lanejohann

We now have an opportunity to go to Berlin ( original plan was to go to London again but husband suggested this alternative)...we will be on our way to our real destination of Athens, then picking up a catamaran and sailing the Greek islands for two weeks before returning to Sydney

So come July 1st next year we will hopefully be on the boat. Now I need to work backwards and fit in a sensible trip to Berlin and try to fit in a side trip to Auschwitz.
I know theres a concentration camp closer to Berlin but the kids ( 23 and 20) have studied Auschwitz at school hence their desire to go to Berlin over other possibilities like Geneva, Rome, London etc

So how would you manage such a trip?
We will be coming through the Middle East I'm assuming..haven't looked at airfares yet...too early...
from there its quite easy I believe to get to any number of major cities so I'm thinking of Berlin but maybe it should be Krakow to access the camp?

My idea is just to find a base in Berlin...settle in...maybe look around for a couple of days then leave our big bags at the hotel and take a one or two or even three night trip (by train) to krakow...itd be great if there were organised tours ( I did see one advertised...a private tour for about 1300 euros for 3 people from berlin I believe but I prefer bigger groups)
Maybe itd make more sense to go to Berlin then Krakow then Athens rather than returning to Berlin..im not sure so I'm open to suggestions


we will tack on enough days to make it worthwhile...
how many days would we need for berlin...?
we are interested in parks, museums, street markets... wwII history
thanks in advance for any suggestions
Oh and any advice re accommodation in berlin...probably for just the three of us...I don't know whether my husband will be joining us on this leg or meeting us in Athens just for the sailing bit of the trip

traveller1959

There are no direct flights from Krakow to Athens, you will have a connecting flight in Warshaw. So, it might make sense to return to Berlin. From Berlin, there are several inexpensive flights to Athens, with Easyjet and Aegean (preferred).

I would also fly from Berlin to Krakow (Air Berlin has a direct connection), because the train takes at least 8 hours with at least one change and the bus will not be faster.

Berlin has enough to offer to keep you occupied for a week - it is a fascinating city with world-class museums, great historical buildings, nightlife etc.

traveller1959

Re accomodation in Berlin:

I am in Berlin at least a dozen times per year. I usually check www.hrs.de for a hotel and I always find a 5-star hotel in central location with pool for less than 100€. For a family, the Adina hotels might be good bets because they have apartments with several rooms, full kitchen, washing machine etc.

mrsbolshie

There are direct flights between Kraków and Athens twice a week in summer with Aegean Airlines. There is no need to fly via Warsaw or go back to Berlin unless the dates don't fit with your plans.

lanejohann

Thanks for your prompt responses!

Ill check out the hotel link...thanks traveller1959
I think wed like somewhere central but maybe in a nicer part of Berlin cos ive read its a hodge podge of ugly and beautiful
Like I said, if we do tack on this trip to Auschwitz, Id like to travel light and not haul all of the stuff we are taking with us for the sailing trip round the Greek Islands.
Being summer, itd be easy to pack an overnight bag each and head off to Krakow from Berlin, leaving the heavy bags in a hotel and then return to the same for an overnighter or whatever before heading to Athens


Flying to Krakow from berlin makes sense...depending on the time of day (unless the train takes a scenic route?)

so how does this sound:
Leave Sydney on a Sunday....have the Monday through to the following Tues in Berlin/ Krakow (2 or 3? days in Krakow?)
8 -9 days total then...

fly out to Athens on the Tues...later in the evening, if possible
Have Wed, Thurs and Friday in Athens to see Acropolis, the museums and wander the Plaka (want to stay at the Athens Gate hotel if we can)
Board the catamaran on the Saturday 1st July for two weeks
Fly home to Sydney from athens
or cut out a day from Athens

traveller1959

Plan looks good.

From Athens, I strongly suggest a daytrip to Delphi - a magical place! Either rent a car for a day (recommended) or join a tour. Two days for Athens are sufficient IMO.

Reading54

Krakow is a beautiful city, it is worth a least a day.
From Krakow, many local tour agencies advertising a half-day tour to Auschwitz, and a half-day tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. All were very reasonable, I remember the salt mine tour was about 40 Euor/pp. I don't remember what the cost/pp was to Auschwitz.

May be you can book these tours through your hotel in Krakow.

HappyTrvlr

Our Krakow hotel arranged our tour to Auchwitz-Borkenau for us. There were about a dozen people in the small van and with travel from and returning to Krakow and a guided tour of Auchwitz-Birkenau,it took most of the day. Krakow deserves at least one day too if not two.

thursdaysd

You really don't need a tour to Auschwitz, the site itself will provide a guide. Krakow is certainly worth at least a full day and possibly two, and you will need some time to recover from the impact of Auschwitz.

You will want to fly. The train takes eight hours, there is no night train, and you couldn't pay me to take the night bus.

PalenQ

Tours to Auschwitz-Birkenau are efficient but try to get one that gives your party time to ponder everything on your own - being with a group of other tourists always takes something away for me from to ponder on my own the whatever of the place.

