Hi Donna,

I think we need a few more infos before you can get any meaningful advice:

How many days will you have to make your way from Venice to Copenhagen?

Do you plan to visit just those four cities or will you have time for anything in between?
e.g. you can fly Vienna-Stuttgart, or take the train and spend 1-2 nights in Munich halfway to Stuttgart.

Hi again,
we will be in the cities for 3-4 days each. We will start off from Copenhagen and then fly to each of the other cities.
Copenhagen to Vienna
Vienna to Stuttgart
Stuttgart to Venice
2 week cruise
Venice to Paris
Paris to Berlin
Berlin to Copenhagen
We have been to Venice and Paris before.
Thanks again
Donna

Any ideas???????

In Copenhagen you might consider Hotel The Square. It is in a fantastic location, it is very modern and it is comfortable. I enjoyed it very much. FYI, expect Copenhagen to be expensive.

Thanks hpeabody,
I will check out the Hotel The Square.
Is Copenhagen more expensive than other European countries?
What are your tips for must sees?
Thanks
Donna

What is the weather likely to be at this time of the year?
Any other suggestions?
Donna

The Admiral Hotel in the Nyhaven area of Copenhagen meets your requirements. Copenhagen was more expensive than other European countries , similar to Stockholm, less expensive than Oslo.

Hi lordy,

as a couple of us have said on another thread, the Hotel Austria in Vienna is very central, well-placed for transport, and very comfortable, with nice large rooms and bathrooms. It's about a five minute walk from the cathedral, and the same from a main transport hub.

here's the link:

http://www.hotelaustria-wien.at/

I did find Copenhagen to be more expensive for a visitor than the other major european cities, especially eating places. My favorite memories of Copenhagen are roaming the Rådhuspladsen (main public square) shopping on the Strøget, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Nyhaven and the most delicious soft serve ice cream in Tivoli Gardens

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and ideas.
I will check out the variuos web sites.
Thanks again
Donna

Thanks again.
Have checked the hotels you suggested and will book in the near future. Any other ideas for the other places I mentioned.
Thanks
Donna

Any other ideas

Learn how to say "Rødgrød med fløde", it's hilarious, and hopefully it will impress the Danes. I'm headed to Scandinavia in June and will be spending five days based in Copenhagen. Some of the things I've come up with are:

Nyhavn area (canal tour and strolling)
Rundetaarn (Round Tower, it apparently offers great views of the city)
Frederiksborg and Kroneborg castles to the north of the city
Church of our Saviour (you can climb the spirally outside-of-the-spire staircase to get some more great views)
Strøget (the main shopping street)
Amelienborg Palace and Square (Royal residence)

Plus a range of museums etc.

Hope you have a good trip

P.S. You really will laugh yourselves silly trying to pronounce the aforementioned phrase....

OK, you want really "high end" or at least high priced in Copenhagen? Check out the Nimb hotel which is actually part of the Tivoli Gardens.

I've stayed there once; place is unforgettable if you like that sort of situation.

Donna,

Do you mind my asking which guidebook you are using? Doesn't it answer the questions you've asked? Usually, that is exactly what a guidebook does: it lists the top attractions, give the details about when they are open and how much they cost, and offers suggestions for comfortable lodgings to fit all budgets, resraurants and shopping, and places for nightlife and socializing. It also provides a compact history of the country.

In other words, if you are a traveler who enjoys "sightseeing, shopping, dining out, learning about the history in places, meeting locals etc. " , your guidebook should be able to tell you that.

It would be good to share with others which one you are using so the rest of us don't make the mistake of buying it.

PS: Your guidebook should also have information about the weather in the places you've mentioned. If it doesn't, honestly, toss it and get a good one.

You need to define the budget better for your lodging requests, especially for Copenhagen which is one of the most expensive cities in the world due to the Danish tax system. And 4-star means different things - you need to know how the ratings are done because some systems rate based on amenities and features available over comfort, cleanliness and quality of furnishings (this is especially true in the UK).

You might want to try to find this book: Peter Fritzsche and Karen Hewitt, Berlinwalks, 1994 which divides Berlin into 5 different walks in different neighborhoods. It is excellent on explaining the nature of the neighborhoods and weaving in the history of modern Germany.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/sets/72157623174831107/

There is a Vienna walks book in the same series, but I was not impressed by it. The Michelin Green Guides are quite good at introducing the history and architecture of the location they are covering.

To whet your appetite:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/sets/72157622927111169/

At weather underground you can search by city for their average hi and lo temps and rain for different dates.
Here is the link
http://www.wunderground.com/

Here are some hotels I like very much:

Paris Relais St Germain

Copenhagen Marriott nr Tivoli Gardens (water view room)

Vienna Hotel Kaiser von ungarn

Thanks everyone for your great ideas and suggestions.
I have been sick for a while and have not had a chance to check back on the site.
I will check out the various sites.
In regards to a guide book, I prefer to get some first hand advice from others.
We have travelled extensively throughout Asia, Canada, The USA and parts of Europe before and have cruised in Europe too but have not visited the above places before. ( Have been overseas many, many times. We are very lucky! )
We have booked the following hotels so far:
Hilton Copenhagen
Sofitel Vienna
Moevenpick Hotel Stuttgart
Thanks again
Donna
Australia
Australia

What is it that you want to see in Stuttgart? The car museum?

Honestly, I disliked Stuttgart very much and checked out of my hotel after 1 night to move on to a more interesting place. Before leaving, I drove all around the city and didn't see anything worth stopping for. Did go to a park/mansion place outside the city but that wasn't worth a waste of valuable vacation time either.

