Aggiemom is back from Amsterdam/Germany - partial trip report
May 16th, 2005, 07:00 PM
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Aggiemom is back from Amsterdam/Germany - partial trip report
Thanks again to all who helped me plan this trip. We flew American Airlines to Gatwick and then British Airways to Amsterdam. My Mom (77) and I started on a slightly panicked note - possible broken nose for one daughter, softball in the mouth of the other, painful muscle spasm in my back and broken hearing aid for my mom (oh, and did I mention my speeding ticket??). But we made it to the plane and had an uneventful, but long, sleepless, flight to Gatwick. Was hoping like heck that the muscle relaxants and Vicodin would knock me out, but turned out to be wishful thinking. I did have my Bose noise cancelling headphones and eye mask to complete my ensemble, but they didn't help much either. Oh well. Did the crossword puzzle with Mom, read, actually ate the food, listened to my iPod (note of caution: when dancing in the bathroom with the iPod, please remember to close the door firmly!) We arrived at Gatwick and were held at the gate as the jetway was not deployed. Well, they never got it working so we had to walk down the stairs (of a 777) with our carryons, and then walk up two flights of stairs. At the top, Mom says she feels dizzy and just sits in the middle of the floor. I really thought I might have killed her! I'm thinking, I should have brought her to Europe years ago. What was I thinking?? She put her head between her knees and many people asked to help or get help but Mom, stoic as ever, declined. After a few stressful minutes she recovered and actually had energy to shop, having a three-hour layover. We kept waiting for gates to be posted for our flight to Amsterdam and it was nearing 20 minutes to departure before they posted the gate number. We went to the gate where they loaded us (and about 30 other senior citizens) into a bus and drove us out to their most ancient airplane (I saw the initials WW and OW carved on it, I swear) where we had to climb up the stairs again. On board I located my seat and an elderly gentleman was sitting in it. I politely said, "I think you're in my seat" and he says, "oh, did you want to sit here? I love the window seats." It took him hours just to begin to move so I told him just to stay put. I ended up in a middle seat between him and his lady friend who talked over me (no, no, they didn't want to trouble me to switch seats!). Only a 45 minute flight so what the heck, I'll be gracious. To my great surprise, they actually started serving food on this 45 minute flight. I hurried to the bathroom to clean up (the dirtiest bathroom I've seen) but came back too late. Lady friend and gentleman were enjoying lunch spread out over my now middle seat. No problem. I moved up a row and ate a few bites of one of the most disgusting sandwiches ever. We arrive in Amsterdam and I swear the taxiing to the gate was as long as the flight! We enter the terminal to collect our bags and we encounter our senior group from the airplane trying to get on the moving sidewalk. We should have known then to stay far away. Several ladies were gabbing and not paying attention and were clutching their luggage carts for support. We should have seen it coming but near the end of the sidewalk they panicked and, yes, just pancaked into one another - and me. They were yelling "I will not go down! I cannot fall down! Arthur, you must help!" Well, Arthur was no help at all, but I was lucky enough to break their fall. I was the only one hurt in the pile up. Small price to pay for a few laughs (discreetly done in the ladies room later). (Yes, my Mom and I do enjoy gallows humor.)Okay, so we get our bags and fly through immigration. We look for the Connexxion shuttle and pay 11 euros each to the NH Doelen. I give the girl 40 euros cash and she returns 5 euros. Hmmmm - honest mistake or attempted rip off? I politely state she did not give me enough change and after a few moments she came across with the correct amount. Connexxion was a prompt, if very bumpy ride to the hotel. Next installment in a bit....
May 17th, 2005, 04:00 AM
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I wouldn't say it is 'negative', I'd say she's being truthful and not painting a rosy picture of events that can be tiring, unpleasant, and uncomfortable. Getting 'there' and getting home are the most stressful and exhausting parts of these trips - if you can maintain calm and sense of humor, it sure helps.
May 17th, 2005, 04:27 AM
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There have certainly been other trip reports that had as many, if not more, "negatives" and whether we like it or not, those things do happen.
Different aspects of trip reports are useful to different people for different reasons. Airline mishaps and problems can be interesting reading but I find they are rarely generalizable. What is as interesting as anything is the analysis that probably occurs as readers try to figure out if the poster could or should have "done something different."
Trip reports take time and I am always appreciative of them even if they are sometimes filled with "information" that is less than relevant to my own particular interests and needs.
Different aspects of trip reports are useful to different people for different reasons. Airline mishaps and problems can be interesting reading but I find they are rarely generalizable. What is as interesting as anything is the analysis that probably occurs as readers try to figure out if the poster could or should have "done something different."
Trip reports take time and I am always appreciative of them even if they are sometimes filled with "information" that is less than relevant to my own particular interests and needs.
May 17th, 2005, 05:17 AM
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Ready for part two. I will use paragraphs this time - sorry don't know what I was thinking (can I still blame it on jet lag??)
On the shuttle to the hotel I try to phone my husband. I was using my daughter's fancy Nokia GSM phone with Cingular/AT&T service. I had ordered international call service ($5.99 month, 99 cents/min.; 25 cent text msg)and had texted from Gatwick successfully. No such luck here. Could not call or text. Okay, I'll wait til we get to the hotel.
We arrive at our hotel, NH Doelen. It's a beautiful building and inside it is gracefully aging - what I had expected. Apparently Rembrandt painted there. Check in was smooth and staff was efficient. Room was #418 right on the canal. 169 euros per night. On our way up we marveled that Rembrandt, himself, probably used this very elevator....
Room was small, as expected, but spotless and well furnished and comfortable. Bathroom was modern and had all the amenities European style. We opened the windows as it was stuffy, even though it was raining outside and cold (a weather pattern of the whole trip). Across the way was a roof top patio 5 stories up with no fence or barrier around it. People were out every night, rain or not drinking - I was hoping they wouldn't fall off. We dropped our bags and went off to explore Amsterdam with our map in hand.