I did both by train and on my own and there are guides at the welcome office if you want one but there are plenty of signs everywhere and if your kids have studied it.

anyway just my thoughts.

Krakow is 14 hours by train from Berlin so fly!

lanejohann

thanks for your input , everyone!
will definitely fly to Krakow and yes I agree about the tours
no need for tours if its easy to get there by public transport from Krakow
would rather wander on our own...will watch a documentary or two before we go...

also keen to see another town or two around Berlin...experience more of the German flavour than what Berlin offers..being so cosmopolitan...at least that's what ive been reading(?)
don't want to overload everyone on the holocaust, either... not meaning to minimise in any way but we do want a balance between the wars and culture

need to start looking into accommodation now

lanejohann

oh traveller
Delphi is great..ive been twice and the family hasn't beem at all but I doubt that my husband will make time for that in Greece...such a lovely little town!

The kids and I would probably prefer to have any extra time in Germany, if we are going to be spending time by ourselves...

If we had the time, say another week in Greece, id retrace my first trip from 2005 and go to Olympia, Delphi and definitely take the fam up to Kalambaka and Meteora to visit the monasteries up on those amazing rock formations
...that was something to see for sure!
alas..not this trip though

rellie2

We're heading to Berlin for a few days later this year and decided to fly to Krakow to see Auschwitz for a day and fly back to Berlin that night using Air Berlin (the timing of their flights are good for a day trip).

We've hired a company who will transfer us to and from Auschwitz and they have organised a private guide at the camp for us.

Depending on your budget this may be an option.

Hubby and I decided seeing Auschwitz was important for us and we don't know when we'll be back in that area so decided to splurge a little on this tour.

lanejohann

Rellie I thought of doing just a day trip but Kraków looks nice...interesting for the kids to see and a bit if a contrast to Berlin maybe

Like I said.. We can make the time..at least it seems that way now...
I'm thinking of leaving Sydney on the Friday new and tacking on an extra weekend

So...
Saturday, Sunday , Monday in Berlin ...
Fly to Kraków on tues , spend the wed and possibly Thursday
Fly back to Berlin Thursday night or Friday morning and maybe do day trips to Dresden and Leipzig before flying to Athens on tues or wed

would love to visit Munich cos I'm thinking it's more of what I'm looking for but that's spreading it too thinly

PalenQ

also keen to see another town or two around Berlin...experience more of the German flavour than what Berlin offers..being so cosmopolitan...at least that's what ive been reading(?)>

Well Potsdam is practically in Berlin and is a nice Prussian town in its own right - was once the capital of Prussia when the Greats ruled from Sans Soucci Palace here - a must sight and roam around the park with several whimsical oddities and things Chinese looking - there is also a Russian colony right near the palace.

Lutherstadt-Wittemberg is a very German regional city not far by train from Berlin - plus if into Martin Luther this was his town and many relics remain such as the church day he, perhaps apocryphally, nailed his demands to the church door, launching the reformation.

Dresden is just a few hours by train and is a wonderful town - known as the Florence on the Elbe - if the kids have read Slaughterhouse Five it was set here.

PalenQ

. wwII history>

In Berlin don't miss the Plotenzee Prison where Hitler had his enemies literally hung on meat hooks to die - you can still see the hooks in the grim place -not far from the Hauptbahnhof really.

http://www.visitberlin.de/en/spot/ploetzensee-memorial

And check out the Topography of Terrors exhibition too:

http://www.topographie.de/en/

Hitler's bunker is not open or even its location noted by Berlin authorities but it is under a garden near the Holocaust Memorial:

http://www.den-uijl.nl/bunker.html

The Berlin Olympic Stadium from 1936 is another place famously associated with Hitler and is open for visitors.

annhig

like Pal I was going to suggest Potsdam - definitely worth a day not only because of Sansoucci but also the WW2 sites:

http://www.potsdam-tourism.com/detai...theme/a-z.html

also if you want to see a concentration camp, Sachsenhousen is far closer to Berlin than Auschwitz:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/...1!4d13.2624754

Dresden, Leipzig and Halle are all interesting cities to visit within a couple of hours on the train from Berlin.

PalenQ

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-journal.cfm

A little old but still may find something useful that I and others have said about Berlin.

kja

FWIW:

I strongly recommend that you allow a full day for Auschwitz/Birkenau, and not just because the sites are extensive, but also because allowing yourselves some time to decompress afterwards can be very important. I would NOT try to fit another site into that same day, and I say that as someone who normally crams each day with a full agenda.

Krakow is, IMO, truly beautiful. If you can give it several days (beyond your time at Auschwitz), I don’t think you would regret it. Do consider making time for the exquisite <i>Lady with an Ermine</i>, which I believe is back in her home in Krakow.

Enjoy!

PalenQ

The newer part of Krakow which few tourists get to is intriguing - Nowa Hutna which a local saying says "Rome wan't built in a day but Nowa Hutna was! A communist planned new town - and the church were the Polish Pope came from.

https://www.google.com/search?q=nowa...w=1745&bih=868