Best overnight trip from Berlin?
 

I have an opportunity to go with a friend to Berlin the first week in May. Will stay with friend's daughter who will plan a trip to Prague for end of week. Would like to take 2 days somewhere else. What makes the most sense? Can drive or fly. Pulled up German map and everything looks pretty far away. Have visited Berlin (and Cologne and the Aachen area) before so would like other ideas. I thought Switzerland until I looked at the map! Suggestions?

With EasyJet or another budget airline, lots of places would be very convenient. For starters, Copenhagen or Paris. Check www.whichbudget.com . Copenhagen might be good because it's a relatively small city.

You could also take the train to somewhere like Leipzig or Dresden. I know you said drive or fly, but maybe train is an option too.

For a driving trip consider Weimar and up to Ehrfurt and Quelinberg (sp?). All wonderful historical towns that were not really open when they were part of East Germany. Weimar had a turn as "Cultural Capital of Europe", with several small but good museums and if you have any interest nearby the concentration camp of Buchenwald. Ehrfurt and Quedlinberg (a UNESCO protected town with a castle) are good examples of the medieval and Renaissance past of Germany with good architecture and scenery.

90 minutes by ICE express train to my hometown of Hamburg, which IMH and admittedly a bit biased opinion is one of the prettiest cities in Germany. Spring and Summer are usually good seasons for seeing Hamburg. Should you need any recommendations regarding lodging, sights, restaurants, I'd be glad to help.

An alternative might be either the island of Ruegen or the island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea.

Thank you! Will start checking on these. Train would be OK too.

hsv: Thank you for the offer of help.

Dresden is a wonderful destination. There's so much to see that two days would really fly by. The Radisson has great hotel deals.

gomiki,

Dresden is a very good suggestion, too. Fodorite Ingo is based there and would certainly be willing to assist you in planning.

While you check the suggestions made hereunder, I have posted extensively on Hamburg towards the end of the thread accesible through the link below. Might serve you as well and is a condensed version of what there is to do and see, although I do not claim that this is complete...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...chText=hamburg

Enjoy planning
hsv

BTW driving time between Hamburg and Berlin would approx. be 2 hours and 15 minutes (I have managed it faster, but that takes really flooring it...;-) ).

hsv: Thank you for the links!