saltzburg near the small town of Altenmarkt. We stayed in a ski chalet in June, so it was all to us. It is on a farm, and we got to pet the animals (my children 21 21 24 enjoyed this a lot). We visited the Eisreisenweldt (ice cave) and Hohenwerfen. We were going to go to Saltzburg, but never got there. Very pleasant area. We found the accommodation on booking.com I believe.