Transportation help

What's the motivation for the travel and how much time do you have? If you're going to do it, I'd get everybody on the train and plan the trip in easy stages. There's plenty of scenic rail trips like the Bernina Express. Transportation just to and from an airport would be hellacious since you'd need multiple taxis. Maybe you could rent a big van and drive. Sounds like a lot with a bunch of kids.

Um - you would have to pay a horrendously large drop off fee if you rented in Italy and dropped off the vehicle in Germany.

There are no nonstop flights between Rome and Salzburg. You could fly into Munich and then continue by train to Salzburg, but you’d probably spend the bulk of the day in transit by the time you factor getting to the airport, waiting 2+ hours, flying, getting to Salzburg.

If you take the train, you could break up the trip along the way with an overnight or two. Look at the train routes and check the intermediate stops to find points along the way. For example, Venice or Bolzano could be options.

Is Salzburg a must? If not, find a place closer to the train route between Rome and Frankfurt and break up your trip there. Lugano or another stop in Switzerland could give you some mountain scenery.

No way are you getting 11 people plus luggage into one vehicle, unless you hire a bus and driver. You'd need 2-3 vehicles, plus the drivers need IDPs, you'd have to try not to lose each other in traffic, blah, blah, blah- it would be a royal PITA. Plus a HUGE drop off fee for doing so in a different country. This would be my last choice.

Trains to Salzburg would take 9-10 hours and involve multiple train changes. Doable, but tiring and you lose a whole day in transport (although the scenery in the mountains is lovely).

There are no direct flights from Rome to Salzburg, but you can get a direct flight to Munich that takes 1 1/2 hrs and then the train to Salzburg that would take another 2 1/2 hours from the airport.

As for prices, you'd have to price out the costs for yourselves - Trenitalia for trains. I'd check Skyscanner or Google flights for prices, but book with the actual airline.

We (family of 4) usually rent a car, but I wouldn’t even think about it with this big a group. Stick with the train.

Focus more on making great memories, less on seeing more “stuff”.

Why have you chosen these main cities: Rome, Salzburg & Frankfurt? What appeals to you about these places? How long is this trip? Hopefully 2 weeks at least?

Make it as simple as possible by planning your stops to minimize your train transfers. This way you don’t have to try to wrangle luggage and 5 kids while switching trains in 10 minutes (or less!). I agree with Bolzano as a nice place to break up the train journey. There are direct trains from Rome, and to Salzburg. Make sure everyone packs LIGHT and can handle their own luggage. This will be a challenge with young kids.

I would consider just doing Rome, a night in Bolzano and Salzburg. Maybe fly out of Munich (only 2 hrs away). I absolutely love Salzburg, and there’s so much to do in the area. Definitely do a sommerrodelbahn (there’s one in Hallein with stunning views) and check out the free Red Bull museum.

You all have some great input! Here is some extra info. This a trip of a lifetime before grandkids become teens. Will be aged 6-12 then. We will all be in Rome following a Med cruise that begins in Barcelona. Husband and I have retired. Travel is how we spend our extra savings. We are mobile and still able. Blessed we can! We want to share these places as we have so loved them….again…while we still can. We all travel well together. Anyway….So that’s why Rome.
Salzburg a fav of ours also and our granddaughters are now huge fans of “Sound of Music”! . Freiburg our final destination is where a dear friend of our daughter in law lives. Daughter in law also lived there for 2 yrs after college. Figured we fly home out Frankfort.

I realize it’s quite an ordeal! Will be hot, very tiring and crowded. Do as much possible in the morning. Looking for kid/family friendly tours and activities. Take many breaks. We study up on the areas we visit. Kids travel books and puzzles for Christmas. They are very interested to go and love learning. They enjoy art, music, history and cooking, etc…but mainly each other!!!

We have traveled all together the last 2 summers. National parks out west last year and just did an Alaska cruise. So yes…we all have been “tested”. This the biggest test yet! Crazy fun!

