12 days in Germany - itinerary needs your critique!
 

Hello to everyone!

We need some help with out itinerary. Going to Germany for 12 days and would like to see as much as possible while avoiding breakneck speeds.

Flying into Berlin, flying out of Munich.

We like: quaint medieval towns, museums/art galleries

General outline as follows:
Day 0: Arrival in Berlin
Day 1 - Day 3: Berlin (three full days)
Day 4: Train to Heidelberg for an overnight stay
Day 5: Train to Munich, which we'd like to use as a base.
Three days to explore Munich and the famous Neuschwanstein.
Day 9 - Day 12: leave Munich daily by train to see various cities (Bamberg, Nuremberg, Rothenburg).
Day 13: Leave Munich to go home.

How does that look? Have we allotted too much time to southern Germany? Also, we'd love to see those fairy-tale Rheinland hills with all the castles. Can we cram that into the itinerary, or would that be too much?

Driving is not an option for us, so it will be all rail travel.

We look forward to your comments/responses!

Thanks and cheers!

Hi, Sam!

I would skip Heidelberg, personally, unless you have a personal reason to go. I've been there a few times and it still doesn't light my fire. And it's off the track of your trip. I'd rather spend more time in places like Bamberg, which are stunning.

Three days in Berlin isn't much, so I'd nix Heidelberg and add a 4th day to Berlin.

Then, I'd go to Nuremberg and use it as a base for seeing Nuremberg, Bamberg and Rothenburg. Easy train transport from there, too, using a cheap regional pass.

Nuremberg was bombed and re-built, but it looks old and has a good vibe and lots of energy. Great little beer pubs/nightlife. Don't miss the Documentation Center and the German National Museum. Good castle, too.

Bamberg knocked my socks off -- we just spent 3 days there. Loved every minute of it. If you're a beer lover, you'll be in heaven.

Rothenburg is extremely touristy, but quite lovely, especially if you get away from the main square. Get there early and walk the walls, before the buses arrive.

Then, I'd move south to Munich for the end and fly home from there. (Your original plan has you backtracking a bit).

I'd skip the Rhine, not enough time.

Do a bit of research (or we can help) on Deutsch Bahn SparPreis tix and also regional tickets. Huge savings.

Gute Reise!

Thank you so much for your response, NanBug!

No personal reasons to go to Heidelberg, but we had always thought it was one of the most picturesque towns in Germany and something of a must-see.

Your comment has forced us to reconsider the whole thing.

Anybody else wants to add his/her 5 cents?

P.S. What about a day trip from Munich to Heidelberg? Or would Salzburg make more sense? We've already been to Salzburg, so...

I second the lovely town of Bamberg, famous for its locally produced smoke beer, multiple bridges, Petit Venise and 1000 year old cathedral (Dom). I stayed there for a week last May.
Click on my name in blue and scroll down to the trip reports for our daytrip reports to Nurnberg, Amberg, etc.

Have you been to Garmisch-Partnekirchen or Mittenwald?
Both are just 1.5-2 hours from Munich by train.

Well to me Heidelberg is one of the finest old-world looking cities in a Germany whose other ancient cities sadly lost their charming old looks in WW2 bombings - indeed Heidelberg was chosen to be the American Army's post-war base in part because it was one of the few larger towns not decimated in war.

It has the castle of your dreams regally crowning a high hill in the town center and a large university whose students patronize the city's famous centuries-old student pubs. Climb the Philosophers' Path as Goethe used to do I guess on the other side of a usually swift-moving Neckar River for neat views over the ancient towns nestled far below.

But Heidelberg is a major detour from a Berlin to Munich trajectory and if only going for one night - again perhaps you have some other reason for this major detour - Heidelberg is a neat old town but Regensburg is similar in authentic oldness and an un-Godly number of old churches and historic buildings and is much more on a Berlin to Munich line.

anyway if going by train check out these IMO info-laden sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id9.html.

The German Railpass may also be of interest - this lets you hop virtually any train anytime - if you want full flexibility it could be a great deal as full fare tickets can cost a ton.

Mokka4 and PalenQ,

Thank you for all the feedback. Heidelberg's out. Considering all of the suggestions, we will most likely park ourselves in Bamberg between Berlin and Munich.

