Munich-Hallstatt-Vienna-Prague - Itinerary suggestions?
Dec 16, 2010, 9:48 am
#31
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Prague: Take on of the free walking tours (tip essentially required) Great way to get an overview of the city. Jewish Quarter was interesting.
Dec 21, 2010, 11:56 am
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Thanks so much for all the tips... I will definitely be back to do a similar trip next Christmas season. We are safe and sound back in Austin, had an amazing time.
Continuing on from my earlier update after driving Munich to Hallstatt, which was awesome, we continued on to Vienna, another enjoyable drive, did not take as many detours, just wanted to get to Wien as quickly as possible to enjoy the city. The driving again was amazing, I am so impressed with the German/Austrian/Swiss road system and drivers... when I got back to Texas driving on Interstate 35 was like a nightmare... haha.
So driving into the center of Wien was not terrible, Id much sooner drive into zone 1 of Wien than drive in Manhattan (which I have had the unfortunate experience of doing). We took the car to the Hotel Imperial, who parked it for us during our stay. Vienna is truly an amazing city, so much history, so much art, architechture and grandeur at every corner... we went to the Markt at Mariatheresenplatz, had some dumplings and Punsch, got a few nice original charcoals of the statue of Maria Theresa. Also went to markets at the Rathaus, Stephenplatz, and others scattered throughout the city. I think my favorite was the markt at Mariatheresenplatz because of the small more local feel... Went shopping in the gallerien and along the streets within the inner ring, got some awesome china at Augarten.
Our favorite restaurant meal was at a place called Kardos, the gulaschtrilogie was interesting, and the zweibelrostbraten was the best meal I had in Europe.
For those renting cars in germany (from hertz at least) intending to drive into the Czech republic, Hungary or other Eastern european countries... be careful to check the car type restrictions and make sure your car can enter all the places you want to go. Our Audi was forbidden from entering the Czech republic or Hungary, as were mercedes and BMW vehicles... So we took a train from Wien to Brno, which was fine leaving vienna, but the station in Brno was extremely busy, hard to navigate, and frigidly cold with nowhere to sit when our return train was delayed by 2 hours... the ride also took over two hours, when driving would have taken less than one per many locals we spoke to. It was an interesting way to see the countryside, and at least we did get to visit Brno, freedom square, the cathedral of peter and paul...
Due to our car being forbidden from entering eastern Europe, we made a last minute itinerary change after visiting Brno and deciding not to continue on to prague via train... we returned to Vienna where our car was garaged, and drove back through Salzburg to Innsbruck, checking out several interesting christmas markets in each, and some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. We then drove to Schwangau and saw Neuschwanstein, which was amazing, then drove into Munich for our final day/night. In Munich we visited several more markets, which in my opinion had more variety than any we had seen... While each cities markets offered many items of interest, in Brno the most common items were ceramics or pottery, in Vienna and Salzburg the most common item was carved wooden christmas tree ornaments, and in Munich there was a much wider variety of things at the markets... while each city had its own distinct feel which was charming, munich seemed to offer the most variety, with the biggest market we visited being at Marienplatz. We had a quick supper at Tivoli, in the Hilton Park hotel, and the rest of our time in Munich ate Bratwurst and Saurkraut, and lots of other things at the markets...
Our return travel was only slightly affected, a Lufthansa first class agent was able to get us on the MUC-FRA flight scheduled for 8AM (which didnt leave until 11AM) but our schedule 10:55 departure was cancelled, so if not for her we would not have made our connection in Frankfurt to Houston. The road travel was never much affected by the weather, as it seems there are constantly graters and salt trucks clearing the roads, and we were lucky in our air travels not to meet any major delays. All said, we had an amazing time even though I was disappointed to have to cancel Prague for this trip, and will definitely be back in Europe for another tour, only will make sure the car we get can enter all the countries we wish to visit, haha.
Continuing on from my earlier update after driving Munich to Hallstatt, which was awesome, we continued on to Vienna, another enjoyable drive, did not take as many detours, just wanted to get to Wien as quickly as possible to enjoy the city. The driving again was amazing, I am so impressed with the German/Austrian/Swiss road system and drivers... when I got back to Texas driving on Interstate 35 was like a nightmare... haha.
So driving into the center of Wien was not terrible, Id much sooner drive into zone 1 of Wien than drive in Manhattan (which I have had the unfortunate experience of doing). We took the car to the Hotel Imperial, who parked it for us during our stay. Vienna is truly an amazing city, so much history, so much art, architechture and grandeur at every corner... we went to the Markt at Mariatheresenplatz, had some dumplings and Punsch, got a few nice original charcoals of the statue of Maria Theresa. Also went to markets at the Rathaus, Stephenplatz, and others scattered throughout the city. I think my favorite was the markt at Mariatheresenplatz because of the small more local feel... Went shopping in the gallerien and along the streets within the inner ring, got some awesome china at Augarten.
Our favorite restaurant meal was at a place called Kardos, the gulaschtrilogie was interesting, and the zweibelrostbraten was the best meal I had in Europe.
For those renting cars in germany (from hertz at least) intending to drive into the Czech republic, Hungary or other Eastern european countries... be careful to check the car type restrictions and make sure your car can enter all the places you want to go. Our Audi was forbidden from entering the Czech republic or Hungary, as were mercedes and BMW vehicles... So we took a train from Wien to Brno, which was fine leaving vienna, but the station in Brno was extremely busy, hard to navigate, and frigidly cold with nowhere to sit when our return train was delayed by 2 hours... the ride also took over two hours, when driving would have taken less than one per many locals we spoke to. It was an interesting way to see the countryside, and at least we did get to visit Brno, freedom square, the cathedral of peter and paul...
Due to our car being forbidden from entering eastern Europe, we made a last minute itinerary change after visiting Brno and deciding not to continue on to prague via train... we returned to Vienna where our car was garaged, and drove back through Salzburg to Innsbruck, checking out several interesting christmas markets in each, and some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. We then drove to Schwangau and saw Neuschwanstein, which was amazing, then drove into Munich for our final day/night. In Munich we visited several more markets, which in my opinion had more variety than any we had seen... While each cities markets offered many items of interest, in Brno the most common items were ceramics or pottery, in Vienna and Salzburg the most common item was carved wooden christmas tree ornaments, and in Munich there was a much wider variety of things at the markets... while each city had its own distinct feel which was charming, munich seemed to offer the most variety, with the biggest market we visited being at Marienplatz. We had a quick supper at Tivoli, in the Hilton Park hotel, and the rest of our time in Munich ate Bratwurst and Saurkraut, and lots of other things at the markets...
Our return travel was only slightly affected, a Lufthansa first class agent was able to get us on the MUC-FRA flight scheduled for 8AM (which didnt leave until 11AM) but our schedule 10:55 departure was cancelled, so if not for her we would not have made our connection in Frankfurt to Houston. The road travel was never much affected by the weather, as it seems there are constantly graters and salt trucks clearing the roads, and we were lucky in our air travels not to meet any major delays. All said, we had an amazing time even though I was disappointed to have to cancel Prague for this trip, and will definitely be back in Europe for another tour, only will make sure the car we get can enter all the countries we wish to visit, haha.