Day trips to the Royal Castles from Munich, to Hallstatt from Salzburg and into the Danube Valley and to Melk from Vienna – with this Germany & Austria Rail Tour, you only have two (direct) train rides which makes travel very easy!
View to Hohensalzburg ©Thomas H. Giesick
Three days in Munich, two days in Salzburg and three days in Vienna – this tour gives you some time to explore those beautiful cities! The 9 Day Travel Easy Germany & Austria Rail tour can also be booked vice versa – from Vienna to Munich. This beautiful vacation package includes second class Rail all the way as well as excellent rated hotels (see the tableau this is already included in the price of your tour). It can be upgraded to first class rail for an extra of US-$ 79 per person. This includes seat reservations for the entire tour. Here you also find everything else that is included: transfers, rail tickets, tours and admissions.
Price per Person
| two sharing a double room | one in a single room | three sharing a triple room |
| US $ 2,179 | US $ 3,289 | US $ 1,949 |
Please note: the escorted coach tours to Hallstatt and into the Danube Valley do not operate all year around so this tour is available from mid-May to mid-October. It is possible to book the tour also from mid-October to mid-May – in this case we will take out the two day trips and lower the price accordingly. If you like to submit your personal information we will be happy to check availability for your specific travel dates. On our BOOKING INQUIRY page you find a form which you may use to forward your personal information:
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Neuschwanstein Castle © Romantische Strasse Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gbr, Linderhof Palace © Softeis via Wikimedia Commons and Munich Town Hall © Thomas H. Giesick
DAY 1 Munich
Start your 9 Day Travel Easy Germany & Austria vacation package right from the airport by taking a direct train from Munich International Airport into Munich, the Capital of Bavaria. Munich is famous throughout the world for the Oktoberfest but also for its location, close to scenic lakes and to the Alp Mountains. Your hotel is located in walking distance to Munich Central Station.
Nymphenburg Palace and Park is a little outside of Munich but since you are holding a day pass which covers the fare from the City Center to Nymphenburg you may consider to visit Nymphenburg Palace already on this day. Also, many of our guests ask us about the option to visit Dachau Memorial Site which is located just outside of Munich. This can also be arranged for that day (or for Day 3). If you would like to visit Dachau please contact us in advance and let us know.
DAY 2 Escorted Coach tour to Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace
Your all-day escorted coach tour will first take you to Oberammergau for a photo stop. The coach will then take you to Linderhof Palace, the “Royal Villa” of Ludwig II. Visit this beautiful furnished castle and the park. Admission to Linderhof Palace and Neuschwanstein Castle is included in the price of the tour. The picture of Neuschwanstein is probably present in everybody’s mind but certainly for those traveling to Germany. Be prepared that reality will surpass all pictures and imaginations. Neuschwanstein seems to be taken out of a fairy tale! Seeing the castle from the outside is unforgettable, a tour of the interior, which was originally built for one famous inhabitant, will make the picture perfect! But make sure to take some time to explore the castle grounds. The view of Neuschwanstein from the bridge behind the Castle is like no other! PLEASE NOTE: if you have been on the escorted coach tour to the Royal Castles before it is also possible to change this to a different tour from Munich.
DAY 3 Munich
The price of your tour already includes admission to many sights in Munich (Munich Residence and Residence Museum, Treasury, Cuvilliés-Theatre, Hall of Fame and Statue of Bavaria, Nymphenburg Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum, Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain) and with your tour package you will also receive walking suggestions for a self-guided walking tour through Munich City Center. Along this walking tour you will visit the Marienplatz with the New Town Hall (with the “Glockenspiel”), the Konigsplatz (King´s Square), cultural center in the 19th century and later, during the “Third Reich”, site of Nazi Party mass rallies and location of the Nazi Party headquarters in Germany, the English Garden as well as the the State Opera House. You will be able to visit famous churches like Munich Frauenkirche, “Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau” (Cathedral of Our Dear Lady), with a height of 325 ft. a Munich landmark, St. Peters Church, built in the 14th century and the Asam Church, which was built as a private chapel and integrated into an apartment building. The tour will pass by the most famous Munich shopping streets (Kaufinger street and Neuhauser street) as well as by the “Viktualienmarkt”, a traditional farmers market (open every day except on Sundays). The tour will take you by the famous “Alois Dallmayr” luxury delicatessen and coffee store as well as to the Hofbrauhaus of course, probably the world’s most popular beer hall. This may be a great place to enjoy a hearty dinner and a fresh Mass of beer (one mug holds 33.8 US fl oz)!
