I've finally done it--booked flights to Garmisch for my husband and me, our son, daughter and son-in-law. It's been a dream for 15 years or more. Now I have to find us rooms--from Dec. 27 to Jan. 1/2. The biggy hotels like Partenkirchner Hof all seem to be booked up. At least the websites say no rooms available. Is that likely to be truly the case? Or do they just not take reservations via e-mail, etc. for that time of year, reserving the rooms for locals who are celebrating the holidays, etc? If so, is there some special trick to booking rooms in Garmisch at that time of year? If they really are full, what other options do you suggest? Anyone stayed in private guesthouses there that they can recommend? We will need two doubles and a single or a house/apartment with that configuration. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Hi JulieVikmanis,

About the hotel being booked up -- it may not be. You may still be a bit early for Dec. booking. I was looking to book a hotel for my own Christmas trip to Switzerland, and one hotel's website said it was fully booked; another hotel's website said it was either fully booked or the prices hadn't been set yet. So I e-mailed the first hotel and asked if they were really fully booked; I got a reservation. The hotel charged my cc for three days' lodging as guarantee.

So I recommend you e-mail the hotels you want. I'm sure you can get in. Of course, I don't think you'll get a great *deal* at that time of year, and you may get locked in, as I did.

Let me know if I can help further!

s

Thanks s. I thought there might be something like that operative. I guess my best bet is to just bite the bullet and start making some international calls.

Hi JulieVikmanis,

I guess I should have been clearer: the hotel sent me an offer, which I accepted, and then I got the reservation. I didn't get locked in at the first e-mail. So just try a simple reservation-request message to your hotels, and then see which one you like before accepting??

Hope this helps!

s

Thanks for the followup. I've now sent about 25 requests. A couple have already come back not available but I'm staying hopeful.

JulieVikmanis I found reservations last September at the Hotel Roter Hahn when other hotels were full. www.hotel-roter-hahn.com

We plan on being in Garmisch in early December. I e-mailed the tourist bureu and received much information. There seems to be many B&B's and apartment to rent. That is what we plan on doing. We will go to tourist bureau when we get there. You would want to book yours ahead for holiday.

I really like Gasthhof Fraundorfer in Partenkirche. The mini O'fest in their restaurant in Sept '02 was way better than the madhaus in Munchen.
M

Check with the HOTEL HILLEPRANDT. We have stayed there a few times, Rooms 1 and 2. Nice neighborhood and near downtown. Click on my handle, Bob1, and you can track down the phone number.

Another vote for the Gasthof Fraundorfer - we stayed there on Monday night and enjoyed our stay.