I'll be in Munich for two weeks preparing for large trade show. Once the show is up and running, my husband is going to join me for a vacation before returning to the USA. We can't stay in Munich. The trade show runs room rates up to $300-$500 a night. So, we are trying to figure out what would be a great escape for two Americans who have very little European travel experience. Probably don't need big city time ... but might enjoy a week moving 2-3 different places to explore. Any suggestions?

Hi; So many choices. The Munich airport is on the north side of Munich. So I would rent a car at the airport and concentrate driving north. Regensburg, Bamberg, Passau, Landshut [not too far from the airport] and so many other little towns you could visit. You need a map. Richard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/regensburg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/passau http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/landshut http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bamberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/germany

It all depends on your interests. My wife and I spent three weeks in Germany last April and May. We had been there several times before, so avoided the places where tourists congregate -- the Rhine River valley, the Bavarian Alps, King Ludwig's castles, or the Black Forest. Instead, we headed east from Frankfurt, to and past Bayreuth, and on to Dresden. Then northwest to the Harz Mountains and north to Hamburg, before returning to Frankfurt and heading home. We stayed in bed & breakfast places or small family-run hotels. Much cheaper, much friendlier than commercial places. You can do it! Stay in Bavaria (April should be a great time), see Ulm, Bamberg, Augsburg, the forests bordering the Czech Republic (lots of spas and small hotels there -- and almost no American tourists!). Forget about reservations; April will be wide open. Get yourself a Michelin Green Guide and plan your route. The farther you stay from the big cities, the better -- that has been our experience. Enter the big towns for the day, but stay overnight out in the rural or semi-rural places.

I'll start researching all the suggestions ... what if I met him in Amsterdam... what suggestions might you have for similar excursions out of Amsterdam?

I would rather fly to one of the Mediterranean islands like Majorca. Or go to the mainland Spain: Costa de la luz e.g.

Weather in April most probably will be more on the miserable side. The same in Amsterdam.

South of Spain, South of France, Rome or Sicily.....that would be my bet.

Happy travels!

SV

April weather in Germany can be summery up to 25 or 28°C, it can just as well be a snowstorm.
Most likely you will experience a mix of everything. As a rule of thumb, in April, if you don't like the weather wait for 15 minutes.
In April the leaves of the trees appear, spring flowers are in bloom. A beautiful season, unless you are after eternal summer.

There are about 100,000 options of worthwhile places to visit. Any special interests, wishes, dreams...?

Hi mommatac,

Ae you leaving from Munich also?

For a week I'd suggest:

2 or 3 nights in Salzburg/Berchtesgaden area
2 nights Innsbruck area (we like staying in Hall in Tirol)
2 nights Fuessen area and then back to Munich.

Paul

I second the Salzburg and Hall in Tirol ideas!

The warmer climate suggestions are probably my preference. Archaeological sites would be of great interest to my husband. Day hiking, wine, strolling through quaint towns, love to shop local crafts (no designer store stuff). Thanks for all the hints so far ... sorry it takes me so long to check back in, but if you have any more ideas based on these preferences, I appreciate hearing them.

Archeology:

Near Frankfurt, you can visit Grube Messel, an archeological site which was awarded UNESCO World Heritage. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messel_pit

Even closer to München, in the Altmühltal Natural Park, in Eichstätt (beautiful historical town) and Solnhofen, there are world-famous archeological sites (Archaeopteryx).
http://www.solnhofen.de/index.php?id=683,1

Solnhofen is less than 2 hours from München. The Altmühltal is a nice region anyway. And you are very close to historical towns like Nördlingen, Dinkelsbühl, Rothenburg ob der Tauber. A little northwards, you are in the wine region of Franken with many quaint villages, beautiful churches and excellent wines. Würzburg, Nürnberg, Regensburg and Bamberg are wonderful towns in that region.

>>>Day hiking, wine, strolling through quaint towns, love to shop local crafts (no designer store stuff).<<<

Everything will be possible in that region north of München. A rental car is advisable.

in April, once you get free of Munich, you should be able to find accommodation very easily.

just look for "zimmer frei" signs.