After listening to you guys and thinking about the possibilities (and doing some research), does this look like a better itinerary to combine cities/culture and landscapes, traveling exclusively by train? Trying to keep it to under 3 weeks as hubby has limited vacation time.
Berlin – 4 nights
Munich – 4 nights
Salzburg - 3 nights
Innsbruck -- 2 nights
Venice – 3 nights
You are particularly short changing Berlin and Venice, so I would suggest that you drop Innsbruck and add a night to each destination.
Does everything you want to see/do in those cities fit into the time allocated? That's really the best way to tell if you'll have enough time to not feel rushed or shortchanged. Those 16 nights are well under 3 weeks, so you could add an extra night to Venice and Berlin.
The thing about any itinerary is you can always spend more nights anywhere. It is really up to you what you want to see and what is your pace. Itineraries are very subjective to one's taste. For example, 4 nights in Munich I think is fine. Other people could spend 8 nights. Same with all your locations. Just be sure you have a list of things you want to see and do and judge time accordingly.
Dropping Venice makes more sense. Fly into Berlin, fly out of Munich.
I already answered some on your other posts ... particularly Berlin.
What I don't understand -- people's fascination with Munich. I've been there but it wasn't particularly unique. However, if you place yourself in a smaller Bavarian town like Nuremberg or Regensburg you can travel to other areas and see something beyond a big city. (if you are interested in renting a car). And really, Munich-Salzburg-Innsbruck gives you 9 nights in a relatively compact area.
But Innsbruck might give you a nice resting place before your trip to Venice. But I am wondering --- which city on your list has the best connections to Venice?
This updated plans are very doable, certainly for me, as I would use the night train option Berlin to Munich to stretch out another travel day. Stick with the Berlin part of the trip, as long as you appear to have 3 full days earmarked for Berlin.
Your itinerary is fine. Your previous one was fine as well. Its your trip, do what you want.
I added two hours on to each train ride for Hotel check out to hotel check in.
July 1 Leave the US
July 2 arrive Berlin 2 hours plus flight
July 3 in Berlin
July 4 in Berlin
July 5 in Berlin
July 6 6 hour trip to Munich, in Munich
July 7 in Munich
July 8 in Munich
July 9 in Munich
July 10 5 hour trip to Salzburg
July 11 in Salzburg
July 12 in Salzburg
July 13 4 hour trip to Innsbruck
July 14 in Innsbruck
July 15 8 hour trip to Venice
July 16 in Venice
July 17 in Venice
July 18 go home 2 hours plus flight
27 hours of Hotel to Hotel and Airport to Hotel and Hotel to Airport + maybe 28 hours of flight time and then the to and from the airport at each end … So maybe front door to front door its maybe 60 hours of travel out of 250 to 300 wake hours in 18 days……….. not bad. If any of it other than Salzburg interested me, I would do it I guess.
And you will have the Romance of the Train Rides
But as @Sam said above...............
I got curious so i went back and looked and I like this one better:
Boston - Berlin (3 nights) [ I am not a big fan of Berlin so that
works fine for me] Berlin to Munich (3 nights - renting a car one day
to see where my husband's family came from) [ makes good sense ]
Munich to Salzburg (2 or 3 nights -- maybe doing a day trip to Vienna
if we stay 3 nights; hoping to hear some music) [ I would do two
nights and then use the time in Rome ] Salzburg to Venice (2 nights)
[ I am not a big fan of Venice either. Too Disney like, but you gotta see it and 2 nights will do that ] Venice to Florence (3
nights) [ that day you saved would be well spent in either Rome or
Florence] Florence to Rome (3 nights) Rome - Boston
But its sort of like you are marching across Austria to get where you really want to be. If that's the case, then visit the family outside Munich and hop a discount carrier out of Munich to Italy.
Time of year makes a difference. Germany is cold by mid-October. Venice is great in late October but hot earlier. I know people who visit Venice with the crowds of summer and are very disappointed. I was there the last week or so of October and it was magic.
Berlin is fine. Bear in mind you will be jetlagged and may not get a lot out of your first day. Berlin is also out of the way from the rest of Germany. If it's important for seeing some family history, that's a priority for your trip.
Munich. I'd suggest three full days there plus another in Salzburg. Salzburg is a quick and easy train ride from Munich. It's a beautiful city, one of my favorites, but it's a small walkable town that can be explored in one full day (a second day is nice but not absolutely necessary). Essentially travel day into Munich stay, tour day, stay, tour day, stay, tour day, stay (unless you are ready to move on then add an afternoon train to Salzburg and stay there), early train to Salzburg, tour day, stay, maybe a second tour day, then move on the next morning.
Innsbruck isn't really a place you need to stop unless it's a ski vacation.
I did similar going from Munich/Salzburg to Venice with a leased car. We stopped in Hall in Tyrol for a lunch and look around, then again in Verona for two nights before continuing to Venice. I'd suggest Verona as a much more interesting stop than Innsbruck. Another option, with a car, is a drive through the Dolomites on the way to Venice.
I took a car into Venice. if I did it again, I'd change to parking somewhere on the mainland (not the closest train stop) and train into Venice. That would have saved me both time and money. If you are going mostly by train, that won't matter.
According to me you should drop Innsbruck and add a night to each destination.
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Looks fine to me. We did the train from Venice to Munich. Very nice ride
I'm very familiar with all these cities, and they each have their own charms.
We were in Berlin and Dresden in October, 2021. I was somewhat disappointed in Berlin and the museums on Museum Island were just not that good. It's a very young person city and we found more Vietnamese restaurants than German restaurants. I doubt we'll return.
We took a 2 hour train to Dresden where we spent 2 nights. It was an incredibly beautiful city with great museums and Saxony is a region we'll return to.
It's been awhile since we've been to Munich, however we truly love authentic beer halls and the city. Munich also has great palaces and museums and there are so many sites to see there. It's a 4 night city.
Salzburg is just a 2 hour train ride from Munich, and it's a very popular tourist destination. Every local you'll meet is just so friendly. It's just a 2 night stay for us.
I went to college in Innsbruck many years ago, so it's like a second home for me. What we're into is the incredible mountain scenery there. We like to go up into the mountains with a rental car and go from village to village. It's the gateway into Italy through the Brenner Pass--by train or car.
We were in Venice 3 weeks ago, and it was probably my 10th visit. Cruise ships are stopping in other area cities now, but Venice is still packed with tourists. But it's a 3 night city that's just too important to miss.
Given the time you have to travel, I would prefer to take this itinerary: Vienna-Salzburg-Munich-Innsbruck-Venice. If Berlin is a must, Berlin-Dresden-Prague-Vienna is a great trip to great cities.
Count me in the Berlin is awesome crowd... 54 nights since 2016... still have things I want to do.
And Vietnamese coffee is a nice way to end every night there 🙂.
As an aside, I agree that the Museum Island museums are real yawners.
