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Mosel and Rhine or Salzburg

I really need your opinions here. We're in the process of planning a two week trip for September. We really wanted to do both of these areas, but due to logistics, friends itineraries and reasons too long to list, we have to chose one or the other.

We all are interested in seeing the beautiful scenery and drinking some wine.

If you've been to both of these areas and had to chose, which would it be.

Thanks so much.

Posted by
12040 posts

Here's an idea. Substitute the Rhine/Mosel with the Danube as it flows through the Wachau valley in lower Austria. There's your cake, and you can eat it too.

Posted by
1001 posts

Tough choice! I like both areas very much. For the wine, I would say the Mosel/Rhine. The beautiful scenery in that area is rivers drifting through high hills lined with vineyards, quaint towns and castles. In Salzburg you have a very beautiful old city and beautiful surrounding mountains and lakes. You can enjoy gardens and Mozart concerts. I have been to both areas and would revisit both. I would choose based on how one or the other fit in with other areas I was traveling to on that trip. Is one area more convenient for you to get to? Either will be a good choice.

Posted by
550 posts

thanks for the info. I think we're going to try our best to fit both in.

We're also doing France on this trip. May try flying into Frankfurt, touring the Rhine/Mosel area. Then drop down to Munich/Salzburg. We'll then have to take the train from Munich to somewhere in South France to start that leg of our trip. I'm thinking probably Colmar or Strasbourg. We also want to include Annecy and Dijon before heading to Paris.

Any suggestions on what route would be the best to take from Munich to get that in?

Thanks so much.

Posted by
19251 posts

There are a number of one change (Stuttgart or Mannheim) train connections per day from Munich to Strasbourg. There is also a direct TGV connection, but it leaves Munich early in the morning.

If you want to go to Colmar, you could go via Strasbourg, then south through France. Or you could take a route that ends with a local train from Freiburg to Breisach, then a bus across the Rhein to Colmar. From Freiburg to Colmar takes about 1h20m. The main train route to Freiburg is westward across Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg to the Rhein and then up the Rhein (south) to Freiburg. That would not be a particularly scenic route. There is also a direct Bahn IC bus from Munich to Freiburg. There are four bus connections per day. Two stop in Ravensburg; two stop in Friedrichshafen. The Friedrichshafen route would go along Bodensee and probably be the most scenic route. Advance purchase Savings fares start at 14€.

Posted by
550 posts

Thanks Lee, that is really helpful.

Posted by
19251 posts

"or Salzburg" ???

Not just Salzburg. I spent one day in Salzburg as a day trip from Munich and saw everything there I wanted to see. Two days, to me, would be a maximum.

OTOH, Berchtesgaden is worth more time than Salzburg. I'd stay in Berchtesgaden and take the bus or train into Salzburg. In additiion, a couple of nights (one day) in Hallstatt would be worthwhile.

However, if you've never spent time in Bavaria, you could easily spend a week or more in Munich and the surrounding area. I've spent at least a week in Bavaria on seven different trips. Some of the places were repeats when I took someone back to see places I had already seen, but a lot of trips were new places for me. There is so much to see there.