After 9 days in July in Dusseldorf with my husband on a business trip, we have 1 week on our own to see more of Germany. We prefer nature over big cities, and with some advice we have chosen to head down to the Bavaria region. We will be traveling by train – still trying to wrap my brain around the train passes – would appreciate suggestions. Never having been to Europe, I would like to have input as to if this itinerary seems feasible – given the train schedules. Also any suggestions as to where to eat, particular tours, etc. (I do have Rick Steve's 2013 Germany Guidebook). Mon. – as soon as hubby can get away, we will take the train from Dusseldorf to Salzburg, Austria. Mon. – Wed. – Alstadthotel Weisse Taube – Salzburg. We will basically have all day Tues. & Wed. and then depart sometime on Thurs. by train for Fussen. Thurs. – Fri. – Hotel Sonne – Fussen, Germany. We will have some of Thurs. and all day Fri. Sat. – we head to Munich for early flight out on Sun. We are staying at the Hotel Blauer Bock and hope to do the suggested walking tour in Rick's book. Any input would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much!
Jane
Posted by
Imperial, Missouri
985 posts
Your time frames look good for the time you have. You could definitely spend more time in Salzburg and especially Munich, but given the time you and the places you want to go, I would probably break it up the same way. In Salzburg, I recommend one of the Bob's Special Tours to see some of the area surrounding Salzburg. The old town in Salzburg is really easy to walk through on your own. These are some of my favorite places. Enjoy your trip! Train travel between Salzburg, Munich and Fussen is very easy and doesn't take long. You can use a Bavaria Ticket for each of the trips. That would cover you and your husband for somewhere around 25 or 26 Euro per trip.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19091 posts
A Bayern-Ticket (Bavarian Ticket) will cost 26€ (22€ + 4€) for two people. You can travel before 9 AM on workdays, but you cannot use the ticket for travel before 9. If you want to travel earlier, buy a point-point ticket to the first station you reach after 9. You also can only use regional trains, but they only take ½ hour longer from Salzburg to Munich and there are effectively only regional trains from there to Füssen.
Posted by
OP
Hendersonville, TN
6 posts
Thank you for the info. I went on the Deutsche Bahn website to try and see about the train from Dusseldorf to Salzburg, and it looks like we couldn't get into Salzburg until midnight or after. I don't know if I'm reading it right - I assume I'm looking at a point-to-point trip. Is there a better way (pass?) for that leg of the journey?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Düsseldorf to Salzburg takes about 7-8 hours by train. I would consider flying from Düsseldorf to Munich and taking the train from there to Salzburg (unless of course, you could find a direct flight to Salzburg... I don't know if there's an airport). As Lee noted, a pass would be a complete waste of money, because most of your destinations are connected by cheap regional trains. He's the man for information on all these regional passes that Deutsche Bahn offers.
Posted by
Columbus, OH, USA
2026 posts
We stayed at the Weisse Taube two years ago an were quite pleased. The location is excellent for touring the Old Town. It was very easy to get to from the train station...a bus from the station to the Mozart bridge and then a 2 minute walk to the hotel. Check out the Salzburg city pass at the TI which includes transportation and admissions, and was offered in one, two, or three day options as I recall. Among the best travel deals we have encountered. Reviewed all the included sites and activities..boat ride, cable car, fortress and palaces, brewery, lots more, and organized our stay around that. A great value. Have a safe trip.