This epic trip was one of our more daring trips (which was saying something considering we were traveling independently in mostly developed countries), but it was one in which we had to rely more on our planning as well as rolling with the punches when the unexpected would occur.
This was also one of the more expensive trips we’ve done as traveling to Germany and Austria was not cheap by any stretch of the imagination!
In addition to that, we had to rely quite a bit on our limited German (I took a lot of time during my commute to study the language prior to this trip) knowing that English wasn’t understood everywhere and not by everyone (nor should we expect this to be the case).
The payoff for all this preparation and adventure was one of our more rewarding experiences that really seemed to bridge the gap in a lot of our understanding of Europe as well as influences that we noticed were prevalent the USA (e.g. Walt Disney, fast food like burgers and hot dogs, and the whole idea behind Christmas were just some of the things we realized had their roots in Germany and Austria).
Here are some highlights and how we managed to pull this trip off, which you may find useful in your trip planning efforts…
Trip Map
This map and its markings were produced by this app.
Trip Highlights
Paris – although it was mainly a cost-saving move to fly to Paris instead of directly to Frankfurt or Munich, we savored our time in Paris with the assortment of French foods (especially, souffles, macarons, crepes/galettes, and escargot among others and with gluten free options) as well as a chance to do things Julie and I didn’t get to do the first time around like the top of the Eiffel Tower as well as the Louvre.
Bacharach – this was one of the more intimate yet charming medieval towns dotted along the banks of the Rhine River. It featured a castle that doubled as a hostel, the ruins of a chapel that is now an iconic part of the town, and half-timbered buildings that date back to the 14th century…
Burg Eltz – this castle managed to stay intact for over seven centuries, and it was even said to be Rick Steves’ favorite castle in all of Europe. When we made our visit, it was easy to see why as its rather isolated location and vertical turreted towers made this place seem like it came out of a fairy tale. The only drawback was that we couldn’t take pictures inside.
Cochem – in addition to the Romantic Rhine, we also passed through the Mosel River (Moselle in French) featuring intimate historical towns dotted along the river’s banks from Luxembourg to its confluence with the Rhine at Koblenz. Our favorite town in this stretch was Cochem which had a very cute main square that reminded me of how we felt when we first visited Stein am Rhein, Switzerland.
Trier – near the international border with Luxembourg, this city had an interesting mix of Roman relics as well as the historical pedigree of being the birthplace of Karl Marx. Of course it also had its own Hauptmarkt (main market), which was a plaza surrounded by charming historical buildings accompanied with a buzz of activity from tourists and locals alike in the heart of the city.
Vianden Castle – this was one of the more surprising castle visits that we’ve done in that its self-tour was pretty extensive and we were allowed to take pictures. It also featured commanding views over the surrounding landscape. It was certainly worth the hour-long drive north of Luxembourg City as it seemed like it wasn’t quite as overrun with visitors as some of the other more famous castles we would be visiting on this trip.
Colmar – this city was as charming as they come in France. For not only were there countless alleyways flanked by Shambles-like leaning wooden buildings, but it also featured a Little Venice section that I’d argue even surpassed the canals of Old Annecy in the charm factor. Our only regret was that we didn’t spend at least a night here as were only passing through between Luxembourg and the Black Forest in Germany. At least we now have an excuse to come back!
Triberg Waterfalls – while it might be a bit of a stretch to call this the tallest waterfall in Germany (a claim that seemed to be prevalent in the Black Forest), it was quite the refreshing experience as we were able to see and feel each of the drops that comprise the whole. Along the way, we got nice panoramic views back to the town of Triberg as well as an opportunity to check out some huge cuckoo clocks.
Freiburg – this city was our base for visiting the Black Forest. In addition to a pretty bustling altstadt (old city), we also got to check out the giant square (Munsterplatz) surrounding the cathedral in the heart of the old town.
Titisee – this lake was a sleeper hit of our tour of the Black Forest as it allowed our daughter to play along its shores while we got to enjoy the intimate views across the body of water. We also got to sample some foods from the region, including perhaps one of the best Black Forest Cakes we’ve had all trip long.
Baden Baden – while the main attraction of this blinged out town was the Kurhaus Casino, we had to find alternative activities with a daughter in tow. This was where we managed to take a relaxing stroll along Lichtentaller Allee, check out the pedestrian zone shopping alleys, and be pleasantly surprised by historical buildings like the Trinkhaller.
Lichtenstein Castle – this cliff-hanging castle made us wonder if it could have been an inspiration to one of those Disney fantasies like Rapunzel letting her hair down to climb down that tall tower! From the lookout yielding the view you see pictured here, we also got commanding views of the town of Honau down below.
Ulm – upon a recommendation of a coworker who used to work in Munich, he suggested we check out this city, which seemed to be largely off the typical tourist itinerary. And it’s for that reason that we really enjoyed our time here as it featured a charming canal-crossed section called the Fischerviertel as well as the ability to climb up to the top of the imposing Ulm Munster for commanding views over the city as well as (maybe) a glimpse of the Bavarian and Swabian Alps on a really clear day.
Lindau – this charming island town on Lake Constance (Bodensee) was our excuse to check out this big lake bordered by three countries – Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Surrounded by the Bavarian Alps, this was one of the more scenic lakes, and strolling about the old town and the waterfront of Lindau further added to the scenic allure.
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles – if you’re looking for the quintessential castle that inspired the fantasy worlds created by Walt Disney, look no further than Neuschwanstein. Its impossibly scenic location as well as the even more impressive interior (no photos allowed though) really made this a can’t miss experience despite the tourist crush. For a more intimate experience, the Schloss Hohenschwangau nearby was also a worthwhile attraction to visit.
Zugspitze – this was said to be Germany’s highest mountain though we also got to take a cable car down to a glacier field for some Summer sledding in the snow on the Austria side! We timed our visit to try to maximize on the good weather, which yielded mind-blowing views towards Ehrwald in Austria and towards Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany.
