Wife and I are headed to the Alps mid-July to mid-August. Arrive in Munich and spend 2 nights there decompressing from jet lag. Take train to Innsbruck where we spend 12 nights with a day trip to Italy (Brazano). Train to Salzburg for 6 nights with apple strudel lesson planned for one day and a pre-booked tour of Berchtesgaden and the Eagle’s nest. Train to Vienna for 8 nights to end the trip. Any suggested can’t miss sights or meals appreciated.
AKB: Travel advice for Austria
- Thread starter Bones80
- Start date
Don’t order the schnitzel, they’re using schnauzer.
Wow, sounds like a great trip! You're already seeing Eagle's Nest, so I hope the tour has enough time planned. We spent two hours up there and I wished we had spent another one or two. Had a great time and a nice meal. Also had a nice meal on the lake (Konigsee) at the bottom south of Berchtesgaden. Wish we would've had more time in Salzburg, but you're doing it right.
A good day trip from Innsbruck may be Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau. Great castles to visit, and it's very close to Fussen, Germany, where many scenes from "The Great Escape" were filmed. Also, if you like heights, Zugspitze is a nice visit as well. (You're already taking a day trip to Italy, but another to Venice would be amazing. We spent a few nights there in October and loved it.)
We also wished for more time in Vienna, which was also very scenic. Only did the day tour at Schonbrunn, and wished we had more time to spend on the grounds. A meal high above the castle grounds in the Gloriette was memorable.
Seeing Bratislava from Vienna is very doable, crossing off another capital city. We spent a brief day in Vienna traveling from Auschwitz to Salzburg. A brief AirBnB stay in the city was all we had, so we chose to see Schonbrunn on our way to Salzburg. (My son streamed the PSU-NW game while we were driving to Salzburg.) Auschwitz is about four-five hours drive from Vienna.
The train system makes a lot of options possible. A quick visit to Prague or Budapest via the rails is doable as well.
Plenty to see in Munich as well. Schloss Nymphenburg is a good tour, and don't miss the glockenspiel show in Marienplatz. We had a great meal in the Ratskeller in the square. The camp at Dachau is about 20-30 minutes by their train system.
Hope you have a great time!
A good day trip from Innsbruck may be Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau. Great castles to visit, and it's very close to Fussen, Germany, where many scenes from "The Great Escape" were filmed. Also, if you like heights, Zugspitze is a nice visit as well. (You're already taking a day trip to Italy, but another to Venice would be amazing. We spent a few nights there in October and loved it.)
We also wished for more time in Vienna, which was also very scenic. Only did the day tour at Schonbrunn, and wished we had more time to spend on the grounds. A meal high above the castle grounds in the Gloriette was memorable.
Seeing Bratislava from Vienna is very doable, crossing off another capital city. We spent a brief day in Vienna traveling from Auschwitz to Salzburg. A brief AirBnB stay in the city was all we had, so we chose to see Schonbrunn on our way to Salzburg. (My son streamed the PSU-NW game while we were driving to Salzburg.) Auschwitz is about four-five hours drive from Vienna.
The train system makes a lot of options possible. A quick visit to Prague or Budapest via the rails is doable as well.
Plenty to see in Munich as well. Schloss Nymphenburg is a good tour, and don't miss the glockenspiel show in Marienplatz. We had a great meal in the Ratskeller in the square. The camp at Dachau is about 20-30 minutes by their train system.
Hope you have a great time!
Austria? Well then, lets put another shrimp on the barbee
Imagine getting something so completely wrong. Austria Alps in the winter, Italy in the summer. Traveling is easy if you follow the basic rules of nature
Italy is hot as hell in the summer, crowded as hell.
In Salzburg get a chance to head up to the Fortress Hohensalzburg, you will not be disappointed.
Also had a great dinner at St Peter Stiftskulinarium which is the oldest running restaurant in Europe, been open since the year 803.
Also had a great dinner at St Peter Stiftskulinarium which is the oldest running restaurant in Europe, been open since the year 803.
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We spent 15 plus days last in Switzerland last summer during the heatwave. It reached 100 degrees the night before we were leaving and the rest of it was excessively hot as well. No hotels over 1000 meters in elevation have air Conditioning. It was blistering at times but we hiked every day.
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We’ll be taking a tour in Switzerland in September. I’m sure we won’t be seeing our breath but am hoping for the best. You gotta push yourselves, regardless. Boy, Switzerland is $$$$.
My favorite meal I had in Vienna was a street vendor serving sausage. Cuts the top of a baguette, puts in on a hot piece of metal that’s shaped like a sausage to hollow out the baguette, and then stuffed the sausage inside the baguette. It was genius and delicious.
We are headed to Austria in 2 weeks and spending the week, end with the F1 race at Red Bull Ring.
we are doing Salzburg, St Wolfgang, Hallstatt, Vienna. Would love to spend longer, but not this time. Will be our first time.
we are doing Salzburg, St Wolfgang, Hallstatt, Vienna. Would love to spend longer, but not this time. Will be our first time.
It was great in late April.....
