Germany, Italy and Switzerland in 10 Days

Explore the sites of Munich in Old town. Depending on where you are staying in the city you may need to take an Uber or Taxi to Old Town Square. We loved the Hilton Munich Park to accommodate a family, but there are many great options close to Old Town as well. We started at the Marienplatz and watched the Glockenspiel (clock show) at New City Hall which occurs at 11 am, 12 pm, and 5 pm daily. From here, we walked through old town towards the Munich Residenz. Spend a few hours taking a self-guided combined tour of the Residenz and treasury. Lots of history and beautiful architecture makes this affordable entry fee well worth it. After the tour, we walked through the gardens and continued on through Old Town toward the famous Hofbraeuhaus. Although I highly recommend you have a beer at the famous house, you may want to consider eating elsewhere. The Augustiner Am Platzl across the street was our absolute favorite place in Munich. They have the oldest beer in Germany, great food, atmosphere and service. Once our bellies were full of pretzels, obatza (a must try) and a few pints, we continued our walk toward the river to watch the famous surfers at the Eisbach wave followed by an evening stroll in the English Garden before returning to our hotel.

A walk through history and remembrance. While this is a more somber day itinerary, if you have adults or older children (they recommend 14 and above) I feel it is important and worthwhile-lest we forget! We started with a 30-minute drive from Munich to Dachau Concentration Camp after breakfast at the hotel. We arrived just before 9 am so that we could enter when they opened, which I highly recommend as most tour buses arrive between 9:30 and 10 am so this avoids the crowds. Parking is three to five euro and you need cash but entry to the grounds is free. You can pick up an audio guide in the first building and the self-guided tour is very easy. We spent a few hours here. When we returned to Munich we continued the day of history by doing a Third Reich walking tour. Find a cute cafe, bar, or lunch spot along the way-there are many. We did a self-guided tour but there are also many guided ones such as this one that come highly recommended. The bonus is that it ends at the Hofbraeuhaus (hint: it also has important WWII history) so you will just have to have another pint before calling it a day!

On our third day in Munich, we did the long day trip to Austria to see the Eagles Nest and Berchtesgaden. The drive out from Munich to Berchtesgaden is long, but is also scenic and beautiful. If you don’t have a car there are numerous online guides on how to take the train but to be honest I don’t advise it. It seems very difficult and the drive was very nice and fairly easy. It is already a very long/full day and having a car gives you the flexibility to see the Berchtesgaden town as well. Be sure to check the website to see if eagles nest is open and/or if the visibility is good as if not you will not be able to see much and get the full experience. We arrived at the Eagle’s Nest at around 10 am. Parking requires euros as the machines did not accept normal credit cards and the instructions are not in English. Once parked, you will need to walk past the documentation center to purchase bus tickets the rest of the way up to the eagle's nest.

Note: these fill up quickly so recommend getting there as early as possible. When we arrived about 30 minutes after opening there was already about an hour wait for a bus slot. But the wait is worth it-the views are breathtaking! When you arrive to the Eagles Nest by bus, you will take the golden elevator the rest of the way to the top. If you are a history buff, there is only a small section that talks about the history of Hitler’s home, but again the views and nostalgia of the entire place is truly something special. Sit outside and have a beer (notice a theme here) and a pretzel and enjoy the views! After our Eagle’s nest visit, we had a late full lunch at Gasthof Watzmann in the small town of Berchtesgaden which is beautiful and quaint. I highly recommend the Eisschokolade, or German frozen “hot” chocolate for dessert! This town is definitely worth the stop to relax and take in the ambiance of the countryside. There are many cafes, shops, etc. and there are several places to buy souvenirs. After exploring a bit, we made the drive back to Munich.

On our last full day in Munich, we took another day trip to the Neuschwanstein Castle. We drove out to the castle early in the morning and arrived at around 9:30am and caught the bus up to the castle (five euro per person cash preferred). You can also take a horse drawn carriage up if you prefer, I think they were approximately 20-30 euro/person. There were no crowds really yet at that time. Note you can explore the castle grounds, the famous bridge, and the hiking trails for free. If you want a tour of the castle, they only offer guided tours and you want to be sure to book in advance as they sell out quickly. We elected to walk to the bridge and then hike the trail beyond which also had great views and isn’t nearly as crowded. The village at the bottom of the hill is quaint and has plenty of places to eat and browse if you like. We then visited the less famous, but possible more beautiful, Hohenschwangau castle which is only a mile or so from the more famous Neuschwanstein castle. After the tours and lunch in the village we made the two hour drive back to Munich. We walked from our hotel, the Hilton Munich Park through the English Garden to the Chinese Tower and Beer Garden for dinner. There are lots of locals having a stein, relaxing on the lawn, or listening to the music.

It was time to journey to Italy! We picked the route through the Austrian Alps and Dolomites to get the Cinque Terre. The drive is absolutely breathtaking with mountains, lakes, and everything in between. Due to going through the mountains it is not a fast drive and will likely take longer than it says it will. But take your time, stop and smell the mountain air and enjoy the journey! We decided to stop at Prager Wildsee which is an Instagram famous lake along the drive-while it was beautiful and worth it in some regards, beware it does add about two hours to your trip due to the roads detouring to the lake. If you have small children who may already be tired of riding-I don’t recommend it. But if you are adults or teens, it is certainly worth the journey to this picturesque and quintessential Alpine Lake. There is a hotel onsite if you want to spend a night here.