Hoellentalklamm – loosely translated as the Hell Valley Chasm, it was a wet and exhilarating experience walking right besides (and sometimes through) the many waterfalls that dumped into the narrow gorge. It took a fairly taxing hike to even get up to the gorge entrance, but once inside, I found it hard to leave.
Kuhflucht Waterfalls – this was actually a series of waterfalls where it seemed like the further I went, the more impressive the waterfalls became. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it all the way to the top where apparently the Kuhfluchtquelle was (the spring where the waterfall started by gushing out of some caves), but just getting up to the main part of it yielded a pretty satisfying waterfalling experience, especially without crowds.
Linderhof Palace – inspired by Louis XIV, this was said to be the only castle that King Ludwig II managed to see through to completion (the famous Neuschwanstein was incomplete). It featured an extensive garden as well as blinged out rooms where we couldn’t take pictures. There were even neat side attractions like the Moorish Kiosk and the Moroccan House.
Munich – this city still clings onto its historical roots and it most certainly shows, especially in Marienplatz at the heart of the city. Of course a lot could be said about all the sights and experiences in Munchen like the English Gardens, Nymphenburg Palace, the Munich Residenz, the Viktualienmarkt, etc., and it’s certainly worth spending at least three days to really get the most out this city of monks.
Kehlstein – Perched high up on the Bavarian Alps overlooking Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, and the scenic Lake Koenigssee, this was another one of the places to soak in the views on a clear day. The opening scenes of the Sound of Music were actually filmed on a farm close by to here while the panoramic landscapes were indeed over Berchtesgaden National Park. While this was Hitler’s mountain retreat, there’s not much in the way of Nazi relics these days except at the Documentation Center near the parking lot.
Rothbachfall and Koenigssee – this could very well be Germany’s most beautiful lake as it’s surrounded by high alpine peaks with a few waterfalls tumbling right into both the Obersee and the larger Koeningssee. We took a boat tour to get across Koenigssee and did a short hike to the mouth of Obersee to witness Germany’s tallest waterfall in Rothbachfall.
Salzburg – while this city maybe most known as the setting for the Sound of Music, it featured many iconic sights made famous by the Disney movie while possessing an old world charm that made it one of Austria’s most popular cities to put on a tourist itinerary. Not only that, but it also acted as the base for excursions beyond the city. We spent four nights here, and we still felt like we missed out on some must-do experiences in that time! Of course, that gives us an excuse to come back, if we’re so fortunate to do.
Steirischer Bodensee – this was the Styrian version of the Bodensee lake (not the larger Bodensee that’s also known as Lake Constance), but had a well-situated waterfall across a mirror-lake clear lake surrounded by jaggedy mountains. It was well worth the toll road to make it up to this lake, and after the hike, there was a surprisingly healthy gluten free cafe to relax and unwind from the excursion!
Eisriesenwelt – although you can’t take pictures inside this ice cave, there’s something to be said about the dimly lit environs in what is said to be the largest ice cave in the world. This half day excursion included lots of exercise as well as a drive that included attractive top down views of the Schloss Hohenwerfen, which appeared in many scenes in the Sound of Music!
Golling Waterfalls – this attractive waterfalling excursion included not only the waterfall pictured here, but it also included an upper waterfall that had a powerful enough of flow and spray to punch a hole in a rock wall resulting in a natural bridge! There was also a cave where the stream flowed right out as a spring before making its multi-step tumble.
Hallstatt – arguably the most beautiful town of the Salzkammergut Lakes Region, if you can get over the tourist crush, you’ll not only get gorgeous lakeside views and a pair of waterfalls (including Muhlbach Waterfall), but there’s also a chance to experience the excellent Salt Mine whose history and heritage was what earned this place the gazetting as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Waldbachstrub Waterfall – if the tour bus crowd can be a bit overwhelming closer to the lake at Hallstatt, a much quieter and more naturesque trail leads further inland to this amazing convergence of several waterfalls. It’s so big that it’s hard to capture the whole thing in one shot. When you consider the volume of people barely 2-3km away in Hallstatt, this peaceful excursion reminded me of why waterfalling is the best way to go when it comes to independently touring abroad.
Stift Admont – said to be the largest monastery library in the world, we had never seen a library quite like this one, and we probably won’t see another one like it again. After all, the works it housed dated back over a millenia, and the amazing paintings along with old world decor really made this place feel like a fantasy more so than a place of expanding knowledge.
Wasserlochklamm Waterfalls – although I had to endure some pretty miserable weather when I did this hike, there was still superb gorge hiking as I climbed alongside at least five signed waterfalls while I was surprised by a few more as well as a natural bridge and a view of the Salzatal Valley (though rain clouds really limited visibility). Even with the bad weather, I was quite surprised at how many Austrian visitors were game to still do the hike in its entirety!
Stift Melk – this had to have been one of the more blinged out abbeys in existence as the amount of tapestries and gold within the interior of the centuries old structure could rival other places of opulence like the Chateau de Versailles or the Vatican. It was too bad we couldn’t take pictures of the interior of the abbey because it featured giant rooms, halls, a golden church, and an attractive library among other things.
Wachau Valley – lined with vineyards, charming towns, and castles, this could very well be the inspiration to the song Blue Danube as this was the river snaking through the rolling hills. This place felt like it was Austria’s answer to the Rhine and Mosel Rivers, and it was the perfect excuse for us to take this scenic route as we were driving between Melk and Vienna.
Vienna – one of the world class cities of the world, it’s hard not to be spellbound by the splendor of the city center where a happening pedestrianized zone flanked by giant cathedrals, numerous shops, statues, and historical buildings make this place the heart of Eastern Europe, especially when you consider that Hapsburg Heritage that was on full display here. In addition to the historical city center, there were also numerous museums, art galleries, and other Hapsburg buildings like the Schonbrunn Palace.
