October end trip. Suggest please...

20 to 30 Oct there will be early snow in the mountains and snow in southern Germany this time of year for a day or two is not uncommon. Prepare to dress your son for cold weather as some of the clearest days will be the coldest (below 32F/0C). I visited Schloss Neuschwanstein once this time of year and the fog was so thick you could only see the Schloss from a few meters away. This is also the season between summer/fall and high winter ski season, so many hotels, bars, cafes, lifts etc. in the ski regions will be closed (dead villages). I think you can have a good trip this time of year in Bavaria and Austria, but the natural beauty mountain areas will be weather problematic. Watch the weather webcams and be flexible. Check where lifts are running this time of year. With the car you can be flexible and go to the mountains etc. when the weather is good with clear blue skies. A stroller in snow is probably not a good thing. I have seen a lot of recommendations for larger towns like Innsbruck on this site with local excursions out of the city. I have only driven through Innsbruck several times and not visited the city center, so can't recommend. Munich has many museums and of course the Beer Halls. Both have interesting architecture.

http://www.foto-webcam.eu/
http://www.feratel.com/

I am concerned on my trip now. I should have asked initially, "if late October is good or bad for Bavaria/nearby and Austria"

Now, (a) should I drop idea of flying in/out of Munich (Germany) and plan for other place in Europe ?

Or, (b) Should I keep my in/out airport as Munich and keep plan-B dependent on weather ? Like, if weather is bad, I take train to some other place and plan everything at that place ?

I understand that this is only Germany forum, but I may get ideas about nearby places from you.

If you want to avoid rain and fog in October, you better stay clear of the hilly uplands in southern Germany, as well as the North Sea coast in northwestern Germany. Consider the area "around Leipzig" (around from an American view). The mountains west of it make the rain clouds stick there, wind and rain is almost always from northwest in Germany. Also lots of great sights in that area, and you should have some nice sunny days visiting them.

You said you aren't too interested in the coast, but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCgen on the Baltic Sea shore can by quite nice in late October, too.

My intent was not to dissuade a visit the end of Oct. You just have to be ready for early winter weather and it is the Nebensaison (off season) in the mountains. The opposite is a late fall Goldener Herbst or Indian Summer type weather week/weekend that is possible with moderate day temperatures and glorious fall weather. It is a bit of the luck of the draw...

Hi,

We've had a couple of wonderful trips to Bavaria and the Austrian Alps in late October. During our October trips we've experienced cool to mild days and chilly to cold nights and early mornings. I would suggest for 10 days/nights something like this or similar:
2 nights Munich
3 or 4 nights Salzburg/Berchtesgaden/Salzkammergut
3 or 4 nights Innsbruck area
1 night Munich

The photos below are from the last week of October to the first of November in 2007, the latest fall trip we took:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pjbassplyr/albums/72157646958077741

We have more October trip photo's (and more) at:
www.flickr.com/photos/pjbassplyr/sets

Paul

Thanks for amazing replies.

I understood that it will be hit or miss chance. I am not too rigid on my route to be taken. If other places can give similar stunning beauty, I can change my plan/places. The Grossglockner is also an attraction, but if that is also going to be 'less scenic' or less feasible, I can skip it. We would be on Schengen visa, so touching any European country will not be problem. Do you think, flying in/out Munich will still make more sense ?

Paul, you really got very nice shot, in spite of not best light in weather. Thanks for links.

I think flying into/out of Munich makes perfect sense at this time of year. October can be spectacular. The Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse will most likely be open, as will the Rossfeld Panorama Road (open all year) just above Berchtesgaden, 30 min. from Salzburg.

www.grossglockner.at/gg/en/index

www.rossfeldpanoramastrasse.de/en/#

In the Berchtesgaden and area these cable cars will be open:
www.obersalzbergbahn.de
www.jennerbahn.de/de/preise/
www.predigtstuhlbahn.de/en/prices-info/opening-times
www.12erhorn.at/html/betriebszeit.html

In Innsbruck:
www.nordkette.com/en/home.html
www.nordkette.com/en/home.html

I think Rick's guidebooks show October as southern Germany's driest month. I was in Bavaria (Romantic Road, Nürnberg, Passau, Burghausen, Munich) in October 10 years ago for two weeks and never saw any precipitation. Most days I was too warm in my down parka; nights were chilly and the places I stayed turned off the heat at night.

Lee, I just checked the weather record for Nürnberg, and in October 2005 it was very dry (50% of the middle expected amount), in October 2006 it was a bit dryer than usual (80%) and October 2007 was extremely dry (25%). But you are right, October is usually the month with least rain in southern Germany. It was mostly the valley fog I was concerned about. But one could also go up on the hilltops and watch the sea of fog from above, lovely.

I have to agree with Lee. After many trips in October, starting in 2001, we barely had any rain at all. Fog, never experienced that either.

Paul

Thanks a lot guys. Your responses gave me big relief.
I can go through your links and suggestions, and will try to plan route and places.

Not meaning to demur or hinder a visit again, but believe me I have shoveled snow in my drive in the Nord Oberpfalz in October many times over the years. Mostly a heavy passing front for a few days. Some years more than others and some years not at all. Usually the roads are well cleared and salted. Yes this is not the southern Bayern region, but in Bayern. Just be prepared for the best and worst weather, especially in the mountains.

Sure, I can keep a backup plan. Will try to have it in place based on links provided.

Since, I have not booked my tickets yet, I can schedule my vacations 10 days earlier, i.e. starting from 10th October. Not a big impact, but a bit less risk, I believe.

I think going 10 days earlier will have much of an impact on weather. You should do this if you can.

Going a week earlier would be fine. I don't see it really being a factor with weather either way.

Paul

We went over Thanksgiving break to Bavaria and had cool weather but dry, nothing hindered us, but we are from Colorado high country so it was similar to our weather at home. The nice thing is we were able to be very spur of the moment. We had ideas what we wanted to see, but was easy to get rooms and see sights without problems.

2 years ago, we traveled Southern Germany in October. Rain, rain and more rain. People kept saying: you should have been here in September - we had glorious fall weather. We toured a lot of cathedrals and museums, but Lake Constance was a wash-out.