Which residences? Munich, Salzburg, Vienna

Highly recommend Munich's Nymphenburg and Vienna's Schoenbrunn. Neuschwanwanstein is a fairy tale palace, but the other two have live-in histories.

The Munich Residenz is definitely more accessible, being only a few blocks from Marienplatz, but when I saw it, I got a little tired of the same garish Rococo style room after room. I much preferred Nymphenburg. The "palace" is smaller. It's the grounds I enjoyed. As for Salzburg, go to Hellbrunn if that's what you want to see. But go for what it is, not for any connection to SOM - that's pretty thin. The gazebo there is the one used, in a different location, in the outdoor distance shots, but the set used for closeups of them singing and dancing was in a Hollywood sound stage.

I don't know how many days you will be in Vienna, but here are some suggestions, based on having lived there for 15 months. I would recommend visiting Schonbrunn and Belvedere Palaces, both inside and out. Both are easily accessible by U-bahn or strassenbahn. After going through Schonbrunn palace, walk around the beautiful grounds and up the hill to the Gloriette for a great view and maybe a stop in the cafe. Belvedere has two sections - Upper and Lower with beautiful grounds in-between, plus a large collection of Klimt paintings if you are interested. With regard to the Hofburg, if you are 'emperored-out', just walk around outside the buildings, through the Burggarten, Heldenplatz and Michaelerplatz, and down Augustinerstrasse to the Albertina and the Staatsoper. However, catching a training session or performance at the Spanish Riding School is recommended. If you want some interesting 'non-palace' places to visit that are probably not on the standard tourist sightseeing list, take the U-bahn to the Heiligenstadt station (U-4), and then catch a bus to the Kahlenberg for a great view of the city and some strolling. Also, the Zentral Friedhof (Central Cemetery) has it's "occupants" buried according to profession. The composer/musician's section is amazing - a monument to Mozart (who was actually buried in a pauper's grave at Friedhof St. Marks) and the graves of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, and the Strausses. In contrast, the Jewish Section of the cemetery is overgrown and untended, an eerie and sad result of the decimation of the Jewish population of Vienna by the Nazis. Lastly, the Sigmund Freud Apartment, located a short walk from the Votivkirche (down Burggstrasse), is worth a visit if you are so inclined.

Thank you so much for your input. I am especially glad to hear your enthusiasm about Schonnbrun. We'll make that a priority. As for Munich and Salzburg, we can see where our energy levels are on the days we are nearby and know that at the end our our trip (Vienna) we will have Schonnbrun to look forward to.