Graz – it’s hard to believe that this is Austria’s second largest city, because you wouldn’t know it based on its somewhat understated elegance. The big highlights of our short time here were the old town as well as the Schlossberg, which was a hill featuring an impressive giant clock tower overlooking the red-roofed city center.
Finsterbach Waterfalls – Overlooking the Ossiachersee (one of a handful of said-to-be-thermal lakes of Southern Austria), this was actually a trio of tall waterfalls all accessible via a steep but well-used trail. While the hike was pretty popular, it never felt like it was overrun, and that’s just the way I like it so it can be a relaxing and regenerative excursion.
Grossglockner High Alpine Road – said to be one of the great mountain drives in Austria, this sinuous and steep alpine road took us through several overlooks, waterfalls, and even a glacier next to the country’s highest point. On a good weather day, this had to have been one of the more unforgettable experiences of our trip. In fact, we even got Grossglockner’d out by the end of the day as the beauty overload was in full effect.
Gossnitz Waterfall – I had to work a bit to earn this sighting of a gushing waterfall, but that made the experience all the more intimate as few people were willing to get out of their cars while driving the Grossglockner Road. Given its proximity to the town of Heiligenblut, both attractions could be experienced in this single excursion.
Malta Hochalmstrasse – this alpine drive at the head of the Maltatal Valley featured several waterfalls including Melnikfall, Maralmbachfall, and several unnamed ones. However, there was also the Kolnbrein Dam towards the end of the road yielding butterflies-in-the-stomach views from 200m up on the air walk as well as other gorgeous alpine scenery looking in both directions from the top of the dam itself.
Krimml Waterfalls – said to tumble a cumulative drop of about 381m, this was really a series of at least four major waterfalls in close succession to each other. Possibly one of the world’s great waterfalls, a very busy and popular walking path went up alongside each of these waterfalls for a closer and more intimate look. Of course, don’t forget to check out the Panoramablick which allowed us to see all the tiers of the waterfall in one shot.
Saalfelden Rodelbahn – while there were many Summer tobagan runs and alpine roller coasters spread throughout both Austria and Bavarian Germany, we picked the one at Saalfelden (north of Zell am See) because it featured nice views and it had a bit of that thrill factor as it involved sliding down an old luge run so that danger factor was definitely there.
Bad Gastein – this scenic thermal spa town felt like it was clinging to a mountainside. While the bathing waters here were said to have some therapeutic properties, there was also a series of waterfalls that tumbled right through the town itself! It was this unusual combo that made this place one of the more memorable ones of this epic trip.
Felbertauern – we almost dismissed this place and its waterfalls as incidental roadside attractions near the Felbertauern Tunnel and Toll Station. However, the more we dwelled on the scenery here, the more we simply couldn’t just ignore it for there was far too much to ooo and aah about. Indeed, near the toll station, there had to have been at least 4 waterfalls spilling within close proximity to each other, and it was certainly one of the big surprises of this trip.
Umbal Waterfalls – this excursion at the head of the Umbaltal Valley was really composed of three significant waterfalls – Kleinbachfall, Grossbachfall, and the Umbalfalle. Along with a chance to relax and unwind at a little hamlet along the trail plus a teasing glimpse of a glacier in the distance when we were returning to the car, it was a fitting place to really enjoy Nature within reasonable distance from Lienz.
Dolomites – deep in the mountains of Northern Italy were these exposed shapely massifs that are collectively known as the Dolomites. We managed to finally experience the heart of this region (after not quite seeing them the first time around back in 2013) featuring formations like the Sasso Lungo Group, the plateau above Sass Pordoi, and even some surprise waterfalls like Cascate del Pisciadu and Cascata Tervela among others.
Castelrotto – this small town was about as relaxing as it can get as there’s no tourist crush. Yet there’s superb scenery to be had, including this picture postcard view from the top of town overlooking the church and peering towards the local Dolomite massifs.
Hintertux Resort Area – at the head of a side valley of the Zillertal, we encountered this attractive resort with gondolas taking people up to the glacier area for year-round skiing as well as Ice Palace visits. There were also waterfalling excursions taking in the Schraubenfall and Kesselbachfall tandem as well as the impressive Schleierfall.
Kaunertal Glacier Road – this was another good weather high alpine drive that took in several waterfalls like Wurmtalbachfall, Bliggbachfall, Rifflbachfall, and more. However, there was also a thee scenic Gepatsch Reservoir, and the glacier arms of Gepatschferner. Indeed, it was scenery overload but in a good way here, especially in good weather!
Stuibenfall – while the Krimml Waterfalls could very well be considered the best waterfall in Austria, I’d have to say the Stuibenfall was right up there with it! Not only did this falls feature a giant series of vertical drops, but the trail to take it all in was part of the experience as well. Indeed, I found myself checking out the falls from at least five different platforms, a bouncy suspension bridge, and a pair of spiral towers. Then there was a pair of surprise natural bridges that really put this place over the top!
Innsbruck – Julie said that the old city center had a bit of a feminine quality to it, and perhaps it wasn’t surprising considering Queen Maria Theresia left her mark on this city in a big way. Indeed, this city featured a happening pedestrian area full of historical buildings (including one with a golden roof) as well as churches and cathedrals.
Bamberg – situated in Northern Bavaria, this charming town featured an attractive town hall (Altes Rathaus) along with a cathedral in a large cobblestone square. While this town hardly got a mention from Rick Steves’ books, it was still popular with foreign tourists though probably not quite with the notoriety that Rothenburg ob der Tauber would get.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber – arguably the best of the romantic medieval towns on the Romantic Road through Bavaria, it’s hard to beat despite the tourist crush. In addition to a charming Hauptmarkt plaza, lots of well-preserved historical buildings and homes, a really neat walkable city wall, a Christmas-is-everyday experience at the Kathe Wohlfahrt shop, and a fun and informative Night Watchman’s Tour, this town certainly cornered the market when it came to leaving visitors with experiences they can’t get elsewhere.
