Germany trip with a toddler

Here is what I've recommended before for young children: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/itinerary-ideas-traveling-to-munich-salzburg-with-an-11-month-old

DJ

Thanks so much!! She’s really into the Princess stuff that’s why I thought the castle was a good idea...lol! But wow thanks for all the Munich recommendations

With an almost 4 year old I'd amend those recommendations in that link to the following:

• Spend a day heading to a lake south of Munich for a picnic and maybe some boating. One nice option for kids might be Schliersee (also accessible by BOB train) with the nearby Markus Wasmeier Open-Air Museum within walking distance of the train station.
  

I'd also recommend you skip Garmish, add a second night in Rothenburg and just base out of Munich the second half of the trip. You only have 6 nights so changing hotels twice eats two days of your already short holiday. Changing hotels with a small child is a pain plus the main draw in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is all the outdoor activities which you probably won't get to fully experience with a small child in tow.

If you main reason to go to Garmisch-Partenkirchen is to go up he Zugspitze and see some Alpine scenery I would highly recommend this alternative: Base out of Munich and make a day trip out Tegernsee using the BOB train (at 32€ two person Bayern Ticket would cover all you travel to Tegernsee and back including buses around the lake). Tegernsee is a great mix is small villages, beautiful lake and Alpine foothills all within an hour of Munich. While there you can grab lunch at the famous Bräustüberl Tegernsee, rent a boat or walk on the foot path around the lake, take the cable car up to the top of Wallberg and hike to the nearby Wallberghaus for a beer and some food.

Hope this helps,

DJ

She does really well! Her first transatlantic flight was to Ireland when she was 2. London last year....thanks for the recommendations!!! We definitely like to take it all in and enjoy the local scenes!

Update: We have extended the trip to arrive on 9/11 and depart on 9/19, if we include Salzburg is that a good idea?

As a day trip from Munich, yes this would be doable (there are trains every hour and you can use a Bayern Ticket). Packing up and changing hotels for just 1-2 nights in Salzburg with a young child, you'll have to decide for yourself if it is worth it. I personally found doing day trips from a central location with a small child worked best. I've done several day trips from Munich to Salzburg with a small child both by train and by car and my preference is to take the train.

DJ

Taking the train whenever you can is a great idea. Your child won't be confined to a seat, and you or your husband won't be busy driving but rather can keep her happy and busy, playing games, drawing, having food, whatever.

Make sure you get seat reservations. Some trains have special compartments for families so you won't feel like everyone is staring at you if your child happens to get a bit noisy, and there might even be another family with a child joining you, and your child having a companion.

Other than that, I'd try to take it easy with a child and leave as much room for unexpected discoveries as possible. The playground next to the hotel might turn out to be much more interesting than the sightseeing you had planned. Encountering other children who speak a different language can be an exciting experience, and it can be just as exciting for parents to watch how those children quickly find ways to communicate.