Where to go after RS Best of Germany, Austria and Switzerland tour?

Darla,, how much longer are you staying?

I see that the tour ends in Vienna. Have you been to Venice? It is a 10 hr. train ride, however, if you've never been there, you might enjoy it. Then you could fly out of Venice.

We are planning another 4 nights somewhere so we can relax after being on the go with the tour. I have been to Venice twice. I would like a smaller town on a lake or in the mountains with beautiful scenery. This last year we spent 4 nights in Rome and then a 10 day cruise of the Med and ended Venice. We took the train to Varrena and spent 4 nights there at the Albergo Milano which was wonderful.

I am taking the same tour Aug/Sept and we are going to go to Berlin for 5 nights before the tour starts as the tour does not go there. Have you covered Berlin before?

Charlie, I have not been to Berlin but that was one of the cities that we considered. I think I would prefer a smaller town to relax after the tour because we will be going every couple of days. I prefer smaller towns than big cities but Berlin is a must see for me one of these days. We want to be in Munich for Octoberfest so we will probably go the second week of Sept. The dates come out mid August.

I'd recommend Zell-am-See over Hallstat if you have four days. If you do want to do some sightseeing there's the Krimml waterfall in one direction and the Grossglockner road in the other. See http://www.wilhelmswords.com/eur2006/index.html - Awesone Austria for my take on both.

Darla, I would suggest going back to stay near Hallstatt. My husband and I spent 4 nights at Haus Hepi in Obertraun (across the lake from Hallstatt) in June and both agree we could have spent much longer there without running out of things to do. It would also be relatively quick and easy to get to Munich at the end of your stay. You would have lots of options on how to unwind and relax. You could spend your days hiking in the mountains, taking cablecars to catch some scenic views, exploring the small towns along the many lakes, etc. I would highly recommend Haus Hepi (www.haushepi.com) as a place to stay. It is owned by a very friendly, younger British couple who love where they live and will help you with any recommendations you need for things to do while you are there. The rooms are fresh, clean and some have balconies overlooking the mountains. Larry is also a chef and provides a delicious 2-3 course meal most evenings for those guests who want it.

Lake Bled, Slovenia. Small town resort, great scenery, some neat cultural stuff. It's really a unique, beautiful area. Also, not sure what Lake you're saying near Munich, but Lake Balaton, just southwest of Budapest is quite close to Vienna and is a well-known resort area in that region. It's more flat there, so my first choice is still Lake Bled.

Dresden is much slower-paced than Berlin. Easy enough to get to the Berlin airport from there to fly home too.

The Wachau Valley along the Danube is right there, so you won't need to travel far from Vienna...talk about a good area for relaxation. Then, fly home from Vienna.

Vienna has a lot of things to see and to do, the downtown is crowded with a lot of arquitecture and art. Praga is not so far, and another choice not far is Budapest, less expesive than Austria. This year I will visit Vienna and Budapest too... Good trip... The Rick Steves' guide is crowded with good advices in both cities...

Wow! Thanks for all the advice. The problem is they all look nice now I have to decide which one to pick. I have been to Prague and Vienna before and loved both of them. Keep the suggestions coming, I love to check out new places. Thanks again everyone.

Darla, Like the above posters, I, too, recommend Vienna, was just there this summer close to a week and close to two weeks in Berlin. As you say, Berlin is a must see for a variety of reasons, which is one reason for always going back. I agree for a less hectic pace Dresden is a very good choice, which puts you close enough to see Meißen by taking the S-Bahn from Dresden Hbf, both of which I visited this time. Staying at either one is good place to relax after the 14 day tour.