sparkchaser

The comment "fares not available" means that you buy those tickets (RE, S1, RB) from VGN, not DB. You will need to buy those tickets day of travel from a kiosk. The prices are available on the VGN site. The VGN schedule is available on the DB site, just not prices.

http://s5.photobucket.com/user/spark...at/DB.png.html

Just so you know, VGN gives no discount for buying in advance so buying in advance makes no sense; just buy the tickets day of travel from a kiosk.

The VGN site does have the Nürnberg Hbf and Bamberg Hbf but they are listed as "Nürnberg, Hauptbahnhof" and "Bamberg, Bahnhof". A Nürnberg-Bamberg ticket is Preisstufe 10 /
Tarifstufe 10+T. A Tages Ticket Plus (good for two people) is 17.50 Euro and a one-way is 10.50 Euro per person. So in this case, I would purchase a Bayern Ticket and travel the whole day on it.

Regensburg is not within the VGN network so you'll need to get a Bayern Ticket or a normal ticket.

SKPKCP11

Thanks Sparkchaser for the clarity. Much appreciate it.
We will now be in Nuernberg for 4 nights so effectively
3 full days. We will keep 1 full day for Nuernberg :
Dokumentation Centre and Nazi Party Rally Grounds
(any other must sees??)
On the other 2 days we would like to visit Bamberg, Regensberg and Wurzburg. Is it feasible to do any of these two towns in one day? Bamberg - for beer and any other attraction, Regensberg for the Town Hall the the medieval torture chambers and Wurzburg for the dom. Any advise is welcome.

Kind regards,
SKPKCP10

sparkchaser

Deutsche Bahn has a train museum near the Hauptbahnhof and there is also the Germanisches Nationalmuseum located across the street in from the Hauptbahnhof. There is also a zoo (Tiergarten).

The underground art bunker (Historischer Kunstbunker) is worth a tour, but English tours are currently only offered Sunday mornings: http://www.historischer-kunstbunker.de

And of course the Kaiserburg Nürnberg.

Aramis

Bamberg (45 mins North), Wurzburg (55 mins Northwest) and Regensburg 60 mins Southeast) are in 3 different directions from Nurnberg, really.

Bamberg and Wurzburg are 55 mins from each other so I suppose you could technically do a "loop";

Nuremberg - Wurzburg 55 min hit the Dom early (or did you mean Residenz?)
Wurzburg - Bamberg 55 min hit the beer by mid afternoon stay for dinner
Bamberg - Nuremberg 45 min drag yourself home (notice I put beer after Dom and before bed)

But with time to and from stations, waiting, etc. you are talking about probably 3:30 of transit time.

Regensburg really would not work because it is entirely in the other direction and would take about 2 hours to get from there to either Bamberg or Wurzburg

SKPKCP11

Thanks Sparkchaser and Aramis for your directions. As suggested we will do Wurzburg and Bamberg in one loop. Have checked the dbahn site and VGN site, please confirm my understanding - Nuremberg - Bamberg is within the VGN network but not Nurem berg-Wurzburg so we need to buy the Bayern ticket? Right? And we can use that ticket to travel from Wurzburg - Bamberg and from Bamberg-Nurenberg? Right?

I thought the Residenz and the Dom were the same thing in Wurzburg. We are not into walking a lot especially with kids as it will be a long and hectic day if we plan to cover two towns. After we arrive by train in Wurzburg is there public transport - bus or tram that takes us to the Residenz or we visit the fortress first, then cross the Marienbrucke bridge and take the next transport to the other side? what do you recommend. Then back to Wurzburg station and head out to Bamberg. Is there any must see in Bamberg? From Bamberg train station how do we head to the old town centre for the beer. Read somewhere about the underground cellars which serve beer? Are these places very expensive?

Will try to do Regensberg from Munich or will ssave it for another time. From Munich we would like to do the Herrenchiemsee and spend a morning / afternoon at the Viktulienmarkt. Son wants to go there especially to eat at Nordsee outlet at Viktulienmarkt. Any must stalls to visit at Viktulienmarkt?

Kind regards,
SKPKCP10

Kind regards,
SKPKCP10

sparkchaser

If you are going to do Bamberg and Würzburg in one day, ignore the VGN aspect and just get a Bayern ticket for that day.

Bamberg old city is a 10-15 min walk from the train station. Bierkeller has two connotations: 1. a place where beer was traditionally stored to age and 2. a form of Biergarten. There are Biergartens scattered all over Bamberg and all you need to do is go to the one that has the beer you want to drink.

protip: the Bamberg Rauchbier is best gulped rather than sipped so your whole mouth can experience the flavor. I am partial to the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen. So tasty.

Unless there is a compelling reason to eat at the one in Viktulienmarkt, there are Nordsee restaurants all across Germany. There's even one in the Nürnberg train station.

