Hi. My husband and I are just starting to research traveling from the Boston area to Europe this summer sometime. Any suggestions on what would make a reasonable itinerary for a roughly 8 day trip?
Right now, we%26#39;re thinking about landing in Munich and heading to Salzburg and...??? Neither of us has seen much of Europe and we%26#39;ve heard good things about both of these cities. We tend to enjoy nature and outdoorsy things but also walking around a city. Also, if this helps, we%26#39;re more of the %26quot;meandering%26quot; types of tourists than folks who always need to be on the go.
In addition, what is the best way to get around? It seems like public transportation is pretty readily available. Will we want to rent a car?
Thanks so much in advance!
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First, if all you are going to do is visit cities, the train is excellent. However, if you prefer visiting the many more rural sights a car is best as it gives you the freedom to stop when and where you like, and most rural areas have poor public transportation.
On our first visit, our family spent a week in Salzburg and never ran out of excellent, fun things to see and do. It%26#39;s simply a wonderful blend of culture and Alpine scenery (both Austrian and German) literally on its doorstep, and wondeful ambience if you stay in the Altstadt at a place like Hotel Elefant or Blaue Gans. Some fun things to do: a visit to the underground salt mine from either the Austrian or German side; a visit to the water gardens where the bishop liked to play tricks on his guests with water; an unforgettable visit to the ice caves above Werfen (Werfen also has a great castle); a boat ride among the great scenery of the Koenigssee. Others will also probably suggest a visit to Hitler%26#39;s Eagles Nest and a Sound of Music tour. Or you could just make pleasant drives through the Austrian or German Alps. Oh, and split a Salzburger Nockerl for dessert. It should be impossible to go wrong with a visit to Salzburg, one of my most favorite cities in Europe.
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This is very helpful; thank you.
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My husband and I traveled to Europe in 2006 and had a wonderful time visiting both cities. We spent three days in Munich. We walked around the Marianplatz in central Munich, visited Schloss Nymphenburg (about 20 minutes outside of the center), visited the English garden, visited a few biergartens, and spent a good part of a day traveling by train to Neuschwanstein Castle. We then traveled by train to Salzburg. Salzburg is a beautiful old town and very walkable. We spent much of our time visiting the Allstadt (old town), the churches and the old fortress. On the opposite side of the river is the beautiful Mirabell gardens. Be sure to visit the Salzkammergut with its gorgeous moiuntain scenery. Hellbrunn Palace is a short ride outside the city but doesn%26#39;t compare in grandeur to the ones we saw in Germany.If you are up to taking an organized tour there are many available that visit the outlying districts. We also stayed one night in the village of Hallstatt, but I am not sure if you have enough time in 8 days to travel there. You will defintely get a sense of Old Europe traveling through this area. Have a wonderful time.
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I should have mentioned between Munich and Salzburg by Prien is Ludwig II%26#39;s version of Versailles, Herrenchiemsee, on an island in the Chiemsee. His Hall of Mirrors is even longer than Versailles%26#39; and in summer the fountains should be operating and the gardens in full bloom. The boat trip over to it is nice, and if you have time you can also visit the convent on the adjacent island. Hellbrunn is the site of the bishop%26#39;s water garden in Salzburg.
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Great...thanks. This is all very helpful information!
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ZZinma -
We are in the process of planning a Munich to Salzburg vacation for late May /early June. I am taking my husband and son to my favorite place. Salzburg! Just to let you know %26quot;Euro 2008%26quot; - A HUge Soccer event is planned for the month of June in both Austria and Switzerland. We are planning our trip around the game dates. My son is furious as he is a Soccer/football fan.
Enjoy!
Lissa
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Thanks for the information Lissa; I appreciate your posting!
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Zz,
My son told me to tell you to do google/search for the Euro2008 website. It will break down the date of each game in which city. They are being played in the larger cities in Austria and Switzerland but there are breaks between games so if you plan you can avoid the %26quot;FUN%26quot;.
regards
Lissa
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Got it. I thought you were suggesting we try to attend. We are more likely to use your strategy (the one that your son is not too enamored of. :)
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