14 Days Italy-Switzerland-Germany

1) Are we biting off too much for our first trip to Europe?

No, depending on how much time you have. The golden rule is "no one night stands", absolute minimum 2 nights in each location (that gives you a full day), better 3 nights as a minimum.

2) How much of an issue will language be? Neither of us speak Italian or German.

Not much, as long as you don't expect everybody to speak English. Europe is used to people all speaking different languages. They live with it, signs are pictures, people don't expect you to speak their language.They do expect you to speak clearly in simple phrases and no long words.
Most people learn English in school. Instead of forgetting it, they use it once it twice a year when they travel. A German speaking to an Italian would probably do it in bad school English, but they would understand each other.

3) Should we rent a car for part of the journey or go by train primarily. We're worried there's a lot we'll miss.

Cars no way. Lots of reasons:
a) Cars don't go with cities. City centres in Europe are designed for pedestrians, not cars. You cannot stop where and when you want. Parking is limited and you usually have to pay for it.
b) You need to learn a new set of traffic laws (one set of each country). If your country does not use "Vienna Convention" signs, you need to learn those.
c) Car travel is expensive, fuel + tolls + parking.
d) Renting in one country and returning the car in a different one is expensive. Somebody (paid employee) has to drive that Italian-registered car back from Germany.

What I would recommend:

Thin this down or add to it depending on budget and time available. 3-4 nights per location:

• Fly into Rome
  • 2nd Italian city, either Florence or Venice, or even both
• Switzerland, somewhere in Jungfrau region (Wengen, Mürren, Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald). See here: https://jungfrauregion.swiss/en/summer/
  • Possibly add 2 nights in Luzern.
• Munich. Do your Oktoberfest and fly out.
  • Possible add-ons after Munich: Vienna or Prague.

This is all easy by train. Start your train education by reading the "Man in Seat 61" website, here: https://www.seat61.com/Europe-train-travel.htm

How many nights do you have in Europe, not counting the night on the train? Your arrival day will be a partial one by the time you get settled into your hotel, and some people (I am one) are so befuddled from sleep-deprivation and jetlag that they accomplish nothing that day beyond staying awake and vertical. Maybe you will be luckier, but it's not a good idea to pre-pay for anything on your arrival day. Your departure day will be consumed with packing, having breakfast, checking out of the hotel, and getting to the airport 3 hours before scheduled departure. What this means is that if you have 13 nights in Europe, that's only 12 days and--if you're fortunate--some hours on the arrival day.

If that's the time you have, it's enough for Rome, a bit of Switzerland and Munich. I'd be very hesitant to add a fourth stop, because every time you change hotels, you lose time; a full day becomes a partial day, a "travel day". You can figure that will cost you at least half a day of sightseeing time, but it may be longer, depending on how long you're on a train and/or a bus.

In this case, your starting and ending points are already about 9 hours apart by train if you make no stops at all. The direct train route goes through such places as Florence (usually), Bologna, Verona, Bolzano and Innsbruck. (Obviously, flying should be considered if you weren't planning to see Switzerland along the way.) But you have probably noticed that none of those places is in Switzerland. Going to Switzerland rather than the Austrian Alps will mean taking a different, somewhat longer, route. How much additional train time that requires will depend on where you choose to stay in Switzerland. I think setting foot anywhere in Switzerland will likely cost you at least 3 hours extra on trains, but if you want to go up in the Berner Oberland or something like that, it will take longer.

You do have time for Switzerland; my point is that I don't know that you have time to add a second stop in Italy. And as for renting a car, that will be a lot slower than the Freccia trains between Rome and the Swiss border, and you don't really have much time to stop along the way if you want to fully enjoy Rome, Switzerland and Munich. Perhaps you could cut Munich to 3 nights (that would be just 2 days) and have a one-night stop somewhere along your rail journey north., but that would be giving Munich fairly short shrift if you plan to spend much time on Oktoberfest activities.

You can explore the train routes and travel times easily on the Deutsche Bahn website, but to find fares you'll need to look elsewhere. Other sources (the rail companies) will probably save a bit of money when it comes time to buy the tickets, but for research at this point, you can use trainline.com. Note what happens when you change the travel date from today or tomorrow to January or February. A lot of money can be saved if you get your itinerary pinned down way in advance and buy tickets shortly after they go on sale for your dates. However, the cheapest tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable, so you have to balance that risk against the possible savings.

Trains in Switzerland are expensive per mile; the engineering challenges are great. If you ultimately decide to do a good bit of traveling around Switzerland, it's possible that the half-fare card or some sort of pass might pay off for you, but that's not a decision you need to make anytime soon.