Upon recommendation of some kind soul here (sorry, I forget your name at the moment) we wanted to see Anne Frank's house as it was open til 7:00 PM and we had a good 2-1/2 hours to find it. Apparently that's not enough time if you're jet lagged, fighting the rain and umbrellas and totally confused with Amsterdam's layout. It looked so charming on the map but to us it was dizzying. Could not get our bearings - actually walked in circles around our hotel without realizing it. (I expected this, too, as my sense of direction sucks in real life, too.) So we compromised. Let's just look around and soak in Amsterdam. The architecture was charming, the canals and trees were very beautiful. Everyone rode bikes and we saw many Moms with babies in slings around their necks with toddlers on the back of the bike in seats. Brave souls! We did make it to the Dam and found some canal boats to go on the following day.
By 8:00 the jet lag got us and after a quick bite of ham and cheese croissants we headed back to the hotel to start fresh in the AM. I made a 6 minute, 11 euro call to my husband to help straighten out the cell phone problem (another continuing theme of this trip). Set my handy-dandy travel alarm for 6:30 AM (no clocks in room) and fell into a fitful sleep. Mom starts snoring. I put in my earplugs and toss and turn all night. At the crack of 10:00 AM I awake with a start. Dang! With Mom half deaf (ok, more than half) and my earplugs we did not hear the alarm. Made some tea with the hot pot in room and grab some energy bars we brought with us. We head out to find Anne Frank's house, Rijksmuseum, canal boats and Centraal Station (to reserve our seats for trip to Cochem, Germany the following day.) Quite an ambitious plan for us, it turns out (we have a theme going on here....)
Heading towards Anne Frank house, we think, we walk for a long time. Pass lots of young people drinking, smoking dope, making out. Long story short - never made it AF house. Spotted signs to Centraal Station so we figured let's go and make our reservations. Inside, it's a large building with no clear-cut "ticket" center. We finally stumble onto it and take a number to get waited on. Then we decide this was taking too long and wasting our only full day in AMS so we purchase tickets at the TI there for the canal boats and hope to hop on and hop off all day, at our favorite stops. Believe it or not, we never did find where to get on the boats! We tried and tried and were told, no, not here, over there. We asked many people and finally we were just too embarrassed and went back to the TI and asked for a refund (they did with a 10 percent penalty as stated on the receipt). They patiently tried to help us find the boats but we were hopeless. To cut our losses, (it was now 1:00 PM and we hadn't seen much of AMS) we decided to just get tickets to Rijks and walk there. The walk was pleasantly pretty although cold, windy and wet. The Rijks is undergoing a major renovation and most of the major works are in an area all together (which worked for us as we had less time than we wanted). The Dutch masters were incredible and I felt satisfied that I saw something I had wanted.
On the way back to the hotel we found a Nokia store and the kind man there helped unravel our cell phone troubles. Turns out I was not using the int'l code for USA, 001, before my regular number (did not use it at Gatwick). Right then my husband calls and says he has straigtened things out. Cingular/ATT screwed up. Yaaay!! I can now be in touch with my family.
It's now almost 7:30 PM and we head to the hotel for dinner and maybe a stroll afterwards. Never made dinner or the stroll. Tried to call Hotel Haus Lipmann in Bielstein, Germany to confirm our room (required), our next stop. Could not get through - something about service not available. In a mild panic, I called husband and had him call HHL from the States to confirm so they wouldn't give our room away. Just before going to sleep, my Mom casually states that there was a ghost in our room last night. Hmmmm. She heard footsteps (interesting, because she is now, wihtout her hearing aids, quite deaf) and felt the covers from her bed lift up. Thanks for freaking me out, Mom. I was too tired to get too worried and just asked the ghost not to bother ME tonight. Got up at 6:30 AM next morning hoping to get to Centraal to catch the 8:07 AM to Cochem.
On the shuttle to the hotel I try to phone my husband. I was using my daughter's fancy Nokia GSM phone with Cingular/AT&T service. I had ordered international call service ($5.99 month, 99 cents/min.; 25 cent text msg)and had texted from Gatwick successfully. No such luck here. Could not call or text. Okay, I'll wait til we get to the hotel.
We arrive at our hotel, NH Doelen. It's a beautiful building and inside it is gracefully aging - what I had expected. Apparently Rembrandt painted there. Check in was smooth and staff was efficient. Room was #418 right on the canal. 169 euros per night. On our way up we marveled that Rembrandt, himself, probably used this very elevator....
Room was small, as expected, but spotless and well furnished and comfortable. Bathroom was modern and had all the amenities European style. We opened the windows as it was stuffy, even though it was raining outside and cold (a weather pattern of the whole trip). Across the way was a roof top patio 5 stories up with no fence or barrier around it. People were out every night, rain or not drinking - I was hoping they wouldn't fall off. We dropped our bags and went off to explore Amsterdam with our map in hand.
Upon recommendation of some kind soul here (sorry, I forget your name at the moment) we wanted to see Anne Frank's house as it was open til 7:00 PM and we had a good 2-1/2 hours to find it. Apparently that's not enough time if you're jet lagged, fighting the rain and umbrellas and totally confused with Amsterdam's layout. It looked so charming on the map but to us it was dizzying. Could not get our bearings - actually walked in circles around our hotel without realizing it. (I expected this, too, as my sense of direction sucks in real life, too.) So we compromised. Let's just look around and soak in Amsterdam. The architecture was charming, the canals and trees were very beautiful. Everyone rode bikes and we saw many Moms with babies in slings around their necks with toddlers on the back of the bike in seats. Brave souls! We did make it to the Dam and found some canal boats to go on the following day.
By 8:00 the jet lag got us and after a quick bite of ham and cheese croissants we headed back to the hotel to start fresh in the AM. I made a 6 minute, 11 euro call to my husband to help straighten out the cell phone problem (another continuing theme of this trip). Set my handy-dandy travel alarm for 6:30 AM (no clocks in room) and fell into a fitful sleep. Mom starts snoring. I put in my earplugs and toss and turn all night. At the crack of 10:00 AM I awake with a start. Dang! With Mom half deaf (ok, more than half) and my earplugs we did not hear the alarm. Made some tea with the hot pot in room and grab some energy bars we brought with us. We head out to find Anne Frank's house, Rijksmuseum, canal boats and Centraal Station (to reserve our seats for trip to Cochem, Germany the following day.) Quite an ambitious plan for us, it turns out (we have a theme going on here....)