Aramis

"Dom" simply means "cathedral".

The Wurzburg Residenz is a palace built by the prince bishops in the early 1700's. It truly is the "must see" of Wurzburg.

It is only 900 metres (a little more than 1/2 mile) from the train station - a 10-12 minute walk. I don't know about public transport. With your limited time planned in Wurzburg, I would suggest that you visit the Residenz and stroll the old town. The "Dom" is only 300 hundred metres away from the Residenz so you can easily see it too.

I don't know that you would have time to also see the Marienberg fortress.

SKPKCP11

Thanks Sparkchaser and Aramis. Yes, we had planned to take the Bayern ticket since we want to do both places in one day. As suggested we will do the Residenz and the Dom and then move to Bamberg. In Bamberg we will have a look at the Alte Rathaus and then chill out. Is the Schlenkerla and Spezial breweries far from the train station and are they close to each other? Thanks for the tip on Bamberg beer.
To be honest we have only seen Nordsee at Viktulienmarkt in Munich and hence was keen. Since it is also there at Nurnberg train station kids will definitely be keen to grab something on the go. Can you give some names of Metzgerie and Bakery in Munich, Nurnberg, Wurzburg and Bamberg where we can just go if we happen to pass by especially Nurnberg & Munich since we are there now for 4 nights & 3 nights respectively (preferably something close to the train station). Any budget eating places where we can have a decent hearty german meal especially schweinhaxen and soups. I love meats. Tips on eating in Nurnberg are always welcome.


Kind regards,
SKPKCP10

sparkchaser

For a Metzgerei in n Nürnberg, I highly recommend Metzgerei Walk. I already gave an address for the one on the main drag in the Altstadt, but there are other locations scattered around Nürnberg. Recommended eats are the Leberkäse (or Pizzaleberkäse) im Brötchen, the Nürnberger im Brötchen (ask for "Drei im Weckla" if you want to order like a Franconian), and the Schnitzel im Brötchen. All of those can be ordered from the walk-up window. If you go inside towards the back, they have a sit-down restaurant and meals, rather than the snacks at the window.

There is another Metzegeri that I like that is located in the U-Bahn station near Lorenzkirche (take the entrance near Karstadt) but the name escapes me.

In the Nürnberg Haupbahnhof, there are several restaurants in the Schlemmer Passage on the ground level, including the Nordsee and a Metzgerei. The Nordsee is good, the Metzgerei is good, and so is the Turkish place but I cannot really recommend the bakery there -- Der Beck is much better. In the main underground level under the street there are also restaurants. The pizza place there is not bad for what it is. Then there is Yorma's. Yorma's is a chain that is located in main train stations all across Germany but mainly concentrated in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. I like their Käsekrainer (a sausage filled with cheese).

As far as bakeries go, in my opinion, Der Beck is the best chain in Franconia and Fuchs ranks #2. I haven't experimented much with bakeries in Nürnberg so I can't really recommend any independent ones. However, in Erlangen there is a bakery near the train station on Paulistraße 6 called Bäckerei Frank that is hands down the best bakery in Erlangen. They are open until 16:00 and are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Word of warning: they sell out fast, there are only two two-seater tables in there, they do not speak English (the baker does but he's normally not in the shop front), and if I go there and you have taken the last Schnitzelbrötchen, I KEEL YOU!

In addition to the Haxen, look for Schäufele. It is a pork shoulder roasted on bone and served with Kloß and gravy. I would give out some names but I don't want my favorite dining spots to become overrun with tourists. I will say that the Klosterbrauerei in Bamberg has excellent Franconian fare and the Haxen and Schäufele there are quite good, as is their beer. And in Erlangen, the Kitzmann Brewery does a good job as well.

SKPKCP11

Thanks Sparkchaser and Aramis for your wonderful info. We have booked at B&B HOTEL Nuernberg-City, Frauentorgraben 37. We have got a good rate but without breakfast so will seek out the bakeries and Metzgeries as suggested by you. Any cafe close by which you can recommend for breakfast.

I am in the midst of booking our train tickets from Prague to Nuremberg on the dbahn site. I am not getting any train options but I only see bus options. Is it safe to travel by bus especially for our luggage? What is the train station name for Nuremberg main train statin that I should be selecting? Not sure if I am making an error.

Sparkchaser - Do give some recommendations for Haxen and Schaufele in Nuremberg. Most tourist would not want to eat this stuff but we love it. By the way what is kloss.

I am coming to eat the last Schnitzelbrotchen. HAHAHA.

Kind regards,
SKPKCP10

Cowboy1968

I just took the IC Bus - which is operated by German Rail - last week, on a different route, though. And was surprised how comfortable and quiet the ride was - even in 2nd class. As 2nd class was on the upper deck, you could see more from the countryside than from a train's window.
Your bags will be loaded by the driver, and you get a tag with receipt. Bus has a toilet, and each seat has power. And usually WiFi for free, snacks/ beverages for a small fee (€1-1.50 for water, Coke, etc).

sparkchaser

The DB bus is great. Fast, quiet, and comfortable.

