Itinerary Help

A VERY aggressive itinerary, with no room for error or bad weather, but technically doable. However I think you will spend a lot of time getting from place to place compared to actually experiencing the cities you are travelling to in some cases. Spend some time on the appropriate websites of the various train lines to see how many hours each of these moves will take ( then add at least a couple extra hours to each trip to include getting to/from hotels) How much daytime is left for sightseeing?. Rome2rio is a good jumping off point. You may want to eliminate a few of your longer train trips.

What are you interested in in Vaduz? I'd skip that, and the three nights in Zurich, and spend them all in Luzern, if outdoors is what you want to do. Its worth more than a day trip, as you cant get up on the mountains on a day trip. And its backtracking to go back to Zurich. Zurich is OK, but just not as interesting.

Would you consider skipping both Zurich and Bern and spend that time in the Berner Oberland [Interlaken, Lautrebruben, Wengen, and/or Murren?] The beauty of the Alps is undeniable, and your trip is somewhat city-heavy. If you had a day of bad weather, actually, you could day trip to Bern from the BO.

In any case, have a great trip!

Ljubljana is lovely, but I wouldn't travel there from Vienna for just one night when your next stop is Innsbruck. Vienna-Innsbruck takes just over 4 hours by train. Vienna-Ljubljana-Innsbruck takes more than 12 hours. In exchange for those extra 8 hours, you'd have only a few hours in Ljubljana by the time you got settled at your hotel.

I don't know whether money is a concern, but Swiss trains are very expensive. I don't know whether you'll be using them enough to justify purchase of the half-fare card or rail card, but it's worth considering.

Oooooh, I absolutely love "aggressive" itineraries! Only YOU know if you can "handle" it. :)

I'm curious why not more time in Ljubjana? Personally I wouldn't invest so much time in Switzerland when the rest of Europe is at your fingertips!!!

If I were going from Vienna to Ljubljana , quite conceivably, I would take the night train (EN) even though it is not a direct shot but requires transfer a midnight in Salzburg Hbf., which is a very nice station and one I am quite familiar with. Still taking a night train that is a direct shot is the best arriving at the destination after 6 am.

If the three of you are not adverse to the night train option, that might be your route. I do this route solo so no problem in that regard.

Wow, what can I say. I am so impressed with the suggestions so far on my first post!

I just want to address some of the previous comments.

It IS a very aggressive itinerary; even more than I have done before. Either way, I'd be able to handle the movement, but I just want to make sure I'm making the most logical choices. Even if that means eliminating cities.

My thought is that Vaduz would be a nice stop between Innsbruck and Zurich, if that's what we decide to do. There are a few things I'd like to see there. I've heard previously that Zurich may be best to skip, but I think a lot of that would have been focused on day trips. I suppose if we had to knock off one place, it may be Ljubljana (although it is beautiful). I was not aware of Murren, and I must say, it looks incredible. I will definitely consider that as well.

Please feel free to poke holes in my proposed itinerary and offer suggestions. You guys are awesome!

This is not so much about itinerary, it’s about logistics. Have you traveled with these friends before? Realistically you will move at the speed of the slowest person. It’s good to keep that in mind, especially for aggressive trips.

"Please feel free to poke holes in my proposed itinerary and offer suggestions."

Sure. Generally, I think both the logistics and the destinations could use some reworking.

"We would like to take trains from city to city and do not mind day trips from a base."

Good strategy, but you have so many cities that there's not enough time for those day trips, much less for good day trips. Bratislava might be a good day trip from Vienna, but Vienna is the huge sort of place where 3+ days is kind of an unstated minimum WITHOUT day trips. Your plan provides for less than 2 days there.

Here's a good Vienna thread to check out.

And you have less than 2 days in Munich, and less than 1 day in Salzburg (where some very good day trips are possible.) Lake Bled might sound like a good day trip from Ljubljana, but you will barely have time for anything in Ljubljana in the first place. And I think Zurich is better for a shorter period of time; focus instead on the Bernese Oberland rather than Switzerland's cities.

Here's a better, smoother (IMHO) plan by train. The good thing is that even though you lose a couple of your original destinations, you gain some good ones on the day trips. Also, you can decide as you go about those day trips, making your time as active or frenzied - or as laid back - as you like.

6/9 Leave ORD

6/10 & 11: MUNICH

6/12, 13, & 14: SALZBURG... On 6/14 stay in Munich into the evening; use the "Bayern Ticket Nacht" pass (€34/ 3 adults) after 6 pm to reach Salzburg.

(Possible day trips... Berchtesgaden? the Eisriesenwelt? What about Hohenwerfen Castle + falconry show?)

6/15, 16, 17 & 18: VIENNA

(Day trip to Bratislava)

6/19, 20, 21: INNSBRUCK

(Day trip into German Alps for Mittenwald and/or Garmisch-Partenkirchen; half-day or day trip to the village of Seefeld and walking?)

6/22, 23 & 24 LAUTERBRUNNEN, (Pat's excellent Bernese Oberland suggestion but with correct spelling.) it's a little livelier than Mürren. On travel day 6/22, break up the Innsbruck > Lauterbrunnen journey with a daytime stopover of 6 hours in Zurich. From Lauterbrunnen you're poised for some great walks and for the ascent to Schilthorn Peak and other places. 2 full days there are not misspent.

6/25 GENEVA

6/26: Leave GEN

Russ, thx, I really butchered Lauterbrunnen spelling- can I blame the computer?? :)

And, I do want to thank you, Russ, for the detailed insight you have given so many of us. We will be using your info for our upcoming Germany Austria trip.

Safe travels to all!