adrianespinola7760

Hello fellow travelers,

I'm planning a trip to Central Europe this August and would love your thoughts and any tips you might have on my itinerary. Here's what I've planned so far:
(not the real dates, just examples)

August 10 - Fly to Zurich, Switzerland

August 11 - Lucerne, Switzerland

Arrive in Zurich at ~10 AM, head to Lucerne around 1 PM
Visit Lion Monument, Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), Wasserturm (Water Tower), Altstadt (Old Town), Rathausstrum, and Zytturm

August 12 - Interlaken and Grindelwald, Switzerland

Morning travel to Interlaken
Store luggage and head to Grindelwald
Take the Firstbahn to First, with stops at Bort, Schreckfeld, and finally First
Experience the First Cliff Walk and hike to Lake Bachalpsee

August 13 - Lauterbrunnen and Surroundings, Switzerland

Travel to Lauterbrunnen
Visit Staubbach Falls, hike to Stechelberg, then visit Gimmelwald, Murren, Birg, and Schilthorn

August 14 - Flexible Day in Switzerland

Based on mood, either visit Bern, hike more, or rest
End the day in Zurich

August 15 - Munich, Germany

Arrive in Munich around ~1 PM, check into Airbnb
Explore Viktualienmarkt, Church of our Lady, Königsplatz, Eisbachwelle, and Hofbräuhaus

August 16 - Munich, Germany

Visit Munich Residenz Palace, Alter Peter, Marienplatz, and Englischer Garten

August 17 - Munich, Germany

Visit Alte Pinakothek, with extra time to revisit places or relax

August 18 - Vienna, Austria

Train to Vienna
Explore Naschmarkt, Stadtpark, and Karlskirche

August 19 - Vienna, Austria

Visit Schönbrunn Palace, Albertina, and attend a Vienna opera show

August 20 - Vienna, Austria

Explore Rathausplatz, Volksgarten, Imperial Crypt, Hofburg, and Stephansplatz

August 21 - Vienna, Austria

Visit Belvedere with extra time to revisit places or relax

August 22 - Return to Munich, Germany

Morning train to Munich, fly home around midnight (I know this is a lot of travel but will have time to rest in Munich before the flight)

I'm particularly interested in knowing if this schedule is too packed and if I've overlooked any must-see places. Any advice on navigating these cities, particularly for local experiences, would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance for your help!

---

Some observations:
- I am OK with not visiting Zurich
- I am OK with not visiting Neuschwanstein castle
- I am OK with adding one more day if needed

nylilly

Just a quick thought - Salzburg. It’s quite close to Munich and would make a good stop or overnight.

janisj

Welcome to Fodors.

You have thirteen total days home to home and are spending nine of those in transit somewhere. The only places you are spending any time at all really are in Vienna and Munich. I'd cut back on the number of places in Switzerland . . . or drop Vienna and add those days to Switzerland

adrianespinola7760

I thought about staying one night in Salzburg on my way to Munich but it depends on how tired I am, something to keep in mind.

adrianespinola7760

Hey, thanks! It only takes around 30 minutes to get from Interlaken to both Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, so I thought it was doable. One thing I was considering is heading straight to Interlaken instead of Lucerne on the first day, and then visiting Lucerne on the "leisure day" on my way to Zurich. I'll probably be dead tired on the first day anyway, but it will give me a head start for the day trips to First and Schilthorn.

janisj

Any 30 minute train ride to a new location really eats up a big part of the day. Packing/ checking out/ walking to the station/ / waiting for the next train/ train ride/ walking to next accommodations/ checking in/ unpacking . . . when the distance is really short it is usually better to just stay in one place and do day trips.

adrianespinola7760

You're right; I may be a bit too optimistic. I'll stay in Interlaken instead of Lucerne, add an extra day there, and take day trips from that base. This should allow for a more relaxed pace.

kja

While I agree that in general, relocating adds quite a bit of time, my personal experience is that I can pack/unpack and check in/out in well under an hour total. I think traveling solo makes a real difference with timing! When contemplating a day trip vs. relocating for the night, I note that getting to/from the station is something I'll need to do in either case. So for me personally, I'd rather relocate than day-trip for anything that is more than an hour away -- doing so is actually a time-saver for me. I know I'm unusual in that regard.

So, adrianespinola7760, I actually thought your original plan quite reasonable -- assuming you are aware (as you seem to be) that you are moving around a lot. And Lucerne is so much nicer after day trippers leave....

If you have any interest in art, consider adding the manificent Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

I wonder -- can you fly home from Vienna instead of backtracking to Munich?

adrianespinola7760

This has been my experience too, and as you mentioned, things usually take less time when traveling solo. I do think that going to Lucerne for the last day on my way to Zurich is a good idea. My main interest after all is the mountains.

That sounds like a great stop, I'll see about adding it!

I am taking advantage of an open-jaw offer that is saving me some money. Leaving from Vienna would skyrocket the price (keep in mind, I am from South America). The other option is to fly from Prague, but I would feel more confident leaving from Munich when it's time to go back.

MichGuy

Did you consider going Zurich -> Vienna -> Munich? The train from Zurich to Vienna is great and not expensive. Only trouble is that it's an 8 hour ride. But doing this you could 1) keep your Switzerland itinerary (which I like), 2) avoid traveling to Munich twice but keep Munich as your departure city, and 3) still include a few days in Vienna (which I also like). Plus, if you can swing it, you could stop in Salzburg on the way from Vienna to Munich.

There's so much to do and see in this part of Europe that it pays to make your land travel as efficient as possible.

adrianespinola7760

This is not a bad idea. Collapsing the rides into one longer ride would allow me to spend more full days in the cities. Pretty efficient. I don’t mind the 8-hour train ride. It would end up looking something like this:

August 10 - Switzerland

• Fly to Zurich

August 11 - Switzerland (Zurich -> Interlaken)

• Arrive in the afternoon to Interlaken

August 12 - Switzerland (Interlaken)

August 13 - Switzerland (Interlaken)

August 14 - Switzerland (Interlaken)

August 15 - Switzerland (Interlaken -> Lucerne/Zurich)

• Arrive in the afternoon in Zurich

August 16 - Austria (Zurich -> Vienna)

• Arrive in the afternoon in Vienna

August 17 - Austria (Vienna)

August 18 - Austria (Vienna)

August 19 - Austria (Vienna)

August 20 - Germany (Vienna -> Munich)

• Arrive in the afternoon in Munich

August 21 - Germany (Munich)

August 22 - Germany (Munich)

August 23 - Germany (Munich)

• Fly home