2 weeks Bavaria - December 2015
Nov 7th, 2014, 04:00 AM
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2 weeks Bavaria - December 2015
Together with my wife we are planning our next year holiday and are thinking of going to Bavaria for 2 weeks in early December. I know its early, but due to the season we have to book in advance. Now we have to fly in and out of Munich. Also we don't drive while abroad and we use trains. Apart from Munich what other 2 bases do you suggest to stay in? Important that from these bases I can do easy day trips (via trains) to other cities, in less then 1.3hours. We like cities, museums, castles and for this trip Christmas decorations. Any ideas please? Munich must be the last base, so when I land I want to go directly to the 1st base. We already visited Innsbruck and Salzburg.
Nov 7th, 2014, 04:08 AM
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How about Regensburg? Have a look on my pages over on Virtualtourist, which are based on a visit in Advent 2012. Here is the Regensburg one: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/6664/
Day trip options could include:
Landshut: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/a997/
Straubing: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/3d98/
Amberg: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/132d9/
Passau: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/7269/ would also be a worthwhile base for a couple of days.
You have probably already found Nürnberg: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/8082/
Day trip options could include:
Landshut: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/a997/
Straubing: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/3d98/
Amberg: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/132d9/
Passau: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/7269/ would also be a worthwhile base for a couple of days.
You have probably already found Nürnberg: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/8082/
Nov 7th, 2014, 09:13 AM
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Just for comparison, we're going next year for a month and will meet some friends who have never been there. They only have ten days so our itinerary is:
1. Two nights in St. Goar to see the Rhine
2. Four nights in Bamberg with a day stopover in Würzburg and day trips on the train to see Nürnberg and Coburg as well as a day in Bamberg.
3. Four nights in Munich, with day trips on the train to Garmisch and Neuschwanstein (and Salzburg if they want to).
This plan covers the following points: seeing the picturesque part of the Rhine, avoiding moving around every day by basing in only three places, using trains for more efficient and cheaper transportation, and seeing a bit of the Alps. Can't work any of my other favorites in but this will give them a good overview. They live in the UK so they can get back easily and cheaply if they want to see more.
1. Two nights in St. Goar to see the Rhine
2. Four nights in Bamberg with a day stopover in Würzburg and day trips on the train to see Nürnberg and Coburg as well as a day in Bamberg.
3. Four nights in Munich, with day trips on the train to Garmisch and Neuschwanstein (and Salzburg if they want to).
This plan covers the following points: seeing the picturesque part of the Rhine, avoiding moving around every day by basing in only three places, using trains for more efficient and cheaper transportation, and seeing a bit of the Alps. Can't work any of my other favorites in but this will give them a good overview. They live in the UK so they can get back easily and cheaply if they want to see more.
Nov 7th, 2014, 10:06 AM
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1. Two nights in St. Goar to see the Rhine>
Many folks find the nearby Mosel Valley nicer than the boisterous Rhine Valley where two main rail lines and two main highways hug each side of the narrow Rhine Valley - plus IMO the Mosel is far more scenic - a lazy river. 'the Mother Mosel' to Germans rather than the 'Father Rhine" - the Mosel runs in a deep valley lovingly covered with vineyards on south-facing slopes (few vineyards along that part of the Rhine)
And Cochem is the picture postcard wine town of your dreams - Rhine towns again are not nearly as quaint and added to the rail and road noise are an incessant of commercial boat travel, etc.
Two days in Cochem - take a river trip or head to nearby Burg Eltz Castle, more famous and IMO more awesome than anything on The Rhine - so famous it used to be pictured on old 500 Deutsche Mark banknotes until the Euro came along. Cochem has great rail links from nearby Koblenz so you could also do the Rhine boats from this base.
For lots of great info on German trains and this area in particular check out ythese IMO superb sources: www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.seat61.com. Most of your rail trips can be cheaply covered by Lander Tickets - good for a whole region for about 30 euros total for you both together (one pass).
Cochem:
https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...w=1455&bih=977
Burg Eltz
https://www.google.com/search?q=burg...w=1455&bih=977
In winter I would not stay in either area.
