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Bavaria 2018

I'm planning a trip to Munich and the alps for June 2018 for my self, husband and 10 year old daughter. It will be for 14 days (including arrival and departure days). This trip will probably in second or third week of June. We will rely on public transport.
Does this itinerary sound reasonable?
Day 1. Depart SEA
Day 2. Arrive Munich-train to Salzburg
Day 3. Salzburg
Day 4. Day trip to Hallstatt from Salzburg
Day 5. Bus to Berchtesgaden.
Day 6. Berchtesgaden
Day 7. Berchtesgaden
Day 8. Train to Fussen via Munich.
Day 9. Fussen ( see N'stein and Hohenschangau)
Day 10. Train to Munich
Day 11. Munich
Day 12. Munich
Day 13. Day trip to Nuremberg (or stay in Munich)
Day 14. Depart Munich

I've research, looks like travel time from Berchtesgaden to Fussen will take 5 hours. Not sure if this is the best way to go. Should we spend more time in fussen instead of Berchtesgaden?
Thanks.

Posted by
19275 posts

About the best way to go from Berchtesgaden to Füssen is to go through Munich. The entire trip can be done in about the same time with regional trains and a two person Bayern-Ticket for 31€ (the 10 year old is free with the parents). If you leave on the 9:30 BLB and change to the Meridian train in Freilassing, you will be in Munich Hbf between 12:13 and 12:53 with time to grab lunch (maybe to take with you) at the food court on the platform at the end of the tracks, next to the station building.

But, since you are spending a few days in Munich, anyway, why not come back from Berchtesgaden to Munich and stay there. You could do Füssen as a day trip or overnight trip from Munich.

Posted by
8319 posts

Why don't you stay in Salzburg and do a day trip into Berchesgarten? It's just a short distance south of there.
If you're wanting to see the mountains, arrange your schedule where you can take the train down to Innsbruck. The Austrian Alps and Tirol scenery there is absolutely breathtaking.
We've been to Neuschwanstein, and found it to be just another castle--albeit a fake castle of sorts. We prefer to spend our time elsewhere in the region.

Posted by
7072 posts

Reasonable? That really depends on how you want to spend your time. I think it's alright.

I would probably subtract 1 day from Days 2-7 and base in one town or the other (if you base in Berchtesgaden, you get free local transport and a beautiful location that's more alpine than urban; Salzburg is an easy day trip from B'gaden and you get a discount on the trip with that visitors card.) I suppose this would mean cutting Hallstatt. Don't get me wrong, it's a picture-postcard town, but it does require a good bit of time to get there and back to Salzburg - like 4.5 - 5.0 hours, and once you get there, there isn't all that much to do. I think you'll find the Königssee (B'gaden) and the Füssen area scenery equally breathtaking.

What to do with the saved extra day... depends on your interests, of course. Right now you have just a day trip for Nuremberg. That might be a bit snug. I'm going to suggest that you spend your full day there as planned, doing whatever you have in mind. But travel there on the evening of your 3rd day in Munich and stay the night (thus 2 nights in Munich + 1 day of Munich sightseeing on your Day 12.) You wake up in Nuremberg for a full day there and spend a 2nd night there. Now for the saved day... two excellent options would put you in a true old-world German town:

BAMBERG (a UNESCO World Heritage site for it's well-preserved old town, less than 1 hour from Nuremberg; plan on most of a day.)
IPHOFEN (a small, picturesque old walled town with an art/wine emphasis; doesn't require a full day, about 45 min.'s from Nuremberg.)

You can return that night from either town to Munich by train. Bamberg station has lockers for bags. Iphofen doesn't have station lockers, so leave bags at Nuremberg station then fetch them during your layover there as you travel to Munich.

A 3rd option would be Bad Windsheim's excellent open-air museum, the Freilandmuseum - also an easy day trip from N'berg.

Posted by
703 posts

holly, I agree with Russ about Hallstatt, we have stayed at both ( going back to be near both in May) but if time is short, the scenery at Hallstatt is very similar to what you will experience around Berchtesgaden etc. particularly if the one day you are there is bleak.

Posted by
171 posts

And I agree with Russ about Nuremberg. We spent two nights and a full day in Nuremberg. If you are interested in WWII history/sites there is a lot to see. The Zeppelin Field (see "Triumph of the Will" on Youtube before you leave), the Documentation Center, the Palace of Justice (site of the Nuremberg Trials in 1945 and 1946), the medieval castle and the old town itself will take a full day.