Welcome to another post of helping a reader travel!
This weekly post is to help readers get a ton of travel advice from thousand of Deals We Like blog readers. Thus far, we’ve been able to help other readers travel to a slew of domestic and international destinations. Check out recent destinations and comment on suggestions here.
This week travel destination includes Germany as a whole. Here is an email from reader Dianna:
“I am looking to go to Germany for my honeymoon with my soon to be husband and am not really sure what cities to go to. Also, any major cities to skip and any cool country side to visit? We have about 10-14 days to travel. We love history and exploring different cultures. I’d love any recommendations on where to go and how to get around. Thank you!”
If you’ve ever been to Germany and have any recommendations, let’s help out reader Dianna. In the coming weeks I will hit on other cities within Germany, such as Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, and any others that are requested.
Also, if you have any upcoming travel where you need some help, feel free to email me at dealswelike@gmail.com to be a featured “Help a Reader Travel” Monday special. Thanks!
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Germany is a wonderful place and one of my favorite countries. A few really cool cities are Colonge and the Koln Dom. It is right across from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof), Dusseldorf along the Rhine river and the old city altstadt. I also really like the city park near there, Berlin is the capital and very historical, Munich is my wife’s favorite and probably the most American friendly, Garmish-Parkinkirsche is a small quint town, anywhere along Lake Constance (Bodensee in German), Freiburg is a fun college town. Other cool places are Koblenz, Speyer, Strasbourg (actually in France, but on the Rhine river), Bremen and Hamburg.
My advice, if you haven’t been there before is to check out Rick Steves book on Germany and follow one of his itineraries. Include Cologne, the Rhine and Mosel Valleys, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsburg and the Romantic Road south, Munich, Fuessen and the Neuschwanstein castle, Garmisch and Zugspitze and some of the Alps. If you have time hit Berlin and maybe Vienna (fast train connections)as well and that should be an awesome trip you won’t forget anytime soon.
One thing you could do is take a day cruise on the Rhine. If you want to see the most castles for your buck, take a train, or drive from Frankfurt to Rüdesheim. Then take the KD cruise from Rüdesheim as far up as Königswinter. Here’s their website http://www.k-d.com/en/kd-scheduled-cruises/kd-tour-tips/
If you don’t want to take the boat back, or if you want to go on to Cologne, you could always hop off the boat, and take a train.
Rüdesheim is obviously a tourist trap, but it is beautiful.
In Cologne you of course have to see the Cathedral (Kölner Dom), but don’t pass up the old town (Altstadt). Also, check out the Praetorium (http://www.museenkoeln.de/archaeologische-zone/default.asp?s=4380&tid=474&kontrast=&schrift=)
You probably won’t find yourself in the area, since there’s little tourist appeal (due to it’s heavy industry, and coal production, we flattened it during WWII), check out the Coal mining museum (Bergbaumuseum), in Bochum, where you can go down a coal mine (http://www.bergbaumuseum.de/index.php/en/)
In Berlin? Take a side trip to Potsdam to see Sanssouci (http://www.spsg.de/palaces-and-gardens-in-berlin-and-in-brandenburg/)
Other than that, don’t waste time in Frankfurt. I lived there for a year. If you’re looking for nice buildings, there are much nicer places to visit (I realize some people might bring up Römerberg -yawn-).
Also, once you’ve planned your itinerary, try to find a list of festivals taking place while you’re there. There are so man street festivals in Summer for you to get a taste of local flair.
Gary
If you find yourself in Hamburg, try to plan to be there on a Saturday & Sunday. If you can manage it, get some rest, pull an all-nighter on the Reeperbahn, then head over to the port for the Fish Market “Fischmarkt”(Summer opens @5am) http://english.hamburg.de/museums-attractions-hamburg-en/295006/fischmarkt-hamburg-elbe-english/
The fish mongers can be entertaining. And although it’s been years since I’ve been there, they probably still have food, drinking, and live music in the Fish Hall (also starting at 5am).
An often overlooked destination in Northern Germany is Celle (http://www.celle.travel/)
Can’t really help, but certainly looking forward to any help that I see in the comments, as we are going to be going with our family of 6 plus my in-laws, arriving in Berlin June 18 (Hyatt on points and cash), going to Bremen (with a stop at Wolfsberg for the Autostadt)(Courtyard on points), then Weimar(Hotel Elephant on SPG points), then Nuremberg(Park Inn by Radisson, actually paying because it is $65/night), then Hohenschwangau to see the castles (Hotel Mueller, no chain hotels available), then Munich where we leave from. Hoping that I catch a break and Munich is on the Pointsbreak list tomorrow!
