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[Need Help]Germany > Switzerland > Prague

Dear All,

My husband and I in our 30's had book a direct flight from Singapore to Berlin (12 hrs flight), we chose to fly to Berlin because it's direct flight and cheaper by half. Transfer flight may take up to 20 hrs and double the price.

Here is what we plan. We plan to use Munich as a base to Zugspitez because if the weather at the peak is not clear and good, we will walk around Munich, Munich gives us more alternatives if we can't make it to zugspitez due to bad weather.

For Zurich we will use it as a transfer to Lucerne as we prefer to explore smaller town.

Here's the entire plan, I truly appreciate all of your comments and suggestions on whether this is workable? Thanks!

Day 1 - Stop over at Nuremberg
Arriving Berlin : 7 A.M
Since it's the first day we don't plan to do any sight seeing.
Travel from Berlin to Nuremberg - Train 3.5 hrs
Probably walk around handcraft market at Nuremberg near our hotel and have dinner near by.

Day 2 - Main Attraction Rothenburg
Nuremberg to Rothenburg - Train 1 hr 15 min
Spend 9 am to 5 pm at Rothenburg
6 pm Train to Munich - Train 3 hrs
Check in hotel at Munich

Day 3 - Main Attraction Zugzspite
8 A.M leave Munich to Garmisch - Train 1 hr 22 min
Spend 10 am to 5pm sight seeing there
5 pm depart Garmisch back to Munich - Train 1 hr 22 min
* no changing of hotel

Day 4 - Main Attraction Neuschwanstein Castle
7 A.M leave Munich to Fussen - Train 2 hr
followed by a 10 min bus 73
10A.M to 5PM at the Castle and Fussen
5 PM Leave Fussen back to Munich
* no changing of hotel

Day 5 - Munich to Zurich
Leave munich in the morning - IC BUS 4hrs
Reach Zurich by Noon, have lunch there and take a 45 min train to Lucerne - Train 45 min
* Check in hotel at Lucerne

Day 6 - Lucerne
Full day at lucerne (Lake / Mt Rigi)
- no changing of hotel

Day 7 - Lucerne
Full day at lucerne (old town exploring)
- no changing of hotel

Day 8 - Lucerne > Zurich > Munich
After breakfast at Lucerne, Leave for Zurich - Train 45 min
Have Lunch at Zurich and do some shopping
4 P.M bus back to Munich - IC Bus 4 Hr
Travel back to Munich

Day 9 - Munich > Prague
tea time at Prague

Day 10 - Prague
Full day Prague

Day 11 - Prague
Full Day Prague

Day 12 - Prague
Half day at Prague
Evening 7 P.M Flight home

Posted by
19659 posts

Is this on Scoot Airlines? That is the only airline with nonstops Singapore to Berlin and prices are sweet. I see return flights are from Berlin at 9:40 am, but you say flying home from Prague in the evening. Assume you may actually take a train to Berlin and spend the night.

Posted by
8889 posts

Day 8/9 Luzern->Zürich->Munich->Prague
Looks like you are taking 2 days to do this leg, with an overnight in Munich which you will have already visited.
There are two alternatives:

1) Night train Zürich to Prague, leaving Zürich HB at 21:40 and arriving at Prague Hlavni at 10:57 next morning.
See here: https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Switzerland.htm#Switzerland-Prague
Some people can sleep on night trains, some can't.

2) Fly Zürich to Prague. Both Swiss and Vueling Fly Zürich to Prague. Vueling is a cut-price airline.

Posted by
6591 posts

Right after a 12-hr. flight to Berlin, do you really wish to get on a train for another 4 hours? You don't really have time to see anything in Nuremberg, as you seem to understand if your only stop is the Handwerkerhof.

IMO there is too much backtracking in your itinerary and too much ground travel. I would look into a flight from Berlin to Zurich on Easyjet or other airline on the morning of Day 2 (or possibly on Day 1 if you really want to go somewhere else that same day.)

Day 1: Berlin (1 night)
Days 2-4: Luzern (3 nights)
Day 5: Luzern - Zurich - Munich (3 nights)
Day 6: Day trip to N'stein
Day 7: Day trip to the Zugspitze
Day 8: Train to Nuremberg (2 nights) - drop bags at hotel or station locker, train to Rothenburg; return train to Nuremberg (last trains at 20:06, 20:31, 22:06) Alternatively, do the wise thing and just skip Rothenburg - there is plenty to see and do and a lot of great old-world atmosphere right in Nuremberg!!

Nuremberg's old town
Imperial Castle
Rock-cut Cellars (Felsengänge)
Nuremberg pubs
Other sights
Museums

Days 9-12: IC bus to Prague (3 nights as before)

I do not think your day trips out of Munich are especially worthwhile. N'stein involves a whole day and the tour takes only 30 minutes - I suggest you don't even go there unless you stay overnight in the area for other things. And after the Swiss Alps, do you really need to see the Zugspitze as well? I would recommend instead that you visit some places in Munich or closer by - your time there is almost nil. Suggestions for replacing N'stein...

Herrenchiemsee (also a King Ludwig II palace) in Prien (one hour from Munich) - take a boat ride to its island location in Lake Chiemsee.

Nymphenburg Palace - right in Munich: a LOT to see there: https://www.nuernbergluftbild.de/images/luftbild/K06050311d.jpg

Posted by
32523 posts

When's the trip? Are we looking at a winter or summer trip?

Posted by
7595 posts

Agree with Russ, too much backtracking.

Also, aren't you visiting Berlin. You have a stop in Nuernburg, but don't really plan to see the city.

You can visit Rothenburg on the Tauber from Munich and also see the Romantic Road.
Lucerne is a beautiful city, did you consider Interlakken, it is amazing.
Lots of days at Prague. I loved Prague, but you don't need four nights there.

Posted by
32523 posts

I'm a little confused, too.

For early April it is the wrong time for the mountains. Most of the snow will be gone, certainly nowhere near enough to do any snow based activities (then again with the politicians we have at the moment nobody knows what the weather will do - we have really mucked about with the atmosphere unfortunately) and the fields and meadows will be covered in mud and slush and water so far too early to get out on your legs in the mountains. And as soon as most of the snow is gone is when the farmers take the manure they have been saving up all winter and spray it on the grazing areas as fertilizer, which means you may remember the trip for its aroma.

In the off season, when weather may not be perfect and days aren't really long, cities and big towns can show off their specialities - architecture, museums, churches, beautiful streets to their best advantage, yet except Prague where you will be for a really long time, you are passing through some absolutely fabulous places - Munich, Nuremberg, Berlin and cities in Switzerland like Basel, Bern and Murten - without stopping to even glance at them.

It is your vacation not mine but that's not how I would do it.

Is this your first trip to Europe, or are you returning to some favourites?

Posted by
9 posts

Thanks for your reply. This is my first trip to Europe. End of March, 31 March to b exact will there still be snow at Zugspitze? I had never experience snow. I’m going to Zugspitze because it’s cheaper then swiss apls Thanks

Posted by
8889 posts

31st March is the end of the ski season, plenty of snow if you go high enough. There are 3 glaciers on Zugspitze, so there is snow there year round.
Some of the high mountain passes over the Alps will still be blocked by snow. They only get cleared in May and close again in November.

Posted by
19659 posts

The Zugspitze website is indicating that there is tobogganing today on natural snow and it is September, so I don't think you will have any trouble finding snow in early April.

Posted by
9 posts

Dear Nigel,
I woundn’t be returning to Europe any time soon, or maybe Europe will be once in a life time trip, thanks