Anjana

Hi All

My husband and me are in Berlin from NOv 9-16 and I need help with tailoring the itinerary day-wise. Here is our tentative plan:

Nov 9 AM - Arrive Berlin
Nov 9 - ALexanderplatz, Mitte, Museum Island, Charlottenberg Palace
Nov 10 - Charlottenberg palace, Holocaust memorial,Topographies of Teror, Potsdamer Platz,
Nov 11 - Potsdam day trip - Sanssouci etc
Nov 12 morning - depart to Prague via Dresden
Nov 12 afternoon (about 2-3 hrs) - spend in Dresden, is Meissen possible?
Nov 12 evening - depart to Prague
Nov 12 overnight Prague
Nov 13, 14, 15, 16 - Prague

Nov 17 - depart to Munich, onward flight home to Singapore

Here are my burning questions:

1. Should i add one more day to Berlin? We would like to cover the historical sites and also to experience the famed Berlin nightlife.
2. Or should we stay a night in Dresden and then go on to Prague?
3. Can anyone edit this itinerary for me pleeeeease? Am goign nuts figuring this out on the internet all my myself The hubby has conveniently dumped it on me
4. Need help navigating the Bahn website and booking the trains.
5. SHould we get a WElcom Berlin card? we are not likely to drive. How does one get to Potsdam from Berlin?

Awaiting any inputs and suggestions please!
Thanks
Anjana

michelhuebeli

You don't really need to book the trains in advance unless you hope to catch a discounted ride. If it feels better not to be locked in, buy the tickets when you're there, trains rarely fill up completely except maybe the night before a major holiday or a regional sports event, and there is always another leaving a bit later.

For Potsdam: www.potsdam-tourism.com/infocenter/arrival.html

danon

C. Palace is on the other side of the city from Alexanderpatz
Do you plan to visit any museums on tme Museum Isle?
What do you mean....Mitte ? . it is like saying Brooklyn

A few hours in Dresden may be better than nothing...how do you plan to include
a trip to another town in 2-3 hours?
Prague is much smaller than Berlin with fewer attractions.....
I would spend more time in Berlin.
Not sure why you wish to visit Potsdam .
You might benefit from reading a few guide books .

P.s I have been to all 3 cities..

Ingo

> Nov 12 afternoon (about 2-3 hrs) - spend in Dresden, is Meissen possible?

No.

PalenQ

4. Need help navigating the Bahn website and booking the trains.>

You can just show up and pay full fare - no booking needed - always available IME but to save some money scour www.bahn.de/en for discounted fares that however are sold in limited numbers and to guarantee must be booked weeks in advance and then are non-changeable non-refundable I believe. www.bahn.de is pretty straight forward compared to other countries' booking sites - for some useful tips on using it to the full extent for novices go to the home page of www.budgeteuropetravel.com and click on the Link 'best on-line European railway timetable' or some such wording and it brings you to the English schedule/fare page and this site also gives several useful tips to use all the wonderful features of bahn.de you may not realize at first glance.

I would put an extra day in Dresden and take one off Prague - that way you can see the gems of Dresden as well as take a train to nearby Meissen to tour the famous ceramics factory/museum and also a neat old town.

J62

Agree with PalenQ - add a night in Dresden. There are trains to Prague every hr or 2, so you have you choice of when you leave the next morning.

Having been to Meissen several times I don't think it's worth the visit, and there is so much to see in Dresden proper. If you want your fix of Meissen porcelain there's a factory store right near the Frauenkirche, basement level of the building across from the Hilton entrance. Bring a lot of cash or your credit card - nothing is inexpensive.

Michael

<i>Nov 12 evening - depart to Prague
Nov 12 overnight Prague</i>

If you mean an overnight train, I do not think that the distance between Dresden and Prague would make an overnight trip; it's a 2.5 hr. train ride according to Google.

4 days in Prague, with no outings, and 3 days in Berlin with a day's outing would not be my choice. Berlin has more to offer than Prague.

Anjana

Thanks for all the info! Adding a night in Dresden as suggested. We now need to book a flight from Prague to Munich. What are some options to check out? I seem to get ridiculously high prices for this leg on kayak.

burnie

Berlin: get on hop-off on bus and you can see everything easily. or you can chose one of the many walking or biking tours.
insider tours
new Berlin tours
fat tire bike tours

Anjana

Hi All

Am caught in a bind here. We already have flights booked from Singapore - Munich - Berlin and Berlin - Munich - Singapore.

The Complication :

We are going from Berlin to Prague via Dresden. So, our trip will kind of end with Prague. But I am left holding tickets for back home from Munich. So, we end up flying from Prague to Berlin, then to Munich and then to Singapore!! I know, bad research and hasty booking!!

Can anyone suggest a better way? All my booked tickets are non-refundable But am willing to forego the Munich - Berlin - Munich booking if there is a better option.

Tks!

PalenQ

So, we end up flying from Prague to Berlin, then to Munich>

there are overnight trains Prague to Munich and daytime ones too - just cut out Berlin and head to Munich from Prague?

Anjana

Hi PalenQ

I had the same thought and I am trying to find options. The problems are:

- Am finding one-way Prague-Munich airfare for around 500+ Euros!! Dont understand!
- Trains, I am unsure which website to book from?? DB Bahn gives me express buses for 134.80 Euros for 2 people. Is that reasonable?

Would be great to get some more ideas! Thanks!

ltr

There is an advance fare on the Bahn.de site for 59 Euros for two people using the same bus service. I am not sure taking a bus is the most memorable way to end a trip, but perhaps I am thinking of buses in the US.

PalenQ

those buses are run by the German Railways I believe and from other reports on fodor's are very comfy buses and quicker than trains - there are also trains, including an overnight train I believe.

PalenQ

Prague to Munich trains actually take a lot longer than the bus does - trains in Czech Republic are not high speed - trains take about 6 hours - the bus about 4.5 and there are many more bus services than trains now on that route.

PalenQ

I did not see any 2 for 59 euros fare but I put in fairly close dates - about 60 euros for the bus and 96 for bus + ICE train - ironically the bus-ICE combo takes longer than the direct bus. Discounted bus tickets go quick so if you see one and it fits hop on it - currently the buses for the next few days mainly say no special offers available.