I agree…harder to make travel overnite stops with a large group. Would rather not if we can push thru to Salzburg!? …Kids all do pull their own luggage. We have all learned how to take breaks and “time outs”. Snacks and treats work well also.
We knew to rule out road travel. Not with Europe’s rail system. Have had rail experience. We follow Rick Steve’s guidebooks and this forum. (Thank you) Other travel sites also. We realize we cannot see and do everything. Our families have had these weeks away long planned. They are very busy so I am the travel planner which I love! Some think we are very wealthy or out of our minds…nope…just love travel and family! Appreciate your ideas and suggestions!
So any more thoughts or ideas much appreciated!

There is one direct night train from Rome to Salzburg that takes 10.5 hours. I haven’t heard great things about night trains as far as actually being able to sleep on one, but it might be an adventure (?). I’d be very careful to select the night train with no connections, if you choose this option, so you don’t have a connection in the middle of the night. This option would get you into Salzburg very early in the morning, which might be a challenge with hotel check in times in the afternoon, and make for a rough day if people didn’t sleep well on the train.

Rome2Rio is a great site to see transportation options.

All 3 options (trains, planes and automobiles ... sounds like a good name for a movie to me) are going to have their own not-so-appealing issues and costs ... for reasons mentioned previously, car travel should be out ... maybe go from Rome to Munich either by train or a low-cost airline, then the quick train ride to Salzburg ... after a few days chasing down Maria and the kids in the hills which are alive, train back to Munich (which is worth a few days in itself) and on to Freiberg, then ending in Frankfurt for the flight home (I'm assuming you mean the city in Germany and not Frankfort which is the capital of Kentucky :-) ) ...

Also, is the July trip set in stone? ... hot = miserable, especially for kids ... I'm guessing the trip is planned around school being out, have you considered leaving right after school let's out? ... shouldn't be as hot and you might beat some of the crowd (we always left on our 2-week summer trips the day after school let out and it really helped with beating the crowds and heat at the National Parks out west and the other popular summer vacation places).

And for all your train information, read the Bible ... Man in Seat 61 ... www.seat61.com

Thank you DQ. I sure tried getting them to do the June 10 sailing to maybe beat the heat of July timing. But…Most of the kiddos play sports that tend to be over by 4th of July wknd. And…Their parents are coaches also. I have warned them all how hot it will be. We had our share of 90 degree plus days in July with humidity here in Ohio….they all just say they’ll deal with it. I have already purchased mini misters and mini fans. Umbrellas, hats, thermo water bottles…cooling neck scarves you wet…etc. And we have to find gelato! And hotels and places with AC! If I remember back in June Europe was already having heatwaves and wildfires! I am concerned if it’s record breaking heat there again!!? But it’s the only time we can all go.
We love Munich also and have taken train to Salzburg. I will definitely check into Seat 61 for rail advise for our itinerary. A helpful source!

Thanks also Travel4fun! I wondered about a night train? Great that it’s direct…but unlikely much sleep happening. Does cause big tired trouble for the whole next day then in Salzburg! I definitely will check your suggestion of Rome2Rio!

Your best bet would be a 9 hour train ride to Bolzano, Innsbruck and straight into Salzburg. You're planning far ahead, but right now they have one leaving just before 8:00 a.m. from Rome Tiburtina station getting in Salzburg @ 6:00 p.m.

And the scenery will be magnificent along the way.

With a group that size, you'll probably enjoy the trip more if you use easy and less complicated travel methods. Flying with a group of 11 would be a nightmare (IMO), when all is considered.... trips to and from the airports, security, waiting, boarding and deplaning, restrictive luggage limits and the other usual hassles of air travel.

The rail trip from Rome to Salzburg is about 10 hours with several changes, so that's not going to be a good solution. I'd suggest making an intermediate stop in northern Italy in locations like Venice or Verona. Venice would be a good choice.

For the trip from Roma Termini to Venezia S. Lucia, it's about a four hour trip via high speed Freccia or Italo trains. If you buy tickets in advance online, you should be able to get discounts that will keep the costs down. However one point to note is that discounted tickets usually come with conditions.

For the trip from Venezia S. Lucia to Salzburg Hbf, there's a departure on the current schedules at 09:56, arriving at 15:48 (time 5H:52M, 1 change at Villach). That would be a fairly easy trip although the change is only five minutes so you'd have to make sure your group had luggage in hand and ready to go as soon as the train stops in Villach.

Good luck with your planning!