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Germany, Austria and Switzerland Itinerary Help

Germany, Austria and Switzerland Itinerary Help

Old Dec 26th, 2022, 03:09 PM
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Germany, Austria and Switzerland Itinerary Help

Hello,

This is my first post to the Fodors travel forum. We are a newly retired couple traveling to Germany, Austria and Switzerland for the first time.
I would appreciate any input regarding my current itinerary that is planned for late August.

Also, would like any suggestion on where I can add 3-4 days to the end of the trip. I would be looking for a destination that would be a contrast from the current itinerary.

Day 1. I will arrive in Frankfurt around 11:00 AM from an overnight flight from the US.
Take the train to Wuerzburg (Overnight in Wuerzburg)

Day 2. Walking tour or self-walk Wuerzburg (Overnight in Wuerzburg)
Day 3. Train to Bamberg (Overnight in Wuerzburg)

Day 4. Rent car (SIXT) at Wuerzburg) train station and Drive to Rothenburg - (Overnight in Rothenberg)
Night Watchman tour

Day 5. Drive to Dinkelsbühl - Nördlingen - Augsburg (Overnight in Augsburg)

Day 6. Return car (SIXT) at the Augsburg train station. Take train to Salzburg
(Overnight in Salzburg)

Day 7-9. (Overnights in Salzburg)
Walking tour of Salzburg
Day trip to Hallstatt

Day 10-16. Take train to Jungfrau Region, Switzerland (Overnights in Wengen)
Visit Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Grindelwald, First, Eiger, Schilthorn, Lake Cruise to Thun, Easy hikes

Day 17-20. Take Train to Lucerne (Overnights in Lucerne)
Walking tour or self-walk Lucerne
Day trip to Titlis
Day trip to Bern
Lake Lucerne Cruise

Day 21. Fly Home or add another 3 days (Preferable a contrast from the current Itinerary)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Bluesox84 is offline  
Old Dec 28th, 2022, 09:08 AM
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Salzburg - Wengen is a long and rather boring trrain riide.
Travel through the Swiss Alps and make a brake in the marvellous Engadin Valley, may be lik this:
Salzburg dp 7.56 - Pontresina ar 13.57, change at Landeck and Scuol (both small stations).
Ponbtresina dp 8.38 to Samedan, by Glacier Express to Andermatt and by Swiss Post bus to Meiringen (Interlaken)): extremely scenic ride through the heart of the Alps.
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Old Dec 28th, 2022, 01:14 PM
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Hi, your trip is not bad - as you have already identified a car rental company to use in Würzburg you may already realise that there will be a surcharge on leaving your car in Augsburg even though the cities are not far apart. I don't know what this will be but it may be considerable, you would have to look into this and see if it is something you can swallow as part of the costs of the trip, and how it compares to the cost of two train tickets from Würzburg (usually not expensive). You are right though, you will want a car for Rothenburg - Dinkelsbühl. The rest of the plan looks well thought out and well-paced. I am not very good on Switzerland so I will leave suggestions for your final days to someone else, they may have something to say about them. Good luck, looks like a lovely trip.

Lavandula
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Old Dec 28th, 2022, 01:31 PM
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Nothing wrong with your Swiss portion, although I prefer to plan in nights vs days, so I can't tell how much time you actually have. Assuming Day 10 is your travel day from Salzburg to Wengen and Day 17 is the day you depart Wengen, that's seven nights, or six full days.

However, you're looking at a 9.5-10 hour train journey from Salzburg to Wengen. I'd seriously consider breaking that up somewhere.

Personally, I think three nights in Salzburg (assuming I'm reading that correctly) is giving it short shrift, especially since one of your two full days will be spent getting to/from Hallstatt, which is a long day trip, particularly if you're traveling by public transport.

