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[dept_geek]

Yes. I know.  Next summer is million years and two full semesters away.  But, given my schedule, I need to start gathering info sooner rather than later.  So I'll ask now, then bump this thread sometime over the winter to ask for more.

I have a trip to Germany scheduled for next July (hopefully. and "as of right now").  Because of some other obligations, the starting point is Frankfurt, and the ending point is 2 and 1/2 weeks or so later in Munich. I will not have a car, and won't be renting one.  I'll be training around simply because I do not want nor need the stress of driving.  The budget is such that I can stay in hotels rather than hostels or dorms. I would like to get to Berlin to see the museums and such.  Those are the non-negotiable parts of the trip.

What are the "don't miss this" points?  What are the things I can safely miss? What are the "watch out fors"? Who is in the area that I can buy a beer for?   Best ways of booking hotel & train reservations?

Thanks for any input and advice.

[euro_trash]

I have spent a lot of time in Germany - it is a truly fantastic country.  Oh the stories I could tell!

I would suggest that you skip the Southwest - too touristy in the summer for sure.  The following route is great by passenger train and includes amazing side trips to Prague and Salzburg:
  
http://s881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/eurotrash_photo/?action=view&current=Germany.png

[dellaroux]

Berlin for sure, even with many tourists around, it's fun.

The Museums, opera, anything...not everyone likes it but I found the interior of the "new church" and tower (all in dark blue glass, derisively called the "Lipstick and Compact" by some--the Kaiser Wm. Mem. Church)

   http://www.reformationtours.com/site/490868/page/180549#kaiser

very compelling. (The above site, leaving any differences of theological approach aside, has a good summary of the main buildings to visit, overall, too).

The Pergamom had just been opened last time I was there; that was truly a treat, and deserved more than the 3 hours we gave it....

The old Baroque cathedral is also lovely inside, and if you are comfortable with attending a service, both the music and the practice of groups walking up to share communion around the table is very different from what most Americans are used to, whether of Protestant, Catholic, or any other persuasion.

There's a great little pastry and tea place near the Opera where you can sit in the afternoon and listen to all the people getting reading to attend a matinee--they often seat smaller parties at the same table, whether they know each other or not; very interesting way to either ignore or (if they'll talk with you) speak with others in a new place.

Find a couple of cabarets and go, more than once, to get a sense of them.

Wander the K'dam and walk along U-d-Lindens, go shopping...eat...eat more...eat again...

The East-to-West shifts are interesting; I think they've probably filled in most of the large bomb-crater-like holes that were there in 2000 when construction was finally getting underway; the Brandenberger Tor area is fascinating, as is the walk out towards the statues (a very long walk, or combine it with bus rides at various points) and the woods.

Of course, with 5,---,--- other people in the area, it was a bit hard to see the actual Tor on the New Years' Eve night I was there, and the Reichtstag was still wrapped at that point, so you couldn't see it, but imagination counts for a lot, too...

Munich--the boar and the bells, it's near enough to F'furt that you could just take a train and make the air flight a round-trip, that might be cheaper.

Frankfurt is pretty much taken over by US Army installations, we didn't stay there very long, too Amerikan.

I've been in the south, but to the Austrian side more, and yes, it can be touristy, but hiking in the hills above some of the smaller towns, it's often possible to avoid the crowds.

I recall a picnic overlooking Oberammergau that was elegaic...

[southerntransplant]

We were in Berlin a couple summers ago. The Berlin Walks walking tours were excellent. Many sites you might want to visit (for example, if you were interested in seeing some sites having to do with the last days of World War II) are almost impossible to find without some help.

[dept_geek]

Euro, if you won't mind... could you PM me the details of your train route?  It looks very cool. 

ST, thanks so much for the Berlin Walks link. That looks great - something I will have to do.

dellaroux, thanks for the info on Berlin.  I'll want to check out all the little hidden places.  I will be training from Munich to another city so the flight bit will already be confusing.

Thanks.  Looking forward to more info.

[donstefano]

The entire area between Frakfurt and Munich is great. Skip Frankfurt though - one of the least interesting cities in Germany. I just visited that area. Highlights were Nuremberg, Bamberg, Rothenburg o/d Tauber, Dinkelsbühl and Regensburg. Mucnich is also quite nice (if you're interested: Dachau concentation camp is in the suburbs)
And Berlin is obviously one of the best nicest cities in Europe.
I would also suggest including Heidelberg and Dresden.

