Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Italy

1,894 Views | 16 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by SW AG80
Always_Right
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AG
Starting to plan an 8-10 week trip to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy in late summer or early fall of '21 (pending things opening due to Covid). We've been to Rome, so I have a good idea of what we want to do in Italy but will need some guidance for the other three countries. We love history and landscapes, so our itinerary is usually built around maximizing both. Would also like recommendations on my schedule below, are there places we should dedicate more or less time too?

Germany - 2 weeks
Austria - 2 weeks
Switzerland - 2 weeks
Italy - 3-4 weeks
Stat Monitor Repairman
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Don't see how you can go wrong with that.
HHAG
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AG
I lived in France for five years and we vacationed several times in Deutschland, so I can give a little advice....

You can see ALL of Austria and Switzerland in about 3 days each, they are really small countries without a whole lot of cool stuff to see, unless you are going on a hiking vacation. Lots of places to hike, though.

You can do two weeks in Germany to see the entire country. Berlin is awesome - historical, great food, great nightlife. Frankfurt is a business town and I would avoid it if possible. Munich is awesome, great food and lots of stuff to see and do. If you are in to cars, the Porsche museum in Stuttgart is unbelievable. Germany is good as the vast majority of the populace speak some English and it is a pretty easy place to travel in. Make sure you have a paper copy of you hotel reservation, especially if you are out in the boonies.

We spent a lot more time in Italy and is a totally different deal. It is so long from north to south that your 3 - 4 weeks will get filled up. So, from north to south...

Turin - Nice place, go see the shroud.
Milan - avoid at all costs, just a big, ugly city
La Spezia is a lovely little seaside town with great seafood
Fiorenza (Florence) - spend about four days there and hit all the museums. Great food, great people, one of my favorite places I have ever visited.
Rome - well, ya gotta go there if you are there. Figure on 4 - 5 days to see all the sights, Keep your hand on your wallets. If a little boy comes running up and runs in to you and mama follows, she is pickpocket, so be prepared.
Naples was not too bad, and the food was awesome. It's a little grungy, but the archeology museum had a huge chunk of the figures and other stuff from Pompei. Actually, if you are there, you MUST go to Pompei, it is well preserved and simply jaw-dropping.

Bari is a nice seaside town with some good seafood, but a little out of the way on the east coast.

Va bene!

wessimo
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AG
Highly recommend hitting up Croatia on that trip as well.

How are you planning on getting around?

We leased a car through Renault Eurodrive for a 6 month road trip and it worked out really well.
Caladan
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Would agree with not spending two weeks each in Switzerland or Austria. Instead, you should consider the area of western Germany (Eifel mtns and Ardenne forest),Belgium (especially Brugges and Bastogne), Luxembourg, and northern France. Very easy to do if you fly into Frankfurt. If you would rather go east, add in Prague, and possibly Krakow. Krakow wasn't destroyed during WW2 like the rest of Poland, so there is a lot of history still there.

The old walled city of Rothenburg on the "Romantic Road" is ok, but there is another old city just to the south called Dinklesbuel (sp?) that is just as charming, but a lot less crowded since it isn't as well-known.

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, you really need to follow the rules of the road. If you don't know them, learn before you go. And they take pedestrian crosswalks *very* seriously there too.

Everyone knows the Rhine river in Germany, but not as many know the Mosel river. There are some beautiful towns along both. I kinda preferred the sightseeing along the Mosel.

Trier is a small city in Western Germany that is not far from the Luxemboug border, and that is worth a stop for a day. It was started by the Romans, so is one of the oldest cities in Germany. Lots of historical stuff there.

I would skip Dusseldorf and Cologne. Bonn too. If you are going to do large German cities, stick w/Berlin and Munich. I much preferred Munich over Berlin.

I wouldn't go to Germany during August. That is the hottest time of the year, and no one has air conditioning. For two weeks, everyone is miserable. The rest of the year, you need a jacket.
schmendeler
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AG
you absolutely need more than 3 days for switzerland. two weeks is a very leisurely pace, but i'd give it at least a week. unless you're one of those that is trying to fill out a bingo card and just want to check off as many squares as possible in as little time as possible. or only care about seeing things that you can brag about to people back home, and if they haven't heard of it, then it's useless.
SwissAgg
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AG
HHAG said:

I lived in France for five years and we vacationed several times in Deutschland, so I can give a little advice....

