Input on our Two Itinerary Options

What time of year?

I like #2 better, mainly because you're hitting more of the Alps. That being said, it's better to stay in one Alpine location for a longer period of time than to hop around. Innsbruck and GaP are close enough to each other that you could visit one from the other. My preference would be to stay in GaP.

4 years of living in Germany taught me one big point- Rothenburg odT is not nearly as unique as the tourist literature suggests. It's reasonable to visit if you're headed in the general direction, but not worth going out of your way to see. You can find plenty of other similar towns, unless you really want a huge selection of trinket shops.

Hi Jean,

I like #2, less traveling distances and love the alpine areas. I do have 3 comments if you don't mind.
Cut a night from Vienna and add to Salzburg. Not that Salzburg itself needs it, but the area, meaning the Salzkammergut and Berchtesgaden areas, are so close and so worthwhile seeing. I'd substitute Mittenwald for Garmisch and Hall in Tirol for Innsbruck. Mittenwald is 20 min. from Garmisch, Hall is 10 or so min. from Innsbruck.

Paul

Tom, we'll be traveling in late Aug/Sept.

I should probably also mention that we really enjoy traveling by train, so we'll either be changing locations by train or local buses, if needed.

Hey Jean,

Just and "FYI", both Mittenwald and Hall in Triol are easy to reach by train. Voth are just a few minutes walk from the train station in each location, as is our favorite place to stay in Hall, the Gasthof Badl. Visiting both the Salzkammergut and Berchtesgaden area are easy by bus from Salzburg.

Paul

I would do 2 and xchange Garmisch for St Wolfgang,gives you access to Bad Ischl and Hallstadt,both worth seeing or just enjoy the beauty of St Wolfgang,
Mike

Hi,

I would choose # 2...better itinerary, better choices, except that I would change Munich to 3 nights by taking one night from Innsbruck.

Thanks for the replies received so far - lots of help! I also looked at flights & days-of-week & will change the order of the trip, finishing at Vienna, instead. I'll miss the architecture I was hoping to see at Rothenburg, but this itinerary has a lot of positives - thanks!

Fly into Munich
Munich - 2 nights
Mittenwald - 2 nights
Salzburg - 4 nights
St. Wolfgang - 2 nights
Melk - 1 night
Vienna - 4 nights
Fly out of Vienna