discounts/budget advice Germany

Stay in B&B's outside of the city. Granted it will be more expensive now, but you can read how we did it in 2006 in our trip report.

http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=1259

Make the most of the breakfasts that come with the room. Be sure to get some fat and protein to curb your appetite later. After a good breakfast use the grocery store or the cafeteria atop a department store for lunch.

Research hotels to find bargains. I like to use HRS.com for this purpose. They will often have the best price for a given hotel.

We like to travel by train, so we research fare bargains and are willing to take slower regional trains over more expensive intercity trains.

Regards, Gary

The Bayern Pass is a good deal for train fare. It is only about 32 Euro for a one-day roundtrip ticket for up to five people. We used it to go from Munich to Fussen, and Salzburg.

The Bayern-Ticket costs €27 for up to five people traveling together and is valid for unlimited rides all day long (after 9 AM on weekdays) on regional trains in Bavaria. There are similar deals from €26-€32 for each German state (Land).

Virtually every German town was its own website (usually at www.[town name].de. On the website will be a list of accommodations under Unterkünfte, Übernachten, or maybe Hotels. Some have email addresses and English. You get a better selection and better prices here than on any booking website.

Hi FT,

Where will you be in Germany and when?

One of the keys to getting good value at a time when your home currency is weak (like US$ against euro), is to prepay in $ as much as possible: airfare (naturally), train passes, hotels, car rental. Then you only need to worry about day-to-day expenses like meals, snacks, fuel, parking, entry charges etc.
Fuel prices are always more expensive on Autobahn than in nearby towns or cities. Save on lunch by stopping at Schnellimbiss (snack bar) or putting together a picnic from a supermarket. Go to cheaper supermarket chains like Lidl, Aldi, Netto, rather than Spar, Edeka or those in department stores like Horten. Churches generally have free entry, and you pay only a small extra (like a euro or two) to see the treasury, cloisters, crypt etc. Park your car away from city centres. Just a block or two away you can usually find residential streets with free parking (but check notices). City transport is always cheaper by buying a day ticket than individual ride tickets. A group or family ticket is a bargain. Lunch is usually cheaper than dinner, when they have day's special - Tagesgericht. Only tip by rounding up the bill to the nearest 5 or 10 euro - not 20%.

If you are going to be in one area for a period of time, renting an apartment is a good way to save money especially if you prepare some of your meals.

fam, there may not be any particular discounts or bargains, but there are many small ways you can economize. Your main expenses are food, transportation and lodging. As for food, there are many places in Germany where you can dine pretty well for as little as 10 or 15 euros, and lunch can be had for 2 or 3 if you grab a bratwurst or sandwich along the street. Taking the train rather than driving can save a bundle, and the towns and cities are filled with small guest houses and pensions that are quite inexpensive. Renting an apartment, as suggested earlier, is a great idea for a family if you are going to be staying in one place. And there are so many places to go in Germany that have discounted admission fees for kids and families. If you work at it, you can really make it pretty cheap.

If you are an AAA member you can get discounts at some attractions under the "show your card" scheme. Check with the AAA for details.
Eating a big breakfast is a good idea if it is included in the price of where you are staying - you can often get by with just a drink and a snack during the day then. Some hotels offer a set menu for guests, at a reduced rate. This will be a good three course meal for maybe €15.
Of course renting an apartment or house and self catering will be even cheaper.

thank you so much for all the good advice.
We will be traveling as a family of 4 (2 teenagers) in the Munich area in May. I have only 4 more weeks to save and keep seeing my spending ability fall as the dollar falls.
I hear some museums are free one day a week. Does anyone know how this works?
Also I hear that children under 16 have free admission to certain attractions if they are with paying adults. Does anyone know which attractions?
We are doing day trips from Munich, but want to visit the salt mines in Salzberg, Fussen, and the Residence/Nymphburg etc.
All advice is very much appreciated.

The Hotel Uhland in Munich is fabulous for a family. I suppose you already have found a place, but thought I'd mention it. Their family room is large, with two twins and a queen, a new bathroom. It's in a beautiful old mansion, with a great breakfast included. Rates are very reasonable, but it gets booked up quickly due to its popularity.

