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Munich Salzburg Alsace early June 2019

Posted by (Florida) on

We are a family of 5 with 11 nights in Europe in early June 2019. We are a couple in early 50's traveling with 9 year old daughter and 23 year old daughter and her fiance. My older daughter has had foot surgery and will have some possible mobility issues (walking boot).

Day 1: We will fly into Zurich (we have been to Switzerland before) and drive to Ehrenberg, Austria. We have 2 nights reservation by the castle ruins in Ehrenberg.

Day 2: Zugspitze (to see snow - we are from Florida and have only seen snow a handful of times and daughter's fiance has never seen snow). Maybe a Luge if time.

Day 3: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangan castles. Maybe a luge ride and Wies Church. Drive to Salzburg. We are staying 3 nights in Salzburg in an apartment on outskirts of city.

Day 4: Visit Berchtesgarden salt mine, Eagle's Nest, and bunker (older daughter's request). Possibly Hohenwerfen Castle if we feel like and based on timing, but that might be too much.

Day 5: Day in Salzburg. Sound of music afternoon bike tour (older daughter's request). Is Morzart's house worth a visit?

Day 6: Drive to Munich (note this will be a Sunday morning so hopefully the traffic won't be too bad). Also, Museums are free or very discounted on this day. Visit Alte Pinakothek, Pinakothek der Moderne, and the Egyptian Museum. I figured about 4 hours total. Then maybe Munich Nazi Documentation Center later in day which is open until 7 pm (as closed Monday). We are staying in Munich 2 nights in hotel old city that has parking.

Day 7: Day in Munich, We want to Residenze. Follow Rick's tour in book. Maybe afternoon 3rd Reich tour? Anyone done one of these?

Day 8: Leave Munich stopping at Nympehnburg Palace and Dachau Concentration Camp. I know we can't take Dachau tour as you must be 14. Then drive to Kayserberg, France - longest driving day at 5 hours. We are staying 3 nights in an apartment in Kayserberg.

Day 9: Small villages of Alsace (sleep in day). We have been to Alsace before and loved it. Want to visit villages missed the first time. Has anyone done Night Watchman tour in Turckheim? We did the one in Rothenburg and loved it but I believe that one was in English.

Day 10: Europa park in Rust Germany.

Day 11: Last day. At this point thinking of going to Lucerne for the day. If we didn't get to see snow might go to Lauterbrunnen and do top of the world train (have done this before) . Could visit more of Alsace. Have reservation for last night at a hotel near Zurich airport.

Day 12: Fly home.

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. We have never been to Salzburg or Munich. Would love to go to Hallstatt but I think that will have to be another trip.

Posted by
20085 posts

If you are just stopping in Salzburg for a day and can stay off the motorway, you won't need an Austrian vignette.
A family jaunt to the Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe) will cost you about $450.
Top of the World is a retirement complex in Clearwater :-)

Posted by
12 posts

Thank you...yes I live near Clearwater :)
Yes I doubt we will go to Top of Europe but just a back up plan to see snow. Some of us went to Top of Europe a couple of years ago and had a great time but really enjoyed one stop down. There was still snow on the ground and we were able to play in the snow by ourselves there. I think Titlis might be a better backup plan.

Posted by
6637 posts

"Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated."

Your planning is probably too aggressive and demands too much travel rigor for a group of 5, especially for the heavily-touristed destinations and sights that have found their way into your plan (from Rick Steves' materials, I assume.) One place you could start trimming would be the numerous Nazi sights. Rick is obsessed with these, but if the trip is to provide an accurate picture of Germany, 4-5 different Nazi venues may only distort and contort your impressions of the country and its people.

After the overnight flight into Zurich - and probably not much sleep - it is probably unwise and unsafe to pack everyone in a car for 3+ additional hours of confinement on a long drive to Reutte.

That day with Nymphenburg Dachau and a 5-hour drive borders on impossible. The Alsace is lovely. I happen to think it's a shame that Rick puts such intense emphasis on eastern and southern Bavaria in his guidebooks and neglects the scenic and historically/culturally interesting territory in southern Germany that lies between Munich and France, stuff that is much closer to the Alsace - and to Zurich airport. A few of the nice places you are skipping right past...

Ottobeuren
Oberstdorf
Hohenzollern
Swabian Alb
Black Forest
Bodensee

But I'm doubtful that reworking your trip and skipping Rick Steves' priorities was not what you had in mind for suggestions!

Anyway, I hope you have a nice trip. But without some changes I think what you have now will be relatively difficult and demanding on everyone.

Posted by
8440 posts

Is Morzart's (sic) house worth a visit?

IMO, no.

Posted by
12 posts

Thank you for the input. I do appreciate it. We will take off the Hohenwerfen Castle. As far as the Museum day in Munich I will most likely just go through the Alte Pinakothek and Moderne pretty fast and see a few highlights and then take my younger daughter to the Egyptian Museum so the others can have their time without being rushed. We will most likely take off the Nazi Documentation Center (?? any input on this from someone who has been there). We will also not schedule the 3rd Reich Tour and then if some of us want to go they can sign up at last minute if any openings.

As far as driving on the day of arrival, it has worked for us in the past. I usually sleep on the plane pretty well and then we hit the road and get some of the driving out of the way so we can enjoy the first day on the ground without too much time in the car. I also see what you are saying about the 5 hour drive to Alsace but it will not get dark until pretty late so we should be ok and we can arrive late at the apartment. I have found in the past it has worked well for us to tour during the day and drive in the early evening.

We planned it different ways but we wanted to be able to stay 3 days some where and didn't want to stay in Rust area. We had Hohenzollern on our original schedule but took off so we could spend 3 nights in Alsace. I know this is pushing it but I think 2 nights 3 nights 2 nights 3 nights and then 1 night is not too bad.

Last year my wife and youngest daughter spent a week in Brittney and loved visiting the small towns and sights that are not really major sights. That is how we like to travel most of the time any more. A car and smaller towns with maybe one large town at the beginning or end of the trip. This trip is a little different with my older daughter and her fiance coming and they had certain things they really want to do. We have been to Germany before (Romantic Road). We plan on returning and doing more of the smaller towns and other sights that are not quite as busy on a later trip. Thanks...

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