Wurzburg – this was another one of the historical towns along the Romantic Road through Bavaria. This town featured a charming innenstadt (city center) with a bridge looking towards a fortress after passing through a beautiful old town section to get here. It was the last of the medieval towns we visited on this epic trip, and it was a fitting reminder of how full of sights Germany had possessed.
Frankfurt – this dynamic city embraced both the new and the old when it rebuilt itself after World War II. Indeed, the modern part could be seen in the banking district while the old could be experienced in the Romkerhaller area, which was at the heart of the altstadt. Then, we were also able to get sunset views across the Main River towards the Frankfurt skyline as a fitting end to our last full day in Germany.
Chateau de Versailles – out in the suburbs of Paris, we re-visited this place after having gone through the museums in both Germany and Austria – many of which were inspired by this very palace. Of course we had to experience the famous Hall of Mirrors (pictured here) along with other plush rooms that were the epitome of opulence.
Paris – returning to the first city we visited on this trip, we made sure to live it up and savor all the good food and some of the remaining sights we had yet to experience such as the Palais Garnier at the Paris Opera House, which seemed like a miniature Versailles hidden within this performing arts center. This was one city that we definitely couldn’t get enough of.
Trip Advice
Even though we had deferred visiting Germany and Austria until the Summer of 2018, these were already well known tourist destinations. So there were quite a few things we learned on this trip. Here are some of those lessons learned that we’re sharing with you…
High Traffic Volume: We saw this firsthand given the volume of people visiting the various sights through Germany (especially in Bavaria). While the volume of visitors in Austria was noticeably less, it goes without saying that there were plenty of Austrian tourists exploring places in their own country so there was hardly a moment of solitude in any of the waterfalls nor sights seen throughout this trip.
While crowded yet atmospheric city centers weren’t anything unusual in Europe, I did find the traffic volume to affect the no-speed-limit autobahns in Germany. It did so in such a way that the stretches of gunning it over 200km/h were actually quite limited due to too many cars, lots of road construction, and the likelihood of rear-ending someone in front of you when people are stopped suddenly.
Higher Likelihood of Good Weather: We’ve definitely had our share of fine weather on this trip, but we had to be flexible because Summer also happened to be some of the rainiest months in the mountains. Generally, the weather would be fine in the morning, but then afternoon thunderstorms would be budding. There were days where it could rain (sometimes heavily) for consecutive days, but when those events would occur, the weather forecasts were actually pretty good about predicting those so we could rearrange our good weather activities accordingly.
Alternative to flying direct to Germany or Austria: Because we were visiting Germany and Austria during the Summer peak season, we endured the sticker shock of direct flights from LAX to Frankfurt or Munich that was on the order of over $2000 USD per person! But thinking out of the box, we saw that direct flights to Paris were a more reasonable $1200 USD per person.
So that opened up the possibility of using those cost savings to allow ourselves some time to enjoy Paris for a couple of days before taking the TGV (bullet train) between Paris and Frankfurt. The train tickets were about $250 for the three of us altogether in each direction. While you could argue that the overall costs would be a wash due to the added days, I’d argue that from a value and experiences standpoint, this was definitely the way to go.
Avoiding the Crowds: Because it was peak season, hardly any place during our trip were devoid of people. We even noticed the phenomenon of what I’d call the “tourist crush” where the tour bus crowd could really make a place overwhelmed with tourists thereby impacting the overall experience. It’s hard to avoid this, but this is where mixing things up and retreating to Nature every so often helped us to keep a level head throughout a long trip like this.
Case in point, Hallstatt is always overrun with tourists (especially the Chinese tour bus crowd), but the hike out back to the Waldbachstrub Waterfall was delightfully quiet!
The Notion of Time and the Pace of Europe: In general, it seemed like there was a big cultural difference between Europeans and Americans in that Europeans like to take their time versus us Americans who try to maximize the limited time abroad by being in more of a hurry.
We’ve learned that while you can plan for more than 3 excursions in a day because theoretically it might be possible, in reality, doing 3 excursions in a day is really pushing it.
Why?
Because there are limited opening and closing times of most excursions, while some of them even required a surprise amount of walking or waiting in queues to take buses and/or cable cars, for example. So it’s more realistic to budget a half-day on a given excursion though if it happens to take less time than that, then you can consider that margin to do other things that you didn’t expect to do.
The key is to not count on the lower priority sites you didn’t expect to see and do at the outset because if you did try to fit too many things in with that expectation, then you’ll have a more stressful holiday.
Bad Weather: While on the one hand, I said that we did get good weather on this trip, we had to respect the fact that bad weather can and often does occur in the Summer in Europe, especially in the mountainous regions. Indeed, that pretty much summed up a good chunk of our visit to Southern Germany and most of Austria.
Afternoons tended to have higher likelihoods of thundershowers, but some days had more extensive storms where it could rain all day for consecutive days. The only defense against this is to have a flexible enough itinerary to rearrange activities so the good weather activities aren’t as impacted on the days you know are supposed to be good weather days.
Expensive: We knew going into this trip that it was going to be expensive, but the cumulative costs of accommodations (we still prefer apartments over hotels) really hit us hard as we were looking at an average of $200-300 USD per night depending on how popular and centrally located the place was. Not only that, but you get nickel-and-dimed for lots of things including entrance fees (such as public toilets and just about every excursion and hike), toll roads, parking, and even leitungswasser (i.e. tap water) in sit down cafes and restaurants!
Hard to go gluten free: This was something we struggled with throughout the trip. Generally, we found more gluten free options in the big (and famous) cities as opposed to the countryside. While there were a few exceptions, we had lots of meats, fish, or sausages where we tried to avoid anything with sauces or breading on them, which you can imagine can get tiresome on a long trip like this. Since schnitzels (breaded cutlets), beer, and bread were ubiquitous, we really had to use the terms “gluten frei” or “ohne gluten” on just about every time we ate out on this trip.