We have never been to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I've heard that it was a scenic place, but is there much to do besides skiing to justify a day trip from Munich?

Thank you all--you have made the job so much easier.

By the way, is it better to buy tickets from Berlin to Bamberg and from Bamberg to Munich in advance or on the day of?

Based on my Euro experience, I am inclined to buy on the spot, but I have a nervous wife...

Hi, Sam.

I would buy the Berlin to Bamberg ticket ahead of time. Get a SparPreis ticket as soon as they go on sale for the most savings.

You can travel Bamberg to Munich on a Bavarian Ticket, as along as you depart after 9 am. One ticket is good for both of you. Major savings. You can buy one this ticket the morning you leave. See www.Bahn.de for details.

By the way, if you're really into castles, you may want to go to Burg Coburg, which is about 20 minutes from Bamberg by train. Lively historic town, too. Double-check the opening times before you go. Again, you can use a Bavarian ticket. http://www.kunstsammlungen-coburg.de/

If you buy on the spot you may well pay much much more than if you book weeks in advance and can score the limited in number 29 or 39 euro fares, which cannot be changed nor refunded and are train specific - check www.bahn.de/en for sample fares and put in tomorrow's date and see if there are any cheap tickets left - often are not - if interested in flexibility to hop any train any time then just 3-4 longer train rides will make the German Railpass a better deal than buying full fare - the more days the cheaper per day the pass becomes.

Discount fares are available at the ticket window I understand if they remain but chances are great I believe that they may have been sold out long long ago.

I was in Heidelberg as a Department of the Army civilian for 5 years in the 60's. It has a wonderful castle, but when I've gone back in years since then, it had become very very touristy.

The Hauptstrasse (main street) used to be a real German street, but it's now filled with Hagen Daz and other American-type stores. Very disappointing.

I think your decision to cut it out of your itinerary is a good one.

I second the suggestion that you arrive early (or stay overnight) in Rothenburg. It's very crowded with tourists during the day, but it's really a different place before and after the tourist busses arrive and depart.

I also think Bamberg is a beautiful town.

NanBug, PalenQ and Pegontheroad,

A big thank you for the advice and for generously sharing your experiences. This is really helpful.

Thanks to you, we've got just the perfect itinerary!

NanBug - will definitely look into Burg Coburg and might even make the trip, time allowing. Thank you for that suggestion!

Ix-NAY on the Eidelberg-HAY for me, too.

I have never understood the fascination with it apart from it's sentimental connection to the US military presence.

Buy your train tickets 90 days in advance from www. bahn.com, when they first go on sale. if you know the day you will be leaving Berlin. Cheaper and the wife gets her peace of mind - you can print them out.

And yes, Bamberg rocks. I have yet to see someone criticize it in any meaningful way, as not living up the plaudits heaped upon it. You can see Nurnberg as a day trip from Bamberg and then take other day trips from Munich- Salzburg, Garmisch, Mittenwald, etc.

As usual my advice for Bamberg is S-C-H-L-E-N-K-E-R-L-A

Thank you, Aramis.
By the way, like the musketeer-ish username (if that is indeed the intended reference).

Well it ain't the cologne!

Glad we understand one another.
;-)

5 days = $233 on a German Rail Twin Pass - two names on one pass cheaper than two solo passes - $253 p p for a 5-day pass or about $50 a day or about 38 euros a day per person for completely flexible travel - hop on and off virtually any train anytime (a few ICE Sprinters excepted) - so for not much more than the 29 euro lowest discount price which much be booked weeks in advance to guarantee and often these are 39 euros if travelling on several longer trips strongly consider the pass.

Bookmarking

Buy your train tickets 90 days in advance from www. bahn.com, when they first go on sale. if you know the day you will be leaving Berlin>

But again 4 or more of these could be as expensive as a German Rail pass which would allow you to board virtually any train anytime - you can make optional seat reservations but not really needed.

I see you've ditched Heidleburg, but in the future, do not travel to a destination one day and leave the next. You seriously shortchange your sightseeing. Also, if you are musical, you might want to include Leipzig.