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Second part of 2 week itinerary Austria and Germany- suggestions please!

Posted by on

Hello all,

We are planning a (roughly) two week visit to Europe next summer. 2 adults, 4 kids (14, 12, 8, 5). Week 1 will be Paris and London. I am looking for some suggestions about what to do / what to cut out for week 2. After a week in major cities, we will be ready to relax and go at a slower pace for sure. Here is a very rough working agenda for that week:

1- Fly London to Salzburg. Visit Salzburg
2- Visit a lake such as Zell Am See
3- See some of the Alps
4- Visit some castles (Neuschwanstein is probably a must-see for us, but not necessarily touring it)
5 - See some Bavaria (e.g., Romantic Road towards Rothenberg ob der Tauber)
6- Depart from Frankfurt

Driving is fine for this part of the trip. Also, would love to stay 3 nights at 2 locations (or, worst case, 2 nights at 3 locations).

Thanks!

Posted by
211 posts

Out of the box idea, maybe, but I'll throw it out anyways - Have you considered finding an apartment in a town (maybe on a lake) and using that as a home base? A week split between London and Paris sounds like it will be go-go-go, especially for the younger kids, and having a week to just relax in a Bavarian town might be the change of pace you're looking for. You could fly from London to Munich, rent a car, and go out on day trips (or not). Prien am Chiemsee is on the main train line between Munich and Salzburg, and google maps puts it at 2.5 hours to Neuschwanstein. Or, stay closer to the Alps. The downside is it might be harder to do the Romantic Road without too much driving. But perhaps it's something to consider.

Posted by
24 posts

Thank you. This is an excellent thought and exactly the type of suggestion I am seeking. Even if we don't stay the entire week there (or similar), it would be a nice break.

Posted by
7847 posts

I haven't been to Neuschwanstein, but it doesn't have many fans among the RESPONDERs on this forum. Only because you have proposed even more running around (2-6) for your second week, I want to suggest that you dispense with Bavaria almost entirely, and concentrate on within 75 miles or so of Frankfurt. I'm suggesting that you settle for much smaller castles on the Middle Rhine, and see the Fachwerkstrasse rather than the Romantic Road.

It is true that we combined Munich with Innsbruck and Salzburg (all by easy rail, so you should rent your car after Munich, if you go there.) And it's true that we went up the expensive Zugspitze on that trip. But we flew home after Vienna, not from Frankfurt.The much smaller mountains around Innsbruck were nearly as nice, and the walk down (if you chose to) much less challenging. I am not saying this is a "superior" itinerary to your tentative one, only that I'm trying to get you out of that car ("Don't make me turn around ... ... ") and into some interesting attractions.

It is a matter of personal preference, but our first (husband and wife) trip to Europe was one week in London and one week in Paris. We did not exhaust either city. We've certainly been back to Paris (for less time) eight times since. (Sometimes for business.)

Posted by
24 posts

Thanks for the encouragement. I've visited Germany several times, but never Bavaria.

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