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Advice Needed on Open Itinerary in July!

Hello fellow travelers!

My husband and I (we're both 33) have decided to do a two-ish week trip to Europe this July but our list of cities is too long. We have two loops on our list, using Munich as the hub (not particularly interested in Munich, but flights are considerably cheaper and it is central between our two loops) and we need help deciding!

Loop One: Munich --> Salzburg --> Vienna --> Budapest --> Ljubljana --> Lake Bled --> Munich (potentially cut Budapest or Slovenia if this loop is too ambitious)

Loop Two: Munich --> Salzburg --> Lake Bled --> Ljubljana --> Bern --> Lucerne --> Munich (again, potentially cutting Slovenia)

A little bit about us:
- We've been to England, Italy, France, Spain, Czech Republic, and Croatia with 24 hour layovers in Copenhagen and Lisbon over the last ten years and have loved it all.
- We do like churches and museums, but, as we've been to some pretty amazing ones, are a bit spoiled (read: snobby?) and probably don't want to spend a ton of time doing that.
- We love wine, beer, food, cafe culture, and tasting tours and try to soak up the local culture as much as we can.
- We're both history nerds! I'm a history teacher and always really love learning about the history of the places we've been.
- We also love nature and outdoor activities--we hiked in Cinque Terre and Lake Como in Italy, Montserrat in Spain, and Plitvice in Croatia and also love spending time at the beach (no coast this time, so we're thinking lake time).
- We have done train travel and rented a car and have enjoyed the pros and cons of both, so aren't married to one option over another.

Any suggestions would be extremely welcome! I know travel is a personal thing, but I always enjoy getting the perspective of others on what they've enjoyed and what they recommend.

Thanks in advance--looking forward to hearing from you!

Posted by
14915 posts

Hi,

I vote for Loop One. Both are good. Historically, I like Loop One better. Ljubljana is the former Laibach, ie, the Congress of Laibach hosted by Metternich. Going there you'll see a historical site.

Posted by
19998 posts

It’s a pretty good train trip till you decide to visit Slovenia. Then it gets difficult.

Day 1 Depart

Day 2 Arrive Munich

Day 3 Munich

Day 4 --> Morning Salzburg <2 hour train ride.

Day 5 Salzburg

Day 6 --> Morning Vienna <3 hour train ride

Day 7 Vienna

Day 8 Vienna

Day 9 --> Afternoon Budapest <3 hour train ride

Day 10 Budapest

Day 11 Budapest

Day 12 Budapest

Day 13 --> Munich Morning <1.5-hour flight for $150 to $200. You might want to check the prices on an open jaw out of Budapest.

Day 14 --> Home

Ljubljana is a 10-hour train ride from Budapest and I don’t believe there are any flights. The train actually goes through Vienna so its sort of like going backward. With 18 days I might attempt it.

If you still have a few more days, add a day to Vienna to visit Melk and Wachau Valley. Still got a day? Stop for a night in Gyor on the way to Budapest. Its almost exactly halfway between Vienna and Budapest and has a great town center and the amazing Archabbey nearby at Pannonhalma.

Posted by
6113 posts

How many days will you have on the ground in Europe? If you have 15 days/14 nights, presumably the first and last will be travel days and Munich will be your second and penultimate days, so that leaves you with 11 free days? With that amount of time, I would suggest 3 cities would be a busy itinerary, allowing half a day for travel between each place.

My personal favourites are Budapest (spent a week there and didn’t run out of things to do) and Slovenia, but what I like may not accord with your interests.

Posted by
7 posts

Thanks for the advice so far! So, it sounds like everyone is leaning toward Loop 1, which I think I was too.
I appreciate the calendar of dates--whenever I plan, I always feel like I can fit in more than I actually have time for, until you actually plan it out.

So, at this point, I guess I'm still just looking for opinions on which cities people like best and why: Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, or Ljubljana/Lake Bled? We don't mind having a long travel day or two if the city is worth it!
In terms of timeline, we're still pretty flexible (we're teachers) so it will really come down budget--we can usually swing somewhere between 2 and 2 1/2 weeks, depending on hotel costs.
Thanks again!

Posted by
7150 posts

I vote for loop 1 mostly for Vienna and Budapest. I hope you have a full two weeks to give your destinations the time they deserve.

Posted by
19998 posts

For cost control Budapest will be the least expensive of the group I suggested above. If you have a few extra days, and you want some sun and fun, no place in central Europe fits the requirement better than Lake Balaton. Train down in the morning, train back late the next day. For accommodations in Budapest nothing beats short term apartment rentals. I would even splurge and keep it the night you spend in Balaton so you can leave the heavy stuff behind and just carry enough for overnight. You need at least 3 full days in Budapest (4 is much better) and just place Balaton in the center of those of the Budapest days. Now you have your 2.5 weeks balanced between more expensive Western, and cheaper Central Europe; with cheap train rides and very little time wasted on long connections.

Posted by
7 posts

Thanks so much! How does this look?

Day 1 and 2: Fly to and arrive in Munich
Day 3: Munich
Day 4: Train to Salzburg
Days 5 and 6: Salzburg
Day 7: Drive to Hallstatt
Day 8: Hallstatt
Day 9: Drive to Vienna
Days 10-12: Vienna (possible day trip to Bratislava)
Day 13: Train to Budapest
Days 14-16: Budapest (possible day trip to Lake Balaton)
Day 17: Fly Home from Budapest

Anywhere I should add or cut? Appreciate the feedback!

Posted by
19998 posts

Ive never been to Bratislava, but I have never met anyone that said they were happy they gave up a day in Vienna or Budapest to see Bratislava.

Unless the beach is a must, I wouldn't sacrifice a day away from Budapest for a hurried trip to Balaton, unless you add another day to Budapest. How about you spend a day at the outdoor pools of one of the great Budapest bath houses. Not exactly a beach but an excellent cultural experience, warm and wet!

Posted by
8312 posts

Munich should be a priority stop for relatively young Bohemians. There is so much there to see--worthy of a 4 day stop. Prague, Vienna and Budapest are other cities we love.
Our favorite "new city" is Budapest as it is ultra lively, inexpensive and the food is good for American palates.
We also enjoy Bratislava as a good small city where you can recharge one's batteries after partying hard in Vienna, Munich or Budapest.
To add Slovenia to your itinerary might make your trip a blur and push you over the top.

Posted by
7 posts

Thanks all--we just booked our flights today and are going with Munich, Salzburg, Hallstatt, Vienna, and Budapest. We appreciate all the feedback from you and are looking forward to a fun trip! <3