Sundays: Most supermarkets and shops are closed on this day. So this impacted our ability to self-cook (to control diet restrictions and to save some money) when we couldn’t supply ourselves with foodstuffs. This is quite unlike what we were used to when most of our grocery shopping was best done on Sundays to stock up for the week. But since we were on the move a lot, we couldn’t buy food for the long term in mind (they’d spoil in the car or if the next place didn’t have a refrigerator), and thus we were at the mercy of buying only a little at a time on frequent grocery runs.
Learning German helped: For this trip, I had some time to cumulatively learn little by little while commuting to and from work via public transportation. So that let me read language books while listening to CDs (ripped and placed onto my mp3 player) to get familiar with the grammar, vocabulary, and some common expressions. So I was able to read or at least get the gist of some signs, but trying to come up with German expressions on the spot was far more difficult, especially since German grammar was quite complex (especially regarding conjugations, gender, word order, and separable as well as helping verbs among others) and easy to get wrong if you’re not using it every day. The same can be said for the pronunciations.
There were a surprising number of instances where English was not widely spoken in our travels. Of course as guests, it’s up to us to try to learn the language and not expect everyone to speak a language that’s foreign to them. Regardless of whether it was in a rural region or even in the big cities, it definitely helped to get by with some working knowledge of German.
Cash is king: In both Germany and Austria, it seemed like everywhere we went wouldn’t take credit card. So we really had to dig into our cash reserves (and pay up the nose in ATM fees when we needed more cash) in order to get through the trip. Even some accommodations wanted cash payments though we were successfully able to re-arrange our itinerary towards the latter part of the trip when we had a better idea of our cash supply and how we wanted the remainder of our trip to go (something we couldn’t have foreseen when everything was pre-booked in advance).
At least supermarkets were good at taking credit card as well as diesel stations and most newer parking machines (but not the older coin-op ones). Also, restaurants that are part of hotels who have the portable EFTPOS machines to take room payments also tended to be able to take credit card for restaurant bills. But for everything else, it’s pretty much all cash, and they get depleted pretty fast!
Travel Itinerary
Day 1-2: Fly from Los Angeles to Paris
Overnight: Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile (Paris, France)
After the obligatory long flight, we eventually got settled around midday, then we spent the remainder of the day visiting the top of the Eiffel Tower before trying out a gluten free place for dinner while also enjoying crepe in a place nearby it.
Day 3: Louvre, Notre Dame, Le Souffle, Champs Elysees
Overnight: Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile (Paris, France)
We spent the morning visiting the Louvre before having returning to our favorite souffle place called Le Souffle. After lunch, we went into the Notre Dame before unwinding a late afternoon strolling and enjoying macarons along the Champs Elysees. Then, we enjoyed one last meal in Paris for a while at the Breizh Cafe where they served up some very interesting galettes.
Day 4: Bullet train from Paris to Frankfurt, then drive to Romantic Rhine
Overnight: Ferienwohnungen Stiehl (Bacharach, Germany)
We caught an early train from Paris to Frankfurt (fortunately, the French rail strike did not hit us on this day) then picked up the rental car at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (though we had to wait two hours until around 1pm before our rental car was finally ready). At that point, we finally drove west to the Romantic Rhine and settled into Bacharach where we spent the rest of the evening at leisure exploring the town and having dinner.
Day 5: St Goar and Bacharach
Overnight: Ferienwohnungen Stiehl (Bacharach, Germany)
I did a pre-breakfast morning walk to an overlook taking in Bacharach. Then, we drove out to St Goar to check out the Rheinfels Castle (including the all-German guided tour to check out the tunnels) before eating lunch in the main drag through Sankt Goar. The rest of the afternoon was spent back in Bacharach checking out Schloss Stahleck as well as the Sentry Tower for the iconic views across Bacharach.
Day 6: Drive from Bacharach to Trier via the Mosel River Valley
Overnight: Holiday Trier (Trier, Germany, USA)
We spent the whole day driving along the Romantic Rhine towards the Mosel Valley, then following the Mosel River while making stops at Burg Eltz Castle, Cochem, and finally settling in Trier. The rest of the evening was spent touring Trier before some of the targeted sites were about to close for the day.
Day 7: Drive from Trier to Luxembourg City via Saarburg and Vianden
Overnight: Aparthotel Italia (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg)
On this day, we spent the early morning visiting the first waterfall of the trip at the Saarburg Waterfall before continuing on to the Schiessentumpel on our way to the Vianden Castle. We spent the better part of the evening walking to the Chemin de la Corniche and the Grund in Luxembourg City.
Day 8: Drive from Luxembourg to Freiburg via Colmar
Overnight: City Apartment Friedrichring (Freiburg, Germany)
We started off the better part of the morning visiting both the Grande Cascade de Tendon and the Petite Cascade de Tendon. Then we spent the remainder of the day visiting the charming city of Colmar before finally settling into Freiburg for a late dinner.
Day 9: Driving around the Schwarzwald (Black Forest)
Overnight: City Apartment Friedrichring (Freiburg, Germany)
We spent the morning visiting the Triberg Waterfalls before having lunch at Titisee. Then, we spent the better part of the afternoon visiting the city center (innenstadt) of Freiburg.
Day 10: Drive from Freiburg to Baden Baden
Overnight: Royal Apartment im Zentrum (Baden Baden, Germany)
I started the morning with an early hike to the Todtnau Waterfall, then we checked out and did the long drive north to Baden Baden. Along the way, we visited the Burgbach Waterfall, Allerheiligen Waterfalls (including the closter ruins), and the Geroldsau Waterfall. We also had lunch in a charming place in Oppenau.
