Pre-Trip planning
Let me start by saying if we had wanted a relaxing, kicked-back vacation, we'd have gone to ClubMed. This trip is a whirlwind! Six destinations in five countries and 22 hours driving in 12 days. There’s not enough time to see and do everything, but this is an amazing itinerary! We hope you’ll see that on these pages.
If you are thinking about this tour, begin your planning early and choose a departure that will fit best with the things you want to see and do. For example, our mid-June departure put us on the Alpe di Siusi at its most beautiful when wildflowers were carpeting the high meadows, but the higher altitude hikes we had planned around Chamonix were “not advised” due to deep snow still covering the trails. July, August or September would have been better for those. In June, we were able to walk right in to Neuschwanstein Castle and didn't need reservations for the Aiguille du Midi, whereas in August, that would be impossible…choose wisely.
If you are thinking about this tour, begin your planning early and choose a departure that will fit best with the things you want to see and do. For example, our mid-June departure put us on the Alpe di Siusi at its most beautiful when wildflowers were carpeting the high meadows, but the higher altitude hikes we had planned around Chamonix were “not advised” due to deep snow still covering the trails. July, August or September would have been better for those. In June, we were able to walk right in to Neuschwanstein Castle and didn't need reservations for the Aiguille du Midi, whereas in August, that would be impossible…choose wisely.
We received a bunch of great information from RS prior to our departure. We found the Pre-tour Planner and the Sightseeing Supplement especially helpful. There are also a lot of good travel tips here on their site. They have many years of experience and have spent much time and energy to put this stuff together...why not use it?!? Here are a few things we would add for this trip:
Packing - In general, we tried to go with Rick Steves packing light guidelines but this particular trip involves a few more variables than most. Temperatures around Salzburg were unseasonably hot, in the mid 90’s. The top of Aiguille du Midi at 12,600 ft was below freezing. Add rain gear to the mix and that’s a lot of layers!
Many of the hiking trails were well groomed paths, but we were happy to have packed good boots for our hikes and definitely liked having them on some of the trails around Chamonix. Our Swiss friends to the left however, showed us that bringing boots was overkill.
Laundry - There are places to do laundry in Salzburg (before you need it), Hallstatt (still pretty early to need it), Bolzano (make the time here), and Lauterbrunnen (now you’ve worn the same underwear and socks for a couple of days…) Plan Carefully.
Packing - In general, we tried to go with Rick Steves packing light guidelines but this particular trip involves a few more variables than most. Temperatures around Salzburg were unseasonably hot, in the mid 90’s. The top of Aiguille du Midi at 12,600 ft was below freezing. Add rain gear to the mix and that’s a lot of layers!
Many of the hiking trails were well groomed paths, but we were happy to have packed good boots for our hikes and definitely liked having them on some of the trails around Chamonix. Our Swiss friends to the left however, showed us that bringing boots was overkill.
Laundry - There are places to do laundry in Salzburg (before you need it), Hallstatt (still pretty early to need it), Bolzano (make the time here), and Lauterbrunnen (now you’ve worn the same underwear and socks for a couple of days…) Plan Carefully.
Photos - Take a real camera. You'll be glad you did.
Power - Be sure to take Plug Adapters for each type of outlet that you’ll encounter (3 on this trip, take a universal adapter). Current electronics chargers have dual voltage capability so you shouldn’t need converters. We always take a small power strip/surge protector. That way you only need one plug adapter and you can charge phones, iPads, camera batteries all at once.
Money - Get Euros here in the US and take enough cash for the first few days. It’s one less thing to worry about when you arrive.
In addition to your ATM and credit card, carry cash! (in your money belt of course). You’re not in Kansas any more and swiping your card may not be an option. For example, the Tegelberg Gondola near Fussen is cash only, as are some lifts in the Lauterbrunnen area. This can be an unwelcome surprise. Also, keep in mind that you'll need Swiss Francs at some point...
