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Road trip in Sudtirol, Austria Tyrol, and Southern Bavaria

Posted by (Bay Area, California) on

I am planning an Alpine road trip in early July (starting and flying out from Zurich) in lower Bavaria, Austrian Tyrol, and Italian Sudtirol region. We are healthy, but can only do day hiking trips. We also enjoy spas and great food, of course.

My tentative itinerary should cover:
- (Maybe) Germany: Neuschwanstein Castle (trying to figure out how to avoid the crowd)

-(Maybe) Germany: Garmisch-Partenkirchen + Eibsee + Höllentalklamm

-(Must-go) Austria: area around Innsbruck (Wolfsklamm, Acquadome spa, Stubai--Grawa Waterfall)

-(Must-go) Italy: Sudtirol region of Italy

(1) What do you think of this itinerary? We are seasoned travelers in Europe. However, our only driving experience outside the US was in Greece (island). So, we don't have any city driving experience.

(2) Will I lose anything for skipping Garmisch-Partenkirchen + Eibsee + Höllentalklamm? I do like mountains, cute Alpine villages, waterfalls, and lakes. I wonder if this German region is necessary, given that I will continue to Austria and Sudtirol.

(3) Where I should start/end my car rental? We cannot drive a manual car. I understand that automatics are expensive and difficult to find. I can start/end in Zurich, or take a train/bus to elsewhere (e.g., Munich) to start my rental.

Rental charges are lowest from Germany. I have National's Emerald Executive membership, but they have very limited rental locations (Zurich--city and Airport and Munich Airport).

Thanks a million!

Posted by
5697 posts

Automatics ARE more expensive than manual transmission cars -- and not as plentiful -- but you can find them in most areas, especially at train stations and airports. Just make sure you pick up and return the car within the same country to avoid massive extra charges.

Posted by
27104 posts

I'd recommend staying up in one of the mountain villages in the Dolomites (like Ortisei). The city of Bolzano is gorgeous and well-located, but it will be more convenient to sleep up in the mountains. In addition, there's a weather concern: The valley cities and towns like Bolzano can get very hot in the summer, and many of the hotels are not air-conditioned.

Posted by
1428 posts

Thanks for the quick replies.

  1. We are aware that automatics are $$$ and usually the cost is at least 2x that of manuals. But we are too old to learn how to drive a stick shift.

  2. We would like to see the Italian Alps. Bolzano and the Dolomites are on our agenda. We want to avoid places filled with cheap tour groups. This is precisely why we decided to skip Salzburg.

So, should I skip the German Alps, on the assumption that the scenery may be even better in Austria and Italy? Thanks.

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