Amsterdam - Germanyin mid April
 

I'm part of a group of 4 people, all mid-30's looking to spend 8 days in Amsterdam and up to 2 cities in Germany. We definitely want to experience Berlin and possibly one other location.

We're looking for a mox of city exploration and fun daytime activities like a bike tour, wine tasting, etc.

Would love recommendations on an ideal 8 day itinerary that either begins or ends in Amsterdam and Berlin. Is a Munich visit possible within the time frame and if so, is that even worth it?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

You can hop on a train and be in Berlin from Amsterdam in less than 6.5 hours with no changes on an IC. Spend 3 or 4 days there then hop on an ICE and be in Munich in less than 6.5 hours. Spend 3-4 days in Munich then either fly or train back to Amsterdam.

Logistically, it could not be simpler.

As for what to do, there's a ton of museums and parks in both cities and plenty of opportunities for bike tours and wine tastings (although in Munich you'll want to hit the Biergartens)

The interesting wine/bike areas in Germany are, in order of fun and ease of access

Mosel, Cities Trier or Koblenz
Rhine, City Koblenz
Pfalz no city
Lake Constance, city Konstanz
Baden Baden wine area (across the rhine from Alsace wine region
Franken wine Wurtzberg

There is a wine area towards Berlin but I'd not.

I'd focus on the Mosel or the Alsace (yes France but only over the river)

I'd do a 4 day trip to Amsterdam and a 4 day ride to the Mosel, lots of option on the Mosel, including bike hire and bikes taken on trains (which follow the river)

Some clues here http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Mosel_Guide.php

With Amsterdam and Berlin as fixed points, you will be in the north, so it does not make too much sense to travel to the south.

Here are my recommendations for places of interests between Amsterdam and Berlin:

- Münster is a historical town with many attractions, including the medieval City Hall (where the Westphalian Treaty was negotiated which ended the 30 Years War), the impressive Cathedral, the market square and several museums, including an extended open-air museum displaying the history of rural life (with farmhouses, workshops, schoolhouse etc.).

http://www.muenster.de/stadt/medien/virtual-tour.html
http://www.muehlenhof-muenster.org/museumsrundgang/

Münster is Germany's biking capital (partly due to the high number of students in the city).

There are tour companies that offer biking from the main station into the countryside to the river Werse where you board canoes. The Werse is a quiet but romantic river. You paddle downstream until you reach a restaurant where you have the opportunity to get a meal before you ride back to the station.

www.canucamp.de

- Bremen is a historic city with a magnificent City Hall and several very picturesque neighbourhoods. The restaurant in the basement of the City Hall has Germany's largest wine list - the port town imported wines from all parts of the world.

http://www.bremen.de/tourism

- Papenburg might be an interesting stop. First, it is a quaint town along a canal with many historic bridges. Second, it is home of the Meyer shipyards - one of the world's largest shipyards specializing in cruise ships (e.g. Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Celebrity Solstice Class, Disney Fantasy). They offer an excellent tour.

http://www.papenburg-tourismus.de/EN/index.php
http://www.meyerwerft.de/en/meyerwer..._der_werft.jsp

- Quedlinburg (UNCESCO World Heritage) und Wernigerode. These towns at the flank of the Harz mountain are quintessential historic towns, full of half-timbered houses and historical buildings. There is a scenic railroad into the mountains and a monastery to visit. Discover:

http://www.quedlinburg.de/en/hauptna...-englisch.html
http://www.wernigerode-tourismus.com/

With only 8 days, presumably not including arrival and departure day, I would stick with Amsterdam and Berlin. Getting to Berlin, whether by train or flying will take up the best part of a day, which leaves you with 4 days in one city and 3 days in the other.
If your 8 days also includes arrival and departure days then definitely stick to just Amsterdam and Berlin.

From Berlin Leipzig and Dresden are very close by.
I've heard that a lot of Germans bike along the Elbe, which is quite close (actually Dresden is on the Elbe).

For Berlin Amst- I'd take a flight, not a train.

Mfg.

The elbe is a very popular route.

http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Elbe_Guide.php

Berlin is on a few bike routes including one south to Dresden.

But wine.... well there is this crazy guy

http://www.dw.com/en/berlin-wine-gro...ide/a-16314470

are you used to the correct behaviour in a European vinyard visit? Many charge, but the smaller ones don't so it is correct to buy at least something (glasses, tea-towel)

As a recent arrival in the forum, you may not be familiar with the benefits of multi-city airline tickets for North Americans. Often a trans-Atlantic itinerary can land in one city and go home from another, saving the time and cost of retracing your steps to the arrival city. That should be true of landing in Amsterdam and departing from Berlin. To be clear, you must search using the multi-city or multi-destination function; these are not separate one-way tickets.
You might find a direct flight to Amsterdam, depending on where you live. Berlin has few non-stop trans-Atlantic flights so there could be a connection at a gateway such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris etc. I would reverse my schedule, flying east into Berlin and working my way to Amsterdam. That tactic will allow a more relaxed departure time for the westbound flight across the ocean.
I agree with the opinion that if you have eight days, Amsterdam and Berlin will provide more than enough activities to keep you busy.

are you used to the correct behaviour in a European vinyard visit?

LOL. Reminfs you one of my last visit in Vaison la Romaine (or close).
We come there at about 12 20, they close at 12 30.
The girls behind the counter welcomes us with a saggy look and says 'oh I'm afraid we'll close soon'.
I counter by showing some bottles and saying : this wine and that one, we know it, I need 12 bottles of each, now I'd like to test the ones I don't know.
She stayed open.

But yes, more and more make now pay for a visit. Which I refuse to do.

Trains can be expensive or cheap if you book at www.bahn.de/en - German Railways official site - far in advance to get the limited in number deep discounted tickets - as low as 29 or 39 euros for long-distance trains vs well over 100 euros probably for Amsterdam to Berlin - taking the train you see the countryside and you can break your journey in some of the neat places others have mentioned above.

But those tickets are non-changeable and have a hefty refund on them. For lots of great info on Germany trains (including those from Amsterdam) check www.seat61.com - oodles of great info on discounted tickets; for general info - www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. There is also an overnight train between Amsterdam and Berlin or Munich - involving a simple change of trains in Germany to the actual night train - save time and the costs of a hotel.

But I would break your journey in a smaller town or area like Goslar or Celle or a rural area like the Hartz Mountains or Quedlingburg, etc. Berlin is so fantastic it could take weeks to see everything of interest - you could even do a day trip to Poland to see what a former Soviet Bloc country is like (a huge step down from Germany - even Eastern Germany!.