[dolljepopp]

Add the Jewish Museum and the Museum of the Wall to the Berlin list. I enjoyed the DDR Museum too, but be forewarned that it is a pollyanna-ish look at the former East. I went through it with a friend who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, which definitely added to the experience.

The view from the Reichstag Dome is wonderful and worth seeing.

Check out the East Side Gallery -- though I'm not sure of the status of the renovation. It's the largest preserved section of the Wall and has been left as an outdoor art "gallery". It's fallen on repeated hard times, though. A renovation was done in 2008/2009, so it might well be worth a visit again.

If you like theatre, check out something at Deutsches Theater or the Volksbühne or Berliner Ensemble or Schaubühne.

I was personally a bit underwhelmed by Munich -- too touristy. But very pretty.

If you do linger in Frankfurt, I've heard good things about the Frankfurt-on-Foot tours.

Not the southwest or the east, but Hamburg is a nice city, and the Rhineland is great -- Cologne, Aachen, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Drachenfels, etc. You can catch a riverboat tour up and down and take one from Koblenz along the Mosel.

Once you're a few months out, check the Deutsche Bahn website (www.diebahn.de -- at least partially available in English if you don't read German) for possible travel deals. Sometimes they offer a summer Bahn Card or other deals that can make train travel cheaper. Also know that the trains are very popular in the summer, so book ahead and reserve seats as much as you can.

[anon99]

Can't help with the travel plans as I've only been to two cities in Germany, but if like me you have a sweet tooth the bakeries are a must.

[dellaroux]

And unless you're veg/vegan, the sausages, oh, the sausages....

Sauerkraut and sour potato salad, for the herbivorous, are quite good, too, of course!!

[southerntransplant]

The Rhine River Valley is also very nice, as are the towns of Bacharach and St. Goar.

[dellaroux]

Was just listening to this and realized this church is a must-see in Munich:

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpWY8UrYFJc&feature=related

(Also, if you can get yourself to Vienna, not to far from the south by train, that's a worthy "side trip" of its own. Takes about three weeks to see everything...the first time around.)

[wegie]

(Also, if you can get yourself to Vienna, not to far from the south by train, that's a worthy "side trip" of its own. Takes about three weeks to see everything...the first time around.)

Given that Vienna's a further four to five hours by rail from Munich, that's adding on a pretty hefty chunk of travelling.

[dept_geek]

(Oh I love the little red warning. Yes. I am sure)

Planning is almost complete for this trip. I'm always open to new ideas however.


I do have one seemingly-silly question.  As noted earlier, I will be training everywhere. I have my tickets for the long-distance bits.  Can someone give me the "For Dummies" explanation on using local rail?  Is it like DC where you buy a card, then run the card thru a machine to make your ride legal? Or like Philly where you buy a ticket on board the train?  And finally, what do I need to do when I have a City Ticket? Is there some sort of validation that needs to occur when boarding? If yes, where does that happen?

I am so ready for this trip. I'm now obsessing over the silly parts.. Calm me down, please.

[helpful]

I have to go to Frankfurt area sometime in the next year and wondering, since Frankfurt is pretty modern, are there any must-sees of medieval or historic towns nearby?

[golden_ticket]

(Oh I love the little red warning. Yes. I am sure)

Planning is almost complete for this trip. I'm always open to new ideas however.


I do have one seemingly-silly question.  As noted earlier, I will be training everywhere. I have my tickets for the long-distance bits.  Can someone give me the "For Dummies" explanation on using local rail?  Is it like DC where you buy a card, then run the card thru a machine to make your ride legal? Or like Philly where you buy a ticket on board the train?  And finally, what do I need to do when I have a City Ticket? Is there some sort of validation that needs to occur when boarding? If yes, where does that happen?

I am so ready for this trip. I'm now obsessing over the silly parts.. Calm me down, please.

that's a tough one, since the local rail systems (and ticket options) are all different. Typically, though, you have to buy your ticket before boarding. It's pretty standard now that you will find information in English, so just follow the directions or ask someone. I grew up in Germany, so if you have more specific questions, feel free to PM!