Day 11: Driving from Baden Baden to Ulm
Overnight: Akzent Hotel Roter Lowe (Ulm, Germany)
We first visited the popular Urach Waterfall, then we made a brief visit to the scenic Lichtenstein Castle. Afterwards, we drove to Ulm, where we spent the remainder of the late afternoon and evening touring the altstadt (old city), especially climbing the Ulm Munster and strolling the charming Fischerviertel (Fisher’s Quarter).
Day 12: Driving from Ulm to Fussen via Lindau
Overnight: Appartement-Hotel Seespitz (Fussen, Germany)
We started the day visiting the Scheidegger Waterfalls before spending the rest of the morning and early afternoon in Lindau. Then, we took the scenic route east to visit the Hinanger Waterfall and the Zipfelsbach Waterfall before making it to our accommodation near Fussen.
Day 13: Visiting Ludwigs Fantasy Castles
Overnight: Appartement-Hotel Seespitz (Fussen, Germany)
After driving and parking near the King’s Castles, we then spent the entire day on pre-booked timed tours starting with the Schloss Hohenschwangau (the less popular of the two main castles here), then visiting the Schloss Neuschwanstein after lunch. We continued the visit of Neuschwanstein by hiking up to the Marienbrucke and beyond. I went as far as a commanding overlook revealing both castles and the Alpsee behind them. I could have gone further but didn’t though as the hike was long enough as it was just to even get to that point. Before ending the day, we made a brief visit to the colorful Lechfall.
Day 14: Visiting Zugspitze and Hoellentalklamm
Overnight: Appartement-Hotel Seespitz (Fussen, Germany)
Taking advantage of the good weather, we immediately drove to the Austrian side of the Zugspitze excursion at Ehrwald. As soon as they opened the cable car, we then made the ascent, checked out the views, then took a cable car down to the glacier for some Summer sliding. After lunch, we went back down, then drove to the trailhead for the Hoellentalklamm, where I solo’ed the long yet exhilarating hike.
Day 15: Kuhflucht Waterfall, Oberammergau, Linderhof Palace, and Leutaschklamm
Overnight: Appartement-Hotel Seespitz (Fussen, Germany)
We spent the better part of the morning doing the Kuhflucht Waterfalls hike before having lunch in Oberammergau. Then, we visited the opulent Linderhof Palace before finishing off this busy day visiting the Leutaschklamm Gorge (and facing a real nasty thunderstorm in the process).
Day 16: Driving from Fussen to Munich
Overnight: Carat Hotel and Apartments (Munich, Germany)
On this very rainy day, I visited both the Josefthaler Waterfalls and the Tatzelwurm Waterfalls. We then spent the rest of the afternoon settling into Munich.
Day 17: Munich and Dachau
Overnight: Carat Hotel and Apartments (Munich, Germany)
On this no driving day, we spent the better part of the morning visiting the Munich Residenz then having lunch at the Viktualienmarkt. We then took the S-bahn out to Dachau for a very sobering visit to the concentration camp there. The evening was spent back in Munich, where we had dinner, and we checked out a couple of popular beer halls, including the Lowenbrauhaus.
Day 18: Nymphenburg Palace and the English Garden
Overnight: Carat Hotel and Apartments (Munich, Germany)
This was another no driving day as we spent most of the morning visiting the Nymphenburg Palace, then having lunch at Marienplatz before spending a lazy afternoon in the English Garden. The had dinner in a gluten free place on the outskirts of town before calling it a day.
Day 19: Driving from Munich to Salzburg via Kehlstein (Eagle’s Nest) and Koenigssee
Overnight: Boutique Guesthouse Arte Vida (Salzburg, Austria)
After the long drive from Munich towards Salzburg (and trying unsuccessfully to address a diesel exhaust fluid empty issue), we then visited the Kehlstein (Eagle’s Nest) and the waterfalls of Koenigssee. We then ended off the day by checking into Salzburg and walking around to an Indian place for dinner.
Day 20: Festung Hohensalzburg and Hallstatt
Overnight: Boutique Guesthouse Arte Vida (Salzburg, Austria)
We spent the better part of the morning exploring the historical center of Salzburg before going up to the Festung Hohensalzburg (fortress) for some incredible views in almost all directions. After lunch, we tried to capitalize on the good weather and drive out to Hallstatt and back (as bad weather was expected on the lone night we’d be spending there a few days later).
Day 21: Divide-and-conquer – Bad Gastein, Untertal, and Steirischer Bodensee simulatenously with Salzburg
Overnight: Boutique Guesthouse Arte Vida (Salzburg, Austria)
This was what I called a “divide-and-conquer” day because I was off on my own to visit several waterfalls including the Bad Gasteiner Waterfalls, Riesachfalle in Schladming, and the Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall. Meanwhile, Julie and Tahia spent a day at leisure walking around the city of Salzburg.
Day 22: Salzburg, Eisriesenwelt, and Golling Waterfalls
Overnight: Boutique Guesthouse Arte Vida (Salzburg, Austria)
While Tahia was asleep, Julie and I stole away to the Mirabell Gardens to try to capture some of those famous Sound of Music spots. Then, we spent the rest of the morning visiting the Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave. The late afternoon was spent visiting the Golling Waterfalls before getting the rental car serviced at a dealer in Salzburg.
Day 23: Drive from Salzburg to Hallstatt
Overnight: Fenix Hall (Hallstatt, Austria)
The forecast called for fair weather in the morning then thunderstorms in the afternoon so we made it a point to do whatever we could in Hallstatt first thing in the morning. After getting the post card views, we then divided and conquered where I visited the Waldbachstrub Waterfall while Julie and Tahia visited the Saltweltzen Hallstatt. At the end of the day, I visited the Muhlbach Waterfall and played in the lake with Tahia before we had dinner (just in time for the thunderstorm to hit).