Heading towards Anne Frank house, we think, we walk for a long time. Pass lots of young people drinking, smoking dope, making out. Long story short - never made it AF house. Spotted signs to Centraal Station so we figured let's go and make our reservations. Inside, it's a large building with no clear-cut "ticket" center. We finally stumble onto it and take a number to get waited on. Then we decide this was taking too long and wasting our only full day in AMS so we purchase tickets at the TI there for the canal boats and hope to hop on and hop off all day, at our favorite stops. Believe it or not, we never did find where to get on the boats! We tried and tried and were told, no, not here, over there. We asked many people and finally we were just too embarrassed and went back to the TI and asked for a refund (they did with a 10 percent penalty as stated on the receipt). They patiently tried to help us find the boats but we were hopeless. To cut our losses, (it was now 1:00 PM and we hadn't seen much of AMS) we decided to just get tickets to Rijks and walk there. The walk was pleasantly pretty although cold, windy and wet. The Rijks is undergoing a major renovation and most of the major works are in an area all together (which worked for us as we had less time than we wanted). The Dutch masters were incredible and I felt satisfied that I saw something I had wanted.
On the way back to the hotel we found a Nokia store and the kind man there helped unravel our cell phone troubles. Turns out I was not using the int'l code for USA, 001, before my regular number (did not use it at Gatwick). Right then my husband calls and says he has straigtened things out. Cingular/ATT screwed up. Yaaay!! I can now be in touch with my family.
It's now almost 7:30 PM and we head to the hotel for dinner and maybe a stroll afterwards. Never made dinner or the stroll. Tried to call Hotel Haus Lipmann in Bielstein, Germany to confirm our room (required), our next stop. Could not get through - something about service not available. In a mild panic, I called husband and had him call HHL from the States to confirm so they wouldn't give our room away. Just before going to sleep, my Mom casually states that there was a ghost in our room last night. Hmmmm. She heard footsteps (interesting, because she is now, wihtout her hearing aids, quite deaf) and felt the covers from her bed lift up. Thanks for freaking me out, Mom. I was too tired to get too worried and just asked the ghost not to bother ME tonight. Got up at 6:30 AM next morning hoping to get to Centraal to catch the 8:07 AM to Cochem.
May 17th, 2005, 05:48 AM
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Aggiemom,
This is an interesting trip report to read - thanks for taking the time to post it! Part 2 is definitely easier on the eyes - keep more coming.
We know you did a lot of homework before you went and asked a lot of the same questions I would ask. Do you have any tips for those of us following you on things to do differently for next time?
I'm sure you will get a lot of hindsight advice from others about should have done this or could have done that, but I'm interested to get your first hand insight.
J
This is an interesting trip report to read - thanks for taking the time to post it! Part 2 is definitely easier on the eyes - keep more coming.
We know you did a lot of homework before you went and asked a lot of the same questions I would ask. Do you have any tips for those of us following you on things to do differently for next time?
I'm sure you will get a lot of hindsight advice from others about should have done this or could have done that, but I'm interested to get your first hand insight.
J
May 17th, 2005, 06:08 AM
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Sorry, I do seem to be blathering mindlessly. The trip was difficult in many ways and I guess I'm trying to keep my sense of humor about it. I feel I may have failed in my Mom's only trip to Europe. Mom is more deaf than I had realized, and may even be showing signs of dementia that I hadn't really noticed (she does not live near me). The dizzy spell at Gatwick scared me more than I wanted to admit (she has had heart problems)and I used up all my energy trying to talk loudly without yelling and repeating myself again and again patiently. By the time we left AMS I was really worried that I had made a mistake with not taking Mom on an organized tour. In retrospect, that might have been best....
And, Rex, I value your posts but cut me some slack about the sandwich - this is airline food, remember, not 4 star cuisine!
But for now, we're on our way to Cochem and Mom is delighted. She has yearned to go to Germany for years. We met great people with great stories on the train which kept us entertained. We enjoyed the passing scenery and soon we were approaching Cochem. Because we were warned (rightly so) that trains do not stop long at small stops we stood by the door with luggage in hand. Ahhh, Cochem, I can see the sign! So we wait for the doors to open. And wait some more. And more. And soon we're leaving Cochem behind! We were really puzzled. We went back to our compartment where our new friends were surprised to see us. They kindly told us we were supposed to have opened the doors ourselves. Duh. Okay, plan B.
I decided we should go on to Trier being that it is a larger city and a better chance at getting a return train on a holiday than a tiny little place. Now I'm worried that even if we do get a train back to Cochem we will be late for our reservation as the hotel states it will give rooms away after 6:00 PM. I tell mom that Trier is nice this time of year and maybe we should stay for the night. She is dubious but agreeable. Fortunately, we arrive in Trier and are able to hop right back on a train to Cochem. Got a taxi right away (15 euros) and he was kind enough to alert the hotel we were coming. Hotel Haus Lipmann welcomed us with open arms and we were charmed right from the start. Herr Lipmann struggled to carry all our luggage up three flights and told us about dinner. The area is beautiful, hotel very nice, spotlessly clean, large room on the top floor with a view of the Mosel. Heaven! We go down to dinner and Mom orders the Guest menu special (13 euros complete) of onion soup, salad, pork roast and apple strudel with cream. She declared it excellent. I had soup and salad, meat not being my favorite. We enjoyed some wonderful wine and set out to explore. It was freezing cold and still raining - 6 degrees centigrade. (I'm glad we couldn't readily convert this in our wine-soaked brains to Fahrenheit as we would have been even colder, I fear!!) We looked up at the ruins behind the hotel and the Kloisters, too. We never made it up to explore as the climb was too much for Mom and I felt bad about leaving her. She seemed disappointed in herself and her capabilities, too. Too cold, we headed to our room to get some rest before Burg Eltz the following day.
And, Rex, I value your posts but cut me some slack about the sandwich - this is airline food, remember, not 4 star cuisine!
