Four days in Italy. Two days in Austria and Four days in Germany.
Traveling to Europe has become our family tradition and 2018 marked the third year in a row that we skipped town for some new adventures. Following is an overview of sites, smells, sounds, highs, lows and some new tips for your next adventure.
Travel Itinerary
Thursday 11/15: Overnight flight from O'Hare to Munich.
Friday 11/16: One day exploring Munich, then overnight train to Florence
Saturday 11/17 through Tuesday 11/20: Florence with a day trip exploring Chianti
Tuesday 11/20: Overnight train to Salzburg
Wednesday 11/21 through Friday 11/23: Salzburg
Saturday 11/24: Afternoon train from Salzburg to Nuremberg
Saturday 11/24 through Monday 11/26: Nuremberg
Trip Theme: Diving Deeper Into the Familiar
Mrs. AK and I struggled a bit in planning this trip. Having been to these regions of Germany, Italy and Austria previously, we were torn between returning to old favorites and discovering new places. It is a classic conundrum for any traveler with a limited budget of time. Do you stay on well worn paths or fling yourself completely into the unknown? We opted for a 50/50 split. Munich, Salzburg and Florence are all old familiar grounds for us, but we purposely sought out new experiences in each place.
Where We Stayed
Florence: Panoramic Penthouse Near Uffizi
This is one of the increasing number of apartments run by a local management company that can be found on both AirBNB and Booking.com. We opted for Booking.com because AirBNB was trying to overcharge us for the local hotel tax. The penthouse is a super spacious place, even by American standards, with a big living room, sizable kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms--one of which featured a fancy soaking tub and laundry. The tiny balcony offered a cool view of the Palazzo Vecchio. The Napoli-style pizza joint across the street had takeout pizza large enough for all three kids for 7 euros per pizza -- which was dinner for the second night while Mom and Dad went out for a fancy date night at a restaurant one block away.
Yea: Central location on a hip pedestrian-only Via Dei Neri is only five minutes walk from Il Duomo, Santa Croce and Piazza della Signoria.
Nay: Fourth floor with four bags and a toddler was a workout. Nearest parking is at least a 15 minute walk.
Salzburg: Apartment 202 at Hotel Krone 1512
We stayed at this exact same apartment when visiting Salzburg during our Thanksgiving trip in 2016. Unlike an apartment via AirBNB, this is run by a hotel so you have the full amenities of a front desk, helpful staff, free coffee and breakfast available, but you are removed from the hotel proper so it feels a bit more local. Plus, there is a piano in the living room and a gorgeous view of the most tidy-looking Austrian street that you can imagine.
Yea: Great location on a pedestrian street with restaurants and grocery within 200 feet. HUGE living room/kitchen area with a flat screen TV and a piano.
Nay: One big bedroom for the entire family. No laundry.
Nuremberg: Das Paul Hotel
A modern hotel located on a pedestrian street in central Nuremberg. It includes nice amenities like an automated check-in kiosk and hotel staff available via txt. We opted for an "apartment" that felt more like two hotel rooms joined by a compact European-style full kitchen and a bathroom with the world's tiniest hand sink. Breakfast at the swanky, club-like restaurant downstairs was a bargain where for 5 euros each you could order any item from a decadent brunch menu that would satisfy even the snobbiest foodie.
Yea: Great location and amazing breakfast
Nay: No common sitting area and laundry is a 20 minute walk away.
Where We Ate
We did not spend a ton of time scouting out places to eat but still managed to find both simple, affordable and yummy cheap eats and some nicer high-end places. Most days we would have a big lunch and snack-sized dinner or a sandwich on the go for lunch and then a nicer sit-down dinner.
Munich:
Viktualienmarkt - Open air food market with multiple restaurants. Grab a bratwurst, beer and sunny spot at the communal picnic tables. The multiple options and tons of space is perfect for picky eaters.
Dallmayr - This fancy food shop has been operating for 300 years. Kids will love the whimsical sweets. It's a great option to buy picnic supplies for a nice day in the Englischer Garten.
Hofbrauhaus - Iconic to the point of schlockiness, visiting Munich without a stop by the Hofbrauhaus is like going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Wedge yourself into any of the dozens of communal tables, get the kids a pretzel and ask for "ein masse".
Florence
Pizza Napoli 1955 - Simple and cheap pizzeria on the pedestrian Via Dei Neri. 7 Euro for a margherita pizza.
Osertia Dei Benci - So good that we went there twice. A classic osteria...totally kid friendly with simple, yet delicious pasta and vino della casa that tasted a lot more expensive than the seven euro price tag. Amazing staff made both our visits so special.
Antico Viano - There are several salumeri (cured meat shops) all along Via dei Neri. There is not a bad one in the bunch, and you can't beat the fact that one of them has self-serve wine for two euro.
Salzburg
Cafe Tomaselli - Long before $tarbucks McDonalized a cup of joe, fancy coffee houses where the social and political centers in cities across Europe. Tomaselli boasts two centuries of history while still serving as a great place to have a amazing strudel and people watch. The kids will love the wait staff making the rounds with a tray of eight different deserts.
Stiegl Keller - One of our favorite restaurants anywhere in the world. The wide open beer hall atmosphere is super kid friendly. Not only do they have a kids menu, but kids food comes on special plates decorated with cartoons. The patio also offers amazing views of the city below.
Stiftskeller St. Peter - This place is billed as the world's oldest restaurant and traces its establishment to the year 803, but inside it is anything but old with fine dining and a wine list with some bottles that cost more than your flight across the pond. Dinner for a family of five will run in the 200 Euro range, but we justified the splurge by calling it Thanksgiving Dinner.
Nuremberg
Bratwurst Haeusle - Nuremberger bratwurst are pint-sized version of the ones that you see all over Germany and the US. Order at least four per person at this ancient stone building. The outdoor patio is great on a sunny day. When it is chilly, the cozy dining room is bustling with an open grill in the center and a group of frauleins grilling sausages in a seemingly endless parade.
Das Paul - This was the breakfast included at our hotel. My oldest and I loved the "breakfast tower". The coffees were also delicious and a great way to start our day.
Trödel Stuben - This old-world German restaurant has a "grandma's attic" feel with tables set in a dozen different nooks and antique toys covering shelves stacked along every wall. Most of the menu is typical heavy German fare but seasonal specials are a bit lighter.
Highs
Eating our way through Florence -- you have to try hard to find bad food in Florence, so this one is kind of a layup.
Salzburg Christmas Market -- The best Christmas market in Europe. It could not be more picturesque if it tried.
Il Accademia with the David -- David is not just a piece of art, it is the symbol of Italy itself and the icon of the impact of the Renaissance on the world. Yet, watching your kids giggle about "his butt" puts life in perspective.
Exploring Castles in Chianti -- If there is a castle in Chianti, there is a winery either inside or next to it. The kids can run and explore while Mom and Dad enjoy a glass of, you guessed it...chianti.
Strolling the medieval city walls of Nuremberg -- Nuremberg was bombed so heavily in WWII that 90% of all buildings were destroyed. After the war, the citizens rallied and rebuilt the city center brick-by-brick so that today a stroll through the old town feels like stepping back three or four centuries in time.
Seeing the genius of Albrecht Durer -- The dude basically invented logos and painted the most badass selfie of all time 500 years before the front-facing camera. Mad props to the #AD.
Lows
Parking in Florence -- after driving through Chianti all day, finding a parking place in the city center was maddening. Street parking exists, but it can be confusing both about the restrictions and costs. Overnight garage parking runs about 40 euros.
Overnight trains from Italy -- Italy as a country is not concerned with punctuality, which is especially maddening when you are making travel connections. Our overnight train from Florence to Salzburg was nearly three hours late -- and entertaining three kids in a deserted train station at 10 pm is as miserable as it sounds.
No laundry in Nuremberg -- We typically pack enough clothing to last 3-4 days on a trip and plan to do laundry at least once. Unfortunately, our hotel in Nuremberg didn't have laundry and the closest laundromat was a 22 minute walk so I had to burn nearly three hours on a Saturday hiking and washing to make sure everyone had clean undies for the last days of the trip.
Tips if you go...
If you skip museums, you can see nearly all of Munich's highlights in a single day
Overnight trains can be fun or terrible...for the same cost as a hotel room you can zip to an entirely different country--but your quality of sleep will likely suffer.
Tuscany is gorgeous, and Chianti, as the closest region to Florence, is a crazy short drive from the city.
Visit at least one small medieval walled town in Germany. It's like stepping into a scene from a fairy tale -- the kids will love it.
Make sure to get restaurant recommendations from locals. Our Florence rental agent recommended our favorite spot for lunch and dinner.
댓글