Day 24: Driving from Hallstatt to Melk
Overnight: Haus 7 Stadmitte (Melk, Austria)
We were probably lucky that this foul weather day happened to be a long driving day. During the long drive between Hallstatt and Melk, we visited the Admont Abbey (especially its library) before doing a wet and soggy hike at the Wasserlochklamm. The rest of the day was spent visiting the stadtmitte (city center) of Melk.
Day 25: Driving from Melk to Vienna via the Wachau Valley
Overnight: Park Hyatt (Vienna, Austria)
Since we had overnighted in Melk, we were able to visit the popular and opulent Stift Melk right when they opened (thereby beating most of the tour bus rush). Then, we took the scenic route on the Wachau Valley stopping at Durnstein before spending the rest of the evening in the city center of Wien (Vienna). Dinner was at the gluten free Zum Wohl Restaurant.
Day 26: Vienna’s Museums at Hofsburg Palace and the Upper Belvedere
Overnight: Park Hyatt (Vienna, Austria)
This was a day at leisure touring the famous museums of the Hofsburg Palace (especially the Sisi Museum) and the Upper Belvedere where Gustav Klimt’s most known works were on display. In between, we explored the Graben area more thoroughly, especially the St Stephans Cathedral, which was probably the most imposing structure in the city center of Vienna. Dinner was at a gluten free pizza place called Pizzeria Scaraboccio.
Day 27: Schonbrunn Palace and the Vienna State Room Library
Overnight: Park Hyatt (Vienna, Austria)
This was another day at leisure touring the city attractions of Vienna. We began with most of the day being dominated by our visit to the Schonbrunn Palace and Garden. Then, we spent the rest of the late afternoon visiting the city center as well as the beautiful State Room Library which we felt rivaled the Admont Library in grandeur and beauty. The end of the day was spent going back to Zum Wohl for a rare gluten free dinner.
Day 28: Driving from Vienna to Graz
Overnight: Old City Center Apartment (Graz, Austria)
During the long drive from Vienna to Graz, we first made a short detour to the popular Myrafalle (apparently a place Queen Maria Theresia visited on several occasions). We then spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the city center of Graz, especially the Schlossberg hill.
Day 29: Driving from Graz to Millstatt
Overnight: Hotel Berghof (Millstatt, Austria)
Even though the weather started off bad, it cleared up enough for us to visit the Wildenstein Waterfall before visiting the impressive but expensive Burg Hochosterwitz. After having lunch there, we I then visited the Finsterbach Waterfalls before finally settling in at Obermillstatt, where the accommodation was about a 15-minute drive up the mountain from Millstatt.
Day 30: The Grossglockner High Alpine Road and bathing at Bad Kleinkirchheim
Overnight: Hotel Berghof (Millstatt, Austria)
This day was dominated by the long drive to and through the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. In addition to seeing numerous waterfalls by the famous road, we also saw other waterfalls like Gossnitz Waterfall near Heiligenblut as well as Jungfernsprung. We ended the day bathing and playing at the lukewarm waters of Bad Kleinkirchheim before crashing for the evening in Millstatt.
Day 31: Driving from Millstatt to Zell am See via Maltatal, Lienz, and Felbertauern
Overnight: Appartementhotel Post (Zell am See, Austria)
The morning involved taking a detour to the Maltatal Valley, where we briefly visited the Fallbach Waterfall before spending a lot more time driving up and down the Malta Hochalmstrasse while visiting its waterfalls along the way. Around early afternoon, we then visited the Raggaschlucht gorge before briefly touring Lienz. Then, we ended off the day doing a very scenic drive up the Felbertauern Valley and tunnel before finally settling into Zell an See at the end of the day.
Day 32: Krimml Waterfalls and the Saalfelden Rodelbahn
Overnight: Appartementhotel Post (Zell am See, Austria)
After doing an early morning visit to the Walcher Waterfall, the majority of the day was spent driving to and visiting the incredible Krimml Waterfalls. Then, we made it to Saalfelden before they closed so we could drive their Sommer Rodelbahn a couple of times before doing an evening stroll of the city center of Zell am See.
Day 33: Guenstner Waterfall and Bad Gastein
Overnight: Appartementhotel Post (Zell am See, Austria)
This was pretty much a take-it-easy kind of a day for Julie and Tahia except I went out on my own to visit the Guenstner Waterfall. After taking it easy on this rest day, we then decided to bathe in the thermal waters of Bad Gastein before returning to Zell am See.
Day 34: Driving from Zell am See to Val Gardena via Felbertauern and Umbaltal
Overnight: Residence Antares (Val Gardena, Italy)
Before the bad weather came in, we drove through the Felbertauern Valley before making a detour into Umbaltal Valley to visit the Umbal Waterfalls. Then, we drove across the border into the twisty roads of the Dolomites and visiting the Cascate del Pisciadu along the way. Finally, we settled into Val Gardena for a nice dinner.
Day 35: The Dolomites
Overnight: Residence Antares (Val Gardena, Italy)
Before breakfast, I drove over to St Cristina di Val Gardena to check out the Cascata Tervela. Then, we drove over to Sass Pordoi to check out the plateau before checking out Castelrotto. At the end of the day, we took it easy in Val Gardena.
Day 36: Driving from Val Gardena to Innsbruck via Hintertux
Overnight: Apartment Lisa and Luise (Innsbruck, Austria)
On this long driving day, we promptly crossed the international border over the Brenner Pass before heading east towards the Zillertal Valley. Then, we took the side valley to its end at the Hintertux Resort area where we divided and conquered. I did a pair of hikes to Kesselfall and Schraubenfall before engaging on the difficult uphill hike up to the Schleierfall. Meanwhile, Julie and Tahia took the Gletscherbus up to the Hintertux Glacier to visit the Eispalast (Ice Palace). At the end of the day, we fought traffic all the way back down to Innsbruck to settle for the next few nights.