But for now, we're on our way to Cochem and Mom is delighted. She has yearned to go to Germany for years. We met great people with great stories on the train which kept us entertained. We enjoyed the passing scenery and soon we were approaching Cochem. Because we were warned (rightly so) that trains do not stop long at small stops we stood by the door with luggage in hand. Ahhh, Cochem, I can see the sign! So we wait for the doors to open. And wait some more. And more. And soon we're leaving Cochem behind! We were really puzzled. We went back to our compartment where our new friends were surprised to see us. They kindly told us we were supposed to have opened the doors ourselves. Duh. Okay, plan B.
I decided we should go on to Trier being that it is a larger city and a better chance at getting a return train on a holiday than a tiny little place. Now I'm worried that even if we do get a train back to Cochem we will be late for our reservation as the hotel states it will give rooms away after 6:00 PM. I tell mom that Trier is nice this time of year and maybe we should stay for the night. She is dubious but agreeable. Fortunately, we arrive in Trier and are able to hop right back on a train to Cochem. Got a taxi right away (15 euros) and he was kind enough to alert the hotel we were coming. Hotel Haus Lipmann welcomed us with open arms and we were charmed right from the start. Herr Lipmann struggled to carry all our luggage up three flights and told us about dinner. The area is beautiful, hotel very nice, spotlessly clean, large room on the top floor with a view of the Mosel. Heaven! We go down to dinner and Mom orders the Guest menu special (13 euros complete) of onion soup, salad, pork roast and apple strudel with cream. She declared it excellent. I had soup and salad, meat not being my favorite. We enjoyed some wonderful wine and set out to explore. It was freezing cold and still raining - 6 degrees centigrade. (I'm glad we couldn't readily convert this in our wine-soaked brains to Fahrenheit as we would have been even colder, I fear!!) We looked up at the ruins behind the hotel and the Kloisters, too. We never made it up to explore as the climb was too much for Mom and I felt bad about leaving her. She seemed disappointed in herself and her capabilities, too. Too cold, we headed to our room to get some rest before Burg Eltz the following day.
May 17th, 2005, 07:09 AM
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After an excellent breakfast of eggs, meats, sausage, cereals, yogurts, fruits, tea, coffee we asked Herr Lipmann about transport to Burg Eltz. He arranged a taxi (Charley's Taxi in pale yellow cars) to and from the castle and then drop us at the train station for a short trip somewhere. Cost 75 euros from hotel and worth it. The trip up the hills was beautiful and we were surprised by the lack of residential/business development. Long green vistas, patches of mustard fields, grapes. Marvelous despite the rain. The taxi dropped us (and waited two hours at 15 euros per hour) so we could take the shuttle (1.50 euros) to the castle. Well worth it as the road was hilly, wet and slick. Shuttle was warm and dry and quick (2 minutes). Paid 6 euros each for entrance fee and tour. The tour was offered only in German. Luckily, the tour guide spoke English as well and was quick to note we were the only English speaking folks there at the time. He translated several things for us and answered our many questions. The road to the castle is all green, twisting and winding and then all of a sudden - there it is! Don't miss this castle.
We were dropped off at the train station and decided to go to Koblenz, see the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine and to compare current sites with an old photo album my mom's father brought back from World War I. The confluence was a great site but Koblenz as a city was nothing special, as we expected, as it was mostly destroyed in WWII and rebuilt. There were a couple of interesting churches though we did not go in. Mostly we walked around. We happened upon a German version of the Dollar Store. We had to check it out. What fun! It was called Mac Geiz and we bought some trinkets for my nephew and niece.
Forgot to add - before we went to Cochem the day before, we changed trains in Koln and walked out to see the cathedral. Spectacular although construction was ongoing. Mom was not up to tackling the stairs so we did not go in. Still, an amazing cathedral not to be missed. Next time hopefully I'll be able to see the inside....
Back to Bielstein via Cochem and a taxi to the HHL. Rested a bit and headed to dinner. We ordered the Guest Menu again at 13 euros which was beef stew, thinking there would be some vegetables but none to be found. The gravy was excellent so I enjoyed that with some bread, also excellent, and a salad. Mom ate her meal and most of mine. Fresh strawberries and cream for dessert. Yum! Another quick, cold, rainy walk around outside and then to read in bed.
I carefully planned the trip to the next stop which was Rothenburg ob der Tauber the next day. Cell phone continued to work for phone calls but not for text messaging despite talking to a representative stateside about this. Not a big deal but a little frustrating. Now Rothenburg....
We were dropped off at the train station and decided to go to Koblenz, see the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine and to compare current sites with an old photo album my mom's father brought back from World War I. The confluence was a great site but Koblenz as a city was nothing special, as we expected, as it was mostly destroyed in WWII and rebuilt. There were a couple of interesting churches though we did not go in. Mostly we walked around. We happened upon a German version of the Dollar Store. We had to check it out. What fun! It was called Mac Geiz and we bought some trinkets for my nephew and niece.
Forgot to add - before we went to Cochem the day before, we changed trains in Koln and walked out to see the cathedral. Spectacular although construction was ongoing. Mom was not up to tackling the stairs so we did not go in. Still, an amazing cathedral not to be missed. Next time hopefully I'll be able to see the inside....
Back to Bielstein via Cochem and a taxi to the HHL. Rested a bit and headed to dinner. We ordered the Guest Menu again at 13 euros which was beef stew, thinking there would be some vegetables but none to be found. The gravy was excellent so I enjoyed that with some bread, also excellent, and a salad. Mom ate her meal and most of mine. Fresh strawberries and cream for dessert. Yum! Another quick, cold, rainy walk around outside and then to read in bed.
I carefully planned the trip to the next stop which was Rothenburg ob der Tauber the next day. Cell phone continued to work for phone calls but not for text messaging despite talking to a representative stateside about this. Not a big deal but a little frustrating. Now Rothenburg....
May 17th, 2005, 07:41 AM
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I cannot say enough about the kindness and efficiency of the people at Hotel Haus Lipmann. Wish we had a week there. Total bill was 229 euros for two nights including dinner and breakfast. They accept cash only. We checked out of HHL and Herr Lipmann accompanied us curbside to hold umbrellas over us as we waited for our taxi. Despite calling a taxi ahead of time it arrived late and we missed our first choice train to Rothenburg.
