Spent August doing a road trip through 5 countries — Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary.
We definitely had to deal with the European summer heat, but honestly, it was still a lot of fun. One of the best parts was being able to just drive from one country to another. You cross a border and suddenly the scenery, roads and towns feel completely different.
A few highlights and honest opinions:
Olpererhütte was probably one of the more challenging parts of the trip. The heat made the hike a lot harder than I expected. The views were absolutely worth it though. If you're planning to do it in the summer, start early.
Hallstatt — honestly, I found it overrated. We drove all the way there, but finding parking was such a pain that after driving around for a while, we finally gave up. Ended up going to Gosausee Lake instead, and I actually think that worked out really well. Beautiful place and much more relaxed.
One thing I would highly recommend if you're planning to visit the Austrian Alps is renting a car. Having your own car makes a huge difference. You can stop whenever you want, explore smaller towns and viewpoints, and you're not tied to public transport schedules. Some of the best parts of the trip were simply driving through the Alps with no particular plan other than seeing where the road takes you.
Overall, an amazing trip. Five countries, a lot of driving, crazy summer heat, beautiful mountains and lakes.
Pic 1 - Stephansplatz, Vienna
Pic 2 - Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest
Pic3 - Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest
Pic 4 - Hungarian Parliament, Budapest
Pic 5 - Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria (Germany)
Pic 6 - Munich Residence, Germany
Pic 7 - Lake Lunersee, Austria
Pic 8 - A view doing Olpererhütte Hike
Pic 9 - A view on the way to Grosslockner
Pic 10 - Grossglockner, Austria
Pic 11 - Lake Bled, Slovenia
Pic 12 - Lake Bled, Slovenia
Pic 13 - Lake Wolfgangsee, Austria