Munich/Southern Germany to Switzerland to ?

Hi Bruce,

Keep it to Bavaria and Switzerland. Fly into Munich and stay 2 nights. Head to Garmisch for 3 nights. Head to Switzerland (I don't know the logistics of rail travel) and base 4 nights in the Berner Oberland ((Wengen, Muerren, Lauterbrunnen) before ending in Luzern for 2 nights. Head home from Zurich airport, less than an hour or so from Luzern.

Add days/nights if you have them. Switzerland is very expensive, so keep that in mind. We can stay twice as many nights in Austria and Bavaria as we can in Switzerland for the same money.

Just a note, for incredible alpine scenery and great food (Italian and Austrian) maybe skip Switzerland head to the Italian Dolomites, about 3.5 hours from Munich and about 1.5 hours from Innsbruck. Nothing in the alps looks like the Dolomites. The area once was a part of Austria and the "feel" is still Austrian. German is usually the first language, followed by Italian. You'll get by with English.

www.val-Gardena.com

Paul

I second Paul's advice. If you are a foodie, a visit to South Tyrol is better spent than to Switzerland. Italy's best white wines and a lot of restaurant doing original variations of traditional dishes. While eating well in South Tyrol is not cheap, comparable restaurants in Switzerland would be few and at extortionate prices.

I too prefer to spend my mountain time in Western Tirol. We find it easier to get to from Munich, cheaper and just easier to deal with. After all, it's scenery is also The Alps, and it's just breathtaking. The Grossglockner Highway is the most beautiful place I've ever seen--especially the south side of the mountain north of Lienz.
Renting a car is the best way to get around, but Austria has a vignette tag you have to buy.

I've honestly never heard of the Tyrol region so I'm thinking maybe I'll have to research that a bit before finalizing my plans. I'm not sure if the decisions on where to go is getting any easier. I'm wondering if the Tyrol's are reachable by train as I'm not to sure if I'm keen on renting a car. I have some thinking to do but thanks for all the input so far.

I spent about a week in the Sud Tirol last summer. I stayed in Bressanone/Brixen and Bolzano and took side trips into the mountains, but most tourists probably choose to stay higher up. In any case, you can get to a lot of places by bus, then you can get chairlifts, etc., to go higher.

You must always check Italian bus schedules carefully, especially before planning a Sunday jaunt, but this area is definitely workable without a car.

The Sudtirol Mobil webpage has a lot of the bus schedules for the area.

Hi Bruce,

Tyrol or Tirol is an area of Austria. Innsbruck is the "capitol" of the Tirol or Tyrol.
The Sud Tirol is an area of northern Italy, basically starting at the Austria/Italy border from Innsbruck south to Bolzano.
Both areas have extremely beautiful alpine scenery. Yes, both area's are easy by train and bus. You do not need a car.

Paul

Bruce, I don't think you can go wrong in the Alps. You will just need to decide what is most important to you and where you want to end up at when you are at the end of the trip and flying out.
You may want to use the DB train website to get a sense of travel times between possible locations as that may impact your choices. You can get places easily by train, but sometimes it takes a little time depending on the route.

You did say that you were on a budget. I must say that there is nothing "budget" about Switzerland. It doesn't mean that you couldn't have a wonderful time there and find ways to save money. However, if budget is as big of an item as I assume it is, I would think of some alternatives unless your heart is set on Switzerland.

I never thought of Switzerland to be as expensive as it seems because the hostel prices were just about comparable to other countries. Also I difured most attractions were free as it is largely hiking. I would have to spend money for food for 4 days and trains but I didnt think it would be that much of a difference. Im researching Austria right now to see if that would be a good substitute.

Lodging can be a big expense, so your willingness to stay in hostels is a good budget strategy and a good fit with traditional mountain culture. Being a foodie doesn't mean you're always looking for fine dining, I'm sure; buying cheese direct from a farmer can be just as much of a thrill. Beer will cost a little more in Switzerland and mountain lifts might be your biggest budget item there.