We criss crossed our way across Germany to Rothenburg. It took over 6 hours and was exhausting,despite seeing many more castles on the Rhine from the train window. Lots and lots of up and down and hefting luggage. Luckily, we rarely had to put up the luggage on the racks, either having some kind soul offering or just leaving it on the floor as the trains were not crowded. I also found out, embarrassingly, that the little conveyor belts they have next to the stairs in German rail stations are for you to HOLD onto your luggage and walk it down. NOT send it sailing like I did, almost taking out a kid! His mother glared at me and I can imagine her thoughts (stupid Americans) Ooops...
We absolutely loved the ease of having a railpass and just hopping on and off at will. The connections were well marked and the schedules at the stations even showed a diagram of the train, how many cars, which way it would approach, which cars were first class, second, dining, etc. Even for us directionally-challenged humans it was easy! Overall, very impressed with the rail system. In retrospect, I would have spent much more time in each stop as it was very hard on mom to do so much walking and hauling luggage. She was quite a trooper and didn't complain. At this point, I realized this type trip was a mistake and we were spending way too much time moving and not enough time enjoying. Well, live and learn I guess. I tried to keep my spirits up. I'm just glad I cut back my itinerary based on what the kind Fodorites had to say or it would have been worse. I really thought I planned to the nth degree and went through it in my head over and over. But it's always different in reality.
Next stop Rothenburg. We got off the train in RODT after the dark stormy skies followed us. We managed to get to the Burg Hotel (4 euro taxi). We had been given a small suite with two distinctly separate rooms - quite large and almost luxurious. Lovely sitting room with sofa, two chairs, table. Radiators in every room and the heat responded very quickly. This looked out over the courtyard with the Reichstadt Museum in the far end. The bathroom was quite large with a hand held shower in a large, deep tub. We managed yet again to spray the entire bathroom while taking our showers that night (as we had done in HHL, too!) We decided to settle in and it rained harder. Luckily, it lasted only minutes so we hightailed it out of there with our umbrellas and cameras. It was after 6:00 PM and the tourists were gone. We explored the wonderful medeival streets and shops. The sky grew grey again and the wind kicked up. I'm thinking, it's a good thing we arrived just in time for the hurricane! It started pouring and the wind blew our umbrellas inside out. The Burg Hotel kindly had a basket of umbrellas free for guests to use - but of course we had brought our own and they were destroyed!! We were soaked to the skin but determined to see what we could see. Enjoyed St. Jakob's church (incredible wood carvings by Riemenschneider) but missed the Night Watchman's Tour. We just couldn't get ourselves to brave the cold and wet again. I was disappointed. We found dinner at Zum Schwann Restaurant. It was okay. Mom really enjoyed her bratwurst and I had a salad. Apologies to you foodies: I've never been much interested. Just eat to live, I guess.
The temperature kept dropping as we walked back to the hotel. It was all the way down to 4 degrees Celsius. By this time in the trip we had long ago worn our entire wardrobes (usually at one time!) because it was so cold. Talk about layering.... A long hot bath and then hopped into bed to read and prepare for tomorrow's ride to Munich.
We criss crossed our way across Germany to Rothenburg. It took over 6 hours and was exhausting,despite seeing many more castles on the Rhine from the train window. Lots and lots of up and down and hefting luggage. Luckily, we rarely had to put up the luggage on the racks, either having some kind soul offering or just leaving it on the floor as the trains were not crowded. I also found out, embarrassingly, that the little conveyor belts they have next to the stairs in German rail stations are for you to HOLD onto your luggage and walk it down. NOT send it sailing like I did, almost taking out a kid! His mother glared at me and I can imagine her thoughts (stupid Americans) Ooops...
We absolutely loved the ease of having a railpass and just hopping on and off at will. The connections were well marked and the schedules at the stations even showed a diagram of the train, how many cars, which way it would approach, which cars were first class, second, dining, etc. Even for us directionally-challenged humans it was easy! Overall, very impressed with the rail system. In retrospect, I would have spent much more time in each stop as it was very hard on mom to do so much walking and hauling luggage. She was quite a trooper and didn't complain. At this point, I realized this type trip was a mistake and we were spending way too much time moving and not enough time enjoying. Well, live and learn I guess. I tried to keep my spirits up. I'm just glad I cut back my itinerary based on what the kind Fodorites had to say or it would have been worse. I really thought I planned to the nth degree and went through it in my head over and over. But it's always different in reality.
Next stop Rothenburg. We got off the train in RODT after the dark stormy skies followed us. We managed to get to the Burg Hotel (4 euro taxi). We had been given a small suite with two distinctly separate rooms - quite large and almost luxurious. Lovely sitting room with sofa, two chairs, table. Radiators in every room and the heat responded very quickly. This looked out over the courtyard with the Reichstadt Museum in the far end. The bathroom was quite large with a hand held shower in a large, deep tub. We managed yet again to spray the entire bathroom while taking our showers that night (as we had done in HHL, too!) We decided to settle in and it rained harder. Luckily, it lasted only minutes so we hightailed it out of there with our umbrellas and cameras. It was after 6:00 PM and the tourists were gone. We explored the wonderful medeival streets and shops. The sky grew grey again and the wind kicked up. I'm thinking, it's a good thing we arrived just in time for the hurricane! It started pouring and the wind blew our umbrellas inside out. The Burg Hotel kindly had a basket of umbrellas free for guests to use - but of course we had brought our own and they were destroyed!! We were soaked to the skin but determined to see what we could see. Enjoyed St. Jakob's church (incredible wood carvings by Riemenschneider) but missed the Night Watchman's Tour. We just couldn't get ourselves to brave the cold and wet again. I was disappointed. We found dinner at Zum Schwann Restaurant. It was okay. Mom really enjoyed her bratwurst and I had a salad. Apologies to you foodies: I've never been much interested. Just eat to live, I guess.
