Open to any questions that may help another family plan / execute a good trip. 2 weeks.

We flew in and out of Munich, Germany. Rented a mini-van. Spent 3 nights in Munich. Did day-trip to Rothenburg. Drove to Grindelwald, Switzerland. Stopped and toured Neuschwanstein Castle en route. Spent 4 nights in Switzerland and regional day trips. Interlaken, Lauterrunnen Valley, Schilthorn, Murren, Gimmelwald, etc. Drove to Lake Como Italy, specifically Menaggio. Spent 2 nights there. Lake boat tour and lake ferry to Varenna for the day. Drove to Florence Italy and spent 4 nights there. Day trip and tour of Lamborghini and Pagani factories / HQ. Then drove from Florence back to Munich to prepare for next morning flight home. Stopped for lunch in Verona. Stopped for a walk in Innsbruck. FInished with a beer garden dinner in Erding (near Munich airport).

Great trip with rented apartments, chalets, etc. Spent a lot on diesel fuel but well worth it. Food and drink were great. Have 2 teenagers so different dynamic than very young kids.

No issues coming or going. Figured out international airports were better than ours and international carriers (partners) were better than ours. Plus customs etc. Cleaner and more high tech.

Let me know if any questions.

Who did you rent the mini van from?

Please share what you know about Verona including the restaurants.

For 2027, we are planning to fly into Munich, then head to Salzburg and see the rest of Austria, next heading to the Dolomites then back to Munich for 4 adults.


Last year we saw Switzerland made Grindelwald our home base. We had a blast.

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Figured out international airports were better than ours and international carriers (partners) were better than ours.

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Try MXP (Milan Malpensa) early on a Sunday morning and British Airways. You might find that you are painting with too broad of a brush.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. I did Switzerland in 2016, but we did it all by rail and found that to be a lot of fun. Was in Florence back in May.

I did that exact trip in May.

Flew to Munich, then immediately drove to Salzburg. Spent a few days, then onto Innsbruck via the mountainous route. Then into northern Italy for the Dolomites, from Italy to Berchtesgaden, then spent the last few days seeing Munich.

Any restaurant tips?

We usually rent a house or condo and do a little Euro cooking and grilling. Breaks up the trip. Still deciding where to stay.

I'm the worst person on Texags for restaurant tips. I like very little and am an extremely picky eater.

Next question then,

did you rent a car or take trains?

I rented a car. I like to do my own thing. I enjoy driving, although the roads in northern Italy got to me after a while, hairpin after hairpin. You can also overtake slower vehicles on the hairpin turns.

I rented a Mercedes C220d. Good fuel economy, but it was still a 100 euro fill-up. I fueled up twice on the trip, the first fill-up in Innsbruck was 70 to 80 euros.

Thanks!

We usually rent a large suv/station wagon because we need to fit 4 adults and luggage. We only do carry ons and wash half way at the VRBO to make this workable.

We will see if we can pull this off next year.

Depending where you end up in Austria and the Dolomites I can share some restaurant recs.

Share away! We might adjust our trip accordingly.

Salzburg, Hallstatt, and Innsbruck for sure

Verona Italy as well.

Salzburg:

• St. Peter Stiftskulinarium (where Mozart ate and opened in 850 AD)
• Stiftsbackerei St. Peter (St. Peter's Abbey Bakery) the oldest continuously operating bakery (since 1160AD)
• Hotel Sacher (original home of the Sacher torte. I ate at the one in Vienna and did not regret it, heard good things about the Salzburg location too),
• Barenwirt, try the backhendl (Viennese fried chicken) and absolutely must try salzburger nockerl (this became one of my favorite desserts though I've been to afraid to try and make it myself).

Innsbruck: I've only been here for a day trip and what I thought I ordered is not what my plate looked like. But did have one of the best pretzels of my life (from Feinbackerei).

Seefeld: My favorite town in Austria, it's a short drive or train ride from Innsbruck. We spent a week here with my kids two summers ago and it's one of the best vacations we've had. It's like a Vail/Beavercreek vibe...the downtown village with shops and restaurants. My favorites were: Sudtiroler Stube & Restaurant Sabores. We also walked to Reither Brot every morning. We made sandwiches on their pretzel buns and took them to the top of the mountain on the gondola for a picnic...paired with a beer it was an incredible meal.

I don't have personal experience with Verona, but highly suggest Lake Garda (close by).

Ciasa Salares in the Dolomites is an excellent option for a reasonably priced hotel. They have a huge wine cellar on property, everyone I've sent there has loved it. Reach out once you figure out your Dolomites town and I'll see what else I can dig up...I have a lot of friends who have travelled all over that region this summer.

Very awesome. I'm logging these suggestions into Google Maps!

Thank you!

We might have seen each other and said howdy or gigem in Florence. We've been home a week. Went to vienna then obb night train to Bologna. Went to Ferrari then to Florence for the weekend before going back to Vienna.

My son and I drove up to Modena one day and toured Pagani and Lamborghini while the girls shopped in Florence. Great day trip. Traffic sucked getting out of Florence but easy getting back.

Just got back from Vienna, Salzburg, Bled, and Ljubljana. Great trip.

In Salzburg, Johannes Keller was a fantastic restaurant for dinner. Cafe Bazar was good for breakfast. Stiegl Brewery is down the street from the castle funicular and was solid for lunch around visiting the castle.

We went to Hallstatt for the day, but didn't eat there. I'm not sure there is any really good food there. It's very day trip tourist driven and the options reflect that.

That place is legit. Went in '12 when in Salzburg. This trip, went to one of their satellite beer, gardens, and restaurants near the airport in Munich. A little town 20 minutes from the airport. It was really cool experience and very local.

Thanks for sharing! Thinking about doing something like this next summer.

What's a good cost estimate for something like this? It can be isolated to 1 or 2 countries, but I have no idea what's considered a good deal. How much roughly for airfare, a week or so overseas, and a few expeditions will it cost me?

I don't want to do England or France, prob not Germany...what do y'all recommend or to stay away from?