Day 4 Salzburg
In about 1 hours and 50 minutes the high-speed “Rail Jet” (RJ) will take you from Munich to Salzburg the second stop of your Easy Germany & Austria vacation package. Salzburg, beautiful town close to the Alp Mountains, birthplace of Mozart is also the site of the popular movie “The Sound of Music”. Your hotel is located in walking distance of Salzburg Central Station.
Salzburg is a city which can be explored by foot and your tour package contains a suggestion for a walking tour. Along this tour you will be able to see Mirabell Palace and Park, Franciscan Church and Mozart’s Residence. A highlight of course is Hohensalzburg Fortress, built in 1077. It is the largest, fully-preserved fortress in central Europe. The medieval princes’ apartments and the Fortress Museum are of particular interest. Since 1892 the fortress can easily be reached by funicular railway departing from the Festungsgasse.
Mozart Birth Place Salzburg ©Thomas H. Giesick and Schoenbrunn Palace Vienna ©osterreich Werbung
Day 5 Hallstatt
In the morning you have additional time for sightseeing in Salzburg, before you enjoy the five hour escorted coach tour into the famous Salzkammergut (Lake District) and to Hallstatt.
After leaving Salzburg you will be travelling through the Salzkammergut towards Hallstatt, enjoying the beauty of the alpine landscape. Hallstatt is known as the “Pearl of the Salzkammergut” and on arrival in Hallstatt it is hard to say where to start to explore this scenic town. Maybe you take a ride on the mountain train up to the “World Heritage View” viewing platform from where you enjoy a magnificent view. Maybe you also take a leisurely lakeside walk to take a look at the houses above you which cling onto the mountainside. You may also consider a visit to the local museum or a visit to the “Bone House” behind the Catholic church, proving an interesting view into local family life. On your way back towards Salzburg you will pass by Abtenau, Russbach and Gosau. Lake Gosau is famous for its beautiful view onto the Dachstein Mountain Area.
Day 6 Vienna
In about 2 hours and 40 minutes the high-speed “Rail Jet” (RJ) will take you throughout Austria, from Salzburg to Vienna located in the east of Austria, close to the borders to Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The price for the 9 Day Travel Easy Germany & Austria Rail tour already includes the 48 hour Vienna Card. With this card you enjoy more than 200 discounts in Vienna, at museums and sights, theaters and concerts, in shops, cafes, restaurants and also the “Heurige” wine taverns. But most importantly with this card you also enjoy unlimited free public transportation within Vienna. Even though your hotel is located in the City Center it is great to have the option to take the subway, a street-car or a public bus. On your first day in Vienna you may want to visit the Imperial Palace, for example, the “Hofburg Vienna”, the center of the former Habsburg Empire. The Palace was Sisi´s Imperial home and household, and the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection can be visited here. At the Vienna Hofburg you also find the Spanish Riding School where you may want to watch a performance or join a practice session and also the Old Town Hall which is close by. In immediate walking distance of the Hofburg you will find the State Opera House, definitely one of the world’s most famous Opera Houses where the Vienna Opera Ball takes place every year. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna and it is a “must see” as well as smaller churches like the “Universitatskirche” (Jesuits Church) and the “Peterskirche” (St. Peter’s Church).