The temperature kept dropping as we walked back to the hotel. It was all the way down to 4 degrees Celsius. By this time in the trip we had long ago worn our entire wardrobes (usually at one time!) because it was so cold. Talk about layering.... A long hot bath and then hopped into bed to read and prepare for tomorrow's ride to Munich.
May 17th, 2005, 08:28 AM
#16
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Yes, I won't deny it - - for (most) trips of over 4 hours train time (though I trust that you have noted that my wife and I have decided to "rough it" and take an overnight sleeper from Biarritz to Paris, 8 hours in duration, on our upcoming trip... departing May 26).
But my idea of food on those (low-cost intra-Europe) airlines is whatever you bring with you (typically nothing... who can't wait to get off a 90 minute flight?)
Even water doesn't come free on Ryanair.
But my idea of food on those (low-cost intra-Europe) airlines is whatever you bring with you (typically nothing... who can't wait to get off a 90 minute flight?)
Even water doesn't come free on Ryanair.
May 17th, 2005, 09:14 AM
#17
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Hi Rex - yes the trip did get better but did not reach the overall spectacular that I was hoping for. Too many variables I hadn't accounted for properly - Mom's physical and mental health, really, really bad weather, too much train time to name a few. I'm trying to go with the flow, though, so here's Munich...
Before leaving Rothenburg we dipped into the Reichstadt Museum. I think we were the first ones there. Great little place with lots of close ups of armor, weapons, clothing, dishes and other medeival stuff. Some displays were through the 19th and 20th centuries. Everything was in German but with my dictionary I could figure it out. I guess that's another disappointment for me personally. I wish I had spent more time preparing my German. I felt like a fish out of water not knowing the language (although everyone was quite accomodating to my English and I still marvel at how many languages Europeans in general know and use daily). Something else to put on my list for the next trip I guess!
By now we were getting to be quite good on trains. After two changes of trains we arrived in Munich about 3:00 PM. Light rain only and I decided to try to find our hotel and see if it was really walking distance as the website stated. It was, to our delight! We stayed at Le Meridien and it was only a two minute walk from the Munich Hbf. We were shown to a very nice room - hotel is only 3 years old. I had just joined the Moments Club (frequent travelers club) when I reserved the room but even that brought me benefits. They had upgraded us to the largest room available in my category. A nice little map on the hallway wall shows each room and its size, as well as emergency exits. It was only 125 euros and quite nice - especially considering the bargain price. It is variably rated as a 4 star or 5 star. I'd rate it in between. Very modern. Extremely quiet - no traffic or train noise and no room to room noise. Large plasma television (which we never watched!!). Marble bath with separate tub and shower. Excellent blow dryer and copious amounts of toiletries, towels, etc. Spa available. Concierge was very helpful. Breakfast was not included and at 20 euros each, it was the most expensive on this trip. It was excellent but ultimately not worth it as we did not eat 20 euros worth. We found a bakery called Muller's and that worked for us.
I enjoyed Munich right away, but Mom was disappointed. I guess she really liked the countryside (which was incredibly serene, fairy tale like). We dropped our bags and since it was Sunday, no stores were open, we decided to find the churches. We first explored Frauenkirche - beautiful but somewhat diminished because of the restorations. We walked by the Marienplatz (too late for the Glockenspiel display) along the shopping street, Neuhausen - probably about one mile from the hotel one way. There were many Polizei at the Platz as there was a neo-Nazi demonstration going on. It was quiet, non violent but I didn't really understand what they were trying to do. I did have a TV reporter come up to me and ask me questions in rapid-fire German but I had to decline with a halting "Ich spreche nicht Deutsche." (sp?) I never did find out what exactly they were doing there. We saw the Alte Rathaus and took numerous photos. Munich was not my most favorite city in Europe but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
We decided to dedicate the next day to shopping for souvenirs as we did not do much of that yet. It was kind of a disappointment. We walked all day up and down the streets freezing and wet. Most of the stores displayed stuff that you could get cheaper here. I ended up buying LaCoste (yes, not even German!) shirts for my three teenage girls even though they were 67 euros (and only $65 at home!). I knew I wouldn't splurge on that at home and, besides, I knew that they would love them (they did). My Mom found some silver earrings for them but nothing for my husband. We kept looking but nothing seemed "just right." All over Munich. We finally gave up and hoped we would get something in Austria the next day. We had decided to take a Grey Line tour to Salzburg/Lake area for 41 euros each. So we went back to the hotel and ordered room service. Just some delicious asparagus soup, that great bread and some wine.
We got an early start the next morning for Salzburg. The bus picked us up at the hotel at 8:00 AM and we were off to Salzburg. The scenery on the way was breathtaking. Mom has never seen really large mountains so she was just tickled. I have been to the Alps before but they never fail to impress me. Our Tour Guide, Irmgard, was very sweet but ineffective. It was supposed to be an English only tour but somehow she had several Germans on board and had to go back and forth in the two languages. She got confused and often forgot to speak in the microphone so we missed out on a lot. Luckily, the scenery made up for it.
Salzburg was a real treat. I know it was the typical tourist route but that did not detract from its beauty. We saw, although could not tour inside, the monastery on the top of the hill. We went into the Dom zu Salzburg - stunningly gorgeous. The paintings on the ceilings, and plaster work were amazing. Not huge, but very pretty. We walked the narrow, twisty streets and stopped at Noord See for a quick take away sandwich. Fresh tuna salad. Excellent and reasonable - 2.50 euros. We found a small pottery shop which hawks their wares, handmade in Salzburg - Kermanische Werkstatte in the Alten Markt. We bought several unique pieces for our homes and as a few gifts. I always like to try to get stuff that's native made. We managed to spend our entire cache of euros. Had just enough left over for the maid's tip at the hotel the following day.
We were then off on the bus to the lake district. We drove by a few lakes(sorry, can't remember names right now) and stopped at St. Wolfgangsee. My most favorite place on this entire trip! I think it might supplant Annecy, France as my favorite mountain retreat of all time. Yes, we did the tourist thing but I felt that, given the time, you could really explore and find hidden treasures if you spent some time here. Something to dream about. The oldest church there was St. Wolfgang's. Absolutely the best I saw on this trip. The paintings were amazing and I think parts of the church date from the 700's or 900's (anybody correct me if I'm wrong). It was small but exquisite. And, too soon, it was time to go back to Munich.
