| If you’re in Salzburg, there is so much to do in the surrounding areas. Agree with pairing it with Innsbruck. It’s also relatively close to Germany and to Czech Republic. While adding on Prague maybe too ambitious, a night in cesky krumlov is doable. |
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Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Munich are all very easy to do and close by train. I personally like Austria a lot more than Switzerland. The feel is very different. We have also done Eagle's Nest (very common tour) and salt mines. You can do a lot in Salzburg which I love. The lake district is lovely and quiet. We have also done Alpine slide outside of Innsbruck. We took the public bus there and generally found all of public transit in the area very easy to navigate. Munich can be a big change but there is so much history. We did Dachau via the train though I recommend getting a guide. There is a lot to process there and a guide keeps you focused.
Overall, very easy, don't need a car, amazing sites and food. |
| Any specific food recommendations for Salzburg (or Munich)? |
| I’m on the public bus to Eagle’s Nest as I type. Salzburg is beautiful and very easy to get around with lots to do. Bus to/from Eagle’s Nest and King’s Lake is easy and costs 16 euros return. Tones of bikes and hiking around and prices are very reasonable. I’d highly recommend |
| OP here. Thanks for all the suggestions! We are now leaning toward Alsace and Lucerne. Getting to Salzburg from Brussels is a little more complicated than we thought. |
Swiss trains are sooooo much better than French trains, just be prepared! |
Lucerne and the surrounding area is gorgeous and there is so much to do. Go up the mountains on cable car, ride the mountain toboggan. It’s just gorgeous. You can’t go wrong in Switzerland. |
| Lucerne is beautiful. The Bernese Oberland (Wengen, Murren, etc) is nearby and is beautiful too if you like hiking. |
| Be sure to take the ferry around the lake, there are many places to stop and our favorite is Weggis, which we discovered was also Mark Twain's favorite place (there is a detailed monument to him there). Burgenstock Resort is second to none if that's in your budget. |
You can easily do Salzburg without a car. We took a train there from Budapest. Easy. |
Are the French trains better than the trains in Spain? |
In my experience Spanish trains are more reliable than French trains but the most reliable trains are in Switzerland, followed closely by Austria. |
Fly to Munich, rent a car. You're going to want a car in this region anyway. Honestly, you are a bit all over the place - someone gives a suggestion, 3 people back it up, and then you come back and say nope, what about something completely different! |
OP here, and I agree I’m all over the place. That’s the problem with too many good options sometimes. We don’t want to rent a car, hence my pivot to places we can get to easily by train. Thanks for your suggestion though. |
You definitely do not need to rent a car, and I completely understand pivoting on options - you have many, and I think you've chosen extremely well. |