You're 17. Your life is a party. Enjoy this while you can. At some point in your life, you'll have responsibilities (job and family) and you'll appreciate an opportunity to get away, and those museums might look good to you. I used to be a beer drinking hoodlum.... then I grew up.

I think the best advice that I can give, and I mean this sincerely, is to check out the Lonely Planet message board called Thorn Tree.

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com

They have a lot more users around your age and you probably won't get the same sort of response. It would probably be a good idea to pick up a couple of travel books on the area and go over them first, so it looks like you're on top of things and can tell people what sort of things you're into. That's the part they won't know and can't help with until you tell them.

Have a good trip guys.

Sure, I believe that an incoherent 17 year old troll who can't spell or write, would say "not so many random thoughts please". Yea, I believe that. Did the snowballs melt in Hell today?

I repeat, beer drinking hoodlums will have no problems meeting similar hoodlums in those German cities. They don't need to ask here what to do; their new friends will show them easily.

Mike's Bike Tours

Munich - Entertaining Sightseeing Tours of Munich by Bicycle

Neuschwanstein - Day tours to King Ludwig II´s Neuschwanstein Castle


http://mikesbiketours.com/index_munich.html

I did these a couple of years ago and loved them (I was 22).
I DO enjoy history though.

Consider train travel using Euraide.com to purchase tickets. They are very helpful and know all the ins and outs of rail passes. You can even talk with someone directly via their 800 number. They charge exactly what you would pay at the train station, except for an additional $45 shipping and handling for the entire reservation made all at once. For easy day-trips, the Bayern Pass is a great deal, too.

Jason & Rob, you're not too young for museums. You are, however, old enough to know that people will judge you by appearance, whether that's visual or written.

Scarlett, yes, you can drink beer and wine at age 16 in Germany.

Patrick and others, you have obviously never seen the "language" that teenagers use when they instant message each other. It truly is a differnt language, I can't understand some of it. Jason's post, while seriously lacking in spelling and punctuation is so much more understandable!

And I didn't mean to misspell "different"!

Barbara, you need a reality check!

A second to what Howard just said. I have no qualms about the internet abbreviations and expressions that teens use in their emails.
But what does that have to do with "Im to young for museums?" or "a freind and i are going"? I'd be willing to bet this person couldn't even tell you if asked what's wrong in those sentences, unless of course it was an attempt to sound like a "beer drinking hoodlum" by someone who isn't one.

Actually, the really sad thing is... Barbara is right. IM, while useful in many respects, makes for simply appalling spelling and sentence construction (or lack thereof). And I do think there's a good case to be made for the fact that since it's something which is used/overused by teens or pre-teens, it makes for some very bad habits.

One of my CFI's friends (also a CFI) was fresh out of college and a very smart young man. I got a few emails from him and was absolutely gobsmacked by how awful they were. Not just bad spelling - a complete mess every which way. However I did notice that when he meant business (i.e. was emailing me to ask for help or advice) his emails became much more coherent all of a sudden.

so maybe it's laziness, in part.

You might want to tour a couple of the German car companies. I forget which ones are where, but am quite certain both Munich and Stuttgart have headquarters.

Also, there is a big party on the Rhine River one weekend in July. It's called the Rhine en Flammen, and booze cruises depart at various points, all not too far from Frankfurt. As the boats pass, fireworks illuminate the castles along the banks.

You may want to visit some vineyards and wine cellars. Bring your own bread and/or cheese, and taste away. There may be some early wine festivals then, too. Try to find something small and local to meet some residents.

Please don't drink and drive, and act responsibily as you have fun. Don't add to the "Ugly American" image, and get home alive and in one piece to your Mamas.

Best wishes for a safe and fun adventure!

The BMW museum is in Munich.
Interesting if you are into the history of the brand

Howard and Patrick, no I don't need a reality check. I didn't excuse the many mistakes Jason makes, I just noted that the language used in IM is much worse.

I second the Mike's bike tours in Munich (mentioned above before the english grammar discussion.)

http://www.mikesbiketours.com/

I went at 21 yrs old and enjoyed seeing a few sites, riding through the English gardens, getting a little history of Munich and stopping in a beer garden along the way.

I do have to say, you can really learn a lot about a city/country without being in a dusty, dark museum.

Have a blast! Not everyone has the same idea of fun and interesting--find your own adventures! Take Suze advice of looking for things to do once you get there in local papers, magazines, etc.

And take Dreamer2's advice-- don't be "Ugly Americans"!!

Heres some suggetions for a memorable time:
1. visit McDonalds, no need to waste your time on foreign food.

2. Shave your heads, go to a soccer game and yell that German's suck. Who says they dont have a sense of humor.

3. No need to learn the language, everyone in Europe speak's english and they really enjoy trying to make you happy. Thats their goal in life.

4. Consider staying home, buy a couple of cases of beer and rent Lampoon's European Vacation. Youll be much happier.

Oh HardOn, you are not a hoodlum!

You may be a troll or a young person who wants to shock. You are most likely a kid who thinks getting drunk is unique but alot of the posters here are older and have been through their beer drinking rabble rousing days.

My brother is about your age and thinks he is so wild and crazy when really he is a kid being a kid.

Ask people your age when you get to a city or buy one of the books that caters to your age.

This weekend's storms must have closed this guy's middle school (sorry I don't buy the idea that he says he's 17, the mentality level is 7th grade at best). Imagine, this is his first and only post here - what a surprise!

Sorry to rub you all the worong way. I can write essays and reports well if i need to. Thats why i take composition. Thanks for all of the advice. To answer someones question, It's because im lazy

I would plan on staying in youth hostels which abound in Europe. This will probably be a better source of info than you will get on here as you will be surrounded by travelers your own age. Rather than us elderly curmudgeons. That being said, it would be sad to visit Germany and not visit one of the Holocaust sights, or visit some places of historical significance very much unlike anything you would see at home. Munich & Berlin should be right up your alley, if you are legit.

You could try going on a cheap walking tour when you arrive in each new city -you'll get a very short outline of the history/main sites/where everything is (I assume since you're going all the way to Europe you have at least some passing interest in this), and this sort of tour is a very good place for meeting interrailers to go out drinking with later.