Before leaving Rothenburg we dipped into the Reichstadt Museum. I think we were the first ones there. Great little place with lots of close ups of armor, weapons, clothing, dishes and other medeival stuff. Some displays were through the 19th and 20th centuries. Everything was in German but with my dictionary I could figure it out. I guess that's another disappointment for me personally. I wish I had spent more time preparing my German. I felt like a fish out of water not knowing the language (although everyone was quite accomodating to my English and I still marvel at how many languages Europeans in general know and use daily). Something else to put on my list for the next trip I guess!
By now we were getting to be quite good on trains. After two changes of trains we arrived in Munich about 3:00 PM. Light rain only and I decided to try to find our hotel and see if it was really walking distance as the website stated. It was, to our delight! We stayed at Le Meridien and it was only a two minute walk from the Munich Hbf. We were shown to a very nice room - hotel is only 3 years old. I had just joined the Moments Club (frequent travelers club) when I reserved the room but even that brought me benefits. They had upgraded us to the largest room available in my category. A nice little map on the hallway wall shows each room and its size, as well as emergency exits. It was only 125 euros and quite nice - especially considering the bargain price. It is variably rated as a 4 star or 5 star. I'd rate it in between. Very modern. Extremely quiet - no traffic or train noise and no room to room noise. Large plasma television (which we never watched!!). Marble bath with separate tub and shower. Excellent blow dryer and copious amounts of toiletries, towels, etc. Spa available. Concierge was very helpful. Breakfast was not included and at 20 euros each, it was the most expensive on this trip. It was excellent but ultimately not worth it as we did not eat 20 euros worth. We found a bakery called Muller's and that worked for us.
I enjoyed Munich right away, but Mom was disappointed. I guess she really liked the countryside (which was incredibly serene, fairy tale like). We dropped our bags and since it was Sunday, no stores were open, we decided to find the churches. We first explored Frauenkirche - beautiful but somewhat diminished because of the restorations. We walked by the Marienplatz (too late for the Glockenspiel display) along the shopping street, Neuhausen - probably about one mile from the hotel one way. There were many Polizei at the Platz as there was a neo-Nazi demonstration going on. It was quiet, non violent but I didn't really understand what they were trying to do. I did have a TV reporter come up to me and ask me questions in rapid-fire German but I had to decline with a halting "Ich spreche nicht Deutsche." (sp?) I never did find out what exactly they were doing there. We saw the Alte Rathaus and took numerous photos. Munich was not my most favorite city in Europe but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
We decided to dedicate the next day to shopping for souvenirs as we did not do much of that yet. It was kind of a disappointment. We walked all day up and down the streets freezing and wet. Most of the stores displayed stuff that you could get cheaper here. I ended up buying LaCoste (yes, not even German!) shirts for my three teenage girls even though they were 67 euros (and only $65 at home!). I knew I wouldn't splurge on that at home and, besides, I knew that they would love them (they did). My Mom found some silver earrings for them but nothing for my husband. We kept looking but nothing seemed "just right." All over Munich. We finally gave up and hoped we would get something in Austria the next day. We had decided to take a Grey Line tour to Salzburg/Lake area for 41 euros each. So we went back to the hotel and ordered room service. Just some delicious asparagus soup, that great bread and some wine.
We got an early start the next morning for Salzburg. The bus picked us up at the hotel at 8:00 AM and we were off to Salzburg. The scenery on the way was breathtaking. Mom has never seen really large mountains so she was just tickled. I have been to the Alps before but they never fail to impress me. Our Tour Guide, Irmgard, was very sweet but ineffective. It was supposed to be an English only tour but somehow she had several Germans on board and had to go back and forth in the two languages. She got confused and often forgot to speak in the microphone so we missed out on a lot. Luckily, the scenery made up for it.
Salzburg was a real treat. I know it was the typical tourist route but that did not detract from its beauty. We saw, although could not tour inside, the monastery on the top of the hill. We went into the Dom zu Salzburg - stunningly gorgeous. The paintings on the ceilings, and plaster work were amazing. Not huge, but very pretty. We walked the narrow, twisty streets and stopped at Noord See for a quick take away sandwich. Fresh tuna salad. Excellent and reasonable - 2.50 euros. We found a small pottery shop which hawks their wares, handmade in Salzburg - Kermanische Werkstatte in the Alten Markt. We bought several unique pieces for our homes and as a few gifts. I always like to try to get stuff that's native made. We managed to spend our entire cache of euros. Had just enough left over for the maid's tip at the hotel the following day.
We were then off on the bus to the lake district. We drove by a few lakes(sorry, can't remember names right now) and stopped at St. Wolfgangsee. My most favorite place on this entire trip! I think it might supplant Annecy, France as my favorite mountain retreat of all time. Yes, we did the tourist thing but I felt that, given the time, you could really explore and find hidden treasures if you spent some time here. Something to dream about. The oldest church there was St. Wolfgang's. Absolutely the best I saw on this trip. The paintings were amazing and I think parts of the church date from the 700's or 900's (anybody correct me if I'm wrong). It was small but exquisite. And, too soon, it was time to go back to Munich.
May 17th, 2005, 09:45 AM
#19
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Love the report and my hat goes off to you for taking it with your mom. But I just can't get the picture out of my head of your luggage flying down the ramp and almost taking out a kid! Love it. Is that a German version of bowling?
May 17th, 2005, 10:26 AM
#20
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Okay, last few paragraphs of this looong trip report. Thanks for bearing with me.
It is now 4:00 AM and we are getting ready to leave Munich for our flights home. We decided to use the final day on our rail pass to get to the airport. It was very easy, and fast (40 minutes). We took the S-8 train from Munich Hbf which goes directly to the airport. We arrived in plenty of time and spent a few minutes relaxing. Again, we flew British Airways to Gatwick, but this plane was much nicer. We got breakfast - a very good croissant, fruit, tea and a muffin. Certainly, I never get that back on domestic AA flights of under two hours!
