merittraveler

Hello:

I will be flying into Munich at the end of September. I will be there for one week. Could you please provide some suggestions of a possible itinerary?

Interests:
Oktoberfest
Small towns
Renting a room from AirBnB opposed to a modern hotel
Hiking and Canoeing
The Alps
Visiting another country, in addition to Germany


*Had planned to venture from Munich to Croatia, and back, but I don't think I'd be up for a 9hr train ride, after a 12hr flight.

Thank you

exilencfc

Yeah Croatia might be a bit too far. What about Austria though? Innsbruck is two hours by train from Munich. The Innsbruck region might also offer what you want in terms of small towns, alps and outdoor activities - though I think it's a bit dead outside the tourist season so you'd need to check that out.

I think that's quite a lot to pack into the available time. I would consider staying in Augsburg or Nuremberg for a couple of days which would be cheaper than Munich (somebody else might be able to suggest somewhere more small townish).

My suggested itinerary at this time (ask me again in a fortnight when I get back from my first trip to Innsbruck) would be 3-4 nights in Munich taking in Oktoberfest and making some daytrips and the rest of the time somewhere more alpine but with decent transport links to get you back to MUC.

helosc

I would also suggest Innsbruck. Not far from Munich and if you like mountains, i think you'll love it.
I can highly recommend the Nordkettenbahnen up to the mountains.
The trip is in three parts - first an funicular and then two cable cars. It is a fantastic feeling standing on top of the mountains and the view is fantastic.
There is an alpine zoo at one of the stops.

http://www.nordkette.com/en

There is also another cable car trip from a little outside Innsbruck.

http://www.patscherkofelbahnen.at/en/summer.

I found it useful to buy the Innsbruck card as the cable car trips are expensive.

http://www.innsbruck.info/en/experie...ruck-card.html

merittraveler

I'd like to thank the both of you for your recommendation of a visit to Innsbruck. How does Austria compare to Switzerland? Would you prefer Innsbruck over Zurich?

helosc

Difficult to answer as they are very different.
Zurich is a biggish city and Innsbruck is a smallish town.
I like them both but for different reasons.
I liked Innsbruck for the mountains and the easy access to the them. It's has a lot of nature surrounding it and seemed to have a lot of hiking trails, also up on the mountains ( I didn't hike ).
As Munich is a biggish city I think Innsbruck would complement it well if you also want nature and walking.

offerendum

You cant compare. Totally differnt cities. Helosecs discription is correct in my eyes.

P.S. I would consider Salzburg as an alternative.

exilencfc

I haven't been to Zurich so I can't compare the two (heck I haven't been to Innsbruck yet).

Austria is certainly cheaper than Switzerland and uses the Euro which Switzerland doesn't. So it's more convenient from that point of view.

How far is Salzburg from Munich?

goodeats21

I was going to suggest Salzburg as well. An easy train ride away (1.5 to 2 hours). Walkable city with a great castle and a rich music heritage, if either of those are of interest.

Not sure if you have booked lodging yet, but getting out of Munich for some nights is definitely going to save some money. If you are able to get back to Munich at a future time, I would save most of the sites there for some other time. You are going to be paying a premium due to Oktoberfest...

Mandira

I don't think Salzburg can compete with Innsbruck's alpine surroundings. The only reason to go for Salzburg would be that it can be reached with the Bayern-Ticket, but bus tickets to Innsbruck start at 8 € and takes 30 min. more than the train to Salzburg at max (EuroCity trains can shave that half hour away, but usually cost about 40 €).

Not sure exactly what you put into "small towns", but Lindau im Bodensee (Lake Constance) is nice, albeit maybe less so in September than in June. In any case, it's a good gateway for the Swiss or Austrian alps, being located near the tri-country border. You could even swing by the "Disney castle" Neuschwanstein on your way from Munich.

In addition to AirBNB, you could check out the wg-gesucht website used for rental ads in Germany. The interface is available in English, and you can specify all kinds of details. Make sure rent type is set to "Rent by day". The backside is that most ads are submitted in German only. Expect 60 € per night during the Oktoberfest, which isn't too bad considering that most hostels charge the same for a mere bed in a shared room during that time.

LondonElite

There are many beautiful towns in southern Bavaria. You could spend a couple of days in Munich, do a day trip to Salzburg and visit the Chiemsee area, combine that with driving some fantastic alpine roads near Berchtesgaden, stay at Schloss Elmau, drive eastwards to Lindau/Neuschwanstein and then on to Bodensee (Lake Constance). There are so many lovely hotels and inns along the way, so drop me a PM if you want ideas. I'll be at Oktoberfest for the back end, if you fancy a maß (litre) or two. Innsbruck is pretty 'meh'. I'd take my time to drive through the Zillertal or Tuxertal.

offerendum

Very good advice - but if I consider OP is interested in AirBnB I don`t think it fits to the budget

LondonElite

Ja, probably right. But there is so much choice in that area, and actually a good time of year with holidays over. I personally would want to get out of Munich and into the countryside.

offerendum

+1 without exemption. For example my wife booked a small "Landgasthof" in the Allgäu with my mother in law. Very good value

LondonElite

Holiday with mother in law...fun!

offerendum

I stay home So mother-daughter holiday.....