Austria Road trip guide ?

Later going to apply for a visa with friends, originally there was also a travel plan...

I. Preparation Work 1. Visa We applied for the visa two months ago. Joyce had a business visa, and I applied for a travel visa. The self-guided travel visa requires preparation of the specified forms, income proof, company leave approval, pay slips, freezing a certain amount of savings, travel plans, hotel and flight reservations, etc. Specific details can be found on the consulate's website (recently discovered that Dutch visas seem to be very easy to get). The process of applying for the visa at the consulate that day was not complicated; it felt like chatting with the visa officer. As long as you are well-prepared, relaxed, and respond honestly, the questions don't seem too difficult. 2. Travel Plan A good travel plan must be thoroughly researched before departure. It is best to refer to other people's travel experiences and read about the attractions you plan to visit so you know what each has to offer, and you can act as a volunteer guide for your companions, haha. Remember, there is no tour guide for self-driving trips, and many descriptions are in German. 3. Travel Items A windbreaker, a change of clothes, adhesive bandages, regular medications, a sealable water cup, various documents, toiletries, towels, slippers (many hotels and inns do not provide toiletries, towels, and slippers, so you need to bring them yourself), etc. It's also a good idea to carry some cash in RMB just in case. 4. Camera It’s particularly important to mention the camera. It is recommended to bring a good compact camera, such as a Canon G10; a DSLR can seriously affect the quality of your travel experience, and many Germans will avoid you when they see a lens. 5. Notarized Driver's License This is quite simple; just go to the nearest district-level civil affairs bureau to get a notarized document and translation (I got mine at the Changning District Notary Office). When translating, remember to request it in English, as English can be used in any country. During the trip, you must carry both the original driver's license and the notarized document. II. Vehicle Rental This is also the most frequently asked question from friends. We rented a Volkswagen Passat station wagon. When we picked up the car, there were no cars available, so we were upgraded for free to a Mercedes B180 and a Mercedes E220 station wagon (diesel). The B180 had only 3000 kilometers on it, and the E220 had less than 10000 kilometers; they were almost new cars. Both came with GPS; one was graphical and the other was textual, and you could select English. Since most of Europe has old roads with little change, they were very useful; we hardly used maps, as most places could be navigated to by house number. I particularly recommend borrowing a car with GPS; otherwise, there will be many inconveniences. The total cost for the two cars was 700 euros (which is the price for BMW 1 and Volkswagen Passat station wagons), and the price is influenced by the model, size, and number of passengers. The total fuel cost on the road was about 260 euros; at that time, the fuel price was a little over 1 euro per liter, and we filled up each time before it was empty, each time costing over 40 euros. In total, we refueled three times, but specific prices will be known when you get there. Note: You must fill the tank before returning the car. III. Itinerary and Accommodation Day 1 Sept. 28 Shanghai (27 Sept.) - Munich (28 Sept.) - Cologne Arrive at COLOGNE at noon, visit the Cologne Cathedral, and the Chocolate Museum. Shopping: Schildergasse, Apostelnstraße. Train from Cologne to Heidelberg in the evening. Stay in Heidelberg. Hotel: Hotelo. Address: Czernyring 42-44, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany. Tel: 062216517739. Email: info@hotelo-heidelberg.com. Day 2 Sept. 29 Heidelberg - Würzburg - Rothenburg ob der Tauber Distance: 166KM (1.5H) - 75KM (1H) Spend half a day in Heidelberg, go to the car rental point, pick up the car, and head to Würzburg around 1 PM, leaving for ROTHENBURG around 5 PM. Heidelberg attractions: Heidelberg Palace, Castle Garden, Great Barrel, Old Town, and Old Bridge. Shopping: WÜRZBURG pedestrian street. Attractions: Prince-Bishop's Residence and Gardens, Old Main Bridge. Stay in: ROTHENBURG. Hotel: Gasthof Post. Address: Ansbacher Str. 27, 91541 Rothenburg, Germany. Tel: 49-9861-938880. Day 3 Sept. 30 Rothenburg - Stuttgart (unscheduled) - Füssen Distance: 150KM (1.5H) - 230KM (2.5H) Morning tour in ROTHENBURG, arrive in Füssen in the evening. ROTHENBURG attractions: Spitalbastei, St. Jacob's Church, Plönlein. Unscheduled trip: Stuttgart industrial area (location unknown; saw BENZ BANK along the way). Stay in: Füssen. Hotel: Seegasthof Weissensee. Address: Pfrontener Str 23, 87629 Füssen. Email: SEEGASTHOF-WEISSENSEE@T-ONLINE.DE. Day 4 Oct. 1 Füssen - Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Zugspitze Distance: 60KM (1H). Spend half a day in Füssen, then head to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the afternoon. Füssen attractions: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles. Garmisch-Partenkirchen attractions: Zugspitze (Zug Peak). Stay in: Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Hotel: RASSEN (600-year-old inn; definitely worth visiting the small town where the inn is located). Address: Ludwigstr. 45, 82467 GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany. Tel: 49-8821-2089. Day 5 Oct. 2 Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Innsbruck - Alpbach Distance: 65KM (1H) - 60KM (1H). INNSBRUCK attractions: shopping, see the Golden Roof. Unscheduled trip: a small mountain peak in INNSBRUCK. Stay in: Alpbach. Hotel: Haus Panoramafamilie Ing, Agidius Bletzacher. Address: Alpbach 3916236. Tel: 0043-53365500. Day 6 Oct. 3 Alpbach - Berchtesgaden Distance: 160KM (2H). One day of tourism in Berchtesgaden. Berchtesgaden attractions: Königssee and Eagle's Nest (abandoned Eagle's Nest due to rain). Stay in: Berchtesgaden. Hotel: Gastehaus Jermann. Address: Angergasse 2, D83471, Berchtesgaden, Germany. Tel: 49-86522352. Email: PENSIONJERMANN@AOL.COM. Day 7 Oct. 4 Berchtesgaden - Hallstatt - Salzburg Distance: 75KM (1H) - 70KM (1H). Travel from Berchtesgaden to Hallstatt. HALLSTATT Stay in: Salzburg. Hotel: Hofwirt. Address: Schallmooser Hauptstr. 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel: 43-662-872171. Day 8 Oct. 5 Salzburg - Munich Distance: 152KM (1.5H). MUNICH attractions: BMW Museum, Marienplatz, Hofbräuhaus, shopping. Arrive at the airport around 4:30 PM to return the car. IV. Language and Other Issues 1. The language used is English; you can travel all over Germany without any problems. 2. While driving, many roads in Germany have no speed limit, but if you want to enjoy the thrill of no speed limit, it's best to drive in the left lane. If your speed is below 140KM/H, you must leave the left lane; otherwise, you may be pulled over by the police like I was. Overtaking must be done from the left side to the right, not the other way around. Do not switch lanes randomly like in your home country; otherwise, it may cause public outrage, haha. When encountering roundabouts or intersections without traffic lights (such as T-junctions), you must stop and check for oncoming vehicles. If there are any, you must let all visible vehicles pass straight before proceeding. Always reduce speed at intersections and stop to let pedestrians and animals cross the road (these are things I found out after returning and checking online). In short, you must abide by others' rules when in their territory.