I know from earlier threads here that Munich hotels book up way in advance for the period of the Oktoberfest, and the rates climb and climb some more. I suggest booking something refundable as soon as you can if you know what date you'll be flying home from Munich. You could even do two bookings, one for 3 nights and one for 4 nights, then cancel the one you don't need as soon as you get your timing firmed up.

Too much? - maybe, only you know how fast you can/want to travel/what you want to see.
Langauge? - No problem.
Car? - No, for the reasons already given.

Mostly I love trains in Europe, but one suggestion I would add is that Zurich to Munich is less than an hour flight, compared to a long train trip (I have done it, once).

Maybe Rome (nights 1, 2, 3) to Florence (nights 4, 5, 6), Florence to Lugano Switzerland (near Como but in Switzerland) (night 7, 8), Lugano to Lucerne on the Panorama Express over the old Gotthard Pass twisty rail route and a steamer on the Lake off Lucerne (One heck of a scenic travel day) (night 9), Lucerne to Zurich (night 10). Zurich to Munich flight, Munich (nights 11, 12, 13) - Oktoberfest - Home.

Have fun.

In Apr, RSE has a new IT guidebook coming out. If you decide to go to Venice only, his Venice guide is available now. His CH book will be available in May. His Pocket Munich & Salzburg book won’t be updated until after you return, so you may want to purchase it now. You can download electronic versions from his app.
The best of IT is Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Siena and Rome.
You can fly nonstop from Chicago, New York and Philadelphia to Venice (www.Skyscanner.com).
You can fly nonstop from New York, Miami and San Francisco to Milan then take a 3h train to Monterosso (Cinque Terre) or Venice (www.bahn.com)..
You can fly nonstop from Boston, Oakland, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Washington DC, Detroit, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia to Rome. From Rome you can take a 2h train to Florence and sleep there and visit Siena as a day trip that requires a 1h bus ride.
The best of CH is Gimmelwald and the Berner Oberland plus Bern. It’s best to take a train to Bern then a train to Gimmelwald to see the Berner Oberland that requires three transfers taking 2h.
Trains from Florence to Bern takes 5.5h.
From Venice to Bern 6h.
Monterosso and Rome 6.5h.
To get from Bern to Munich you must transfer once taking 5h.
In Munich consider taking a 15m train to Dachau for a half day. You should also visit Salzburg for a day that is 2h by train.
You can fly nonstop from Munich to Chicago, New York Washington DC, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Detroit, Houston and Seattle.

1. Are we biting off too much for our first trip to Europe? No - as others have stated, time, money, pace and what you want to see and do are all relevant. I would say that we find Italy to be a very different vibe from Germany / Switzerland (Austria is a good add to these two) Also consider where/when/if you will return - as it will impact your plan, places to skip and how long to stay. As others, have mentioned - try to eliminate "one night" stops - we find 3 or 4 nights best in the same base city has worked well.
2. How much of an issue will language be? Neither of us speak Italian or German. Not likely - We've travelled to both countries and have had little issue. Most Europeans speak at least some English. Especially true in tourist areas and larger cities. If you go off the beaten bath, you may find pointing, symbols, etc helpful - and use translate features on your smartphone as needed.
   
3. Should we rent a car for part of the journey or go by train primarily. We're worried there's a lot we'll miss. Toss up - We've rented cars in both Germany and Italy, but have also used trains extensively. Again, where you go, what you want to see will make the difference. Cities, no need - but driving out of Rome north into Tuscany could be a real treat if you are making stops along the way. The Tuscan hills in early fall will be beautiful, try to slow down a little to experience "la dolce vita" and a second glass of wine. Perhaps drop the car off outside Florence (driving in Florence is very limited.) I would definitely take the train in the Alps to sit-back and enjoy the ride (consider the Bernina Express is stopping near Milan or Como). The trains themselves can be a great experience for first time travelers.

A word on Oktobefest, look into tent reservations early, consider week days over weekends due to crowds, and confirm your transportation (don't drive) back to your hotel after a couple of big beers!

Hoping you have a great trip

One more thought... Not sure if you're a city, suburban or country couple but starting in Rome can be overwhelming for some - especially first time travelers . Rick even references "bella chaos" in his shows. We've found Germany very easy for Americans, perhaps consider working north to south.

Oktoberfest 2020 in Munich -- September 19 to October 4. People are booking / have booked rooms already. NO car for Munich ! German public transportation is very efficient.