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3 weeks in Germany, Austria, Italy, France - critique please

Posted by (Sydney, Australia) on

Hello fellow travellers, we are an Australian family of 4 (incl. children aged 9 and 12) and we’re visiting Austria, Germany and France in late September - early October. We love picturesque towns, hiking, swimming, museums and an occasional child-focused activity like an amusement park. A few years ago we went to Germany (Heidelberg and Gengenbach), Switzerland (Wengen) and Italy and loved our experience. It was a perfect mix of history, beautiful towns, nature, touristy and less touristy activities.

This is my second post here; based on the feedback on our earlier itinerary, we changed a few things around. Here’s what our current plan is:

Flying into Paris and taking a night train to Salzburg
Days 1-2-3 Salzburg and maybe day trip to e.g. Berchtesgaden
Days 4-5-6 Salzkammergut area - Bad Ischl or St Gilgen with day trips to the lakes, ice cave, Hallstatt
Days 7-8-9 Innsbruck and day trips to neighbouring towns and nature areas and mountains
Days 10-11 Dolomites - Cortina D’Amprezzo
Days 12-13 Dolomites - Ortisei
Day 14 Drive to Innsbruck, train to Munich
Day 15 Munich
Day 16 Munich, train to Strasbourg
Days 16-17-18-19-20 Strasbourg and surrounds - Colmar, Europa Park (my sister lives in Strasbourg so that’s why we’re spending quite a lot of time here)
Days 21-22-23 Paris
We are thinking of hiring a car on Days 4-14 and then again in Strasbourg.

My questions are:
Would you change anything about this? Are we spending too long or too little in any of the areas? E.g. would you spend less time in Austria in more in Germany? Maybe Mittenwald / Garmisch-Partenkirschen?
Are 2 days in two Dolomites locations enough time? Or would 3 days in one area makes more sense?

Thank you so much, again!

Posted by
9318 posts

Why would you fly into Paris if you want to go to Salzburg 1st? Fly into Munich and out of Paris.

Posted by
74 posts

Berchtesgarten is fascinating, but maybe not ideal for 9 and 12 y/os.
The Red Bull museum hangar at Salzburg airport is great for F1 and bike fans.

Posted by
7206 posts

...we changed a few things around.

Yes, you say you might visit Berchtesgaden. But otherwise, Germany serves as...

1) ...a place to zoom through at night on Day 1 and...

2) a place (Munich) for a one-day of sightseeing on the long journey from Ortisei to Strasbourg, France.

I'd consider replacing some of the time you had allocated for Germany in your previous itinerary. There are many nice options between Innsbruck and Strasbourg which migh offer up the "perfect mix of history, beautiful towns, nature, touristy and less touristy activities" that you seem to have in mind.

Mittenwald seems a good candidate and might be a good place to add - or to use as an alternative to big-city Munich. After dropping the car, the train ride from Innsbruck to Mittenwald takes only 57 minutes. And there's much more nearby. Linderhof Palace. Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Fraundorfer Inn in G-P. The Zugspitze. Oberammergau. Highline 179.

Posted by
37 posts

That sounds like a well-planned, really fun trip! Your children might enjoy a salt mine tour in the Salzburg/Berchtesgaden area. Time in the mountains hiking or other activities might be fun for them as well.

Posted by
1610 posts

bondi_zen,
Just one caveat. If you rent a car in Italy (Ortesei) and return it in Austria, you will incur a very hefty drop-off fee (500-1000 euros), Perhaps it would be best to rent the car in Austria, drive to the Dolomites, and return it in Austria, making sure the rental company will allow you to drive into and out of another country.
As to your itinerary, it has been quite a while since I have been in that area, so I can't comment, except to say I loved Munich and feel it should have more time. There are several things that would interest your kid: Deutsches Museum (science and technology), Marienplatz (glockenspiel), viktualen market, dinner at a beer hall (table-sharing, music, good sausages), the Residenz (art, jewels, very posh), Dachau (no, they are not too young...ours were 9 and 12 when they saw it...impressed and thoughtful, not traumatized).
I also love Vienna, and hope you can find time to visit. Glad you are seeing Salzburg.
I am guessing your flights are to and from Paris because of the distance of your journey and the options you have for the long-haul flights. It would be nice if you could spend a couple more days there than you have planned. But, c'est la vie! Bonne chance et bon voyage!

Posted by
21555 posts

Sounds to me like the OP will rent the car in Salzburg and drop it in Innsbruck, both of which are in Austria, so no problem there.

Are 2 days in two Dolomites locations enough time? Or would 3 days in one area makes more sense?

Skip Cortina as it will have construction for the upcoming Winter Olympics. Ortisei would be great for 3 days.

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