We are a party of 6 adults. In mid October 2014, we plan to fly into Munich on a Thurday morning. It be after Octoberfest. We do not want to rent a car. We will arrive early afternoon if the flights are the same next October year they are this October. We'll check into a hotel, then see the sights right in Munich, Glockenspiel clock, Hofbräuhaus, etc. The next day, we plan to take the train to Salzburg for the day, then back to Munich. The day after we'd like to take the train to Neuschwanstein Castle, then back to Munich. The following day, we'd like to visit Dachau in the morning, then take the train to Lucerne. Spend a day in Lucerne, then take the night train to Venice. We will stay in Venice 2 nights before boarding our cruise ship on Friday,(8 days after arriving in Munich.) Does anyone have any suggestions for a tour company to book the day trips to Salzberg and Fussen, similar to Viator? We're new to traveling in this part of Europe. We don't have to go to Lucerne, we heard it is very pretty. We don't have to return to Munich after each of the day trips either. Does anyone have any suggestions to help us plan our trip a better way? We'd like to do it the most efficient way to see the sights and save on time and money. Thank you.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16241 posts
There is no night train from Luzern to Venice, but the "day train" is very doable. You go to Arth-Goldau to catch the direct train to Milan over the Gotthard Pass, and by booking in advance on SBB you can save almost 50 CHF per ticket on the leg. From Milan you catch the high-speed ES train to Venice (2 and 3/4 hours) and again you can save €€ by booking tickets in advance ( on Trenitalia). A more direct route from Munich would be to skip Luzern and travel from Munich via Innsbruck into Italy. You could spend a night in Bolzano and then continue to Venice the next day, via Verona. Others will be able to advise you on your plans for Munich better than I can.
Posted by
OP
Oro Valley, AZ, USA
3 posts
Thank you for your suggestions. Appreciate them.
Posted by
Green Bay
20081 posts
Actually, if you want to take a night train to Venice, it leaves from Salzburg. So if you leave Salzburg visit until the end, you'll kill to birds with one stone. Of course, that is next year and things could change by then. There was a Munich-Venice night train up until this year when it was discontinued.
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
You have a very busy itinerary planned. Currently, you plan on immediately touring the city without considering jet lag. Also, your Day 4 does not allow any time to see the city of Lucerne. The train trip alone is 6-7 hrs. This is your current itinerary: Day 1 Arrival in Munich, see the city; Day 2 Train trip to Salzburg; Day 3 Day trip to Neuschwanstein; Day 4 Morning, Dachau Afternoon train to Lucerne (6-7 hrs); Day 5 Lucerne; Day 6 Train to Venice; Day 7 Venice; Day 8 Board cruise ship Personally, I would save Lucerne for the next trip. Purchase the Rick Steves' tour book and read about seeing Salzburg and Neuschwanstein. You can do it on your own. There's no need for a tour guide.
Posted by
OP
Oro Valley, AZ, USA
3 posts
Thanks so much. I like your suggestions as well.