Please sign in to post.

Alps by train or car? Austria/Slovenia/Croatia/Italy

We (two parents and a thirteen year old kid) will have two weeks to visit the Alps next June, and I would appreciate some advice from people who know the area. Below I've listed our desired experiences and destinations, in decreasing order of priority.

  • How far down the list is it reasonable to go?
  • How many nights would you spend in each location? Which would you skip?
  • How much of this trip would you travel by car, and how much by train? We'll be arriving via rail from Berlin and leaving via rail to Munich.

I want to make sure we have a variety of experiences without getting overwhelmed or repeating things, all while getting a taste for the region. Advice is greatly appreciated.

Things we'd like to do, in decreasing order of importance:

  • Hiking and staying overnight at a hut in Triglav NP
  • Walking around Roman ruins
  • Visiting fine art museums
  • Attending one classical concert or ballet
  • Eating local food
  • Seeing medieval armor and weapons
  • Going on a day hike in the Dolomites
  • Visiting at least one vineyard
  • Driving the Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Places we'd like to see, in decreasing order of importance:

  • Venice
  • Ljubljana
  • Vienna
  • Verona
  • Budapest
  • Salzburg
  • Rovinj
  • Prague
  • Innsbruck
  • Trieste
Posted by
12 posts

Pula has incredible Roman ruins and is close to several of your potential destinations. Pula Arena is one of the largest remaining Roman amphitheaters, and several other Roman structures remain in the city. I haven’t been to Verona so I can’t compare the two. Istria also has wineries and delicious local food. You would need a car to get to Pula and Rovinj, though I suspect a car would also be necessary for Triglav. I haven’t been to all of your potential destinations, though, and it’s been years since I’ve been to some of them, so I would defer to anyone with more familiarity.