If it were me, I'd use those extra three days (four nights?) by adding them to your existing itinerary - an extra night or two in Salzburg, an extra night in Rothenburg (which is only one full day) and an extra night in the Jungfrau region.
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Old Dec 28th, 2022, 02:07 PM
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Yes, I agree. My day 10 train travel from Salzburg to Wengen is not ideal. This would be an 8 1/2 hour trip with 4 train connections (with Luggage).
Would the suggestion from Post #1 to travel through the heart of the Alps look different then the Jungfrau region of Switzerland. If this would be similar views would there be an alternative for 1 night? I would shorten Salzburg by one day if there is a destination between Salzburg-Wengen that would in contrast with my current trip. Would Liechtenstein be an option?

Thank you
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Old Dec 28th, 2022, 02:32 PM
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Don't shorten Salzburg - you don't have enough time there as it is.

Liechtenstein is pretty boring and wouldn't be my choice, but it would shorten that day considerably.

I haven't looked at routing, so this might not work, but my first thoughts are Garmisch (maybe a trip up to the Zugspitze), or Mittenwald (Germany) or perhaps Innsbruck or Seefeld, Austria.

The routing that neckervd suggests via the Engadine (my favorite part of Switzerland) would definitely offer different scenery, but you'd want more than a night there. It's a large region with lots on offer - think St Moritz, Celerina, Sils, Pontresina, Samadan, Scoul, Zuoz, Zernez, etc.
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Old Dec 29th, 2022, 07:28 AM
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If you don't particularly like scenic train rides, you can reach Interlaken from Salzburg with one train change only:
Salzburg dp 7.56 - Zurich ar 13.20. Have lunch in one of the five railway station restaurants. Leave Zurich at 15.02 by direct train to Interlaken ar 16.58.
Idem for Lucerne. The 7.56 train from Salzburg arrives even at the platform from where the train to Lucerne leaves 15 min later.
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Old Dec 29th, 2022, 07:41 AM
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Thee is a local train that goes brom Würzburg to Rothenburg. No need to rent a car for this day trip.
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Old Dec 29th, 2022, 08:39 AM
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Thank you neckervd for your great suggestion. This would break up our long train ride with lunch in Zurich. We would need a break after the 5 1/2 train ride from Salzburg to Zurich. It also eliminates one train change.

Question: Would we need to check our luggage in lockers if we go to one to one of the train station restaurants or can we keep them with us?

Thanks again.
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Old Dec 29th, 2022, 03:52 PM
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<< Day 21. Fly Home or add another 3 days (Preferable a contrast from the current Itinerary)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.>>

For an additional 3 days (4 nights) I would recommend Alsace. The contrast is that it is France!
Stay in Colmar or one of the Route du Vin villages-Riquewihr, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg,etc. Spend your time with a day in Colmar,
a day in Strasbourg (via train from Colmar), two days meandering the villages and the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle.
I have always had a car but there are van and bus tours. English may be a tour issue?

For your itinerary Alsace works best Days 17-20. Then Luzern Days 21-24. Fly home Day 25.
Something like this:
Day 17 Train Interlaken to Colmar (3 hrs.). Visit Colmar. Rent car if overnight in village.
Day 18 Day trip to Strasbourg. Train 30 min each way Colmar to Strasbourg. .
Day 19 Rent a car and visit Villages
Day 20 More Villages and Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle.
Day 21 Return car.Train Colmar to Luzern (2 hrs.) (Overnights in Lucerne) Tour Luzern.
Day 22 trip to Titlis
Day 23 trip to Bern
Day 24 Lake Lucerne Cruise
Day 25 Train Luzern to Zurich Airport ( 1hr 12 min) Fly Home.
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Old Dec 30th, 2022, 07:11 AM
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How about Zurich? We did part of your trip last summer - 6 nights staying in Wengen and went to Grindlewald, First, did every single cable car on our pass! and then did 3 nights in Lucerne (no day trips from Lucerne as you have here). We'd done so many cable cars and so much of that in Wengen we were burnt out in Lucerne and found it touristy and wished we hadn't skipped Zurich.
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