Draft Itinerary June trip to Bavaria, Northern Italy and Rome

I would also like to take my family to a multicourse meal near Vicenza one night. A couple decades ago I did that in Cittadella with coworkers at a single sitting place. I'll be looking for something like that.

Two websites you should find interesting:

For the Dolomites:
https://www.suedtirol.info/en/en

For Padova - the Scrovegni Chapel is spectacular.
https://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/index.php/en/

I think it's a good plan with a mix of stays and lots of opportunities for the kids to burn off energy. Not switching hotels every 2 days is a good idea; especially with a group. Relatives who have lived in Vicenza would absolutely recommend using it as a base to explore that area. We will probably be doing the same thing next year.

One glaring thing pops out to me... Getting off a plane, jet lagged, immediately visiting an important Shoah place of remembrance in 90 minutes and hopping back on the road to the Alps. I think this isn't a great idea; neither practically nor emotionally. Maybe stay a night in Munich rather than hopping on the road?

I haven't been to Rome in a few years so I'll save those specifics for others, except to say that a visit to Rome has changed a lot since the 90s when I first visited. Venues have changed policies and crowd-beating tips like you are asking about are all the more important.

Save travels.

NickB - Definitely will go to Scrovegni, I also saw there is a cultural center/museum there that I'll look into.

Chris - I get your concern about Dachau, I guess we could drive back on another day but it is 30 minutes from the airport. I'm sure we will stop for food or something ahead of time. It is something my kids want to see. I've been twice before and from what I remember a self guided tour should be less than 2 hours. This is not as much about education on what happened, that should be before, but the impact of seeing one of the places where it happened makes it more tangible. One of my kids mentioned she knew about Auschwitz in particular. This will be a way for them to see one of the other camps in person.

You make a good point about visiting something in Munich though, I don't know what we would do. I would not go to the Olympic park. Would consider Marienplatz.

Hello edw, and welcome to the forum,

It seems like you have ton planned - especially with a whole family in tow. If you're familiar with how you like to travel then that's fine, but if this is your first big family trip I would encourage you to build in some flexibility and potential for down time.

Many places have free days - often first Sunday of the month - and days when many museums are closed so check for those days when you're planning. Also check for Italian holidays that you don't expect - like Ferragosto on August 15th - that can cause closures and travel issues.

Look into advance tickets for places - especially in Venice and in Rome - you are set on because June will be fully into busy tourist season and you don't have time to wait in line.

I Venice get the add on ticket for the "St Mark's Museum" because it is interesting but also because it gives you access to the rooftop balcony overlooking the canal and the piazza. Realistically both big attractions in Venice will not leave much time for sightseeing. If you can only do one San Marco is by far my favorite choice. Dodge's palace is interesting but, I think, without the cultural context about the Dodge and the political system it is less interesting - probably especially for kids. For the gondola experience without the price take a traghetto at 2e a piece to start your tourist wander. Water taxis are very expensive BTW - starting with a base charge and then (like a regular taxi) charging set fares for time and mileage. I would expect to pay >50e for any significant trip inside Venice.

There is also a cable car to the top of Mt Baldo in Malcesine on upper Lake Garda but that day already seems really full.

My number one sight in Padova is the Scrovegni Chapel for which you need advance tickets. It may not be your thing and may be boring for the kids but it is a huge art and cultural landmark.

Verona is a great walking town - the center is nearly traffic free and buildings with faded murals and painted details lurk in unlikely corners. There are cafes with outdoor seating everywhere in Verona whenever you decide to want to sit and/or spritz. There is the Roman Arena - skip anything Romeo and Juliet related. You can peek in and see the (fake) balcony for free from the street and keep moving. The Roman Theater - across the river in the Veronetta which is worth exploring - includes the Archeological Museum which is small but also gives you access to the rambling remains of old religious sites there. If you like modern art check out the small Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo which mixes ancient and modern art, a palazzo and rooftop tour all into one place overlooking piazza Erbe and is underadvertised. I think Piazza Erbe (looking past the market stands) is one of the prettiest piazzas in Italy. Verona has the 'elegant decay' feeling with faded murals on medieval buildings that the Veneto does so well.
The train station is close to town but further than you'll want to walk. With more than 2 people I would grab a cab at the train station and ask for "Piazza Bra" and it will be <10e. There is a taxi stand in Piazza Erbe when you want to go back.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Only you know how well your family handles long distance flights and a packed itinerary. But I have serious reservations about your first day. Ordinarily I would not recommend visiting Dachau with a child who may be tired, and disoriented with jet lag and perhaps anxious after a long overnight flight to a foreign country. Again, you know your children best, but even adults find this visit emotionally draining. Is that really what you want for your children's first experience in Europe?

And then there is your plan to drive. With jet lag. After a full morning. That 90 minutes given by Google Maps does not take local traffic into account. And having driven in Munich traffic many times, I can flat out say you should probably double that time, since you would now be travelling in the afternoon. Driving in heavy traffic, and then on an autobahn at high speeds, while jet lagged could actually be dangerous. I urge you to either spend the first night in Munich before driving to GP, or drop Dachau and take the train to GP, renting the car from there.

hiredman,
Excellent feedback on Venice - I was looking at doing the Doge Palace/ San Marco museum combo ticket but now I think I'll only do the San Marco Museum.
Definitely will do Scrovegni in Padova.
Great info on Verona, just what I needed. If we make it out near the Juliet balcony we'll just look from the street. I'll depriorize this

CJean,
Great feedback, I am considering staying in Munich on the Arrival Day. Maybe a hotel near the Airport. Then we can try the second day. In my previous experiences traveling to Europe (me not my family) I have had a lot of energy the day of arrival (looking at flights that land between 9-10 a.m.) but really dragging the second day which is why I had the adjusting to the time day on day 2. So I'll be flexible and get input from the family if they are up for anything on day 1 or if we do it later.

Regardless, I think the Zugspitze day will get replaced by a day in Munich. We can pass the Zugspitze on the way to Fussen, and we will save a lot of money not buying the 5 tickets to the top. We will likely take a cable car/gondola on our hike day in the Dolomites.