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Planning a trip through Germany and Italy this September! Looking for recommendations?

Posted by (Pasadena California) on

Love to hear thoughts from some frequent travelers.
Considering 3.5 weeks.

Munich (~4 days, early September, want to avoid Oktoberfest crowds)
Focus: Art and museums (Alte Pinakothek, other galleries).
Light sightseeing + Hofbräuhaus.
Q1: Any recommendations or reminders to consider?

Train to Florence (with possible stops in Bologna or Zurich).
Q2: Any recommendations? Worth stopping over for a night? Which city is better for a short visit?

Tuscany (Cortona, Arezzo, Assisi).
Exploring more art, and countryside.
Q3: Any recommendations or reminders to consider? Public transport or rental car—what’s best for getting around?

Padua (1–2 days, inner city train from Firenze).
Quick stop for art.

Matera (long train ride south).
Visiting family heritage.
Q4: Any tips for getting there and making the most of the visit?

Anyone traveled a similar route? Let me know what you'd recommend or avoid! Any local favorites?
Mille grazie amici and danke schoen.

Posted by
34778 posts

reply Q1

Visit the Hofbräuhaus if you want to see the place and have a touristy visit.

Visit an Augustiner biergarten if you want the beer garden experience with locals and few tourists, for better atmosphere outside under the trees with good food and drink.

Posted by
8776 posts

From Munich, consider visiting Berchtesgaden, Germany and nearby Salzburg, Austria for a few days.
Another choice is the Garmish/Fussen area. Take the cable car or cog train up to the top of the Zugspitze (highest mountain in Germany). Visit some castles in the area.

Assisi is in Umbria, near Tuscany, definitely worth a visit, as well as Spoleto, Perugia and Gubbio.

For Tuscany, I recommend visiting Siena for a couple of days.

Florence is wonderful, near Bologna is amazing Ravenna. Zurich is in Switzerland and way out of the way.

You left out Rome, which is special.

Posted by
38 posts

Thank you, Geovagriffith. With the Holy See Jubilee, Rome will be extremely busy. The itinerary is currently being refined- Munich a few days, followed by a ~10-day stay in Florence with side trips to smaller towns, zero-mile days, and more art. Then, we’ll head to Matera for a week, followed by a journey north to the Veneto region. We’ll visit Padova, Vicenza, Verona, and finally, Venezia for a few final days to visit friends, the Accademia, and then return to the airport.

Posted by
640 posts

I completely agree with Nigel. Hofbräuhaus is a typically touristy place in Munich. Beer gardens, like Augustiner and many others, are typically Munich, where you meet lots of locals.

The 'Alte Pinakothek' is nice but my favorite is the 'Lenbachhaus' in the 'Kunstareal' to which both of these museums belong. In the 'Kunstareal' are many other interesting museums.

Otherwise, I could write a whole page full of ideas for four days. Perhaps the Simply Munich website will help you with an overview – it has so many tips. https://www.munich.travel/en

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