Czech Republic & Germany in Eleven Days

Old Nov 14th, 2017, 08:44 AM
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Czech Republic & Germany in Eleven Days

Hi to all,

My husband and I have decided to split our vacation into two parts, spending 11 days in the Czech Republic/Germany and then 9 days in Greece (we are flying into Prague and out of Athens).

We want to spend 4 days in Prague, but we have to choose between the following two itineraries:

1. Take a day trip from Prague to Karlovy Vary (for a total of 5 days in Prague) and then take a train to Berlin where we will spend 6 days, including a day trip to Potsdam, before flying to Athens.

2. Spend the first 4 days in Prague, then rent a car and drive through western Czech Republic, visiting Karlovy Vary, then driving into Germany, visiting Nuremberg, Bamburg, then Dresden before returning to Prague to fly to Athens.

Your help would be really appreciated.

Thank you.
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Old Nov 14th, 2017, 09:14 AM
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Let me add that we can also do the following itinerary;

3. Spend the first 4 days in Prague, then rent a car and drive north to Berlin, spend 4 days, then drive south to Nuremberg/Bamburg for 3 days before returning to Prague (stopping in Karlovy Vary) to fly to Athens.

Thanks again.
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Old Nov 14th, 2017, 12:14 PM
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If taking train to Berlin from Prague book discounted tickets up to 90 days before at www.bahn.de/en - German Railway site and consider stopping in Dresden for a day or two - lovely train route via Saxon Switzerland. For lots on trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

But I like Option 2 - do the car to/from Prague and leave Berlin out.
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Old Nov 14th, 2017, 12:16 PM
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what time of year are you going?
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Old Nov 14th, 2017, 12:33 PM
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We will be going in June/July (we have not made our final arrangements yet.)
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Old Nov 14th, 2017, 12:33 PM
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Regensburg is also a really neat town with some of the most historic buildings in Germany in its Altstadt - could be right on way back to or from Prague.
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Old Nov 14th, 2017, 12:54 PM
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Hi PalenQ,

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

I was also looking at Regensburg today and found it very interesting. What do you think of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Meissen and/or Würzburg?
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Old Nov 14th, 2017, 03:24 PM
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Well been to them all and all are great. Meissen an OK town with castle complex on hill and Meissen ceramics museum/workshops would go with Dresden just a few miles away.

Wurzburg really nice looking with vineyard-clad hills surrounding it but would be out of the way a bit and the Romantic Road is not at all romantic, especially section towards Wurzburg.

Rothenburg is very touristy but most folks love it. Stay the night to savor it when day tripping bus tour hoards are gone.

Bamberg to me one of nicest cities anyway -bisected by gushing rivers.

Driving thru Saxon Switzerland to Dresden is fantastic - stop at places like the Bastei (weird rock formations) or Konigsburg (?) hill town fortress - Bad Schandau makes a nice place to stay.

Driving thru that area is so so sweet.
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Old Nov 15th, 2017, 07:07 AM
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topping for others to see and comment.
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Old Nov 15th, 2017, 09:00 AM
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Hi PalenQ,

What does topping mean?

I agree that many opinions and recommendations are very useful.
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Old Nov 15th, 2017, 01:20 PM
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when your posted thread sinks into Fodor's black hole you can bring it back to top by making a Reply post

like just typing

topping

there are several German experts on Fodor's but recently many folks have had trouble posting replies -trying to attract their attention. Like natives of Dresden and Germany.
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 02:11 AM
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Thanks.


I think we should spend 3 nights in Dresden, 1 night in Bamberg, 1 night in Rothenberg odt, 2 nights in Nuremberg and 4 nights in Prague.

Is this a good itinerary?

My husband thinks we should do Prague for 5 nights (with a day trip to Karlovy Vary), Dresden for 2 nights, and Berlin for 4 nights.

Any thoughts?
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 06:04 AM
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Your husband has learn to listen to his wife.