Hi F,

Ditto Mambo on the Uhland.

Have you looked into the Bayern Pass for train travel?

(Enter the name in the "search this forum box")

Many museums have free admission for under 18.

this 14 day pass might save you money if your family is visiting enough of these destinations
http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/objects/jahresk.htm
It looks as though the family pass would cover all four of you

This link describes some free admission options but I am not sure it is all current--you should check museum by museum for the places you are interested in
http://www.best-of-munich.com/museums-in-munich/museums-in-munich.html

I can suggest a couple more ways to keep costs down.

1. Pick a smaller area to see. By not traveling all over, you save on transportation plus have more time to actually see things.

2. Learn to use public transportation instead of renting a car. The first week of my last trip to Bavaria cost me $590 for food, lodging, and transportation. Had I rented a car, rental (w/ no CDW) and fuel would have added $218 (37%) to the cost for the week.

bookmarking.

~ D

A family of 4 will find it much cheaper to stay in an apartment/vacation rental than in B&B's as long as you stay at least a few days. There are thousands all over the country; check these prices for Bavaria - under 50 Euros/night, mostly:

www.accommodation.de/List.asp?BLNr=2&Region=Upper%2DBavaria

Search by region at the home page:

www.accommodation.de

On town websites, these apartments will be listed under "Ferienwohnungen", literally vacation apartments.

bookmarking

Definitely consider vacation apartments! We have used them in many countries in Europe, and the ones in Germany are usually lovely. We stayed in a ferienwohnung in Cochem and in the Berchtesgaden area last month; both were two bedrooms with a balcony and wonderful views for 70 euro per night. I have pics of the apartments we stayed in at www.kodakgallery.com/tracybates. They are scattered about in the top album.

Tracy

Book marking

book marking

I actually find Germany very reasonable compared to the rest of Europe and some places in the US. Even Berlin and Munich. You can eat well for not very much, and the museums are reasonable. In Berlin, many museums, esp. those related to the Holocaust are free.

In Munich, you can have a very nice dinner with a beer for 12 Euros. I just spent 2 weeks there and I loved the low price of dining compared to Switzerland, France and Italy. Also, the suggestion about eating lunch from a bratwurst stand is a good one. The wursts are quite tasty and filling. All the restaurants post their menus outside so you can check prices before you go in.

Germany is a good choice for bargain travelers and I loved Bavaria as well as Berlin.

gruezi

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The good news is the Euro has fallen to $1.36, a 13 month low!

If you still want to save money, there is a really good quality chain italian restaurant called Vapiano in Nuernberg & Munich. You'll be impressed with the food quality and reasonable prices even for dinner(6-8 euros). They cook everything fresh right in front of you and the place is always nice though modern. They have 2 branches in Munich, one in Theatinerstrasse and the other in Viktualienmarkt. They have a nice one by St Lorenz church in Nuernberg.

A good cheap lunch would be going to one of the doenner stands in all of the 3 cities you're planning to be. My kids always enjoy a good doenner.

We are headed to Germany and Austria in 4 weeks and I have been very pleased at the accommodations pricing...but it takes work and lots of research.

Shop the hotel prices at all the regular sites and then try the discounters like otel.com, hotelclub.net. Look for special packages. We have booked a 3 night package which includes 2 dinners or lunches (with wine), a concert, a superior double room, breakfast each day all for 340E in high season in Salzburg, a bargain and we know and like the hotel.

I have found similar offers for Germany.

I have personally never found it necessary to stay outside the city and just keep shopping prices - often they will go down unless you are traveling at a really peak time.

Compared to Italy where we just spent 2.5 weeks, the cost of food and accommodation in Germany and Austris (we were there in 2006 as well in December) is a true bargain and the budget accommodations are lovely in Bavaria IME compared to many other countries I have visited.

Shop for two rooms to give you an extra bathroom and because quads are hard to find and therefore not real bargains.

Look at the Tryp in Munich near the central station for a good budget property with a very convenient location.

