I'm planning a road trip in mid May with the following itinerary:

LAX > London > Amsterdam (flight)
Amsterdam (1 day) > Antwerp (1 day) > Aachen, Germany (by rail)
Aachen (start of my rental)
Stuttgart (1 day)
Luxembourg (1 day)
Zurich (3 days)
Munich (2 days)
Fussen/Hohenschwangau (1 day)
Salzburg (2 days)
Vienna (3 days)
Bratislava (1 day)
Prague (3 days)
Berlin (3 days)
Berlin > London > LAX (fly back)

I have a few questions regarding which cities would it be better to drive around vs taking public transport?

Regarding the route, are there any attractions along this route that I should watch out for? Any opinions on this route or duration stayed in each city?

That is a very heavy schedule! I can't see how you would manage it by train, unless you travelled overnight. By the way, Luxemburg comes between Aachen and Stuttgart. On that section, I would try to fit in a trip to a little town called Monschau - picture book pretty, with black and white houses and streams running through the centre of the town. There are so many things could see! I would turn off the motorway on the way to Vienna at Melk, visit the monastery there, then drive on the road beside the Danube, through the Wachau wine growing area to Duernstein, then on to Vienna.

Thanks for the reply I meant which cities would it be better to take the car around the city itself or take the city's public transportation.

I am going by rail only upto Aachen and then by car from that point

I'm all for road trips myself, but I've usually taken them when I had a particular destination (or two) in mind. Yours sounds too ambitious to me. What I'd suggest is that you decide which places along your route you'd really like to see/visit, extend your stay in those places, if possible, and then just stop at convenient places along the route on your way to those destinations.

For example, if you're picking up a car in Aachen, I'd then head over to Cologne and drive down the Rhine toward Stuttgart. (Forget about Luxembourg this time.) There are lots of lovely towns along the Rhine, particularly through the Rheingau, where you could stay overnight or stop for a leisurely meal and/or taste some wine. Then from Stuttgart, I'd head east toward Munich. You could easily stay in or just outside Munich and visit Hohenschwangau while staying in one place (rather than two). Then, if you want to visit Salzburg, drive there, stay in or near that city for a few days, then drive along the Danube toward Vienna, while, as suggested, stopping at the Melk Abbey along the way. (Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn and missed it when we did likewise.) From Vienna or nearby (I don't recommend driving much in Vienna; park your car and take public transportation), I'd suggest you drive directly to Prague. Again, save Bratislava for another time. Extend your stay in Prague, thence on to Berlin.

This would give you one day - or at most two days - from Aachen to Munich, a few days in or near Salzburg, more days in Vienna, and more days in Prague. How does that sound to you?

Oh, and BTW, why only one day in Amsterdam? Have you been there before? Couldn't you take the train directly to Aachen and, again, save Antwerp for another visit? I've just checked, and you could reach Aachen by rail from Amsterdam in just about three hours with one stop. I would recommend that instead.

Such an itinerary would look something like this:

Amsterdam (3 days)
Aachen (1 day)
Along the Rhine (1 day)
Munich area (3 days)
Salzburg area (3 days)
Vienna (4 days)
Prague (4 days)
Berlin (3 days)

This seems much more manageable to me.

Ann

Ann

Great suggestions Annie, thanks so much!!

Yes, I've been to Amsterdam before so I am not spending much time there. Will definitely consider your suggestions, thanks again!

A further thought given your response:

If you don't plan to spend any time in Amsterdam, you could just stay overnight following your arrival and then head out to Aachen by train the next day. When I checked, you could arrive there in mid-day, pick up your car, and then begin your drive through Germany that day, without staying over. Again, that would give you more time in places like Prague, Vienna, and Berlin.

Unless, of course, you want to stay one day in Aachen doing some sightseeing, as visiting the famed Aachen Cathedral. (Think Charlemagne's tomb.) This may be well worth doing.

Ann

Thanks for all the info, since I want to visit Antwerp, the MB museum in Stuttgart and at least some time in Bratislava, as a compromise I decided to cut Luxembourg and Zurich as I will do Switzerland on another trip.

Comments on this itinerary please Do you think this is still too heavy of a schedule?

[arr in Amsterdam prior eve]
Day 1,2 - Amsterdam
Day 3 - Train to Antwerp, in Antwerp day/eve
Day 4 - Antwerp
Day 5 - Early morning train to Aachen, pickup car, leave morning to Stuttgart, visit MB museum, eve. leave for Ulm (1 hr), overnight in Ulm
Day 6 - leave for Fussen (1.5hrs), stop in Fussen to see Neuschwanstien Castle for 4-5 hrs, aft. drive to Munich (2hrs), eve/night in Munich
Day 7 - Munich
Day 8 - Munich
Day 9 - Early morning leave for Salzburg, arr. morning in Salz. tour Salzburg
Day 10 - Salzburg
Day 11 - Salzburg
Day 12 - Early morning leave for Vienna, stop in Melk for 3 hrs, drive to Vienna via Duernstein, arr. Vienna eve, eve/night in Wien
Day 13 - Vienna
Day 14 - Vienna
Day 15 - morning head to Bratislava (1hr drive), entire day/eve/night in Bratislava
Day 16 - Drive to Prague (4hrs), arr noon, rest of day/eve/night in Prague
Day 17 - Prague
Day 18 - Prague
Day 19 - Drive to Berlin (3.5 hrs), arr noon, rest of day/eve/night in Berlin
Day 20 - Berlin
Day 21 - Berlin
Day 22 - morning in Berlin, eve drop off rental and fly back to LAX via London

Thanks!

This forum will always think that your trying to do too much. But you are looking better. On your drives slow down and enjoy the scenery. Do not take the high speed roads, take the slow roads. And if you are a day late in arriving in a city, well there must have been a good reason to slow you down.

Enjoy

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Tom, thanks! awesome website. I am envious

I'm sure there is so much to see just in one single country that could encompass my entire 22 day trip, but I hope to revisit some of the places I find really interesting in future trips to Europe.

K03740 -We are doing a simular trip leaving from Lax May 21st. as follows:
Prague (4 days)ing the price
Vienna (2 days)
Saltzburg (2 days)
Munich (3 days)
After leaving Prague we want to rent a car and drive thru Austria then off to Munich. Dropping the car off at the Munich airport before we depart for home.
My question is - Have you checked the car rental prices? when you pick up the car from one country but return in a different country the price drastically higger! Any suggestions?

Hi Garciamtt, I'm leaving LAX May 16th

I'm using AutoEurope w/Avis. I am renting in Aachen, Germany and dropping off in Berlin, since they are both within Germany I'm ok, but yes otherwise there is an astronomical drop off charge. They quoted me $800 extra to pickup in AMS and drop off in Berlin which is why I'm picking up in Aachen instead.