Berlin needs more nights anyway and your itinerary is more varied.
So I'd vote for yours.
But maynbe - maybe - after nearly 25 years of wedding I have finally understood to follow my wife wishes. Recommendations. Orders. Whatever.
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 06:35 AM
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You and your husband both have nice itineraries - yours hitting several smaller gems and hubby's basically two large cities -who can recommend one over the other?

If doing Prague, Dresden and Berlin go by train - cars useless in cities - if doing the other trains too can take you there but a car would be nicer.
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 06:47 AM
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It would be helpful if at some point you'd mention what exactly you're interested in, dropping the names of cities isn't quite enough. Museums, architecture, history or something else?

That aside you're trying to cover a vast area in 11 days and that's still true if you limit yourself to one of your itineraries because you still try to cover at least one region too much. You have Prague, you have Berlin with Potsdam (plus arguably Brandenburg and Wittenberg), you have Dresden with Meißen, Görlitz, Bautzen, Freiberg plus Saxon Switzerland with the Bastei and finally you have Franconia with Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, Rothenburg, Würzburg, Bayreuth, Coburg, Ansbach, Dinkelsbühl and so on.

Your husband's itinerary is doable though I'm not sure it's wise to squeeze Dresden in. Your own itinerary is disastrous regarding Franconia. Apart from the completely pointless hotel hopping (Nuremberg is an easy base town from which you do day trips) you don't have enough time for the region which is the richest in sights of all your destinations.
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 07:39 AM
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Interesting, my husband and I are also going to Germany/Greece in late June/July next year. Guess it makes a good combo, actually we a Greece/Germany combo trip about 10 years ago too.

Anyway, just saying we are planning almost 3 weeks in Germany/Prague and a bit of Austria. Considering many of the same towns you've mentioned and a few others, but 11 days does not seem like enough for what you've planned.

I spent 5 days in Prague the last time I was there and while I had no problem filling the time (did one day trip) I think the highlights can be seen in 3 days and with the other places you want to go I'd consider cutting Prague to 3 nights. Have you considered flying out of somewhere in Germany to Greece rather than backtracking to Prague.
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 09:11 AM
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1 night in Bamberg, 1 night in Rothenberg odt, 2 nights in Nuremberg>

Yes Lubitsch is right about chosing one base city and day tripping to others which are close by train.
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 09:58 AM
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I'm not a fan of Berlin, so I think your itinerary is nicer than your husband's. More charming smaller cities. Btw, I highly recommend to have an early start in Prague the day you go to Dresden and stop in National Park Saxon Switzerland for a couple of hours. Or, even better, do a day trip there from Dresden (although I have no idea how to squeeze this into the three nights in Dresden.)
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 12:04 PM
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Ingo - what's your take on Meissen? Worth a day? Been to Dresden thrice and to me at least a couple of days there was enough and did day trips to Saxon Switzerland and Meissen.
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Old Nov 16th, 2017, 12:30 PM
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There's a lot to see and do in Meissen. First off, the castle with cathedral (don't miss St. Afra church up there on the hill), then the old town (Frauenkirche, city museum, a stroll along the cobbled alleys, all pedestrianised), plus the porcelain manufacture - tours, museum. Don't forget it's a wine region, lots of small wine shops/bars/restaurants (like Vincenz Richter right on the Markt square), tastings are offered in several places.

There's plenty to do in Dresden (I won't repeat my recommendations here), but most visitors miss the sights in the outskirts, just a few km beyond the city limits: Castle Moritzburg (with the cute Pheasant's castle); Radebeul with small Renaissance castle Hofloessnitz (viticulture museum) and Schloss Wackerbarth (State winery), plus the narrow-gauge steam train to Moritzburg; Pillnitz Palace (even within the city limits of Dresden); Baroque garden Großsedlitz; castle Burgk in Freital (incl. a picture gallery and mining museum); Radeberg with famous brewery (tours) and castle Klippenstein ... and much more.
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