Bavaria, London and Italy- itinerary help!

It's possible to connect those places but three nights and two full days in each big city does not leave much time for side trips to smaller towns. Yes, you can use one of your two Munich days to daytrip to Neuschwanstein and surroundings, possible by bus tour, by train, or by renting a car for a day. If Florence is too city-ish, maybe you'd prefer to stay in Siena.

Daytime trains from Florence to Munich take 8 hours and 1 connection, or there's a direct overnight train with a 4-bunk compartment; see www.nightjet.com.

I wish I could say that is impossible, but that would be a lie. I will instead say that I urge you not to do it, because it is ill-advised and gives short shrift to all three countries.

Have you already purchased your multi-city ticket to Europe, into London and out of Munich? If so, London and Germany is what I would do, but I'd extend the London time if this is your first tirp there (is it?).

If you haven't bought your tickets, I'd encourage you spend all your time in England or perhaps England/Wales or England/Scotland. Four nights in London (with your first day devoted to fighting off jetlag and sleep-deprivation after the overnight flight) is n-o-t-h-i-n-g. I was in London for 10 nights last September, and I didn't even go inside about half the museums I expected to visit.

Please clarify the situation with your flight tickets so we don't wander off, proposing itineraries that clash with tickets already in your hands.

I agree you could do it if that's what you want to do, but you would spend a great deal of time in transit and really only get a small taste of each place. With 2 weeks you probably really only have 12 days on the ground one of which will be spent getting over jet lag. Your teens will have more energy than most on this board, but remember you will still most likely spend a day feeling jet lagged. I think you should whittle it down to 2 countries at most with that limited time. You will enjoy the places you visit much more. If it were me I would spend time in London then fly to Germany and spend the remaining time in Southern Germany.

This isn't my first time in London and we are ok with not seeing everything this trip. We are wanting to hit the highlights of London so plan on doing Seine river cruise, seeing Big Ben, parliament and London eye, touring Buckingham palace and seeing the changing of the guards. I was there for 2 days and crammed all that in and then some (high tea, British museum, etc)- our daughter will be studying abroad in a year or so so we know we will be going back- this is a trip to hit some of the highlights. Having said that, our daughter also really wants to go to Italy (she's excited about the beach and hiking in cinque Terre- it's a bucket lister for me!!) but none of us have ever been to Germany so I might can convince her to do Italy when she studies abroad. My son really wants to see the castle so that's why I was trying to cram it all in the 2 week period. I wasn't going to use trains except for getting around Germany and was planning to fly into Pisa and from Florence to Munich. The flights look short enough and was hoping to hit the ground by lunch time in our new destination on travel days. Should we shave a day off of Italy (2 nights Florence, 2 in cinque Terre) and add another night to Germany or just do Southern Germany/Austria? I LOVE Italy and don't want to skip it but will consider it if we absolutely MUST. I think Southern Germany looks very quaint. Ive read about Rothenberg, Bamberg, Lindau, and Garmisch Partenkirchen (combined with a day trip to see Neuschwanstein castle) and of course Fussen. Please advise on possible itinerary for including Italy or excluding Italy and doing London/Southern Germany. I haven't purchased flights yet but am planning on flying into London and out of Munich. I would also love ideas on where to base in Bavaria for the time we are there (Fussen??) and appreciate help/suggestions on getting train passes. If we need a car, please advise on that too. IF we stay based in Germany (no Italy) I'd also like to do a day trip to Austria.

Do you and/or your son know that Neuschwanstein is not a true "castle" and is more of a palace? There is not a lot to see on the interior tour because they take you to minimal rooms and Ludwig did not live there very long. I don't want to discourage you if you know what you are going to see, but I don't want you to make that a choice destination and be disappointed when you get there.

Hi there- yes, i read it was built in the late 1800’s but after discussing with my daughter- she isn’t willing to forgo Italy so we may skip Bavaria and just focus on London and Italy. Thanks all!

London and Italy will be a better trip than the three country trip you originally projected.

(Sure hope you will not be disappointed with the Thames River cruise; either way its H2O and a boat)

For a two week trip, I suggest eliminating a country, If you haven't been to Bavaria, I suggest going there. Spend2-3 days in Munich, then down to Garmisch, take in Oberamergau, Fussen, the castles and go up the Zugspitze. You need 2-3 days there. Then head over to Salzburg, Austria and Berchtesgaden, Germany for a couple of days.

Would really love to see all 3 places and experience the different cultures... i read it was built in the late 1800’s but after
discussing with my daughter- she isn’t willing to forgo Italy so we
may skip Bavaria and just focus on London and Italy.

Here's how you began...

4 nights London, fly to Pisa
2 nights Cinque Terre
3 nights Florence

That leaves 5 more nights. If you skip Bavaria/Germany altogether, will you spend those 5 in Italy again? I see no reason to drop Germany altogether just because Neuschwanstein is a tourist trap. If you really want a glimpse of German culture, it's very easy to get there from Pisa (Ryanair.) Bavaria is nice, but huge, and generally more modern than you think - focus instead on a smaller area like the Rhine/Mosel region, where there are genuine medieval castles, and where the half-timbered wine towns and villages have stood for hundreds of years, for maybe 4 nights:

Cochem (Mosel)
Burg Eltz Castle
Bacharach
Marksburg
Rhine River cruise
Chairlift to the Rhine River clifftops in Boppard

Rick Steves on the Mosel
Rick Steves on the Rhine
Rick Steves on the Rhine/Mosel castles

You can fly Ryanair from Pisa to Frankfurt Hahn airport directly in 1.5 hours to visit this area. This is a small airport, one I've used many times - very easy in and out with shuttle buses to nearby towns like Bullay, Cochem, Mainz and others. Fares in late June are currently between €20 and €70 depending on your flight date. Then you can fly home out of Frankfurt International (easily reached by train from any of the Rhine towns.)

Hi jcole77,

If you want to see all 3 places, then it is possible. Pack light :)

But if I would cut something out of your itinerary, I would cut London: you have been already and it is a very easy city to fly into. You will be back.

In Cinque Terre, my favorite village is Manarola. Second is Vernazza. Get your reservations as soon as possible so that you are not stuck in La Spezia with the cruise ships. When you fly into Pisa from London, take an early flight, so the day is not wasted. Pisa is very close to Lucca, a fun small town with a wall turned into a bicycle path.

If you are not renting a car in Tuscany, then staying in Florence or Siena makes senses.

There is a direct overnight train from Milan to Munich if your teens are sound sleepers and like a bit of adventure. It could be an option to save time. I would recommend getting a sleeping car with 3 beds if you go that option. It leaves Milan at 20:40 and arrives in Munich at 8:19am.
https://www.nightjet.com/en/

We did it once with our daughter. We left lake Como (Varenna, one hour from Milan) and needed to go to Salzburg (and the very beautiful area of the Salzkammergut, St Gilgen, Hallstatt)

Mike bike's tour offers tours to the Neuschwanstein castle from Munich, if you don't want to spend the night in Füssen. Mittenwald is also very pretty.