Germany Itinerary Questions

Ann, Whether or not to re-visit Munich will mostly depend on whether there are any sights that you may want to see on this occasion. For example, if you haven't yet visited the Deutsches Museum, you could easily spend the better part of a day there, as there are over 16 kM of exhibits to see. In addition to sights within the city, there are LOTS of possibilities for day trips (Castles, Dachau, Salzburg, Berchtesgaden). I haven't been to Munich for a few years, but will be stopping there again this fall and quite looking forward to another visit. In addition to re-visiting some of the sights I've already seen, I'll be getting to a couple of new ones. I also want to re-visit a restaurant that I discovered on my last trip to Munich. Hopefully it will be just as I remember. If I win the Lottery before I leave on the trip, I might try another fine hot meal at the Sofitel Munich (beside the Hbf). Happy travels!

If I'd spent 1 1/2 in Munich previously, three full days would be quite a lot for the city proper unless you really want to explore the museums or spend nearly a full day in the English garden or something. I'd spend maybe two days in Munich proper, knowing that one whole afternoon/evening will be at Oktoberfest, spend that morning seeing something you missed previously. A day trip to Dachau would make sense, or seeing Nymphenberg palace. I'd absolutely spend a night or two in Salzburg on your way from Vienna. I'd prefer staying there to Berchtesgaden because it seems like it would be such a lovely place to be in the evenings once the crowds go away. (Then again your time of year won't be as crowded). After Munich, Nurnberg is a must in my book, I'd stay at least one night there to see the old town, the Nazi Dokumentation Zentrum, maybe one of the museums. If you like churches Nurnberg is great, there are three big ones all very close together and all very interesting. I haven't been, but sticking east on your way to Berlin makes sense to me, Bamberg and Dresden are supposed to be fantastic. I wouldn't go out of my way for Rothenberg if you're visiting other similar towns on the way from Nurnberg towards Dresden. I am sure people here can give you more specific advice on what towns are worth seeing in that area.

Sarah's right - a couple days in Munich is sufficient, unless you want to spend some serious time in museums. How much of your allotted time do you plan to spend in a beer tent vs other sightseeing ? Also, remember that the city will be more crowded than usual @ this time, which can slow your down, but festivals or other special events can also add to the interesting things to see and do - so while i'd normally say 2 nights would be sufficient, 3 wouldn't be terrible, either. your choice. All the places you mentioned south of Munich are wonderful, primarily small towns, but with plenty of opportunities to see beautiful churches (Wiess Kirche, Kloster Ettal, Ramsau, etc.), hike all over, and visit King Ludwig's fanciful castle creations ( and no, they're not really old, and yes, there are more "authentic" castles in other places ). As for the rest of your time, while i love Rothenburg, geographically, it's the out of the way here. 7-9 days gives you time to see the others. 6 days, though, is gonna cut it too close.

Thank you for all your thoughtful comments and suggestions. It seems no matter how many days I have to travel, I always want to see more than I can fit in. Though I have finally learned to kick back a bit and enjoy walking in the park or just sitting in a cafe, etc., which is a good thing I guess!

Of the cities you list in your last paragraph, Dresden is a must. I also enjoyed Quedlinburg. But my real reason for posting is to say that I hope you are leaving plenty of time for Berlin!

It depends on your interests but I wouldn't skip Rothenburg. The nightwatchman's tour is a lot of fun and was one of the highlights of our Germany trip. We put Rothenburg on our way from Berlin to Munich.

Again thanks for your thoughts everyone! I've decided we'll return to Munich. In fact, our daughter who lives in Sweden will meet us there. We've booked 6 nights and 5 days in Berlin. I know that's not a lot of time, but I hope it will give us a good introduction to the city.

all that time in Berlin sounds wonderful! you won't run out of things to do, and you'll feel like you "know" the city by the time you're done. with all that time be sure and take a trip to Potsdam to visit the palace there! have fun!

Sarah has given you some great ideas. I definitely agree with Salsburg, Nurnburg and Dresden.

You mentioned that you will rent a car in Vienna. Presumably you plan to drop it off in Germany? Generally speaking, you will pay a large drop fee to rent in one country and return in another. You might want to look into dropping the car in Austria (maybe Salzburg?) and taking the train to Munich. You don't really need a car there, and you could pick up a new car in Munich on your way out of town. You would save yourself several days of a rental charge and you wouldn't have to pay for parking that way. If you need a car in Germany right away, you could drop the car in Austria and then rent a new car just over the German border. Have a good trip!