Germany-Prague-Vienna itinerary - need some help please!
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Germany-Prague-Vienna itinerary - need some help please!
Hi all!
Am planning a trip through Germany (Hamburg, Berlin, Liepzieg, Dresden), Prague, and Vienna (and hopefully Salzburg! Am a Sound of Music fan )and I need some advice:
1. Is this itinerary too much for 2 and a half weeks? If so, what should be cut out?
2. We plan to rent a car and drive around to these places, and drive to nearby small quaint towns. Can you recommend some things to see around these cities?
3. Can anyone recommend hotels in the outskirts of the major cities (3-4 stars).
Thanks so much!
katsby
Am planning a trip through Germany (Hamburg, Berlin, Liepzieg, Dresden), Prague, and Vienna (and hopefully Salzburg! Am a Sound of Music fan )and I need some advice:
1. Is this itinerary too much for 2 and a half weeks? If so, what should be cut out?
2. We plan to rent a car and drive around to these places, and drive to nearby small quaint towns. Can you recommend some things to see around these cities?
3. Can anyone recommend hotels in the outskirts of the major cities (3-4 stars).
Thanks so much!
katsby
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Hi katsby,
I would skip Leipzig (or are you interested in something special there?). In spite of that I don't think it is too much for 2 and a half weeks.
I would not rent a car. Driving (and parking) in the cities is a hassle, and at least around Dresden and Berlin the public transportation system is very sufficient.
Being a Dresden resident I could give you some advice for this city in particular. What means outskirts, how far from the city centre? Please give me an idea how long you plan to stay in Dresden to advise you appropriately.
Ingo
I would skip Leipzig (or are you interested in something special there?). In spite of that I don't think it is too much for 2 and a half weeks.
I would not rent a car. Driving (and parking) in the cities is a hassle, and at least around Dresden and Berlin the public transportation system is very sufficient.
Being a Dresden resident I could give you some advice for this city in particular. What means outskirts, how far from the city centre? Please give me an idea how long you plan to stay in Dresden to advise you appropriately.
Ingo
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Why stay on the outskirts if you are willing to stay at 3-4 star hotels? If you're willing to pay for that level of quality, why inconvenience yourselves by avoiding the city centers?
Note that Prague is less expensive than Germany and Austria. Look at Jason Holt's website for information: www.jasoncholt.com; he's very helpful.
Note that Prague is less expensive than Germany and Austria. Look at Jason Holt's website for information: www.jasoncholt.com; he's very helpful.
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I don't know why level of hotel quality is supposed to be only related to being in city center, and 3* hotels are hardly luxurious in many places (def. not in Prague, in most cases), but I am presuming it's because of the car. You can't even drive in some central city areas of Prague, for example.
Don't know Germany, and for Salzburg, I only stayed in a very nice 3* hotel in the central city (Elefant), but you can't drive to it, anyway. Don't know where you'd park near there, somewhere I suppose, but Salzburg has many nice places not in the center city so I'd recommend that, in any case.
For Prague, I can recommend the Hotel Julian which is just below Mala Strana, a fairly convenient area, and they do have car parking (a friend of mine from Germany stayed there because she had a car and liked it). Here's one website with hotel info:
http://www.abaka.com/Czech/Julian/
I'd also think perhaps the Hotel Movenpick could do -- that's near the Mozart house (Bertramka) and near tram lines and the Andel metro isn't too far -- but it is near some major streets and not in the Old Town center. The Julian is more the B&B style, and MOvenpick a modern German hotel group (prob about 400 rooms), so a different style. I think I've seen comments on here that it was a good hotel for that style and good value. It does have parking. It's near the Staropramen brewery, you could take a tour.
http://www.motylek.com/movenpick/
Don't know Germany, and for Salzburg, I only stayed in a very nice 3* hotel in the central city (Elefant), but you can't drive to it, anyway. Don't know where you'd park near there, somewhere I suppose, but Salzburg has many nice places not in the center city so I'd recommend that, in any case.
