22 Days in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Rick's favorite itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Frankfurt, to Rothenburg
Day 2: Rothenburg
Day 3: Romantic Road to Tirol
Day 4: Bavarian highlights, castle day
Day 5: Bavaria to Munich
Day 6: Munich
Day 7: Munich to Salzburg
Day 8: To Salzkammergut Lakes District (Hallstatt)
Day 9: Mauthausen, Danube to Vienna
Day 10: Vienna
Day 11: Vienna to Hall in Tirol
Day 12: Innsbruck to Swiss Appenzell
Day 13: Appenzell to Berner Oberland
Day 14: Alps hike day, Gimmelwald
Day 15: Bern, west to Murten
Day 16: Lake Geneva and French Switzerland
Day 17: Murten to Black Forest
Day 18: Black Forest, to Baden-Baden
Day 19: Baden-Baden, relax, soak
Day 20: Drive to the Rhine, castles
Day 21: The Mosel Valley, Burg Eltz
Day 22: Köln and Frankfurt, night train to Berlin, or fly home
While this 22-day itinerary is designed to be done by car, with slight modifications it works by train. For the best three weeks by train, I'd modify it to sleep in Füssen rather than Reutte, sleep on the train from Vienna to the Swiss Alps (skipping Hall and Appenzell), skip French Switzerland, skip the Black Forest, and add two days in Berlin, connecting it by night trains.
Priority of Sightseeing Stops
3 days: Munich, Bavaria, Salzburg
5 days, add: Romantic Road, Rhine castles
7 days, add: Rothenburg, slow down
10 days, add: Berner Oberland (Swiss Alps)
14 days, add: Vienna, Hallstatt
17 days, add: Bern, Danube Valley, Tirol (Reutte)
21 days, add: West Switzerland, Baden-Baden, Mosel Valley, Köln
24 days, add: Berlin, Appenzell
30 days, add: Black Forest, Nürnberg, Dresden
For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Guidebooks — or join us on one of our free-spirited tours in Germany.