We had a 1-1/2 hour layover at Gatwick and found our gate already posted on the board this time. Went through the proper (what we thought) process of checking in. Mom went to the bathroom and I did a last minute run to Boots to stock up on the toiletries that I love. We had plans to meet at the gate if I ran late. I looked for her in two tours of the waiting area and was getting a little worried. Then I see her running up from the gate. We were promptly stopped by a gate agent of British Airways and detained. I handed over our tickets, passports and boarding passes but he said they were not valid and at this point we were not checked in for the flight. I told him I'm sure I did what I was told and explained what I had done upon arrival. He didn't agree. They pulled our seats (so he says) and he politely asked us to step aside. He then had to go through an entire security protocol of some sort and asked us questions about luggage, how long we were in the country, where we went, etc. I was surprised. I didn't know what was going on but we did as we were asked. Finally, a few minutes before boarding we were granted our original seats and allowed to board. To this day, I don't know what we did wrong. If anyone has any insight I'd sure appreciate it. Other than that, the flight home was uneventful and the flight attendants were great. Helpful, friendly. I actually enjoyed it despite the fact that it was over 9 hours straight.
So there's my report.
Here are some things I learned and things I would do differently:
Not so many train trips in so few days. We managed to stay at least two nights every place except once but it was still too much travel, too little time enjoying.
I'd pack only ONE bag including carryon (maybe bring a small purse). I'd be even more ruthless in my packing, if that's possible.
I'd definitely stay in all the hotels I had booked.
NH Doelen Amsterdam - very nice. Good location.
Hotel Haus Lipmann, Bielstein, Germany- zehr gut and highly recommended. I would, however, rent a car the next time. The train was inconvenient for this hotel.
Burg Hotel, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. Another beautiful place. Quiet hotel, elegant, well-appointed with excellent service.
Le Meridien, Munich - Excellent location. Very quiet. Elegant. Especially good for train travel - 2 minutes from Hauptbahnhof.
RailPass - Highly recommended way of travel but allow waaaay more time between trips. (And remember, you have to open the door yourself in Germany!!)
Connexxion Hotel Shuttle at Schiphol (Amsterdam) Airport. Fast service. Reasonable at 11 euros. Count your change.
Never had any problems with wrong change by any other place during the entire trip. Most places graciously slowly counted back my change and I just made sure I knew how much I should receieve.
Cell phone: I think the problems were a combination of my not using the USA country code on the continent as well as incorrect service supplied by my carrier, Cingular/AT&T. Maybe it was because of the merger but it was very frustrating. I don't know how to prevent problems in the future - I thought I was careful in explaining what service I wanted.
Would pack raingear for traveling in Germany in May.
Continue to keep my sense of humor!
Thanks again, all, for your help and insight. I'll still be around reading other reports and traveling vicariously through them.
It is now 4:00 AM and we are getting ready to leave Munich for our flights home. We decided to use the final day on our rail pass to get to the airport. It was very easy, and fast (40 minutes). We took the S-8 train from Munich Hbf which goes directly to the airport. We arrived in plenty of time and spent a few minutes relaxing. Again, we flew British Airways to Gatwick, but this plane was much nicer. We got breakfast - a very good croissant, fruit, tea and a muffin. Certainly, I never get that back on domestic AA flights of under two hours!
We had a 1-1/2 hour layover at Gatwick and found our gate already posted on the board this time. Went through the proper (what we thought) process of checking in. Mom went to the bathroom and I did a last minute run to Boots to stock up on the toiletries that I love. We had plans to meet at the gate if I ran late. I looked for her in two tours of the waiting area and was getting a little worried. Then I see her running up from the gate. We were promptly stopped by a gate agent of British Airways and detained. I handed over our tickets, passports and boarding passes but he said they were not valid and at this point we were not checked in for the flight. I told him I'm sure I did what I was told and explained what I had done upon arrival. He didn't agree. They pulled our seats (so he says) and he politely asked us to step aside. He then had to go through an entire security protocol of some sort and asked us questions about luggage, how long we were in the country, where we went, etc. I was surprised. I didn't know what was going on but we did as we were asked. Finally, a few minutes before boarding we were granted our original seats and allowed to board. To this day, I don't know what we did wrong. If anyone has any insight I'd sure appreciate it. Other than that, the flight home was uneventful and the flight attendants were great. Helpful, friendly. I actually enjoyed it despite the fact that it was over 9 hours straight.
So there's my report.
Here are some things I learned and things I would do differently:
Not so many train trips in so few days. We managed to stay at least two nights every place except once but it was still too much travel, too little time enjoying.
I'd pack only ONE bag including carryon (maybe bring a small purse). I'd be even more ruthless in my packing, if that's possible.
I'd definitely stay in all the hotels I had booked.
NH Doelen Amsterdam - very nice. Good location.
Hotel Haus Lipmann, Bielstein, Germany- zehr gut and highly recommended. I would, however, rent a car the next time. The train was inconvenient for this hotel.
Burg Hotel, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. Another beautiful place. Quiet hotel, elegant, well-appointed with excellent service.
Le Meridien, Munich - Excellent location. Very quiet. Elegant. Especially good for train travel - 2 minutes from Hauptbahnhof.
RailPass - Highly recommended way of travel but allow waaaay more time between trips. (And remember, you have to open the door yourself in Germany!!)
Connexxion Hotel Shuttle at Schiphol (Amsterdam) Airport. Fast service. Reasonable at 11 euros. Count your change.
Never had any problems with wrong change by any other place during the entire trip. Most places graciously slowly counted back my change and I just made sure I knew how much I should receieve.
Cell phone: I think the problems were a combination of my not using the USA country code on the continent as well as incorrect service supplied by my carrier, Cingular/AT&T. Maybe it was because of the merger but it was very frustrating. I don't know how to prevent problems in the future - I thought I was careful in explaining what service I wanted.
Would pack raingear for traveling in Germany in May.
Continue to keep my sense of humor!
Thanks again, all, for your help and insight. I'll still be around reading other reports and traveling vicariously through them.