Otherwise, there is a cafe you can grab some lunch and a drink and sit by the lake. You can also take your own picnic lunch if you prefer. The row boats are a must do and if you are feeling particularly adventurous-a cold lake plunge is allowed. Next you will exit the Alps and will drive through the amazing Dolomite Mountains on your way to Brescia if you choose this route. I do wish we would have maybe spent the night here instead of journeying on to Brescia as the scenery was breathtaking and it would have made the long journey a little more bearable.

After a quick overnight in Brescia, we set out for the Italian coast early in the morning. We arrived in Riomaggiore just before check in time for our accommodations. You cannot drive into the town, but we had rented an accommodation that included a garage parking space just outside of town (getting our rented van in this spot was an adventure!). Be aware that you then have to carry your luggage through the town (which includes LOTS of narrow stairs) to your accommodation. There is a local service that will do this for you if you can’t or don’t want to (we used it on the way out). We then settled in and explored the town, grabbed a pizza and watched the waves come in. Riomaggiore is considered most “traditional” and “picturesque” of the five towns. If there is one recommendation I have-stay in the Cinque Terre at least a couple of nights. When the daily trains/ferries from the larger towns leave for the day the place really becomes magical. During the day it can be quite crowded and overwhelming.

The next day we explored three more towns in the Cinque Terre (there are five total). The best way to get around through the Cinque Terre is by train (although there is a ferry as well, we did not try it). You can buy a three-day train/park card for 47 euros each: Cinque Terre Treno MS Card | Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre. Word of caution: The trains were packed. Like packed. We were shoved around on the platform and packed on the train like sardines. I’m sure some are used to this, but it was a shock for us and we weren’t even there in high season. Manarola is the next town over from Riomaggiore and was pretty similar in style to me.

There is a walking trail between the towns, but it was closed due to landslides. Next up, Monterroso Al Mare, is a completely different vibe. It is a beach town feel with orange and white umbrellas dotting the beach walk up and beach style cafes and bars along the coast. We took a private boat tour from here and it was quite possibly the best thing of the entire trip. After trolling up the coast and hearing interesting facts about the Cinque Terre from our excellent guide (while sipping wine of course), we stopped at a cave and had a swim in the crystal blue Mediterranean waters. After our boat trip we continued on to Vernazza to explore and then took the train back to Riomaggiore for dinner at La Cantina del Cellaio.

Note: You pretty much have to have dinner reservations anywhere in Italy, but especially in Cinque Terre, so pick out a few places that look good to you and make a reservation in advance. Once you arrive is usually fine unless you want to try one of the Michelin Star places, but we witnessed a lot of people trying to walk up and get a table and they were turned away. These are all small restaurants with limited resources, so they plan for the reservations they have.

After the stress of the crowded train the day before, we decided to spend the last day relaxing in Riomaggiore. This turned out to be a great choice (you don’t always have to see everything-it is a vacation after all)! We started the day by walking down to a cafe and grabbing some pastries and coffee and bringing it back to our balcony for breakfast. After breakfast we ventured down to the rocks and the beach for some sunbathing and swimming. Do like the locals and spread a towel on the rocks and relax, jump off into the water when you need to cool off. Of course, when you are done, grab some gelato and enjoy the gorgeous sunsets!

We left Cinque Terre early in the morning and began our journey to Switzerland. Another breathtaking drive through the Swiss Alps. There are several places to stop and take in sites along the way-the famous Lake Como or Ponti de Salti to name a few. We stayed in the small lake town of Amden in Switzerland, which was nice but be aware the few restaurants they have are often closed on Sunday and Monday, which limited the options further. I highly recommend stopping at a grocery store or deli before arrival and picking up some essentials. There are no major hotels in this area so you will likely rent an apartment or home. If you prefer a more metropolitan option, Zurich is a mere 45 minutes further and offers unlimited options. After arrival, we needed to stretch our legs so we walked the path around the lake. Lots of locals and others sunbathing, swimming, grilling, etc. If you continue on the trail it eventually leads to Seerenbach falls. There are also beer gardens and restaurants along the way, if you are going to the falls beware it is an easy but somewhat long hike. We ended the day with a quiet dinner in our rental overlooking the mountains and the lake and enjoyed the peaceful serenity of the Swiss countryside.

The next day we made the drive to Zurich to tour the Lindt Chocolate Factory. We had planned to eat some traditional Fondue as well but unfortunately every place was closed since it was Monday, so be aware of the days you are staying here if that is on your list. The Lindt Chocolate Factory was one of my kid’s favorite things on this trip. It was newly constructed a few years ago and is absolutely amazing. Tickets to do a tour are 10 euro and include lots of chocolate samples and 10 pieces to take home. Our teens also did the chocolatier class which they loved. We ate lunch in the cafe as well and then ventured around the town for a while before heading back to Amden.