Itinerary help

Rental car - friends said they enjoyed driving from Vienna to Salzburg, but they spent several days on the road, enjoying the small towns as they went. Are you planning to do that? If you only want to see the cities, the train and bus service is a better option, because: 1. You don't need or want a car in the cities. It will just be a hassle to drive, expensive to park, and it is easier to get around on foot or local trams and buses.
2. I'm not even sure you can rent in Budapest and return the car in Munich. charges are often $400-$500 or more. 3. You will need a large enough car to seat 2 people in the back comfortably (hours and hours of driving between cities) and to store all your luggage and other belongings out of sight when the car is parked. 4. The trains and buses are modern and very comfortable. You can walk around, use the bathroom anytime, etc. The trains do not encounter traffic congestion. Are your days "in" vienna, Salzburg and Munich in addition to travel time? Packing, unpacking, checking in/out of hotels, getting to/from train stations use up time too. With a car, you have to get out of the city and onto the highway, then find your hotel in the next place, contend with traffic, unusual (for you) signage and in a foreign language. The actual travel time on the trains is 3 hours from Budapest, 2.5 to 3 hours from Vienna and 1.5 to 2 hours to Munich. Even if you have allowed 1/2 day for travel to each new place, I think you are trying to do too much in too little time. A Segway tour is just that - a tour. You will stay with the group from beginning to end, to insure everyone's safety and to insure that the machines are returned. There may be somewhere that you can just rent Segways and tootle around on your own, but unless you are all well-practiced, it's a lousy idea. If you want to ride around on your own, rent bikes.

In Budapest, Vienna and Salzburg a car can be more hindrance than useful. You can't really effectively use it to see any of the sights and it will cost $25 or more a night to park. The cost of gas in the region is between $7.50 and $9.00 a gallon so count on a couple hundred in gas, the tolls might run another $50 or so. Train tickets might put you back $90 a person at most. But admittedly being in total control and having the ability to stop along the way does have some value. Speaking of stopping along the way. If that is your purpose for the car there is a great stop between Budapest and Vienna that you can do by car or by train. It's the town of Gyor. Great baroque town center, river, historic hotel and the Pannonhalma Archabbey. Makes a fantastic overnight stay on the way to Vienna.
I just did a post on two days in Budapest that might be helpful http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/104992/budapest.html. I've been to Vienna a few times but isn't on my top ten and i have never been to Salzburg so i can't be much help with either but if you need help planning Budapest feel free to let me know. A couple more thoughts; the non-tourist orientated performance houses are closed in this part of the world in July; if you are having a good time in Budapest or Vienna and you want to stay longer a car is useful, but train tickets can be purchased in country up to moments prior to the departure of the train (they do sell out at times but not often – it's a small gamble in my book).

I'm not sure you can take a car out of Hungary and drop in Germany, you'll have to call a rental company and find out. But even if you can, you're looking at a 500 Euro drop off fee (or more.) The rental itself will also be very expensive compared to what you might be used to in the US. Getting a car large enough for 4 people plus luggage will probably run around $1000 for a week. Note that the car class sizes in Europe are MUCH smaller than the US, so you'll need a midsize or full size car to fit everyone. Parking and gas are crazy expensive, as noted above. Go for the train. It's cheaper, more efficient and all around easier to use. Lots of fun too! If hubby is bent on driving in Europe, you could look at renting a car for the Salzburg-Munich part of the trip. That's a really beautiful area to drive in. I believe I have seen mention of ways to rent a car in Salzburg and return in Munich without the massive drop fee, but I don't know the specifics. Perhaps someone else here will be able to advise.

Chances are your husband won't be convinced against a car rental only by being told all the (legitimate) reasons it's a bad idea. If a car is all he's ever used on vacation, and he's never been on a train and has no idea how incredibly efficient they are in Europe, he'll probably still opt for what he knows and thinks he can control. Maybe if you could say what it is specifically that he wants to do that he thinks would require a car, or that he thinks can only be done with a car, someone will have good suggestions for a convincing better way. The reasons in the replies above are very persuasive, but I know American men who live far from where trains are a part of regular daily life and they simply can't comprehend transport without being in the driver's seat. It's akin to controlling the TV remote, if that happens in your household. ;)

You can tell from this and the second post about Budapest floating around here right now that people get passionate about Budapest. Having a good time is about establishing a comfort factor. If his comfort factor requires a car, then get a car. I do some offbeat things when I travel too. Some people cross practically penniless then use an ATM to pull cash in the local currency. Travel penniless? See that's beyond my comfort level and I do it a few times a year. I always have enough greenbacks hidden away for an emergency and then I use the ATM for the actual cash I use. Have I ever needed the hidden currency? Nope, never, not in 12 years of traveling a couple of times a year. As for the trains, Austria has excellent trains; Hungary has passable trains, but this is among their best routes. Driving is about 20% faster on these two routes. Do what it takes to enjoy the trip.

Thanks for all your input. Any ideas about how busy Salzburg will be? What about the eagles nest? Nancy

I can speak to the Munich part of your trip. With two days you'll have plenty of time to see what you have listed. Dachau and the Deutsches museum will take about a half day each. The glokenspiel does not take long, but it will constrain you simply because it operates at a set time. Consider adding some of the other sites around the Marianplatz to your list to fill up your morning while you wait. There is a nice market nearby and nice views from the top of the city hall. There are also some neat churhes nearby (e.g. Frauenkirche). In addition to the Hofbrauhaus, you might want to investigate some of the beer gardens that will be open around Munich during the summer. Have fun!