One place that I wanted to try but could not fit into our schedule is the Radisson Blu Resort Schlosshotel Fleesensee, about an hour north of Berlin, in the lake country. An actual castle that is available on points, only 38000 Club Carlson points for two nights (with the credit card). Looks like an awesome place to spend part of a honeymoon.
I would do the old Romantic road and then head into Switzerland to visit Bernese Oberland and head over to Munich and then castle Neuschwanstein. I think that Switzerland is the best place to be to experience the best of the Alps. Spending a few days there and skipping some of Germany is well worth it. Though I love history myself, I have found that I love natural beauty a bit more.
Stephan beat me to it, but I was going to recommend the “Romantic Road” itinerary which includes the cities he describes. Most of these cities are small so you could find relatively cheap B&Bs that pretty great. If you really want to see Neuschwanstein Castle (the “Cinderella Castle”) I would highly recommend staying in Fussen instead of the town the castle is one (it’s still only 5-10 minutes away). If you end up in Garmisch, check out the gorge (but bring a raincoat), the old winter Olympic stadium, and take the cogwheel tram up to the Zugspitze (you’ll see the big lake on the way up)
Why do you recommend Fussen over Hohenschangau for visiting the castles? I have reservations but I can still cancel and rebook in Fussen.
Stay away from modern in Frankfurt…….Berlin is hopping as Europe’s young hip scene and the food is fantastic…………Rotenburg-au-Tauber is fantastic to give you a feel of the small German village……….There are great little guest houses across the country side that are warm and friendly and a better experience than trying to find a chain…….in the city Intercontinental and Steigenberger are strong choices if you “must” do a chain………and of course Relais and Chateau is always strong in the continent……..The Arts are strong so you might consider visiting a classical concert……….
I live in Germany, of the cities I’ve been to, I would recommend Cologne, Black Forrest area, Strasbourg (in France, but on the border and is a mix between German/French), Munich, I absolutely love Berlin- it’s an interesting mix of young and ‘old.’ Berlin is also a good city to go on a bike tour- if you’re interested, I would try ‘Fat Tire Bike Tours’ which takes you to all the best places, and you can safely/easily navigate with the tour. Depending on when you’re going, a river cruise down the Rhine is amazing with castles left and right. I wouldn’t recommend: Hamburg- there are no real tours in English to learn about the old history, and most things revolve around the harbor, I really wanted to like that city, but couldn’t, Frankfurt- unless you really like to learn about the banking system, Dusseldorf- only if you like expensive shopping, Stuttgart- very ugly city, but lots of car museums. Neuschwanstein- you only to get to see 1.5 floors, but the view from one of them is gorgeous. For booking trains (the best way to get around Germany), I recommend reserving a seat if you’re going more than 30 minutes- there are no guarantee of a seat otherwise – https://www.bahn.com/i/view/DEU/en/index.shtml The easiest and cheapest cities to fly into: Dusseldorf, Munich, and Frankfurt (depending on which city you originate from). Berlin is hell to fly into and out of to the US. I hope this helps!
Germany is also one of my favorite places as well and I agree with so many of the ideas listed previously. But noticeably missing is Heidelberg, which is a beautiful city and one of the few not bombed during the war. Cologne and the train ride along the Rhine is great as well. There are so many castles that you’ll surely lose count. Rothenburg is old, beautiful, and an amazing walled city…the 20 foot walls go on for miles around the town. If you fly to Frankfurt and get a car, you can drive to the original “Frankenstein” Castle for lunch and then back towards the Rhine for a beautiful drive down to Rudesheim is amazing. Near Stuttgart in Bavaria is Beitighiem, an old and quaint small town. Then there’s still Munich and all the way to Berlin….14 days, not enough to see it all!
I would also recommend Berlin as there is much to see and do. It is less than 2 hours by train to Dresden which is a great place to visit, loads of museums and the rebuilt cathedral is a marvel. An hour from there and you can be in Leipzig which is a haven for music lovers. Bach, Robert and Clara Schumann, Mendelssohn, R. Wagner were among the famous who lived there. Recently visited Erfurt which has yet to be discovered….but will soon. There is a Radisson Blu in Berlin has an amazing location within walking distance of many major attractions, Radisson Blu in Leipzig Hilton in Dresden is right in the center of the city. There is also a Westin in Dresden for SPG people but it is across the river from the city center. Enjoy your time wherever you go. I find I enjoy the former East Germany.
two words: berlin, munich,
Just returned from five weeks in Germany. The medium sized towns were particularly wonderful – Heidelberg, Dresden (the Westin, though across the river, is a perfect place to stay as the town is quite small), Weimar, Munich are all historic and charming. If you decide to see the Ludvig castles, stay at the Hotel Muller on site. When the tours leave, it’s magical. Berlin has an enormous amount of young energy right now and try to go up the Reichstag – the view is fabulous.