Day 37: Kaunertal Glacier Road and Stuibenfall
Overnight: Apartment Lisa and Luise (Innsbruck, Austria)
Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, we spent the better part of the day driving up to the top of the Kaunertal Glacier Road. Along the way, we saw several waterfalls. On the way back to Innsbruck, we spent time at the Stuibenfall, which was a suitable rival to the Krimml Waterfalls as Austria’s most impressive waterfall.
Day 38: Zammer Lochputz, Imst High Alpine Coaster, Hall in Tirol, and Innsbruck
Overnight: Apartment Lisa and Luise (Innsbruck, Austria)
On this action-packed day, we started off by visiting the Zammer Lochputz Gorge right when they opened. Then we did the Imst High Alpine Coaster before having lunch there. In the afternoon, we did a brief visit to Hall in Tirol before returning to Innsbruck for a little bit of an organic grocery run and self-cooked dinner.
Day 39: Stubaital and Innsbruck
Overnight: Apartment Lisa and Luise (Innsbruck, Austria)
In the miserable weather, I did an early morning excursion to both the Grawa Waterfall and the Mischbach Waterfall. After breakfast, we then visited the old city of Innsbruck where we spent time at the Hofburg Palace and Residence before taking our time visiting other old city sights like the St James Cathedral, the Golden Roof, and the Mundingplatz among others. We then took it easy the rest of the day.
Day 40: Driving from Innsbruck to Rothenburg ob der Tauber via Bamberg
Overnight: Hotel Altes Brauhaus (Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany)
On this day, we first drove north out of Austria and back into Bavarian Germany making a quick stop at the Ettal Monastery. Then, we continued driving way north in the rain towards Bamberg, where we had a lunch and spent a few hours enjoying the old city center there. At the end of the day, we settled into Rothenburg, where we ended off the day with a nice dinner at the Herrnschlosschen.
Day 41: Full day at Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Overnight: Hotel Altes Brauhaus (Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany)
The avoided driving the car on this day and opted to enjoy as much of the medieval town as our energy would allow. We also added a grocery run which turned out to be quite the hike since there were no such amenities within the city walls. Some highlights included the St Jakob’s Cathedral, walking the city walls, the castle gardens, and the Night Watchman’s Tour.
Day 42: Driving from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Frankfurt via Wurzburg
Overnight: Toyoko Inn Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof (Frankfurt, Germany)
On this day, we spent the better part of the day visiting Wurzburg, including the Residenz as well as the altstadt (old city). After returning the rental car in Frankfurt’s Hauptbahnhof and having an Indian dinner, we then toured the charming part of the city mainly in its altstadt (especially at the Romerberg and across the Main River).
Day 43: Bullet Train from Frankfurt to Paris
Overnight: Intercontinental Paris Le Grand (Paris, France)
After rushing to catch the earliest bullet train to Paris, we then had the rest of the day to go on a foodie run in Paris. We started with having another go at Le Souffle, then we hiked up to the Sacre Coeur. The evening was spent visiting the Escargot Montorgueil.
Day 44: Palace of Versailles, Chinatown, and the Palais Garnier (Opera House)
Overnight: Intercontinental Paris Le Grand (Paris, France)
On our final full day of this trip, we started day going right to the Versailles Palace right when they opened. This took the entire morning and we didn’t even get a chance to explore the gardens. Then, we hung out with Julie’s relatives who live in Paris. Afterwards, we visited the Paris Opera (also known as the Palais Garnier), which was like a miniature Versailles. We ended the day with a galette and crepe dinner at Little Breizh for old times sake.
Day 45: Fly from Paris to Los Angeles
Home (Los Angeles, California, USA)
Aside from the drama of missing our scheduled flight at 10am due to some booking snafu that was out of our control, we were fortunate to have an alternate flight 3 hours later. Eventually we made it home to end this epic trip.
Best Places We’ve Stayed At
Boutique Guesthouse Arte Vida, Salzburg – With this accommodation we felt like we were living like Salzburg locals as it had all the amenities we could have asked for (spacious, full kitchen, clean drinkable tap water (a real money saver), and excellent location.
In fact, our daughter took full advantage of the location as she’d frequently go outside and play with other kids when they’d run the water down the gutter of the sloping street where they’d be preoccupied chasing floating balls down the street. It was a bit of a hike to get to the nearest parking garage at the Mirabell Parkplatz, but that was a minor issue when you consider everything else this place had going for it.
We also enjoyed the friendly host Herbert, who was really kind and added that personal touch that made this our favorite accommodation of the entire trip.
Appartement-Hotel Seespitz, Fussen – This accommodation had the family in mind. Even though it wasn’t in the actual town of Fussen (it was actually about a 10-minute drive to the west of it), the place was quiet, had a nice view over the Weissensee, had free laundry, a game room, and a pool (albeit with a heat-stroke inducing sauna-like temperatures inside it).
The location allowed us to get in and out of the accommodation very easily which further made us glad we chose this place instead of staying in town as we had numerous waterfalls and attractions to visit well outside of the Fussen area.
Of course, it was also spacious with a full kitchen. That was important considering we had spent four nights here and needed to self cook to save money and control the ingredients that went into the food.
Hotel Altes Brauhaus, Rothenburg ob der Tauber – This apartment had everything we wanted in terms of space, the full kitchen, plenty of beds, and most importantly the location. Indeed, it was situated within the city walls at the medieval center of Rothenburg so just about everything was within reasonable walking distance (though it was a longer hike to reach the nearest supermarket).
From within the room, we also were able to see the St Jakobs Cathedral as well as some towers attached to the city wall. While we only spent two nights here, we felt it was the perfect way to really experience this magical town.
What to Bring
On this drip, we didn’t really feel like there was any special equipment that was necessary besides what we highlighted in the list of equipment that we bring on all of our trips.
Related Trip Reports
Waterfalls included in this itinerary
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