My husband and I are taking our first ever out-of-the-country trip. We will be visiting our son in Landstuhl, Germany from May 10-23rd. While there, we would like to visit Interlaken, Switzerland, and Salzburg, Austria. Should we take the train or drive? Since he might be on duty on the weekends, we will probably only have during the week of the 14th-19th to travel outside Germany. Any tips on where to stay would be appreciated as well.
Posted by
Hermiston, OR, USA
69 posts
I traveled by train from Salzberg to Lauterbrunnen to Munich last year and it was very easy. From Landstuhl you many want to drive part way on the Romantic Road seeing the sights in Rick's book and then take the train to Interlaken. While you are in Interlaken you might as well stay in Lauterbrunnen or better yet Murren. Rick's books have good suggestions for any of the locations. You will want to see Berner Oberland while you are there.
Posted by
OP
Kingsport, TN, USA
19 posts
Thank you so much, Doug. I am a sponge for information on best places to stay and to travel in a short time frame, so this is very helpful. Any specific place that you recommend to stay in Murren? What mode of transportation would we take from the train station to the village? We prefer countryside over a town.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
For the area of Germany where you are staying, Mr. Steves' book is probably not your best source. There's a whole lot to see and do within an hour or two of Landstuhl that most guide books barely mention... I'm busy at work right now, but I'll get back to you with some suggestions. But first of all, consider a more comprehensive guidebook as your primary source (The Rough Guide, Eyewitness Guides, etc). Your son probably also has some good suggestions in the local area.
Posted by
OP
Kingsport, TN, USA
19 posts
Thank you, Tom. I look forward to hearing your suggestions and will look into the guidebooks you recommended.
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
Considering you may only have 5 days for travel, you should probably go by train. And, even then, you might consider going to only one location; i.e., Berner Oberland or Salzburg. Use this website for your train info: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en If you decide to rent a car, you can reserve one from the States using AutoEurope or Kemwell. They are car brokers and arrange the car with companies like Avis, Hertz, Europcar, etc. Your son may also have some local car rental agencies by the base that they use. As the previous poster mentioned, get the Rick Steves' Switzerland and Austria tour books for lodging and siteseeing info. In Muerren, I like to stay at Hotel Alpina which sits on a cliff overlooking the valley and, if you have a balcony room, has views of the Swiss Alps. The hotel is a bit worn but the buffet breakfast is great. Salzburg is a busy tourist city. If you can't find lodging using RS tour book, send me a personal message for other possibilities. Have a great trip visiting your son.
Posted by
OP
Kingsport, TN, USA
19 posts
Denise, I have sent you a private message. This information was very helpful. Thank you for posting.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
OK, suggestions near Landstuhl- I'll leave out the obvious sutff that most guidbooks cover (ie, the Rhine, the Mosel, etc.). Plenty of others on this website can offer advice on those. The area immediately around Landstuhl is pretty sparsely populated. This is the Pfälzerwald, a low mountain range covered in thick forests. The highest concentration of castles (mostly ruins) in Germany are found here, although most are difficult to reach without a car. About a 30 minute drive east, the landscape opens up into wide Rhine-Neckar-Main valley, which is the heart of German wine country. Several very attractive towns are linked together as the Deutsche Weinstraße (German Wine Route). The most impressive towns along the way are Bad Dürkheim, Neustadt and Landau. Don't even think about going all they way to the Romantic Road (over-rated) until you've seen the Wine Road (under-rated). Have to get back to work...