Ljubljana sidetrip

It's about 6-7 hours by train with a connection...or slightly less by direct bus (FlixBus).

Driving takes 4-5 hours I guess. A German rental car would need a vignette driving pass for driving in Slovenia and probably for Austria, too.

If you are talking about a round-trip visit from Munich to Ljubljana and back, I'd say maybe not worth it. Makes more sense if you could fly home from near Ljubljana or something if this is the end of your trip.

We really liked Ljubljana, as well as Bled. It is a 6-hour train journey from Munich, with a change at Villach.

Tickets for Monday the 11th start at €97 from Munchen Hauptbahnhof or €49 from Munchen Ost. Other days may differ.

I should add that we have a flight booked on 9/15 from Vienna and would take, I think, the train there from Ljubljana.

Have you been to Salzburg? Ljubljana reminded me of Salzburg, and there’s certainly a lot to do in that area - plus much quicker (about 2 hours by train ) from Munich. We’ve been to Salzburg a couple of times and also stayed at nearby St. Wolfgang on the lake.

I liked Ljubljana; I loved Salzburg.

I'm not a big fan of driving in Europe unless there's no good train (or bus) option, but this is a case where I might consider a rental car. Maybe take the train to Salzburg, rent the car there, drive to Ljubljana (buy a vignette for driving in Slovenia at the border or online) and return the car at the Vienna airport. With the short time you have, this might help you maximize your time there. And you might want to take day trips from Ljubljana anyway. It's a lovely city, maybe my favorite in Europe, but it's not big and there isn't lots to see. It's a great place to return to at night after a day trip e.g. out to Lake Bled or some other nice spots nearby, and having a car just makes that easier, even though I'm sure you can work out the logistics of taking the bus or train from Munich to Ljubljana and back to Vienna.

It is definitely worth visiting Ljubljana. I was there in Oct. 2022. I loved it.

Though I did not take the train from Vienna to Ljubljana, I believe it would not be a long trip based on my knowledge of European geography.

It's worth visiting Lake Bled -- a side trip on your side trip -- if you get the chance. Bled is only about 45 minutes or so from Ljubljana. The airport is roughly halfway between Ljubljana and Bled. Part of the Julian Alps, Bled has all the charm of alpine resort towns, but much smaller crowds compared with those in more well-known areas of the Alps.

Maybe we could take the train to Salzburg and then decide if we want to go on to Ljubljana by car or train.

I like Ljubljana a lot but agree with some others that it is a fair distance from where you are and where you ultimately need to be. I also agree that Salzburg (if not previously visited) has the potential to be very rewarding and an excellent substitute. Both Salzburg and Ljubljana were under Habsburg rule from the middle ages to 1918 (similar architecture that is overall better preserved in Salzburg, though Ljubljana has the later influence of Plečnik); both have a fortress on a hill overlooking town; both have a river running through them; both have a nearby lake surrounded by mountains (Königssee in Berchtesgaden vs Bled). Given your start and end points, I would give the nod to Salzburg.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We decided to spend more time in Munich and then to go on to Vienna. We tested positive for Covid and had to leave the RS tour (which we understand). Seemed better to lie low.

Bill, sorry to hear that's the reason for your change of plans! I hope all of you are feeling healthy again. Vienna is lovely and has a lot of interesting museums & sites. Hopefully they will bring you some nice memories of your time in beautiful Austria!