TImeline in Bavarian Alps/Salzburg

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al6jets18
al6jets18

Hi all,

My girlfriend and I will be traveling to Europe for a little over two weeks in December. For some background, we're both in our early/mid-20s, I've never been to Europe before and she's been to some of our destinations but with her parents ten years ago. We like nature and hiking (for reasonably fit people, not exceptionally fit people), historical sites, cultural events, and food (that last one may be a given for everyone, but it's certainly a priority of mine).

In terms of budget, we're planning to lodge cheaply where available so we can allocate more to food and activities; we won't be especially big spenders but we do have some flexibility.

Our itinerary is as follows:
-Munich: arrival morning of December 11 to December 15
-Some combination of Bavarian Alps/Salzburg: December 16 to December 18
-Vienna: December 19 to December 22 (staying with friends)
-Prague: December 23 to December 27 morning departure (hostel already booked)

My questions primarily concern the Bavarian Alps/Salzburg period. We will be renting a car in Munich and have it available for this portion of the trip. Right now, we plan to do:
-December 16 (Wednesday): Fussen, Schloss Neuschwanstein, and Schloss Hohenschwangau
-December 17: in Berchtesgarden, some combination of the mountain, Lake Konigsee, the Echo Wall, and the Ice Cave
-December 18: Salzburg

The main omission that we considered is Zugspitze mountain and Partnachklamm gorge near Garmisch-Partenkirchen. They look phenomenal but I don't want to try to overschedule. Should we prioritize them over anything else in our itinerary, or did we make the right initial choices? Should we leave out a day in Munich or Vienna to do them? Would it be possible to combine Zugspitze & Neuschwanstein on the same day or would that be totally crazy?

We haven't yet booked lodging in Munich, but aim to do so ASAP before it's all booked. But before we can do that, we have to know when we're actually leaving Munich and where we're going! That's where you come in.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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kenko
kenko

A lot will depend on the weather-- In clear weather, Munich to Fussen is 2 hours. If it's a beautiful, day, I'd continue for one more hour up to the Zug and take advantage of a day with good visibility. If the weather's not suitable for ascending into the mountains, park the car and hike to one of the castles.
Overnight in Fussen, and hope for good weather the following day when you can
journey up the mountain.

Again, the weather will determine how much you can see during your time at Berchtesgaden. Only one night in Salzburg? It needs two. And Zell am See with its lake and glacier are about an hour and a half away.

You can add Salzburg and mountain time by shaving a day off Munich and a day off Vienna. Take your friends in Vienna to Cafe Central or a Konditerei to make amends for cutting your time short in Vienna!

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Kori30
Kori30

I would follow Kenko hints.

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al6jets18
al6jets18

Hi Kenko,

Thanks for the help! So you would suggest leaving Munich the morning of the 15th ad traveling to Zug (if good weather) or the castles (if not so good weather), staying in Fussen that night either way, then doing the other activity on the 16th (hoping that at least one of the days brings good weather), and traveling to Berchtesgaden that night.

That seems to make sense and leaves some flexibility for weather-related changes. The only issue I see is that the guidebooks recommended buying castle tickets in advance - do you think it would be possible to buy them same day?

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kenko
kenko

Yes- And just be ready to wing it a bit as far as the clock goes. Just realize those awesome photos of the Gorge you saw were taken in late spring or summer. You are going to the Alps region at the end of December when you can't count on summertime weather ( when you probably could do the original fast-paced itinerary.)
I think you can wing it on the tickets to Neuschwanstein. December is not July.
Personally, I would overnight in Salzburg a couple nights and visit Berchtesgaden National Park from there.
You won't have to move camp as much that way, and there's a lot more nightlife in Salzburg. There's hikes around Salzburg as well.

Be sure to buy your motorway tax sticker required of all Alps motorists- even rental cars. You WILL get fined at a tollbooth or elsewhere if you don't get one.
Enjoy the mountains-- they are spectacular.

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hamiltonpa
hamiltonpa

We are also visiting southern Germany and Salzburg during the Christmas week and holidays. From my research and prior visits, I think that you should spend less time in Munich and more time in Salzburg during your visit. Salzburg has a lot more sights to see in its compact altstadt, especially during this time of year when it is more difficult to do outdoor activities. You can also buy a Salzburg tourist card for 1 to 3 days that allows you entrance at many of the best tourist sights for free. Munich has a nice altstadt and Christmas market, but I think that Salzburg has a greater variety of sights within its compact city to see in a short visit. In addition, Berchtesgarden is very close, but I think that you should check on the the outdoor sights you mentioned to see if they can be accessed during the winter. (For example, the river ride on the Konigsee does not go as far as in the good weather months.) And make sure you plan to visit the Christmas markets in each of the cities you will be visiting.

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mike9
mike9

Just to add that there's a bus from Salzburg to Berchtegaden about every hour or so and depending on what you plan after Salzburg you could consider getting rid of the car on arrival in Salzburg. The value of the car on your trip is the flexibility it allows you to decide what you each day around Füssen and the direct journey from there to Salzburg, otherwise your journey would be easier by train.

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