jonesie

Hi! I have a trip coming up in April, and I just wanted your wonderful opinions on a couple of things! I know it will be fast paced, but that's just how we travel I guess!
Day 1 -arrive in Amsterdam at 8am, will spend the whole day touring, Anne Frank House, canal tour, Rijkmuseum I think, etc.
Day 2 - EARLY morning train to Munich, arrive about 2pm. (Being that it is my hubby's b-day, I think most of the day will be spent in beer gardens!)
Day 3 - Munich - How do people feel about the day trip to Dachau? I have only talked with people who have been to other sites (Auschwitz, etc.), and they say it does not compare. How do others feel? If you use the bus or a tour, is it a half day, shorter/longer?
Day 4 - Thinking about Garmisch-Partenkirchen - has anyone been? Have you done the cog railway trip up the mountain? Is it worth the side trip, or just move on to Neuschwanstein???
Day 5 - Drive to Heidelberg? I am looking for a spot about 4 hours (max) from Fussen-area, to explore and spend the night, and that will put us within 2 hours of Burg Eltz and the Mosel Valley, which we can explore the next day. For this, how does Heidelburg rank? I was also considering Rothenburg, but I am afraid the distances won't work.
Day 6 - Mosel Valley
Day 7 - Train to Leiden, go to Keukenhof gardens, possibly spend the night in Leiden
Day 8 - Flight home at 2:30pm
Thanks in advance, advice on hotels always appreciated (would like to keep it $100US)
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Russ

You're travelling too far and trying to see too much with too few days that have too few daylight hours in them. I would not bother with Munich, or anything further south than Heidelberg, for that matter.

asbachnate

I'm one of those people that thinks you should try and see as much as possible on your first trip so you know what you want to spend more time on the next time around. That said... are you crazy? lol
Really this is quite a lot for such a short period. However, Dachau is worth a visit if its something important. I think 1/2 day would be plenty.

Garmisch is wonderful. Worth a couple days at least, but do try to see. The ride up the Zugspitz is great but very expensive. I would spend the time seeing Garmisch or the surrounding castles. Innsbruck is just a few K's south in Austria and worth a stop if you had more time.

Heidelberg some say is overrated or crowded, but I LOVE IT! Easy to walk and see in a day. Wonderful cafe's for people watching. The castle is one of a kind, do spend time walking the grounds.

Instead of driving all the way West to the Mosel (which I like more than the Rhine) why not continue from Heidelberg around the Neckar river. Much closer and much more relaxing than the Rhine & Mosel. Still lots of castles and quaint villages, just not as many tourists.

Then take the train from Frankfurt to Leiden?

try www.bavariaben.com for great advice and lots of trip reports on Germany with pics.

Bob1

You are trying to do too much. Having said that, I would skip Dachau. There is too much more to do than that. We first saw Dachau in 1970 and then took friends back on trip in 2001. With your schedule I would head to Gamisch and Neuschawanstein instead.

Heidelberg is a great area. We enjoy the ZUR BACKMULDE. It is located walking distance to the old town area and newly remodeled rooms. It is within your budget. Fax 011 49 6221 536660. We were last there in December 2001.

The Mosel area is also great. We enjoy staying in Cochem at the ALTE THORNDECKE. Good location to go up or down the river.

Did I mention that you were trying to see too much? You have too many days planned for travel and not enough to smell the roses.

uncle_sam

Jonesie,

Fast paced trip ...but to each their own!

1. In Amsterdam do not miss the van Gogh Museum. Its right behind the Rijksmuem and worth it! My favorite painting, "The Nightwatch" by Rembrandt is in the Rijksmueseum... it alone is a good reason to go to Amsterdam.

2. In Munich, if you want to drink beer like and with the real Germans go to the Augustinerbrau Beergarten. It is located near the Haupbahnhof, about three blocks away and is much better than the touristy Hofbrauhaus. Maybe you can do all three... Augustinerbrau, Hofbrau and the Seehaus in the Englisher Gartens!

AWESOME!

3. Pass on Garmisch, particualry if you've ever seen a ski resort. Go to Nueschwanstein instead ands skip Dachau...not enough time!

4. Berg Eltz is a GREAT castle and you can do the Mosel from Koblenz to Trier in one day. Sample some wine, go to Burg Eltz and enjoy!

Snoopy

I travel like you, fast paced. Whether you are doing too much or not is too vague a notion and far too subjective to comment on. Most of the people who post on this forum -- bless their hearts -- would tell you that you'd need a couple of months to see all the places you've mentioned. To each his own.

Day 1. Have fun.
Day 2. Take aspirin.
Day 3. No opinion, humbled by both spots.
Day 4. G-P is a fun Bavarian town, and only about a 2 hour drive south of Munich. If going to the top of a mountain sounds fun then do it. It's a great trip on a clear day, it's a little goofy on a cloudy day.

If you go to the top of the Zugspitze you'll be hard pressed to get to Fussen in time to see Neuschwanstien or Hohenschwangau . . .

Day 5. Fussen to Heidelberg is about a 4 hour drive if you take the autobahn back into Munich and through Stuttgart. It's a much prettier drive to take back roads toward Lindau and northwest from there toward Baden Baden.

Day 6 - 7 - 8 are uninteresting to me so I can't really comment. I would head toward Rothenburg from Heidelberg . . .

Have fun! Ignore the "slow down" crowd.