14-day Germany/Austria summer travel

4 nights Berchtesgaden--that's too much, IMHO.
Add at least one night to Budapest.

Vienna and Budapest are over 2-1/2 hours apart by train each way, and Budapest isn't the sort of city one would normally just day trip to. If you can't rustle up some more time for Budapest, I'd look for an interesting destination a lot closer to Vienna.

My wife and I were in Vienna & Budapest last December - we spent 4 days in each city and could have easily spent more time in each. I echo the previous comments and would either add more time or eliminate Budapest from your plan.

Agree with all the comments regarding Budapest. Regarding Melk, please see the Abbey. For the Bundesliga match, opening day may be a tough ticket. See if Munich and their opponent have fan Facebook pages that can connect you with ticket sources.

Need more time in Budapest, it is magical.

Also, you can see the Eagle's Nest in one day, also do nearby Salzburg, Austria in a couple of days.

Are you planning to visit Innsbruck, it is good for a couple of days.

Thanks for all the help so far. Looks like we’ll remove Budapest from this trip. We definitely plan to do a lot of day trips I’m just trying to figure a few good base places to stay. Maybe more time in Tyrol and less in Berchtesgaden. We did Switzerland last summer and had the most magical time. Trying to find a good balance of mountains, cities and villages.

The Berchtesgaden area is worth the extra days if you want to do a bit of hiking.

One day for Königsee and the Jennerbahn (you could add short hikes at the top or a longer hike down) Be aware of the time of the last downbound gondola.

A day for Nazi sites; bunker, document center, eagles nest

The salt mine tour?

Day hikes all over the area. Wimbachklamm is a great short hike that you can extend up to the Alpine meadow where there’s a hut with food and drinks. (It gets Moderately strenuous after the falls). Check out alltrails.com

You list "Tyrol" as a separate destination, but honestly the BerchtesgadenerLand area is kinda the same thing. I'm saying there's no reason to waste the time relocating

Yes, I hate to tell anyone to take Budapest off their itinerary, but the idea of a day trip makes me really sad. Come back and stay 5-7 days.

Your trip would be one day too many in Vienna for me - but yes, somewhere you need to get Salzburg in. You could even do it as a day trip from Berchtesgaden, though. There is so much to see and do in that area and it doesn’t really matter where you base yourself for it all: some people stay in Salzburg and others stay in Berchtesgaden, and yet others in nearby towns.

from B’gaden, consider a day trip to Werfen and the ice cave there. I would also do a salt mine tour in B’gaden or Hallein

3 nights Munich
-soccer game (opening soccer match Bundesliga Aug 23). My son is soccer obsessed so trying to figure out how to make it work to see
this soccer game.

That’s the tricky part. You can’t know yet, if Bayern Munich will have a home game or an away game that weekend and if the game will be Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Best change to get tickets is by a club membership of your son (a membership for teenagers costs about €20 per season). By that you might apply for up to 4 tickets. If you are not lucky you still get access to the ticket exchange platform for club members for a 2nd chance.

A good city daytrip from Vienna, instead of Budapest (which I agree isn't suitable for a daytrip), would be Bratislava.

I would not take a night from Berchtesgaden. We’ve actually stayed in nearby Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden 5 times! The list of sights and activities is nearly endless.
Everything from the Konigssee, Jennerbahn, Sommerrodelbahn (luge ride), walks and hikes, salt mine, and so on. Even Salzburg itself is an easy trip to make.

The village we have stayed in, Ramsau, is extremely picturesque and you’ll find the iconic photo of its church sitting against the backdrop of the alps.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pjbassplyr/15064287961/in/album-72157646958077741/

Now I LOVE the Austrian Tirol (Zillertal, Oetztal, area around Innsbruck, etc) but it would nearly be redundant after staying in Berchtesgaden area.

An idea would be to spend 2 nights in St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee and 4 nights in or very near Berchtesgaden.

For the one full day in St. Gilgen, spend it cruising on the Wolfgangsee. You’ll visit St. Gilgen (of course) Strobl and St. Wolfgang. We did this once and it’s a wonderful way to spend a day. The ship itself is terrific… snacks, desserts, drinks etc. served.

Salzburg is VERY close to both St. Gilgen and Berchtesgaden. In fact, we’d go to Salzburg just for dinner and a walk in the old town from our base in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden, just outside of Berchtesgaden.

Paul

Have you researched on these sites for hiking opportunities?

www.germany.travel/en/nature-outdoor-activities/hiking.html
www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/walking-and-hiking/hiking-areas

I will be traveling to Trier in western Germany later this year and have learned that I can walk from the city center to an extensive trail system along the Mozel River. Even though I have not done it myself, I understand that you can hike or bike into the vineyards around Vienna.

All of your replies are so helpful. I fear that I'm now overthinking it all and have gone another direction trying to add in the Dolomites. Should I leave that for another trip? Revised Itinerary below:

Fly into Vienna
-2 nights in Vienna
-4 nights in Berchtesgaden
-1 night Munich? If we can catch a soccer game
-5 nights Dolomites/Ortisei
-2 nights Venice and Fly Home

I would not take a night from Berchtesgaden. We’ve actually stayed in nearby Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden 5 times! The list of sights and activities is nearly endless.
Everything from the Konigssee, Jennerbahn, Sommerrodelbahn (luge ride), walks and hikes, salt mine, and so on. Even Salzburg itself is an easy trip to make.

We love that town. We actually stayed up above at Hotel Nutzkaser. Beautiful area with so much to do

"Need more time" Naaa. Take an early train down to Budapest. Get a room on the river and take a late train back the next day.

You can see a bit of the Jewish quarter, Market Hall, Parliament and Andrassy ut at a minimum.

See a show or concert in the evening or unwind on the Danube Corso with the most beautiful view in Europe.

Worth 5 hours of travel. Or do you want to say you missed the most beautiful city in Europe? My first trip here was 3 nights. Now I live here LOL.

Give it two nights and add the Buda Castke District and a few more stops.

https://youtu.be/1nd5AtZIrTk?feature=shared

FORGOT, i did a one night / two day tour for someone a while back. It is here (but the link dies in a week) https://1drv.ms/w/s!Ai7Zk-szxfTJi7dDoMayoe9rPi8byQ?e=nRsXMC