I dad up hard as f. Both sons are in Italy right now, like they’re supposed to be, cause like, it’s summer
Vienna is a beautiful city, enjoy. I don't have lots of specific tips as I was only there for a short time and just kind of wandered around without much of a plan in mind. There are great cafes for patio dining, coffee breaks and some delicious pastries/desserts everywhere in the pedestrian only area of the city center. I remember really enjoying Figlmuller for schnitzel. I think it's considered touristy, but I still enjoyed it. Crowded, so you may need reservations. Go hungry as the schnitzel is so large it hangs off the edge of the plate.
8 nights in Vienna feels like a lot to me. As was mentioned, you can easily add Bratislava as you can see just about everything there in 1 day and it's less than an hour by train each way. You already have packed in a lot but if you get ambitious you could also grab a train to Budapest or Prague, IIRC those are about 4-5 hours each way. Both are great cities with much more to see than Bratislava, you'd need to spend at least 1 night in either. I feel with 8 nights there you could easily add in a couple of days in one of those, but I'm one to be pretty active on vacations and I like to cram in a lot.
8 nights in Vienna feels like a lot to me. As was mentioned, you can easily add Bratislava as you can see just about everything there in 1 day and it's less than an hour by train each way. You already have packed in a lot but if you get ambitious you could also grab a train to Budapest or Prague, IIRC those are about 4-5 hours each way. Both are great cities with much more to see than Bratislava, you'd need to spend at least 1 night in either. I feel with 8 nights there you could easily add in a couple of days in one of those, but I'm one to be pretty active on vacations and I like to cram in a lot.
Munich and Vienna are 2 of my favorite cities in Europe. As others have said-
1. Munich- Neuschwanstein, Dachau, Berchtesgaden, Marienplatz with the glockenspiel (11am and 5pm IIRC- need to double check on those times), Munich residence palace and Frauenkirche, Nymphenburg palace and Asamkirche are all worth visiting in that area.
2. Vienna- Schloss Schonbrunn, Hofburg Palace, Schloss Belvedere, Stephansdom, Royal burial vaults/ Imperial crypt, Imperial treasury where you can see the crown of the Holy Roman Emperors, Vienna opera house.
Vienna is a very walkable city. Definitely try to go to the opera house. It’s really not my thing but a ‘must do’ when in Vienna. If there’s no performance to see, they do have tours of the building which is worthwhile.
Salzburg and Oberammergau are nice day trips. if you get to Budapest you should take a tour of their parliament building. It’s really an incredible building to see.
Will try to add more later when I have more time.
I like the fact that I know exactly where that joke came from... well done
Love all this. Will add on the drive to Neuschwanstein is Linderhof Palance (also outstanding beer made by monks in Oberammergau and Unterammergau)which is Ludwig’s homage to Versailles. Definitely worth seeing.
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I work for a Swiss owned company - joked with a Swiss colleague once - The Swiss you are like the German without the sense of humor - he didn't find that funny - go figure.
The wife and I will be spending a good four days in Oberammergau with her best friend from high school senior year in Essen. (Foreign exchange student.)
Essen / Düsseldorf / Cologne to Berlin to Munich to Oberammergau to Freiburg to Basel (my favorite painting is in Basel!) to our tour: Zurich to Geneva to Zermatt to St. Mortiz to Lucerne.
Beautiful place - you’ll love it. The Dom in Koln (Cologne) is spectacular - massive and incredibly impressive.
Are you seeing The Passion Play? It’s legendary…
Home - Passion 2022
The 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play takes place from 14 May until 2 October 2022.
www.passionsspiele-oberammergau.de
Next one is in 2030. As to whether or not I’ll see it, I’ll need to get back to you on that.Are you seeing The Passion Play? It’s legendary…
Home - Passion 2022
The 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play takes place from 14 May until 2 October 2022.
Just read where 2025 in Italy will be even more crowded because it is a Jubilee year for the church.
Yes, and Cologne has an extraordinary museum of modern art, I think better than Pompidou Center, Paris. Other than MOMA, I’m not much into museums of modern art, but Cologne’s is an outlier, a real wow, a stunner. Great museum.
This museum is right next to the Dom. Nice. In Basel there’s a zoo right next to the train station.
Oh, my wife keeps in FB touch with couples we meet on our tours. It was my birthday the other day and one of our tour friends said she bet I spent the day at an art museum with a math problem in my head, my perfect day, lol. I guess I can lay it on a bit thick at times but damn I love my art museums. Bliss.
Austria? So you're looking for edel adweiss [sic]?
I suggest you call Christopher Plummer.
I suggest you call Christopher Plummer.
Seconding this. The opera house it gorgeous, it's one of the few "sights" I remember visiting along with St Stephens which is pretty much unmissable as it's right in the center of the city and pedestrian only area.
I have some tips for Koeln, as I once lived there (PSU exchange program) and we try to get back when we can. Sadly the Roman-German Museum has been relocated for now. Do go to one of the local pubs and try dome Koelsch (local beer)....
Yeah, this generation's fascination with doing anything to get their 15 seconds of fame is incredible. My brother told me about some American kid, Johnny Somali, went to Japan and filmed himself saying 'Nagasaki. Hiroshima'. over and over again to Japanese people and harassing them. And yes, he was knocked out a good number of times. But the best was getting arrested for trespassing. Enjoy prison bud!
Lesson #1 of why I don’t travel anywhere during the summer unless I know there is AC.