You can see ALL of Austria and Switzerland in about 3 days each, they are really small countries without a whole lot of cool stuff to see, unless you are going on a hiking vacation. Lots of places to hike, though.

You can do two weeks in Germany to see the entire country. Berlin is awesome - historical, great food, great nightlife. Frankfurt is a business town and I would avoid it if possible. Munich is awesome, great food and lots of stuff to see and do. If you are in to cars, the Porsche museum in Stuttgart is unbelievable. Germany is good as the vast majority of the populace speak some English and it is a pretty easy place to travel in. Make sure you have a paper copy of you hotel reservation, especially if you are out in the boonies.

We spent a lot more time in Italy and is a totally different deal. It is so long from north to south that your 3 - 4 weeks will get filled up. So, from north to south...

Turin - Nice place, go see the shroud.
Milan - avoid at all costs, just a big, ugly city
La Spezia is a lovely little seaside town with great seafood
Fiorenza (Florence) - spend about four days there and hit all the museums. Great food, great people, one of my favorite places I have ever visited.
Rome - well, ya gotta go there if you are there. Figure on 4 - 5 days to see all the sights, Keep your hand on your wallets. If a little boy comes running up and runs in to you and mama follows, she is pickpocket, so be prepared.
Naples was not too bad, and the food was awesome. It's a little grungy, but the archeology museum had a huge chunk of the figures and other stuff from Pompei. Actually, if you are there, you MUST go to Pompei, it is well preserved and simply jaw-dropping.

Bari is a nice seaside town with some good seafood, but a little out of the way on the east coast.

Va bene!


You definitely need more time than 3 days in Switzerland. I would say a minimum of 1 week. You could
easily spend much more time here. It depends on what you want to do. Hiking is really cool in Switzerland.
The Alps are really beautiful especially in the Fall.
XPATAG
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AG
It will depend on what you are looking for in a vacation, and how long I would spend in each area. Are you looking for cultural visit, nature, hiking, history? Do you enjoy the hustle and bustle or like to take your time? Are you wanting to drive it or fly to each area?
exitone
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AG
Sounds like fun. My only recommendation would be:

1) Stay out of Europe in August if possible. It's hot, and it gets weird because that is when everyone takes a month off work for vacation and travels.

2) 8 to 10 weeks is a lot. I would recommend researching all the locations you want to see and building a rough itinerary to see if you really need that much time.
Oak Forest Ag
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AG
Try to include Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

La Tagliata for dinner!
cadetjay02
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AG
You need to start binge watching Rick Steve's Europe or read his travel guides. He's a great resource for traveling over there.
scd88
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AG
If you're that close and have that much time, Croatia is a must. I've been to Dubrovnik, but I've heard Split is a great beach town.
SkiMo
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AG
I spent some time in Budva, Montenegro and it's gorgeous. Highly recommend. Make the day trip to Kotor. Really breathtaking.
I Play With Guns
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S
Montenegro is AMAZING!! I did my maternity shoot in old town Kotor and it was stunning. Total hidden jewel in Europe!!!
SkiMo
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AG
I Play With Guns said:

Montenegro is AMAZING!! I did my maternity shoot in old town Kotor and it was stunning. Total hidden jewel in Europe!!!
Yep. People overlook it for overcrowded Croatia. But it's a true gem.
wessimo
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AG
SkiMo said:

I spent some time in Budva, Montenegro and it's gorgeous. Highly recommend. Make the day trip to Kotor. Really breathtaking.


Stay in Kotor and visit Budva on a day trip unless you really like clubbing or are a Russian oligarch and want to show off your yacht. Kotor has a lot more personality.
Vernada
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AG
we have been planning a Swiss trip this coming summer for over a year, but with how things are trending in Europe right now, we are already doubting if it will actually happen.
SW AG80
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AG
Go to Lake Como for a couple of days. It is the most beautiful place we have ever seen. Don't know where you are flying into and out of, but Como might be a good place to end your trip. A nice relaxing place.
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