I am firming up a driving itinerary. Day 0 - Arrive Hamburg Day 1 - Visit family/friends Hamburg Day 2 - Hamburg - drive - Berlin Day 3 - Berlin Day 4 - Berlin Day 5 - Drive - Dresden day visit - arrive Prague Day 6 - Prague Day 7 - Prague Day 8 - Drive - Cesky Krumlov (Sleep here? or drive to Vienna?) Day 9 - Vienna (Opera!) Day 10 - Vienna Day 11 - Vienna Day 12 - Salzburg (sleep here?) Day 13 - Fussen - King's Castles Day 14 - Munich (Oktoberfest day) Day 15 - Romantic Road - Sleep Rothenberg Day 16 - activities undetermined - but I'm sleeping in Frankfurt Day 17 - Depart FRA I am very open to suggestions to modify the length of time spent in some of these cities. Am I shortchanging any cities in this list? I wonder if I have dedicated too much time to Berlin. Looks like 2.5 days. I could leave Berlin midday Day 4, bypass Dresden and head straight to Prague. That opens more time in CK, or in Munich. Another thought - Do I leave EOD Day 11 to sleep in Salzburg?
What do y'all think? Thanks
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I'm not sure why you think 2.5 days in Berlin is "too much time." You have a busy but workable itinerary, and of course opinions will differ about each of the places on your list. So, if these are the places you want to go, it looks good to me. Of course, if there's any place on the itinerary that isn't calling to you, eliminate it and spend more time in other places. You won't run out of things to do in any of your cities in 2-3 days.
Posted by
Chicago
565 posts
I'm exhausted reading this. If anything, you are shortchanging yourself. Europe may be smaller than the US but all that driving is still going to get to you. Berlin and Prague are nearly 5 hours apart, Prague and Vienna as well.
You may certainly attempt this, but I don't think you will get a great vacation out of it. If it were me, I would concentrate on either cities or castle side trips, but not both.
Posted by
Bremerton, Washington, USA
198 posts
Since you'll be renting a car you want to make sure you will be allowed to drive to Prague. We were in Europe this past May/June with a rental car and were told we would not be allowed to drive the car through the Czech Republic.
Posted by
OP
Double Oak, TX, USA
47 posts
Thanks Vanessa. I am already familiar with that issue. I talked to Hertz yesterday. If I rent a Mercedes, BMW, or Audi I cannot cross the Czech border. Since I rented an Opel (budget driver here). no problem.
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi, In terms of logistics and the car issue, I would drop the idea of going into CZ, unless you turn in the car in Dresden, pick up another in Vienna and dropping it off in Salzburg before proceeding to south Germany. If it's going to be one car from Hamburg to Frankfurt, then drop CZ from the itinerary.