Ultimate Alps & Dolomites 2018
We arrive in Munich around 8:00 am the day before the tour begins (with 6:00 welcome dinner.) We want to do some interesting touring on our first afternoon, as well as in the daytime before the dinner. We don't want to spend time on something we will be doing with Tauck. From the description it appears only Nymphenburg Palace and then Dauchau in the afternoon. What would you who have been on the tour recommend as must sees that Tauck won't visit. Also, restaurant suggestions for lunch and dinner. A second question is re: visit to Salzburg. Will we go to the Sound of Music site? I read in a post from earlier that we do not. Thanks for any info or suggestions you can make re: these questions and anything else you can share about the tour.
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Tauck has changed the tour since we went in 2014, so our daily go sheets may not be helpful. It looks like you will have the remainder of your arrival day up to mid-afternoon on Day 1 for activities on your own. Your Day 2 is almost exactly like our day in Munich on Romantic Germany- great day. Despite any misgivings you might have, don't miss Dachau. If you are lucky you will have Michael as your local guide for Munich/Nymphenburg Palace and Dachau- he's a history teacher and probably the best local guide we've had on 9 tours. (We had him in Munich on Ultimate Alps in 2014, so were thrilled to have him again on Romantic Germany in 2017!!)
How do you handle jet lag? That will determine what kind of activities you should consider. You will arrive at the hotel mid to late morning and unless you have made special arrangements, it is unlikely you will be able to get in your room at the Four Seasons. So you might as well check you bags with the bell captain and at least do something other than chill in the lobby. We did low key activities- walked over to the Marienplatz, did some window shopping, then located the Segway Office. The following day, Day 1, we took a Segway tour of the City. It was great. We stopped often, but since we traveled much faster between stops than if we walked, we covered more territory and saw many more sights. Our leader, a Brit expat was great and a real hoot. Group size was 8.
Other suggestions: in-town: walk around and/or tour the Residenz- only a block or so from the Four Seasons, walk to and have lunch at the Hofbrauhaus, walk to, wander, and have lunch of brats, beer, and a pretzel at the Viktualienmarkt which is just beyond Marienplatz. Hire a guide/car, take the surface tram or subway, etc. to the BMW HQ museum. Visit the English garden (park) stroll about, watch the surfers (yup, surfing in the city- Google it), visit one of the many museums, the zoo, etc. If you decide to do something that requires tickets or reservations, buy/make them as early as possible.
You don't specifically visit any Sound of Music site(s) in Salzburg. You may walk through Mirabel gardens on the way to or from the bus (buses can not enter the Old Town after about 9:00 am.) Though you spend three nights in Salzburg, one afternoon is spent in the Salzkammergut and St. Gilgen, and one afternoon at Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest). It might be possible to arrange for a Sound of Music tour through another provider in the morning of Day 6.
I'm the one in the middle with a GoPro camera mounted to my helmet.
With Michael at Dachau. We are draped in two of his visual aids- flag of Munich and flag of Bavaria/Wittlesbachs:
The Dolomites were more dramatic than the Alps:
Heiligenblut am Großglockner church with Grossglockner peak in the background:
12 June 2014 departure. Beautiful, mostly blue skies w/scattered clouds- check out my pics. During the entire tour we had only one brief shower while we were inside touring the Passion Play theater in Oberammergau and a little misting in Monstien outside of Davos, Switzerland. Temps were in the mid-60's to 70s except at altitude where it was cooler and where we wore a regular or lightweight fleece vest. I wore a mix of short and long sleeve shirts. My wife carried a lightweight, long sleeve sweater and wore it sometimes, but she mostly wore a light rain jacket or fleece vest. There was absolutely no need for a heavy coat when we went, even at the summit of the Zugspitze or Grossglockner pass. Since you will be traveling by bus it is easy to layer- you leave extra layers (vest, sweater, etc.) on the bus if not needed at a particular stop.
Touristic and no longer on the tour : (
The summit of the Zugspitze, tallest mountain in Germany, was in the clouds and it was cool but not cold enough for a heavy coat.
Broken clouds and sun but warmer on Grossglockner pass: