We just got back from a little over 3 weeks in the Alps. The trip was mostly a road trip with a few city days towards the end.
For the route we started by flying into Munich and our first stop was Neuschwanstein Castle and then staying in Germany we spent a few days in Berchtesgaden before a couple of days in Austria on our way to the Dolomites in Italy. After the Dolomites were a few days in the Soca Valley in Slovenia before heading back to Munich via Salzburg.
The difference in the scenery between each country was a lot more pronounced than I expected, especially with how close to each other they are. While the landscape in Austria and Germany was similar, the Dolomites in Italy had a lot more yellow larches and sheer mountain peaks and the Soca Valley in Slovenia was the most autumnal with an abundance of colourful autumn trees.
Being shoulder season some of the shops and restaurants in the smaller towns were closed but it also meant the crowds weren’t too bad and getting around the larger cities of Salzburg and Munich was a breeze, especially with the free public transportation card you get from hotels in Salzburg.