Day 7 Vienna
Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Vienna with your 48 hour Vienna Card. Maybe you want to visit the “Ringstrasse”, a circular road around the inner city districts of Vienna. In the 19th century the road was replacing the Old City Wall which had been built in the 13th century. Many of the buildings you find along this road, the Austrian Parliament Building or the University of Vienna for example, were built around the 1850´s. You may want to visit Schonbrunn Palace and its beautiful Garden.
Your Vienna Card covers the fare to get there; the subway station “Schonbrunn” (subway line U4) is very close to the entrance of Schonbrunn Palace, once the summer residence of the Habsburg family and home of Maria Theresa. The Rococo palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in Austria and nowadays is one of the most visited sights in Vienna. It all started with the building of a mansion on hunting grounds in 1548 just outside of Vienna. The impressive Palace in its present form (it has 1,441 rooms!) was built and remodeled around the 1750s by Maria Theresa. Make sure to plan in some time for a visit of Schonbrunn Garden. There you also find the Neptune Fountain and Gloriette, which was designed to symbolize the glory of the Habsburg power.
Day 8 Day trip into the Danube Valley, Melk and Danube River Cruise
Today you will make a day trip which takes you from Vienna into the Wachau, a picturesque valley along the Danube, known for its excellent wine. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you enjoy the view of medieval castles, impressive monasteries and a breathtaking landscape along this tour.
You will first travel from Vienna to Krems, a pretty town on the banks of the Danube River. After a short visit of the historical city Centre the bus tour continues on to Spitz. Along the way you will see the ruins of Duernstein Castle, where the English King Richard the Lionheart was held captive. By boat you will cruise on the Danube River downstream to the town of Melk. Lush vineyards shape the landscape of the Danube Valley – the views on both sides of the Danube are spectacular!
After the boat trip you arrive at Melk where the bus awaits you and takes you to the nearby Benedictine Abbey. This impressive baroque building was awarded the prize “Best Historic Destination of the World” together with the Wachau in 2008. On a guided tour you will see the magnificent marble hall, the precious abbey library and the church with its unique frescoes. After this enjoyable day trip, you will be taken back to the Vienna State Opera. In the evening you may want to enjoy a nice dinner in Vienna City Center before you get back to your hotel.
Day 9 Vienna Int. Airport
Depending on your departure time from Vienna Int. Airport you may have some additional time for sightseeing in Vienna. By Private Airport Transfer you will get from your hotel in Vienna to Vienna International Airport, where your 9 Day Travel Easy Germany & Austria Rail Tour ends.
Would you like to download an overview of the 9 Day Travel Easy Germany & Austria Rail Tour (9R13) as a pdf to print it out or to forward it to a friend? Please download it right here:This is already included in the price of your tour
| Day 1 - Munich Int. Airport to Munich Central Station/ Munich | Ticket for unlimited free use of the public transportation system (buses, trams, subways) within Munich, as well as for the train from Munich Int. Airport to Munich Central Station | King´s Hotel First Class (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Munich Central Station | Admission to Residence Museum, Treasury, Cuvilliés-Theatre, Hall of Fame and Statue of Bavaria, Nymphenburg Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum and Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain |
| Day 2 - Royal Castles/ Munich | no train tickets needed | King´s Hotel First Class (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Munich Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Munich, All day escorted coach tour to Oberammergau and to the Royal Castles - Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace, Admission Neuschwanstein Castle (Hohenschwangau), Admission Linderhof Palace & Park (Ettal) |
| Day 3 - Munich | no train tickets needed | King´s Hotel First Class (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Munich Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Munich, Admission to Residence Museum, Treasury, Cuvilliés-Theatre, Hall of Fame and Statue of Bavaria, Nymphenburg Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum and Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain |
| Day 4 - Munich to Salzburg/ Salzburg | Ticket - also valid for High-Speed "Rail-Jet" trains) from Salzburg directly to Munich (travel time about 1:30 hrs) | Mozart Hotel (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Salzburg Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Munich |