Many folks find the nearby Mosel Valley nicer than the boisterous Rhine Valley where two main rail lines and two main highways hug each side of the narrow Rhine Valley - plus IMO the Mosel is far more scenic - a lazy river. 'the Mother Mosel' to Germans rather than the 'Father Rhine" - the Mosel runs in a deep valley lovingly covered with vineyards on south-facing slopes (few vineyards along that part of the Rhine)
And Cochem is the picture postcard wine town of your dreams - Rhine towns again are not nearly as quaint and added to the rail and road noise are an incessant of commercial boat travel, etc.
Two days in Cochem - take a river trip or head to nearby Burg Eltz Castle, more famous and IMO more awesome than anything on The Rhine - so famous it used to be pictured on old 500 Deutsche Mark banknotes until the Euro came along. Cochem has great rail links from nearby Koblenz so you could also do the Rhine boats from this base.
For lots of great info on German trains and this area in particular check out ythese IMO superb sources: www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.seat61.com. Most of your rail trips can be cheaply covered by Lander Tickets - good for a whole region for about 30 euros total for you both together (one pass).
Cochem:
https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...w=1455&bih=977
Burg Eltz
https://www.google.com/search?q=burg...w=1455&bih=977
In winter I would not stay in either area.
Nov 7th, 2014, 02:33 PM
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The Rhine of course is what everyone hears about but you could base in Cochem and spend a day out on K-D boats (www.k-d.com) - a nice whole day getting on and off. But I understand when someone has heard about something that's it even though IMO it is the lesser of two very nice places.
So I hear you! And you all will be happy with the Rhine - but for others planning trips... consider Cochem - I've taken hundreds of folks thru the Rhine and Mosel and they all liked the Rhine and loved the Mosel and especially Cochem.
In St Goar look for a hotel room away from the train tracks and highway though that is impossible as the town is wedged practically vertically between the Rhine gorge and hills going right up from it.
So I hear you! And you all will be happy with the Rhine - but for others planning trips... consider Cochem - I've taken hundreds of folks thru the Rhine and Mosel and they all liked the Rhine and loved the Mosel and especially Cochem.
In St Goar look for a hotel room away from the train tracks and highway though that is impossible as the town is wedged practically vertically between the Rhine gorge and hills going right up from it.
Nov 8th, 2014, 01:26 AM
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What about Munich > Cologne > Frankfurt? I'm swapping Frankfurt for last as Air Malta serves only Munich and Frankfurt in that area, and want to leave the departure city for last to be safe.
Nov 8th, 2014, 06:50 AM
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October. We've always stayed at Hotel Landsknecht in St. Goar but this time I think we'll stay in town--again for the convenience of our friends (actually our SIL's parents from the UK).
As for Cochem, we'll be there before we meet them in St. Goar. We're retired and are taking a month (followed by a transatlantic cruise back home) but they're not so we have to cram in everything they want to see in a short time. We're one-bag people but they don't travel light so I had to minimize moving around.
As for Cochem, we'll be there before we meet them in St. Goar. We're retired and are taking a month (followed by a transatlantic cruise back home) but they're not so we have to cram in everything they want to see in a short time. We're one-bag people but they don't travel light so I had to minimize moving around.
Nov 8th, 2014, 08:39 AM
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Yes I've done day trips from Frankfufrt to Marburg - nice university town with castle on a hill, etc; Speyer - nice Rhine town with famous palace - Mainz - historic town - Bonn, nice old tow with Mozart connections - Heidelberg - to me one of the nicest and liveliest German towns - great castle, famous student inns, neat location on river, Wiesbaden - spa town, etc.
Nov 9th, 2014, 09:22 AM
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K-d boats do run one daily Rhine Gorge service in winter I believe but only subject to reservations and there being enough to make it worthwhile. www.k-d.com
Nov 11th, 2014, 12:09 PM
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I don't get the being talked out of a cruise which would give views of more than ONE part of the Rhine -
well it is about the only genuinely scenic part of the Rhine outside of Switzerland where many boats cannot go - what are the other parts of the Rhine like - pretty industrial and pretty blah.
well it is about the only genuinely scenic part of the Rhine outside of Switzerland where many boats cannot go - what are the other parts of the Rhine like - pretty industrial and pretty blah.