Wow, I've never actually heard someone say they disliked Stuttgart. Having lived there for 2.5 years, I can tell you that Stuttgart is a wonderful city, with much to see and do, but it is not on the typical tourist's checklist because much of the city was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in a more modern style. I am guessing you want to go there to visit the Mercedes and/or Porsche museums, which are definitely worth the trip if you are into cars. The central part of the city along the Koenigstrasse and around the Schlossplatz is worth a stroll - the shopping is excellent, and the neighboring Schillerplatz and Altes Schloss gives you a hint of what the city used to be like. I enjoyed many afternoons eating and people watching at the Alte Kanzlei restaurant on Schillerplatz.

I never had to stay at a hotel in Stuttgart, but one of the best (and best situated) is the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin, just off the Koenigstrasse and across from the Hauptbahnhof. My husband stayed there a couple of times. The only Moevenpick I know of is at the airport...surely that is not the one you mean?

I am guessing that the "park/mansion" joannyc is referring to is either Schloss Solitude or the Residenzschloss in Ludwigsburg. The former is a small summer palace of the regional royalty set on a hill outside of Stuttgart. Other than being a gloriously beautiful structure and a great place to have a picnic lunch on the lawn, there is not much to do there. The Residenzschloss, on the other hand, is an incredible place - referred to by some as the Versailles of Germany - with a very interesting history and beautiful gardens. I have spent many hours strolling the grounds there and the guided tour is excellent - be sure to check the times when the English tour is offered; last I knew there was only one English tour per day.

If you will be traveling by car there are also many attractions within a day's drive of Stuttgart...the college town of Tuebingen, the very well-preserved Bebenhausen monastery, and the castles of Burg Hohenzollern and Schloss Lichtenstein are among my favorites.

Hi again,
my husband is very interested in cars and is looking forward to visiting the car museums. Also we heard that the Black Forest area is not too far from Stuttgart.
The castles also sound like fun to explore.
I am pretty sure that the hotel is near the airport and reasonably close to the museums.
We will be interested in hearing about the history of Stuttgart. I was worried about the last poster before you. Thanks for giving us the positives off Stuttgart.
What is the weather likely to be at this time of the year?
Thanks
Donna

I always tell people that Stuttgart was an amazing city to live in because it offers a bit of everything German - both the modern and the traditional - without being overrun by tourists. Munich it is not, but it has its own character and attractions.

The Moevenpick is literally AT the airport. I'm sure it is a fine hotel, just be prepared for the non-glamorous location. It will be a good half-hour drive to the car museums from there. You would be a lot closer if you stayed near the city center, but that's your call.

Stuttgart is not too far from the Black Forest, but be aware that the most scenic areas are further to the south (near Freiburg).

You will be there at the height of summer...but that doesn't mean much, because the weather can vary wildly at that time of year. We had one rather cool summer when it hardly got out of the low 70s, and another summer when we had a heat wave in June that got up into the 90s. Your best bet is to bring layers, and maybe a lightweight raincoat that can serve as a light jacket/windbreaker in cooler weather.

Hi hausfrau,
Stuttgart as a major destination was not on our radar.
It was a cheap flight to Venice which made us think of this location. We have only been to Frankfurt Germany before so thought why not?
We will be resting up, taking in a few sights, doing the hop on hop off bus and visiting the car museums. We are not expecting too much from the airport location.
We will be visiting Berlin on the way back so will make the most of that city.
Any other suggestions for sight seeing, drives, restaurants etc would be appreciated.
Thanks again
Donna
Australia
We also thought that it would be easy to hire a car from the airport as my husband enjoys driving when overseas.
Thanks for the tip on the weather. I do usually pack with layers so that is no worries.

<<We also thought that it would be easy to hire a car from the airport as my husband enjoys driving when overseas.>>

Well in that case, by all means take a day or two to drive around the Schwaebische Alb region southeast of Stuttgart. It is a very scenic area of rolling, flat-topped mountains and lush countryside. The places I mentioned above are all in that area and driving there is part of the attraction. (My husband worked for Mercedes, so we are real car fanatics.) I would actually recommend that you explore this region instead of the Black Forest. It will give you a real taste of the Swabian countryside and is easier to get to from Stuttgart.

If you make it to Tuebingen I can recommend Weinstube Forelle, just off the central Marktplatz.
www.weinstubeforelle.de


Burg Hohenzollern is one of my most favorite castles in Germany. It looks like they are now offering English tours on the weekends, but if you go during the week you can purchase an English guidebook and take the German tour; be sure to check out the catacombs under the castle as well. The castle has an excellent restaurant within its walls - looks to be closed for renovations right now, but should be open again when you are there.
www.burg-hohenzollern.com

Yes, hiring a car from the airport will be the easiest thing to do. Get a navi or a good road atlas and you will have a great time!

Thanks again hausfrau,
your information has been very helpful.
The Swabian countryside sounds very scenic and we will enjoy the drive there. I will check out the web sites you have sent too.
I am a teacher and in the middle of school reports so will get back to my travel plans in the near future.The castle and catacombs sounds really intersting too.
I am sure we will have plenty to do!
we will definitely get a navman for the directions.
Thanks
Donna

You shouldn't miss the Louisiana just outside Copenhagen in a wonderful location if you are interested in art:
http://www.louisiana.dk/dk/Service+Menu+Right/English

A trip along the coast from Copenhagen up to Helsingør is really nice and will make an excellent day trip. Distances are short and public transport is plentiful. Louisiana is on the coast north of Copenhagen and south of Helsingør.
http://www.visitnordsjaelland.com/international/en-gb/menu/visitor/north-sealand.htm

copenhagen?

last time I looked it was in Denmark.