| Day 5 - Lake District and Hallstatt/ Salzburg | no train ticket needed | Mozart Hotel (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Salzburg Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Salzburg, 5-hour Lake District and Hallstatt tour |
| Day 6 - Salzburg to Vienna/ Vienna | Ticket - also valid for High-Speed "Rail-Jet" trains) from Salzburg directly to Vienna (travel time about 2:25 hrs) | Hotel Schani Wien (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Vienna Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Salzburg, 48h Vienna Card (free use of public transportation system; discounts on many cultural and touristic highlights) |
| Day 7 - Vienna | no train ticket needed | Hotel Schani Wien (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Vienna Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Vienna, 48h Vienna Card (free use of public transportation system; discounts on many cultural and touristic highlights) |
| Day 8 - Day trip into the Danube Valley, Melk and Danube River Cruise/ Vienna | no train ticket needed | Hotel Schani Wien (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Vienna Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Vienna, Day Trip thru Danube Valley (by coach and boat) |
| Day 9 - Vienna to Vienna Int. Airport/ Vienna Int. Airport | no train ticket needed | no hotel needed | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Vienna, Private Transfer to Vienna Int. Airport |
The tour package for the 9 Day Travel Easy Germany & Austria Rail tour we provide includes a day by day itinerary as well as all tickets, vouchers and information necessary to enjoy a great independent tour. It also contains general information about the cities you visit which you can downloaded from our website once your tour is confirmed.
This is not included in the price of your tour
- Airfare from your origin to Munich Int. Airport/from Budapest International Airport to your origin
- all meals other than breakfast (which is included)
- gratuities (tips)
You have booked the 9 Day Travel Easy Germany & Austria Rail tour already and would like to download the to-europe tour package for this tour now? Please download them right here:
CUSTOMIZED RAIL TOUR PRAGUE TO BUDAPEST We want to let you know how our trip to the Czech Rep., Austria, Slovakia and Hungary went. Well, as the previous two tours you put together for us this was also ” Fantastic”. Prague, Linz, Graz, Vienna, Bratislava, Gyor, Budapest and Eger were all beautiful cities. The hotels in these cities were very good, especially the “Apartment” in Budapest. The location of the hotels were very good. The rail tickets worked out just fine. The Tours you provided in Prague, Vienna and Budapest were very good, enabling us to see the most beautiful parts of these cities, especially the All day Danube Valley Tour. The information sheets provided made our trip very easy. Thomas, we want to thank you for helping us have another ” Fantastic” vacation. – Jerry, Janet, & Timothy M., Minneapolis, MN, USA
We are fortunate to have travelers from all over the world on our pre-packaged tours and we would love to have your feedback! If you have been traveling along this tour with us please leave us a review below – we greatly appreciate your time! (your Email address will not be displayed)
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I, my husband, and three children (ages 15, 12 and 10) recently returned from a memorable trip to Germany and Austria, and To-Europe helped make this possible. Initially, my husband and I were not sure how to go about planning our once-in-a-lifetime vacation to Europe, but after a lot of research and reading their outstanding reviews, To- Europe was just what we needed to make our trip a reality. Thomas, Petra, and Michaela were quick to respond to our many questions and worked with us to plan our tour. They even helped us to customize our vacation by adding on Innsbruck and the Sound of Music Tour. All of the day trips were outstanding, allowing us to see the landscape of these beautiful countries and experience the culture. The hotels were very clean, in great locations, and all within walking distance of the train station. Trust me, this is very important when walking with 3 kids and their luggage! As with every vacation, there are always unexpected events, and when ours occurred, involving one of our trains, Thomas was quick to answer the phone and help us. He even talked to the worker at the train desk and made sure that we arrived at our next destination safely. I hope that one day we will return to Europe and if we do, we will plan our travels with To-Europe.
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