Suggestions appreciated

Good for you, Tony! My concern is that you seem to have quite a few stops, especially considering you plan to be in Salzburg for 5 days (which I think is absolutely worth it). That only leaves you 12 days (counting your arrival and departure days) for what appears to be 7 more locations. That’s a lot of moving around. I prefer to stay at each location for at least two nights, which gives a full day to explore there. Otherwise you are constantly on the move, packing, unpacking, etc.

You might find your nightly lodging budget a bit of a challenge in some places. I would recommend looking at booking.com for some of the cities you are interested in to see if it’s feasible, or if that budget might need to be bumped up a bit. It’s pretty hard to find a hotel for $100/nt in many cities in the US.

Your flight options may be better out of Munich than Vienna. But also look at flights out of Salzburg. If you end your trip there, and don’t have to backtrack to Munich losing a day for travel, it might be worth any additional miles needed.

I think $100 a night is doable for a single traveler - I've usually managed to do that but just keep in mind that economy hotels will not have a lot of bells and whistles. You might be better off looking for B&Bs or guest houses - or even Airbnbs. I stayed in one in Amsterdam - a private room in a shared house - and loved it. I only paid around $70 a night. It was a small room but the house was large and I had access to a huge kitchen and huge bath. Plus there was a lovely garden in back.

In Salzburg, a friend and I stayed at Pension Ballwein for under $100 a night. It is on the outskirts of Salzburg, but there was a bus stop right across the street, so we took the bus into the city every day. I loved it there and there was an incredible view of the Alps from the bedroom window.

We just spent a week in Amsterdam. It can be expensive. We found a small hotel in a great location, not far from the Anne Frank House. Cost for us was about $140 per night. It was the Nadia Hotel. Rooms are small, but for one person, no problem and you don't spend much time in the room.

We walked everywhere, even down to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum.

If you like Greek food, be sure to check out the Two Greeks Restaurant, a couple of blocks north of the Anne Frank House.

In Rothenburg, check out froehlich-rothenburg.de

It sounds like you are planning a grand adventure. I agree with the prior post that it sounds like a lot of movement, but you know what works for you.

Salzburg: Gästehaus Priesterseminar Salzburg. A guesthouse in a priest seminary. Just across the river from the Old Town. Simple but very clean rooms. En-suite bathroom. No air conditioning but has an elevator. Ear plugs supplied if you want to sleep with windows open (there definitely is some street noise). Coin-operated washer/dryer in the common area. In May 2022, 67 euro per night for a single.

https://www.gaestehaus-priesterseminar-salzburg.at/en/

You can always check out the Motel One chain. Their hotels have simple, clean rooms with stylish ground-floor common areas that usually run 69-99 euro per night for a single.

I will second Dave's rec for MotelOne. I recently stayed at one in Berlin and found it very comfortable, clean and with decent amenities. I would definitely stay at one again.

I am 77 and have been travelling -- alone -- since I was six. One way to meet others with similar interests is to take occasional part-day tours. Conversation will focus on the tour theme and others will share that interest. The chance for a lunch or drink will be good without any further commitment.
I am sad to insist that your price point for accommodation is not realistic in today's Europe, or North America for that matter.

just outside Salzburg, on the light rail line - www.neuwirtgut.at

I loved Hotel Eder in Munich which is on a quiet side street between the train station and the historical center and is definitely economical. The rooms are on the small side but very cozy and they have an absolutely lovely breakfast spread in the morning.

OP your budget is tight. Hotels that fit that budget are probably about $60 a night. You can do it, but expect to usually have shared bathroom in the hall.

Browse a website like booking.com. Mock up some searches to see how much is going to cost for hotel rooms in the places you want to visit. Pay attention to reviews and look carefully at locations. Does it sound like the kind of place you'll be happy in? Is it located in an area that is going to be accessible enough and work for you? Keep in mind that right now next to everything is still available in May 2023. That likely won't be the case when you go to book.

Food you'll be able to eat at cheaper places. A lot of good take out and cheap snacks in Europe. Pretty decent prepared foods at supermarkets too.

As a tourist, the Netherlands is relatively expensive. Austria is relatively cheap. Germany in the middle.

To avoid confusion, note that most hotels rent by the room, not the number of occupants. A single guest pays the same as a couple. You might find a room for a single, hopefully at a smaller price since the room will be small, but it will take some research.
To avoid loneliness, take a guided day trip. Conversation is sure to ensue.

Southam I think what you wrote is mostly or partially true, and maybe regional. This August and September booked rooms for my wife and me for 3 weeks, then immediately after booked rooms for just me for 3 weeks. In a number of instances, maybe most instances, rooms for just me were significantly cheaper, and often double rooms for single use.

Caveats, because in general I don't think you're wrong:

When I would search booking.com for room, it was a fraction of all available rooms that were significantly cheaper than a double. If there were say 20 results under $120, 4 of them would be much less for one person. The rest nearly the same as for two.

Nearly universally, these rooms that were significantly cheaper for one person than two included breakfast, and on average the breakfasts were on the nicer, more comprehensive side. It seemed like the cost of breakfast per person was sometimes taken into account.

In general, the more traditionally Teutonic the area, the more cheap rooms for singles. In the Austrian Alps for instance there were loads of single rooms at close to half the double room price. Usually in big geraniumed pension type places. In the Netherland though far more slim pickings, and in France and industrial central Germany fewer good deals on cheap singles and the hotels tended to be dumpier and gruffer.

Another place single could be significantly cheaper was at hostels, booking one person into a two or four person private room.

So yes in general I think you are right, but there are exceptions if you hunt a little.

Hi,

In Salzburg you can find a Pension $100 for a single, a EZ, if you want that instead of a hotel.

Re: a private room in a private hostel, I've had this experience (in Vienna) staying in a private room at a private hostel but was paying for 2 persons even though I was alone. It may depend on the hostel.

This hostel in Vienna only offered doubles as private rooms, so the solo occupant pays for 2. Was it worth it? Not really.

For that amount I could have stayed in a Pension, two of which I know located off of Mariahilferstrasse, or it would have been better staying in dorm room at that hostel , where I usually stay.