Central Europe Itinerary Help

I think this actually looks like a decent itinerary. No, you won’t be resting anywhere, and that is a lot of moving around, but it looks just doable and gets you around to see a lot of wonderful places.

Maybe I am being too optimistic though, we shall see what others say. I see the one-night stay in Hallstatt and think that’s fine — and if you want to see Hallstatt, that is probably the way to do it.

Quick Suggestions-
Cut a night in Munich and add a night to Salzburg- you need more than one day in Salzburg.

Forget about N'stein Castle- there's a lot of feedback here regarding that.

Check out which days and dates you are in specific places- often shops and restaurants [not sites] are closed on Sundays, especially in Austria. Check for holidays.

Most of your transitions between cities will take half a day. We used CK shuttle, instead of public transport, per RS' advice, to travel door-door between Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and Halstatt.

Vienna need three full days, so four nites, and you need to slow down a little.

Safe- and healthy- travels.

We did an overnight in Hallstatt and I was happy with that. Did the salt mines with the incredible overlook in the morning, explored the town and churches, and left on the train [via the ferry to the train station] around 5pm. Since we were in Hallstatt in early April, we did not have the crowds that many have reported. I think it's worth the visit.

I visited Cesky Krumlov between Prague and Vienna as your itinerary suggests. I spent 2 full nights there myself, and considered one day my vacation from my vacation - relaxing on my hotel balcony, wandering along the river, sitting in a piazza with a pizza, mulled wine and a book and getting laundry done.

Given your itinerary with 3 nights each in Vienna and Prague, I'm not sure I would take as much time in CK, unless I was arriving late one evening and leaving early after the 2nd night, effectively giving me one full day.

You might wish to evaluate how much time you want in CK and consider giving one night to either Prague or Vienna. If you'll be there just one full day, consider which day of the week is best. My first day was Sunday, where the town was lively with tour groups and I took the Baroque Castle tour, which I enjoyed very much. Monday, when the castle is normally closed and tour groups are fewer, was perfect for my quiet day.

We had a similar experience as CWsocial. We were in Central Europe last September. Our itinerary included 2 nights in Cesky Krumlov We started in Budapest>5N Vienna>5N CK>2n Prague>6N. We arrived in CK early afternoon. The next morning we scheduled a private tour with Karolina at Krumlov Tours. She met us at 0800 the next morning. We had the town to ourselves at the early hour. Her tour was focused "off the beaten path." Following her informative tour we toured the incredible Baroque Theater. CK is lovely if you can avoid the weekend crowds. We enjoyed the downtime between Vienna and Prague. Wonderful restaurants in CK.

You've got three big cities, one smaller city and three small towns. If your intention is really to see Germany, then see Germany. As it is, you are spending most of your time outside of Germany. Do you prefer cities or do you want time in villages/countryside/mountains? Do you want to avoid overrated tourist destinations like N'stein, Hallstatt and CK, which are completely saturated? While all of these small towns were lovely, they are completely overrun, lacking authenticity.

I'd definitely reduce my time in Munich, as I find that to be a pretty boring city. Mittenwald is a solid choice, but you are really only getting one day there. If you like to hike and explore mountains, then increase your time there. I'd also increase the number of nights in Salzburg as there is a lot to do there. It is completely unnecessary to spend a night in Hallstatt - a day trip from Salzburg is very doable. Personally, I prefer the Wolfgangsee area as a base. Vienna, 3 nights, ok, but it's kind of out of the way geographically. I'd skip Vienna. CK, ok, if you insist. Prague, ok, if you insist. Then I'd add Berlin.

I think if seeing Germany is the number one goal, it is worth considering subbing in Berlin rather than the Czech portion of your trip. You could fly into Berlin, head down to Munich and then swing over to Austria and fly home from Vienna.

What are your primary interests when travelling? Berlin really offers something for almost everyone, but I particularly appreciated it for history (WWII and Cold War in particular) as well as local vibes. It’s a big city that feels more lived in/real to me than Prague and even for the average tourist it’s really easy to discover cool neighbourhoods with interesting shops and bars and restaurants that don’t feel like they exist solely for the tourist trade.

Prague on the other hand is extremely beautiful, like a storybook, but also very touristy. It’s one of the most crowded places I’ve ever been and the restaurants and shops in the centre do feel totally geared toward tourists. Plenty of interesting history and art (I loved the Mucha museum) and architecture, but more of a theme park atmosphere IMO. It really depends on what appeals to you most and there’s no wrong answer, there are many things to appreciate about each place.

This is all wonderful feedback and a lot to think about. Thank you so much!!