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Munich to Prague to Vienna
I've tentatively decided that the best itinerary for my limited time in Europe with ED would be driving from Munich to Prague and then down to Vienna for drop off and fly home.
Prague is highly recommended from a few threads I've read. I'm sure a day or so in Vienna would be fun. Has anyone done the Prague to Vienna leg and can recommend a scenic route for that (Alpine secenery would be nice).
| | Reply » Munich to Prague to Vienna |
Quote: I've tentatively decided that the best itinerary for my limited time in Europe with ED would be driving from Munich to Prague and then down to Vienna for drop off and fly home.
Prague is highly recommended from a few threads I've read. I'm sure a day or so in Vienna would be fun. Has anyone done the Prague to Vienna leg and can recommend a scenic route for that (Alpine secenery would be nice). | We went from Prague on the Autobahn towards Brno. At Brno we started driving south on Rte 52 towards Vienna. Once you pass into Austria you're into prime wine country - think rolling hills with breathtaking scenery. Took us 3-4 hours from Prague to Vienna.
A better driving experience might be to go via Ceske Budejovice (and maybe with a small detour through Ceske Krumlov, I think that's a recommended place to see). Once in Austria, there are several routes to Vienna: you can go south until you hit the B3 scenic drive along the Danube, or head diagonally towards Vienna. I've done the B3 route and it's fantastic, don't know about the other.
Of course, you can do the B3 scenic drive going from Vienna to Munich. In that case, there are two alternatives: stick to the Danube course all the way to Passau - or - go through Salzburg via the A1. (Either way you'll do fine). If you decide for Salzburg, at least do a small detour from the A1 around the Altersee lake (some 35km before Salzburg), it's simply amazing. If you decide for Passau, you'll head up a little higher in the mountains following the Danube, with great scenery and beautiful roads.
There is a relatively simple way to plan your route in Europe: get a good Europe map, the best you can find. There, usually highlighted in green will be the scenic routes. Now plan your way to hit as many of those as possible  .
A word of caution: we've hit traffic jams twice around Munich, and this was on a Saturday! There's a lot of construction on A9 which is what you need to take to get to-from the ED location, EH Harms location and the airport.
Another word of caution: get Check currency from ATMs or if you want to use an exhange office, shop around. We ran out of crowns (and gas) on the way to Vienna and used Euros while still in the Check Republic and the exchange rate was horrendous.
If you have any specific questions please let me know.
adc
03 330 ZHP
05 X3 on the boat
| | Reply » Munich to Prague to Vienna |
We just got back, and did the Prague-Vienna leg.
We had quite a different experience than adc.
We took the first "Vienna" exit from the Abahn, and ended up on VERY scenic COUNTRY ROADS. That highway had a detour or something, and was VERY poorly marked. We got lucky in that there were orange signs pointing to a small city that was on our map on the highway we were on near the border, so we could follow those. Absent those little detour signs we would have been seriously screwed. My advice is to follow adc's route through Brno, and in fact avoid local highways as much as possible in every case. The autobahn routes are almost always faster even if longer.
As far as alpine scenery, no luck there. The country from Prague to Vienna is beautiful farmland. the Alps are further southwest of Vienna. Salzburg was the most "Alpine" city we stayed at, and Kufstein was a very nice mountain town.
I highly recommend doing the route you're planning, using the adc "Brno" route, and staying multiple nights in Vienna. The drive from Prague will take several hours. I commented on this in my trip thread.
| | Reply » Munich to Prague to Vienna |
Quote: | I've tentatively decided that the best itinerary for my limited time in Europe with ED would be driving from Munich to Prague and then down to Vienna for drop off and fly home. | Since others have commented on the route, I'll limit my comments to Vienna. I'd recommend 2-3 days if possible in Vienna minimum. There is more to see here in Wien (and in the environons of Vienna) than in Praha.
Depending on when you go, you should (if interested) get tickets for the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic) at the Musikverein (this is their home, from which the famous New Year's Day concerts are broadcast). Also recommended is a ticket to the Opera (Staatsoper) or for lighter fare, the Volksoper. Last month I saw the Sound of Music at the Volksoper (the show was never done in Austria until this year) and it was incredible. The Volksoper has b'way type musicals and operetta (such as Franz Lehar's Merry Widow).
In the city, you'll leave your car parked. The Tram (streetcar) system, combined with the U-Bahn, is fantastic. You can orient yourself by taking the No. 1 Tram in a complete circle around the Ringstraße, which will give you a great overview of the Inner City. Stop at a Kaffeehaus such as Scotch (on the Stubenring) and enjoy a Viennese tradition, Jause - a third meal between lunch and dinner consisting of coffee and cake (think English Tea).
Museums: Vienna, as the capital of the Habsburg Monarchy, has more history within its borders than one could imagine. The new Museumsquartier has the new Leopoldmuseum, - one of my favourites. It presents the Wiener Secessionsmus (the Secessionists), work of Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Richard Gerstl, and others, and has a fantastic Egon Schiele collection.
Architecture: Otto Wagner buildings abound. Also, you can visit the Hundertwasser house.
Of course you'll want to visit the Prater park and ride the Riesenrad (giant Ferris wheel).
For excursions, go to Dürnstein, climb to the ruins where Richard Löwenherz (Richard the Lionhearted) was held captive (a favorite place to hike when I was little) and discover that Dürnstein has some of the best wine in Austria. Drive to the Burgenland, the newest state in Austria, and visit Haydn´s home in picturesque Eisenstadt (Every year Eisenstadt, the capital of the Austrian province of Burgenland, hosts an international festival of music in honour of its adopted son Joseph Haydn). Visit the palace of the Princes of Esterházy and cross over into Hungary and see the great Esterházy Palace in Fertöd, where Haydn spent much of his working life and perhaps take in a string quartet concert.
In Neusiedlersee also visit the pleasant village of Rust, famous for its wines, storks’ nests (I remember when I was little and we drove to see the storks, well my parents went for the wine but...) and mediaeval Fischer Church (a UNESCO Heritage sitenot far away is Raiding and the birthplace museum of Franz Liszt.
Well that´s enough to keep you busy for a bit.
| | Reply » Munich to Prague to Vienna |
Thanks to all for their help - I'm looking over my maps now!
| | Reply » Munich to Prague to Vienna |
Quote: | There is a relatively simple way to plan your route in Europe: get a good Europe map, the best you can find. | Michelin has been the best by far in my experiences. Extremely detailed. I would also recommend going to Ceske Krumlov, I went from Hallstatt Austria through there and it was a great stop on the way to Prague. It's a neat old walled town with great food and people. Have fun!
~Jon
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Munich to Prague to Vienna