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Germany-Help! Where to end our December Holiday in!!??

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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 10:58 AM
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Germany-Help! Where to end our December Holiday in!!??

Hello brilliant travelers! I need help planning the end of our Christmas Holiday to Germany. I have everything booked except the last three days and, of course, I'm now in a panic! We start down the Romantic Road, then to Salzburg, then Prague and then I don't know where to go/end after that for Dec. 29-31. We have to be back in Frankfurt to catch our evening plane on January 1. I thought about Berlin/Potsdam/Dresden, etc. What's a good New Year's Eve location for a family!?
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 11:10 AM
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Are you going by train? Or car?

winter weather can be dicey at times but not usually.

Berlin is a fantastic city IMO for as many days as you want and Potsdam worth a whole day for Sans Soucci Palace, the Prussian Versailles and surrounding park filled with follies (whimsical statues - like a copy of a Chinese Pagoda - or edifices.

All the places you mention are easily done by train - even the Romantic Road towns if not the Romantic Road per se.

Anyway if into trains check www.bahn.de/en for schedules and fares;www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com. The German Railpass if doing that by train would be a great deal - hop on any train anytime- can also go to Prague on it from Nurnberg with it.

Nurnberg is also a neat city -known for having more Third Reich relics than any other city in Europe in the huge old Nazi Rallying Grounds just south of town- where Hitler famously reviewed the troops from a stadium balcony that is still there.

You can also go to Fussen and Europe's most famous castle - Neuschwanstein of Mad Ludwig fame - near Munich.

Frankfurt is sure to have a bombastic New Year's Eve no doubt and IMO always be in your departure city the day before you flight (in case of weather problems; train strikes; car break downs, etc).
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 12:02 PM
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Check out Bamberg... or as Pal has recommended, Nurnberg.

Bamberg has some interesting old buildings that weren't hit during the war.
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 12:22 PM
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I liked Bamberg a whole lot - yes relatively untouched by WW2 and neatly has some roaring rivers gushing right thru it.
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 12:31 PM
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Munich, day trip to Oberammergau is magical imo.
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 04:19 PM
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New Year's Eve is called Silvesterabend - the day itself is Silvester, abend being the evening.

Heidelberg is a fine city, with midnight fireworks - see if you can decipher the German (or use Google translate) on this website:
http://www.heidelberg24.de/heidelber...n-5921171.html
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 06:33 AM
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Wow! All great suggestions! I did rent a car for our family of 5 starting in Frankfurt and making suggested stops in Bamberg Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Nuremberg then on to Munich and Fussen for Christmas. Anyone done that?

Dropping the car after that and taking the train to Austria and Prague then to Berlin, I guess!

Good suggestion to just be in Frankfurt for New Year's Eve, Pal.

Ideas for a quick, 2 day Berlin stay and NYE in Frankfurt?

Thank you all!!!
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 06:42 AM
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Dresden is nice if you only have a couple of days; the old town is fairly compact.
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 10:57 AM
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Ideas for a quick, 2 day Berlin stay>

Well two days is not much in Berlin with out its various main sights but better than none:

I'd start with doing the Reichstag Tour -visiting the Holocaust Memorial and Museum all nearby - walk down the Unter den Linden - old Berlin's main drag and lined by famous things like at BebelsPlatz- sight of Nazi book burning - The Brandenburg Gate- anyway a great walk.

Dresden yes is more compact and easier to see in a relaxed fashion in a few days.

book your Prague-Berlin/Dresden tickets at www.bahn.de/en.
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 05:18 AM
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Great! Thank you Palen!!
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 10:05 AM
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Oh of course also Checkpoint Charlie- the famous border crossing from West Berlin to East Berlin in days of the wall - nice wall museum there.

To see the largest intact piece of Berlin Wall go to the East Side Gallery where a long piece is intact and has been decorated by many artists with poignant drawings/paintings related to the Berlin divide.
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Old Nov 18th, 2016, 11:55 AM
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https://www.google.com/search?q=east...HVRtAM8QsAQIHQ

Don't miss the East Side Gallery!
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Old Nov 19th, 2016, 11:25 PM
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If you have to fly out of Frankfurt on the 1st, then the best thing is to actually be in Frankfurt for New Years Eve. The fireworks will be going on for at least an hour after midnight. Especially along the river.
Parties will be in all of the major 5 star hotels, some of them with a view. Look at Intercontinental, Hilton or Flemings Deluxe. The Zoo will also have a party in their turn of the century ball room.
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Old Nov 21st, 2016, 09:50 AM
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Always always be in you departure city the night before - cardinal rule of my travel - you never know what may pop up and Frankfurt's New Year's Eve sounds great!
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