Itinerary Help for Munich, Salzberg, Innsbruck, Lucerne and Zurich

When is your trip?

"...myself, husband, and 2 teenage sons."

Often it's the case that Germany appeals to men because of its prominence in the auto industry. If this sounds like your men, maybe you should include a visit to the BMW facility/museum in Munich.

I never recommend Dachau unless there's some personal connection to the victims. It was built primarily to prevent Holocaust denial on the part of Germans and others who might need to be re-educated on what concentration camps were about. It's an emotionally-draining experience that pretty much ruins a whole day. So unless you feel your family needs this lesson, I'd undertake something more inspiring, which is pretty much anything.

From Salzburg: Maybe you should visit the town of Werfen. Do the Sound of Music Trail and tour a real Castle - Burg Hohenwerfen, which also offers a falconry show. "Where Eagles Dare", a 60's movie with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood, has scenes filmed at this castle.

https://www.burg-hohenwerfen.at/en/
https://www.salzburgerland.com/en/sound-of-music-trail-werfen/

Burg, by the way, means "castle". The thing in Fuessen that we call "castle" is called Schloss Neuschwanstein, which makes it a "Palace" - Schloss in German. It's too young (completed 1896) and was built/used as a royal residence, so Germans can't in good conscience call it a castle.

For something natury, very unique, and cool (literally and figuratively) while in Salzburg... day trip to Eisriesenwelt in Werfen. Take the train to Werfen... take a short walk to the Eisriesenwelft shuttle in a nearby parking lot (cash only as of 2022!)... ride the shuttle up up to the visitor's center... do a little ascending hike along with a gondola ride... walk through an amazing ice cave on a 70-minute tour (English tours available; you'll know you are not in the US when you are handed a lantern with an open flame and told, "Try not to set anyone on fire")... hike/ride back down. These directions in pictorial form.

When I was there, my buddy and I ran into three U of Minnesota students who were traveling from Prague to Slovenia. Their one stop in Austria was Eisriesenwelt. They had no cash for the shuttle, and there was no ATM nearby. I overheard their conversation with the cashier and, of course, paid for their round-trip fare on the shuttle. They told me about their backpacking trip through Europe as we rode up on the shuttle. All of this to say... Eisriesenwelt is appealing to college students... and, I imagine, teenage boys.

There is a fortress at Werfen with falconry shows. I hear they are impressive, but the idea of falconry shows did not "speak to me."

Edit: Russ's post went up while I was typing my post 🙂

Your plan looks o.k. altho I would skip Innsbruck and add the time to Salzburg and environs. Another vote for the Ice Cave at Werfen. Don’t forget to pack some gloves and a knit cap. It’s cold in it ! I had neither on my first visit - brrrrr

I enjoy Salzburg and I'm heading there again in December for Christmas Markets. I'm not sure it's right for you given We love the outdoors more than museums as I think the whole town is kinda a museum.

An interesting day trip out of Munich is a visit to Kloster Andechs. Just under an hour south of Munch on the S-Bahn to Herrsching then an hour walk through the forest to the abbey. You can walk back or catch a bus.

You haven't got time for Switzerland, and Innsbruck is doubtful!!

10 ten days barely covers Munich, Salzburg and the bits in between - even Fuessen is using up time that could be spent better elsewhere! Salzburg city is relatively expensive compared to surroundings, Werfen sounds like a good idea for your family.

Thank you everyone for the ideas, opinions, and insight. I love the suggestion of the ice caves. We are going to look and discuss all these travel options this weekend as a family and try to solidify our itinerary. Thank you!

I agree with me.crewe that you could easily fill all your days with Munich and Salzburg. Or even Munich-Salzburg-Innsbruck-Munich. If you already have a flight into Munich and out of Zurich, I would add this thought...

It's pretty easy to catch an early morning train from Lucerne to the Zurich airport. Not spending a day in Zurich is no great loss when there is so much natural beauty along the way between Munich and Zurich. If the day in Zurich is dropped, I would add the extra day to Salzburg and consider another day trip... to Königssee (King's Lake) near Berchtesgaden. It's a large lake where no motorized boats are allowed; there are electric boats that transport visitors on the lake.

Catch the bus from Salzburg to Königssee. Take a boat across the lake to the Salet stop. Take the short, easy walk to Obersee and admire the view. Hike along the right side of this small lake to its opposite side where there is a snack hut and nice views back across the lake. Take the ascending path to a glorious alpine meadow surrounded on 3 sides by granite peaks. Continue walking toward Röthbach Wasserfall, Germany's highest waterfall. Then head back the way you came, rewarding yourself with a stop at the snack shop. Depending on what time of year you are there, you will encounter cows in their late spring to early fall grazing locale on the ascent to and in the alpine meadow (watch your step!) and can drink fresh-from-the-cow milk at the snack bar. Catch the boat back across the lake, stopping at St Bartholomew's church at an island along the way, if you wish (not a "must see" to me). The Jennerbahn cable car is nearby and can take you way up, where you can look down on Königsee.

In general, we will always choose seeing the beauty outdoors over
inside a museum.

Still no clues here as to when you are traveling.

In winter, perhaps your itinerary makes sense. But assuming warm-season travel, I think jkh's comments about staying in Salzburg should be getting your attention. If you want to be close to natural beauty, why stay in a city of 160,000 people + thousands of tourists? Why aren't you staying in Schönau and the Königssee, Ramsau, or Bischofswiesen, or Werfen? I think all your base towns could be swapped out for better places if it's the great outdoors you are after. Why Dachau? Why 3 nights in massive Munich? Why not stay in Füssen, where nature is at your back door? Why even one day in Zürich? Schaffhausen might better suited for your intentions - and you could catch a direct train from there to ZRH airport, if that's where you're flying out. Innsbruck too could be tossed in favor of someplace like Seefeld, or Mittenwald (Germany) or Zell am See.

Do you already. have your air tickets, flying into Munich and out of Zurich. If so, I understand going to Zurich, but if not, skip Zurich.

In fact, skip Switzerland (most expensive country in Europe) because your schedule is a bit compressed. Consider adding Vienna instead if you want to keep most of your schedule.
I do not recommend taking young kids to Dachau. If they are 16, perhaps it would be OK, but too much of a shock for young kids.
Dachau is not as bad as was Auschwitz, which after our visit my wife had terrible nightmares for days and I lost some sleep as well.

You didn't mention going to other castles in Bavaria. King Ludwig had two other than the Disney look a like in Fussen.

Also, you didn't mention going to the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. You can take the cogtrain or cable car from Garmisch.