And yes the Euro is finally moving in the right direction!

bookmarking

There’s so much good advice here.
We use Priceline for larger cities and I don't mind staying out of city center. The public transportation is very good getting into the city center, so it's not a problem.

As for entertainment, much of what there is to see in Germany is free or extremely inexpensive, take the family walking for the day. We've found great ruins, waterfalls and beautiful vistas taking the walking paths in Germany.

Nichts ist umsonst!!!! BUT, there is a small Hotel chain in Germany that does offer a bargain....the name of the chain is Landidyll; zentrale@landidyll.com; web site www.landidyll.com....phone number 49 700LANDIDYLL, 493643/49150....This small chain (less than 35 hotels) are all over Germany, and are 3 or 4 catagory lodgings....we have used than for past 10 + years...ohne bargain ius the aggangement called "kennen-lernen," roughly translated meaning "getting to know you." For 124 euros per person, or 160 single, you get dinner, bed and a sumptuous breakfast buffet for 2 nights.....I many, the room rate is over 124/night. Romy Schwartze essentially runs this from Weimar....we have never been disappointed! Though most staff speak excellent Englisch, we have yet to run into Americans at these places, gluck auf!!!!!..... jfbarrmd@msn.com

JFBARRMD again: I could also mention if you are an AARP member, get your car rental through them, AARP/Expedia, where you DO save a good 20% over the lowest offered..we DID and saved! If not, your best car rental bet is Auto Europe, 1-800-223 5555, who guarantee they'll beat any offered elsewhere. Also, Best Western Hotels, all 3-4 star quality throughout Germany offer weekend rates significantly lower than the weekday rates: Friday, Sat. and Sunday.

€160 for a single for two nights?! You've got to be kidding. No one needs to spend that much.

I've made two trips by myself to Germany in the last two years. In Oct. 2007, I spent less than €45 per night for dinner, room, and the next morning's breakfast. Last Nov. I spent less that €40 for the same. Half my stays have been only one night.

I get my leads from the town websites, www. townname.de.

Accomodation:
I second using www.hrs.de for hotel search. You will be amazed how cheap hotels can be.

Transport:
Make yourself familiar with public transport. The regional transport systems have their websites, e.g. www.mvv-muenchen.de for München. Your hotel concierge and the local tourist information will also help. Often, day passes are a bargain, especially those which are valid for up to 5 persons.

Food:
Many restaurants serve decent lunch at 4.50 to 6.00 Euros. Dinner will be slightly more expensive.

Another good option is superior fast food which is available in pedestrian zones, shopping centers and train stations (often in underground areas). Especially the train stations are an eldorado for high-quality, low-price fast food, e.g. sausages, pizza, pasta, seafood, oriental stir-fry, vegetarian, Turkish, Greek, juices, sweets etc.

There is also cheap fast food like Bratwurst, Currywurst, French Fries, Döner Kebab, Gyros, Chinese stir-fry ("wok" in Germany), Pizza, sandwiches. Avoid American chains like McD - they are more expensive than German fast food stands.

As an alternative, go to a grocery store and buy supplies for picnic. Bring plastic plates, cutlery and plastic glasses.

Beverages:
Buy your bottles in grocery stores. Having a drink on a parkbench is perfectly correct in Germany. Or you take your drink on your hotel room. A bottle of decent wine is available at 5 to 8 Euros. Bring a corkscrew.

Museums:
Practically all museums have reduced fees for students. Your teenagers should bring their student IDs. Discounts for AAA membership are very rare - the German partner club is the ADAC. For other reductions (e.g. free days, also rare) look at the museum's website (most websites will have an English version too).

For 124 euros per person, we rip you off.
That's a pretty decent rate.
Nichts ist umsonst, außer der Versuch meine Werbung hier unterzubringen. And "gluck gluck auf" when you go down the coal mine. It would be interesting to know what the connection between this hotel cain and a coal mine is??
Are the rooms dusty?

There was a thread on this last year in preparation for the new Germany Fodor's book I believe.

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/best-budget-tips-in-berlin-and-munich-and-the-rest-of-germany.cfm