There is a Der Back near the B&B on Sandstrasse. If you walk out of your hotel and turn left, walk to blocks and turn left on Zeltnerstrasse. The Der Beck is on the corner of Sandstrasse & Zeltnerstrasse. There is also a Cafe Karussell on Frauentorgraben 61 but I have never been to it.

For Franconian food, check out Kartoffel (Suedliche Fuerther Strasse 29, 90429 Nuremberg) or Bratwurst-Röslein on Rathausplatz 6, 90403. The Tucher Bräu am Opernhaus on Am Kartäusertor 1. It should be across the street from your B&B.

sparkchaser

I almost forgot. Kloss (Kloß) is a potato dumpling. You either love them or you hate them. I love them.

sparkchaser

Another place to check out is Gaststätte Albrechts-Garten (Eckenstraße 26, 90480 Nürnberg). It's near the zoo and they have Schäufele plus Leberkäse with fried egg (a personal fav of mine) and other Franconian specialties.

sandralist

Glad to hear you got a good rate at B&B Hotel. It looked like a good bargain and situation to me as well when I booked it. Hope it lives up to expectations.

We had actually scoped out a nearby tapas bar for our eats. The lighter food might not be of interest to you but here's the link, since it is so close by the hotel

http://www.tinto-tapas.de/HOME.html

sparkchaser

Tinto Tapas is a bit expensive (for what you get) and trendy but it is an interesting take on local food.

Two more places you might want to check out are:

Alte Küchn/Im Keller in the Altstadt (Albrecht Dürer Straße 3, 90403 Nürnberg) is a local favorite and offers "Medieval style" dining and they do offer Schäufele plus other regional dishes.

Restauration Kopernikus. A Franconian/Polish Restaurant (Hintere Insel Schütt 34, 90403 Nuremberg). The Keberknödelsuppe (liver dumpling soup) is delicious and they have Schäufele but only on Sundays and Holidays.

flpab

We had a slow train to Nurnberg but a very quick one coming back to Munich. I love those Nurnberg sausages. My husband did the War history sights and I toured the Churches and shops. Have you been to the BMW plant for a tour? We really enjoyed that.

sparkchaser

I was at Der Beck yesterday enjoying a coffee and a pastry and it occurred to me that I should give you a few words of advice regarding Franconian bakeries, i.e., stuff I wish I knew as a first timer.

In no particular order:

1. Coffee. A latte macchiato is basically a cappucino but with the shot of espresso added at the end. Properly done and served in a glass, you will see the bottom 2/3 as hot milk, then a layer of coffee, then foam. A milchkaffe is coffee and hot milk, sometimes with a bit of foam (think of it as a wetter cafe late but with coffee instead of espresso).

2. Croissants vs Bambergers vs Laugencroissants. Croissants and Bambergers basically look the same but they are made slightly differently. As it was explained to me by a baker, for a croissant butter is folded into the dough over many fold & rolls, but a Bamberger has the butter mixed right into the dough directly. In taste, it is almost the same but in appearance, the croissant is flakier. A Laugencroissant is a croissant made with pretzel dough. A French colleague of mine loves them so it has a French vote of confidence. By law a Bamberger may only be made with butter. Bambergers are an Upper Franconian food.

3. Mohn. You will see it in the form of Mohnschnecke, Mohnkuchen, Mohnstrudel, etc. It might look like a type of chocolate or a dark fruits paste but it is neither. Mohn is poppy seed paste. The first time I tried it, I thought it was a type of chocolate and I never fully recovered from that experience. It seems most Americans I talk to don't like it either. You have been warned.

4. Hiffenmark is the Franconian word for Hagebuttenmark. Hagebuttenmark is a preserve/compote/jam made from rose hips. You normally encounter this as a filling in donuts (Krapfen).

5. Overall, German pastries are not as sweet as English and American pastries.

I think that's it.

SKPKCP11

WOW! Thanks a ton! Thanks for the recommendations. My mouth is watering.

I am definitely coming to eat the Schnitzelbrotchen and the Schaufele plus Leberkäse and the haxen and goulash. Just thinking of it makes me feel in heaven. Wow! You are lucky to be there and enjoying such goodies.

Do the marzipan pastries have any special name?

Kind regards,
SKPKCP11

eluckhardt

We really enjoyed "the Lumberjack" platter at Kachelofen in Bamberg.

Haha. I also am not a fan of anything mohn. I once saw something that looked like a cinnamon roll and was so excited. Until I realized it was mohn.

My kids and I also enjoy a good "krustenbraten semmel" at the Vmarkt in Munich.