Urgent Assistance Needed: Planning Our Trip

Our daily budget is approximately €150.

For each of you or both of you?

Does your budget including lodging, or is it the budget for food, sites, local transport, misc? 150 euros for two people, if it includes all of the above plus lodging, is pretty low for your destination countries...also, where/how do you intend to "cook most" of your meals? Are you staying in. fully equipped AirBnBs or similar?

Thank you for your swift responses, wmt1 and Jojo Rabbit. Apologies for the confusion. Our daily expenses per person in Europe amount to 150 euros, covering all our needs. We're opting for budget-friendly options and won't be indulging in expensive tours. Essentially, we're keeping things economical. Our plan is to stay in self-catered Airbnbs, allowing us to cook breakfast and dine out for only one meal to save money.

OK, that budget looks better...your single largest daily outlay will be for lodging, so you should already be getting a handle on that, and then you will be better prepared to evaluate if you have enough money for the rest of your goals. If you combine the money, out of 300 euros a day, your combined cost of lodging could easily eat up half of your budget. But I am speculating, not sure what you are finding that would be acceptable to you in terms of comfort, location, and amenities...keep in mind that in general, it costs more in cities than outlying areas (there are exceptions for smaller high tourist interest towns, though, like in Bavaria and Austria)...Prague may be the most expensive place you intend to stay...if you were instead traveling to Poland, Hungary, and say Slovenia, your overall costs would be lower than the higher priced countries you are looking at, particularly Germany and Austria...you get a lot more bang for your money in Eastern Europe vs Western Europe...good luck...

If you are truly struggling, take a prefab tour from RS or another reputable company. It's supposed to be a vacation ...

Or find a travel agent, they do this for a living.

I'm just going with your Austria/Bavaria/Prague/Alps comments, as well as no museums, etc.

Fly in to Munich, day trips to G-P/Zugspitz, Füssen & Augsburg. 5 - 6 days
Train to Bolzano, bus to Ortisei. 3 - 4 days explore the valley and the mountains.
Ortisei to Vienna. 5 - 6 days So much to see in this area. Check other threads.
Vienna to Prague. 5 - 6 days So much to see in this area. Check other threads in Czech Republic.

Very rough outline, look for towns along train routes mentioned where you may want to spend a day or two instead of extended stays in base cities. Day trip out of the larger cities as well.

Marc gave a good outline. I would add at least one full day to Prague. It's extremely beautiful. Vienna deserves two to three full days, but its center is very compact.

September is no longer low season. Book your hotels soon for great, inexpensive options.

Thank you, Phred, Marc, and Barkinpark, for the valuable suggestions. We prefer traveling independently rather than joining tours as it offers more flexibility. I'll definitely look into the travel itinerary Marc suggested. Could you please advise if May is a better time to travel in terms of weather, views and expenses?

Alas, May is no longer shoulder season anymore, either. The weather may be a little cooler, but otherwise crowds/cost will be about the same.

Thank you for your feedback,Kayla ! It reaffirms the value of seeking assistance from this forum. I've gained access to the latest updates, which is invaluable, considering that information from website sources can sometimes be outdated, particularly regarding shoulder seasons for travel to Central Europe. Your responses are truly appreciated

Hi , I'm contemplating whether it's necessary to visit Vienna. I'm considering skipping Vienna and instead devoting more time to Salzburg or other scenic places . The reasons being, I'm not particularly fond of history, and I'm not a fan of big cities. However, when I discussed this with my neighbor, who lived in Austria for over 20 years, he was shocked. He said that if I don't visit Vienna, I haven't truly experienced Austria. I'd appreciate your feedback on this.

Hi , I'm contemplating whether it's necessary to visit Vienna. I'm considering skipping Vienna and instead devoting more time to Salzburg or other scenic places . The reasons being, I'm not particularly fond of history, and I'm not a fan of big cities. However, when I discussed this with my neighbor, who lived in Austria for over 20 years, he was shocked. He said that if I don't visit Vienna, I haven't truly experienced Austria. I'd appreciate your feedback on this.

Since you brought up the idea of pruning your itinerary, I would choose Vienna over Prague: Stick with Bavaria and Austria for the heart of your trip, do spend a couple of nights each in Munich and Vienna (you could fly into one and out of the other), and instead of trekking to the Czech Republic, add Slovenia to this trip, a country that fully meets your desire for "more scenic" places...look up Lake Bled for an idea of what Slovenia offers...

You mentioned traveling independently offers more flexibility- yes it does regarding daily activities, but I would have all lodging booked in advance, because of the surge in travel post- covid. You will have a better chance of finding budget accomodation if you book well in advance. The spring and fall seasons are no longer shoulder season in term of less tourists.
Check also regarding sites that require advance timed entry.
Check local holidays also.
Join the country and city related Facebook groups, as they offer valuable on the ground, real time info.
Have a great trip!

If you skip Vienna, then you may regret. Salzburg has a small old town and can be finished in one day. The Alps are surrounding it, so you will get your mountain views.

Our hearts are set on experiencing easy hikes and witnessing the
majestic Alps, scenes reminiscent of those in novels and movies.

I was in Germany this past spring and found this site when I planned a couple of day hikes near Trier and Hiedelberg https://www.germany.travel/en/nature-outdoor-activities/hiking.html

To keep costs down and to meet your need to be able to cook for yourselves, I suggest you look into hostels. Just make sure that the hostels you pick have a kitchen for guest use.

I believe there are no “must see’s”. Every trip we take requires choices. You will only regret the places you chose not to see, if you allow someone to make you feel that way.

Vienna is nice but it is not a “must see” if you don’t have enough time or are not interested.