Germany and Austria trip
 

My husband will be 60 in 1 1/2 years. I would like to plan a surprise trip to Austria and Germany for us. Can you make any suggestions as to cities to go to and a good time of year?
His birthday is late September and I am considering to go during Oktoberfest.
I think 2 weeks would be the length of the trip. Thanks for any ideas as a starting point.

Octoberfest is a fun time in Munich. You could go there, see Munich then go to the alps to see Ludwig's castles and the charming alpine Bavarian villages like Oberammergau, Mittenwald, and Bertschgaden. Then go on to Salzburg for a day or two and go spend one night in Hallstadt in the Salzkammergut (salt mine region). You will both have a great time.

Get an open jaw ticket Vienna-Munich and do Salzburg as a stope between the two.

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Curious

robbiegirl,

Please complete the following questionaire by answering True or False to each question. Then, given that basic information, I will try and help.

1. We prefer wandering around lively cities, as opposed to quaint towns.
2. We like beer, more than wine.
3. We enjoy a great meal, more than a good hike.
4. We would rather see beautiful architecture, than beautiful scenery.
5. We like to tour breweries, more than great museums.
6. We prefer to get to know one place really well, as opposed to many places superficially .
7. We are more budget oriented, than luxury oriented.
8. We would rather experience every beer garden in Munich, than every museum in Vienna.
9. We like our feet on the ground, not hanging from a mountain gondolla.
10. We like everything, so we try and do it.

very good list! I suppose with that list filled out you wouldn't accidently recommend the Reeperbahn.

In Munich I would recommend eating at the Nurnberger Bratwurst Glockl am Dom. Order the Nurnberger Schweinwurst which are yummy little sausages. The beer is great. Also the beer garden in the englisher garder is good (try the ham hock).

I would recommend traveling to Austria and Germany during December. I went last year and the cities were virtually white and it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Despite the cold weather, the number of tourists was still very high and all the attractions stay open and are extremely catering. Have fun!

born2wonder,

Just curious, since I have a birthday coming up for celebration too, what would suggest in Germany and Austria if my answers are:

1. F
2. F
3. F
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. T
8. F
9. Either
10. Mostly, but not entirely, true

The questionaire is not a bad idea. Everyone has different tastes and travel wants.

AisleSeat gave great suggestions if you most want to see the alps and associated sights.

I prefer the walled medieval towns of Franconia (Regensburg, Nürnberg, Würzburg and Rothenburg). I also like Franconian white wine over beer.

If you prefer grand old castles with real battle scars and smooth riesling wine, fly into Frankfurt and visit the Rhine/Mosel Region.

The possibilities go on. Germany is a complex, diverse tourist destination.

You might take a look at a good picture guide book like "Eyewitness Guides" or "Fodor's See It" and see what appeals. Another good start is the Michelin Green Guide which lays out rated tourist sights on a map so you can see how things are grouped geographically.

The search is half the fun. Maybe it would be better not surprise the old man (takes one to know one) but let him participate in the planning.

Regards, Gary

Rothenberg is a nice, relaxing place. I was there in early summer and it was very nice. One day in Munich was enough.

Oberomegau (sp) was a place that I would like to spend more time. Down south in Barvaria. Southern Germany by far is the best.

Enzian,

You like wine, quaint towns, outdoors, mountains, museums and prefer immersion in one place rather than the ' I did Germany' approach.

Sounds like The Black Forest with a side trip to the near Austrian Tyrol would float your boat.

In my humble opinion, the Black Forest is one of the most authentic and charming places I have ever been in Germany, or Europe for that matter. The BF is a place you would enjoy if you like the following:

1. Charming, pretty little villages surrounded by pristine mountain forests. Yet, never too far away from interesting city centers for culture.
2. Vineyards drapping from the mountains that produce great local wines, white and red, also some spectacular schnapps and apertifs.
3. Outdoor activities like biking, hiking, skiing, or just watching nature. The hiking trail system is phenomenal.
4. Great German food, cakes, bakeries.
5. Great day trip opportunities to the French 'route du vin' towns across the border. Also Basel Switz is accessible with a Baden Wurttemberg train ticket.
6. Beautiful highways that are not congested. Black Forest High Road etc.
7. Relaxing, very reasonably priced resorts, farm house accomodations, and gast hauses. Genuinely friendly people, not just tourist managers. See Bavaria Bens website for great recommendations.

Bottom Line, the BF is a place to slow down, relax, immerse, and enjoy some of the best that Germany has to offer. Its a place that may not make you go 'WOW' every minute, but will definitely make you go aahhhhh!!! Gut no?

Ganz gut. Vielen Dank, born2wonder. We'll have to put the Black Forest on "the list".

I apologize to robbiegirl for briefly hijacking this thread. But this Black Forest recommendation may well be valuable to her in planning. And she has 2 threads going---I hope she knows how to find them.

Enzian, last year we stayed at the Hotel Sonne in Gengenbach in the Black Forest. It's a lovely little town with few tourists. You can see our pictures on webshots.com. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very good so we didn't get to see too much of the surrounding area but we absolutely loved Gengenbach!

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/554510509SyxotU

Here's a link to my trip report:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34813676