starrs

For 5 years we (my best friend and I) have tried to get to Munich at the same time to see the Christmas markets. I've booked everything except the plane tickets and now I have a conflict for the end of Nov into December.

Her husband grew up in Germany and they return a few times each year.

The Plan was for another friend and I to spend a few days in Paris, take the train to Munich and they (husband and best friend) would meet and greet us. We'd stay at their favorite hotel. Do the Christmas markets. Then Hubby was going to take us off on a road trip for the day. We didn't care where. Wherever he wanted to drive. They are both so much fun to be with!

Now my other friend (who has mobility issues) still wants to go. She's older and she's afraid if she doesn't go this year she won't go at all. (She said "no" after saying "yes" for two years and then Covid). She suggested we go after Christmas so now the plan is to be in Munich over New Years Eve. Best friend sent us videos of fireworks from the room balcony from a previous year. We are excited but will miss being with best friend and hubby.

I'm trying to figure out how to replicate that driving day.
Hire a private driver? Any suggestions for one in Munich?
Take a small group bus tour? If so, in which direction? I've found one that goes to Salzburg and I think my friend would enjoy that.

She wants to go to Munich because a family member was stationed there. She's very easy going and will be happy with just about anything.

I'd love ideas/ suggestions from Fodorites.

Melnq8

You can get just about anywhere in Germany by train or bus.

Have you considered:

Train to Garmisch, and then going up to the Zugspitze?
https://zugspitze.de/en

Train to Salzburg for the day (their Christmas market stays open until Jan 1)?
https://www.salzburg.info/en

Visiting Fussen and Neuschwanstein? Can be done by public transport or bus tour
https://www.neuschwanstein.de/

Day trip to Bamberg via train?
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/624/

Or Nuremberg via train?
https://www.germany.travel/en/cities...nuremberg.html

You're spoiled for choice.

Train schedules here:
https://www.bahn.com/en

starrs

"Train to Salzburg for the day (their Christmas market stays open until Jan 1)?
https://www.salzburg.info/en"

Open ON Jan 1st?!

That may be the answer!

Thank you!

Melnq8

Yep.

https://www.austria.info/en/things-t...rkets/salzburg

starrs

Thank you!

Any thoughts on Stern Advent?
https://www.sternadvent.at/en/

I hope I can make Jan 1st work. My friend would be thrilled to be able to visit (even for a short while) a Christmas or Winter Market.

Melnq8

Not familiar with SternAdvent specifically, unless it was the market I visited when in Salzburg over Christmas a few years ago. We'll be spending Christmas in Salzburg again this year so will have see if it's the one I think it is. Looks like it becomes a winter market in early January.

Special about the Sternadvent is that it continues after Christmas until 6 January as a 'winter market', giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the unique atmosphere after the holidays too.

swandav2000

Hi starrs,

Oh gosh, be aware that New Year's Eve can be chaos. Lots & lots of noise, with folks setting off fireworks on the streets from about 20.00 until about 01.00. It's something that we pet owners hate and dread.

Another event you may be interested to see is the big ski-jumping competition in Garmisch, held on 1 & 2 January. It brings a festive atmosphere, with journalists, athletes, and fans milling about the ski stadium in Partenkirchen. You need a ticket to get in, but just walking around the venue and listening to the on-air announcer can be fun.

And yes, the way to travel around here is by train -- lots if fun. Look into the Werdenfels Ticket for Munich-Garmisch-Mittenwald-Innsbruck route, or the Bavaria Ticket for Nürnberg or Füssen.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Melnq8

Bavaria ticket also works for Salzburg.

BritishCaicos

Another vote for Garmisch which is a great family oriented town and has easy access to Zugspitze the old train to the base of the mountain was an experience in itself. I seem the remember that the access between the train and the gondola, which takes you to the top of the mountain, was OK. The top of the mountain has incredible views for zero effort. Which is a little embarrassing, as some risk their lives to climb the mountain.

Just one word of warning would be that long range planning may be blown out of the water by the short term weather. Snow fall can make travel extremely difficult both in urban Bavaria and particularly in the lower Alpes. When we visited, just before Covid, urban Bavaria was just recovering from 1.5m fall travel had been impossible but things were just about getting back to normal. However, many areas of the German Alpes were closed with falling avalanches in the valleys it may be that you are restricted to Munich.

starrs

That would be fine. Her main goal was to be in Munich (with no particular things she wants to see and do but be there because of the family member's connection) and I wanted to hang out with my friends. L was going to take us on a day's drive out into the country - and I was wondering if there were a way to do that without having him there to drive us. I got excited about Salzburg because of the chance of a Christmas / Advent market and thought we could fit in the Sound of Music tour too.

I played around with options last night, including the train, and talked to my friends (on speaker phone) to brainstorm. One option would be to take the train, take a cab to a (famous) hotel for lunch but mostly so there would be an easy cab to the tour location and then cab back to the train. We (the three of us) had fun playing around with options. I came up with the Hotel Sacher Torte (and we had a good laugh at my pronunciations until I switched the website to English - and then afterwards too!). I think that still could work, but I'm still concerned about my friend's mobility issues. Availability online for the first week of Jan is nil for private round trip tours with drivers. I emailed the hotel to see if they had recommendations. I think we will just stay in Munich if we can't find a private driver for the Salzburg day trip.

The hotel is not in downtown but is my friend's favorite and she sent a video of the fireworks. She's warned me about how crazy NYEve will be. We have no plans to be in the midst of it all but to watch from afar and maybe even have dinner in the hotel.

Thanks for the great ideas! I really appreciate it.