travel suggestion out of Munich

Carol A good question. I'll let somebody else do the math, but one point to make, given you don't want "touristy areas" , Hallstatt, Lake Garda and the Berner Oberland are all most likely going to be chock full of tourists in August. Garda will also be full of holidaying Italians and Germans.

Thanks, Nigel. Back to the drawing board I guess. Any ideas? Carol

carol, It may be difficult to find any areas in that part of Europe that aren't full of tourists in August. However, the "rush" will likely be tapering off, as many will be getting ready to go back to school / work, and it will be progressing into the fall shoulder season. I doubt that you'll be able to see all three areas in seven days, as some are in opposite directions so that would be a LOT of driving. Also, do you have to return to Munich within that time for your flight home? That will certainly have a bearing on the equation. I'd suggest focusing on the areas that interest you the most, and try to ignore the "hordes". The Berner Oberland would be good in one sense, as there are a lot of different areas to explore. Note that when visiting Hallstatt, I don't believe cars are allowed in the main part of town (that was my observation). You'll have to park at the end of town and walk to your Hotel. In that area you could also visit Salzburg, Berchtesgaden or other places. Note that for driving in Italy, you'll require the compulsory I.D.P. Happy travels!

Hi Carol, While these aren't "non touristy" area's, they do have scenic drives: The Oetztal west of Innsbruck. This could include the Timmelsjoch Pass (between Austria and Italy). It could also be a loop drive with the Timmelsjoch and the Jaufen Pass. We also found the Vinchgau/Val Venosta area of Italy to not only be very scenic, but "off the beaten path" with most tourists. You could drive from Munich to the Oetztal (we stayed in Solden). While in the Oetztal you could drive the scenic Oetztal Panoramic Glacier Road. www.oetztal.com www.oetztal.com/main/EN/SO/oetztal_specials/oetztalcard/panoramicroad/index.html Then drive south over the Timmelsjoch Pass into Italy and the Vinschgau/Val Venosta. We stayed in Mal/Malles in the Vinschgau close to the Swiss border. www.timmelsjoch.com/en www.vinschgau-suedtirol.info One of our favorite castle's anywhere is Churburg Castle in the Vinschgau. Just some thoughts. Paul

For more clarification, are you driving back to Munich on your 7th day? There are several options depending on how much time you want at each stop. An very heavy driving itinerary to include Hallstatt might look like this. Day 1 Drive and stop in Salzburg Day 2 Drive and stop in Hallstatt Day 3 Backtrack and Drive towards and stop outside of Innsbruck Day 4 Drive to Interlaken (very long drive) Day 5 Berner Oberland area Day 6 Berner Oberland area Day 7 Drive back to Munich The above itinerary seems too much driving to me. So, a more manageable itinerary may be the following.
Day 1 Drive to Lermoos, Austria (In the valley of the Zugspitze) Stopping in Fuessen for a castle tour Day 2 Lermoos, Austria Day 3 Drive to Interlaken area Day 4 Berner Oberland Day 5 Berner Oberland Day 6 Berner Oberland Day 7 Drive to Munich Of course, your other option would be to drive to the Berner Oberland, stay there and enjoy the area, and then drive back to Munich. You could stop for a night on the way there and then on the way back. Otherwise, it is a long drive straight through. However, I've done it. Test your routes on Google Maps. I have driven to, and through, all of these areas. Several of these routes are slower because they go through the mountains. IMPO, Hallstatt was just o.k. It's not high on my list of places to see. However, I love Salzburg. PM me if you need ideas for accommodations. Have a great trip!