Hallstatt or no?

RS talks up Hallstatt in his book, but I found it disappointing. We did enjoy the salt mine tour, and I bet your kids would like that too. However the rest of commercial Hallstatt is about a block long and seen in 15 minutes tops. The location is very picturesque, but I'll put it this way. If you like walking down streets looking at the front side of houses that undoubtedly have spectacular views from their backyard, then Hallstatt is the town for you.

Do make plans to visit Hallstatt. Was there 5 years ago and have trip planned for 2014. Enjoy the lake and scenery. Also, ride the gondolla to see the ice caves.

Not as one of your Salzburg days, Salzburg is nice and really needs at least one very full day to enjoy. Hallstat is beautiful and quiet, some teenagers are going to call that boring. If your day count doesn't include travel time, remember 2 nights = 1 full day with a travel day on either side. Munich to Salzburg is easy (unless you plan stops along the way), after that you have some pretty hefty travel days planned (but probably don't have time to add intermediate stops). If it were me (I realize it's not), I'd skip Vernazza and finish somewhere else (maybe Florence). Vernazza is nice but not really a destination to include in a relatively short itinerary. I see it as more of a quiet stop to include at the middle of an otherwise busy itinerary. It's also a really long trip from Venice. If you aren't committed to St. Goar, your teens might enjoy staying at Burg Stahleck above Bacharach. It's a great hostel/castle with an incredible Rhine view (only 14 km from St. Goar). It's always full (mostly with local families and groups), so you need to book ahead to stay there. My teens enjoyed Rheinfels Castle ruins, it's one of the best for just wandering and seeing what you want. Get there early and you have the place mostly to yourselves. I tend to opt for budget lodging. In Salzburg, I love Institute San Sebastian. It's like a hostel but really a college dorm, very well located a short walk from the old center.

I'm not a city person. I enjoy natural scenery more than cities, so I would rather go to Hallstatt. I spent an evening and a full day in Hallstatt four years ago, without doing the salt mine (but did go up the funicular), and didn't think it was too much. I also spent a day in Salzburg and thought that was enough.

Hallstatt is a picturesque scenic quiet village. Other than the salt mine tour & funicular which teens would like there is not much else there. I love Hallstatt for its beauty & solitude. That said Salzburg would prob benefit your family more than the long drive and back.

Eric, With only two days in Salzburg, my suggestion would be to spend your time there as there's MORE than enough to see. If your group wants to visit the Hohensalzburg Fortress, that will take at least half a day. You can hike down from there or take the Funicular. You'll also need time to explore the many historic sites in Salzburg, so there's really no time for Hallstatt. You didn't say what you have planned for Munich, but as you have four days there you could always add a day trip to Berchtesgaden. That offers a number of attractions that may be of interest to your group: > Salt Mine tour (I believe it's much the same as the Hallstatt version, including the slides). > Dokumentation Centre and Bunkers (a very interesting look at the WW-II history - the displays are in German, but you can get an English language Audio Guide - the Bunkers are extensive and only a portion have been restored for public access). > The Eagle's Nest (check www.eagles-nest-tours.com/EN/eagles-nest-tours/index.php?navid=2 for information on one tour in that area - the Eagle's Nest isn't really too significant historically, but it's still interesting). Are you planning to visit the Castles and/or Dachau while in Munich? Your teenagers might enjoy a visit to the Deutsches Museum (it's EXTENSIVE). Happy travels!

I especially like renting a car in Austria, and just take a few days rambling from town to town in the mountains. The Austrian Alps are immensely beautiful.
Our favorite drive still remains the Grossglockner High Alpine Highway running south of Zell-am-See over the second highest mountains in Europe.

It will take 2 days to see Salzburg. I would save the Lakes District for another trip.