For Prague, I can recommend the Hotel Julian which is just below Mala Strana, a fairly convenient area, and they do have car parking (a friend of mine from Germany stayed there because she had a car and liked it). Here's one website with hotel info:
http://www.abaka.com/Czech/Julian/
I'd also think perhaps the Hotel Movenpick could do -- that's near the Mozart house (Bertramka) and near tram lines and the Andel metro isn't too far -- but it is near some major streets and not in the Old Town center. The Julian is more the B&B style, and MOvenpick a modern German hotel group (prob about 400 rooms), so a different style. I think I've seen comments on here that it was a good hotel for that style and good value. It does have parking. It's near the Staropramen brewery, you could take a tour.
http://www.motylek.com/movenpick/
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I think, frankly, that if you cut out Leipzig and still plan to "drive to nearby small quaint towns" AND you are going to try to do justice to those larger towns you mentioned you are going to be rushed to say the least.
First of all, do you have any idea which of those small towns you might want to drive to? If you are willing to stick to the larger cities you are still going to be doing a lot of fast driving to get to all of them. You might consider even dropping Salzburg, too...
Other than the Sound of Music interest what are your others? Berlin, alone may be worth several days as are Prague and Vienna. It would be easier to advise you if we knew more about your interests within these cities.
You can do this by train and that probably wouldn't take you any more time, perhaps less, than doing the same itinerary by car. But you may be giving up a certain amount of flexibility.
First of all, do you have any idea which of those small towns you might want to drive to? If you are willing to stick to the larger cities you are still going to be doing a lot of fast driving to get to all of them. You might consider even dropping Salzburg, too...
Other than the Sound of Music interest what are your others? Berlin, alone may be worth several days as are Prague and Vienna. It would be easier to advise you if we knew more about your interests within these cities.
You can do this by train and that probably wouldn't take you any more time, perhaps less, than doing the same itinerary by car. But you may be giving up a certain amount of flexibility.
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Having been to all of these cities, some of them several times, I think your itinerary is much too ambitious if you want to see some of the cities, whether you go by car or train.
I would plan as follows: Get an "open jaw" flight from the US to Berlin, returning from Munich. Visit Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Wien, Salzburg, Muenchen, in that order.
To see how much timne you want to allow for each city, check www.bahn.de to figure out how long it will take by train from one city to the next.
If you drive, pick up your car when you leave Berlin (car in Berlin is a nuisance), allow for 1 day drive Berlin to Dresden (about 350km on the autobahn). Allow 1 day to drive from Dresden to Prague (that's what it took us, with some sightseeing). In Prague, "stable" your car for the duration of your stay. Allow 1 day for driving from Prague to Wien (537km on the autobahn) and 1 day from Wien to Salzburg (along the Danube, with stop at Melk). Salzburg to Munich airport is 3 hours by car. You want to pick up the car in the same COUNTRY as where you will drop it off. Between countries, the drop-off charges are very high.
If this appeals to you, let me know and I can give you more detailed routings
I would plan as follows: Get an "open jaw" flight from the US to Berlin, returning from Munich. Visit Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Wien, Salzburg, Muenchen, in that order.
To see how much timne you want to allow for each city, check www.bahn.de to figure out how long it will take by train from one city to the next.
If you drive, pick up your car when you leave Berlin (car in Berlin is a nuisance), allow for 1 day drive Berlin to Dresden (about 350km on the autobahn). Allow 1 day to drive from Dresden to Prague (that's what it took us, with some sightseeing). In Prague, "stable" your car for the duration of your stay. Allow 1 day for driving from Prague to Wien (537km on the autobahn) and 1 day from Wien to Salzburg (along the Danube, with stop at Melk). Salzburg to Munich airport is 3 hours by car. You want to pick up the car in the same COUNTRY as where you will drop it off. Between countries, the drop-off charges are very high.
If this appeals to you, let me know and I can give you more detailed routings
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Oops, I did not see that you want to include Salzburg. That is too much IMO.
Treplow, your distances are not correct. Berlin - Dresden is 200 km, Prague - Vienna is about 350 km via Autobahn.
Ingo
Treplow, your distances are not correct. Berlin - Dresden is 200 km, Prague - Vienna is about 350 km via Autobahn.
Ingo
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certainly doable (might be a bit too much to include Salzburg). Personally, I like driving and enjoy the freedom it gives me in my schedule polus the option to take minor detours for some scenery or some sights.
Close to Hamburg (60 km), there is Luebeck with its magnificent Old Town that you should not miss!
Can help with further info on both Hamburg and Luebeck if you are interested.
Close to Hamburg (60 km), there is Luebeck with its magnificent Old Town that you should not miss!
Can help with further info on both Hamburg and Luebeck if you are interested.
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