Holidays - Check to see if there are local/country/religious holidays during your trip. Holidays can mean wonderful festivals and celebrations to experience. It also means that many businesses (including the TI) will be closed and you need to plan for that.
Experiences- This is what tavel is all about and on the My Way tours, this part is all you! Time is limited at the destinations so good planning is paramount. The Sightseeing Supplement for this trip is a collection of excerpts from Rick Steves guide books and is extremely detailed and useful. The Web is obviously a great place for research and I've included some links that I used on the Destinations pages.
- Use your phone too! We have an iPhone App that sends our photos as Postcards. It's quick, fun and adds a personal touch!
- Take battery chargers and charge your batteries EVERY night. Don't run out of juice halfway through your day (it happens).
- Bring several Memory Cards and switch them out often. Then if one fails, you haven't lost your whole trip.
- Our mantra when traveling is: "Be out early. Stay out late. Sleep on the plane." The best light happens during the hour around sunrise and sunset. You need to be there for it.
- A GorillaPod can be handy for those low-light situations (and for selfies when your arms just aren't long enough).
- Check out my best photos from this trip and those from Italy My Way.
Power - Be sure to take Plug Adapters for each type of outlet that you’ll encounter (3 on this trip, take a universal adapter). Current electronics chargers have dual voltage capability so you shouldn’t need converters. We always take a small power strip/surge protector. That way you only need one plug adapter and you can charge phones, iPads, camera batteries all at once.
Money - Get Euros here in the US and take enough cash for the first few days. It’s one less thing to worry about when you arrive.
In addition to your ATM and credit card, carry cash! (in your money belt of course). You’re not in Kansas any more and swiping your card may not be an option. For example, the Tegelberg Gondola near Fussen is cash only, as are some lifts in the Lauterbrunnen area. This can be an unwelcome surprise. Also, keep in mind that you'll need Swiss Francs at some point...
Holidays - Check to see if there are local/country/religious holidays during your trip. Holidays can mean wonderful festivals and celebrations to experience. It also means that many businesses (including the TI) will be closed and you need to plan for that.
Experiences- This is what tavel is all about and on the My Way tours, this part is all you! Time is limited at the destinations so good planning is paramount. The Sightseeing Supplement for this trip is a collection of excerpts from Rick Steves guide books and is extremely detailed and useful. The Web is obviously a great place for research and I've included some links that I used on the Destinations pages.
Transportation
Munich to Salzburg - We flew non-stop into Munich and took the train to Salzburg. The train is just over 2 hours all together, and a very scenic ride. The Bayern Ticket is good for all day travel on any of the local trains. It is much cheaper than other options that I found and provides a lot of flexibility. You can buy your ticket from a kiosk at the airport, but we purchased ours ahead of time and found schedules here. Again, one less thing to worry about on arrival.
There are no direct trains from the airport to Salzburg. You must get on the S-Bahn train at Munich Airport to the Muenchen-Ost / Ostbahnhof station. From there make the easy transfer to the regional train to Salzburg Hbf.
Salzburg to Berchtesgaden - If you're taking the bus to Berchtesgaden note that the #840 bus stop was a bit harder to find than we anticipated. The stop was across the street from the train station and bus terminal and kitty-corner to the right on Karl-Wurmb Strasse as you’re facing away from the train station. There is also a stop near the Mozartplatz at the old town which would have been much closer to our hotel.
There are no direct trains from the airport to Salzburg. You must get on the S-Bahn train at Munich Airport to the Muenchen-Ost / Ostbahnhof station. From there make the easy transfer to the regional train to Salzburg Hbf.
Salzburg to Berchtesgaden - If you're taking the bus to Berchtesgaden note that the #840 bus stop was a bit harder to find than we anticipated. The stop was across the street from the train station and bus terminal and kitty-corner to the right on Karl-Wurmb Strasse as you’re facing away from the train station. There is also a stop near the Mozartplatz at the old town which would have been much closer to our hotel.
Chamonix to Geneva - Book early. These vans fill up. Chamexpress