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Hello to all you Berlin and Dresden lovers! It has been so nice to find this wonderful report and remember all the great times we had there last summer.
Ingo - a special hello to you! :) willtravel - you know, I don't believe I ever thanked you for the terrific recommendation of using booking.com (actually it was called bookings last year but they have since changed it). We got the Berlin Movenpick at an unbelievable rate which included their sumptuous breakfast. I have even used them on other trips since. Thanks! Anyway, noe847, I have really enjoyed your report and all its memories. Dresden and Berlin are indeed special places. How lucky for you to visit the Historic Green Vault. We were there just before its re-opening, so we didn't see the entire collection in the new building. But wow, what an amazing collection indeed! |
gradyghost, here are the threads that I have marked as having Berlin restaurant suggestions:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34820545 http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34896528 http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34980474 Side trips and day trips are such a tricky thing to plan. Invariably - at least in my experience - there are those who don't want to budge or to get up early, etc. And planning a travel itinerary ALWAYS involves making hard choices and sacrifices. I had a very long list of possible trips from Berlin, but there was so much in Berlin itself that all we could manage is Potsdam. Jen is pretty sure that she will do a semester abroad in Germany her junior year so I will most likely visit her and also see some more of Germany. You are so right about off the beaten track, there are some fascinating destinations in the northern part of Germany - actually most of Germany, but most people don't stray past the popular parts of Bavaria. Leipzig has a lot to offer, and I'm sure you will have a good day of it. The fur coat lady we met in Berlin had done a day trip to Leipzig and enjoyed it quite a bit. The RedMaps people are incredible to work with. They did the same with me - just mailed the maps and I sent the checks. They say they have not been burned often. My father was in the used book business, and he usually mailed the book out when he received the check - did not wait for it to clear - and never had a problem in the hundreds of books he sold. For the benefit of anyone else reading this, the European cities that currently have RedMaps are: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Florence, London, Madrid/Seville, Paris, Rome, Venice. I have used the London map for three visits and have been amazed with the ease of navigation. For both Berlin and London I've had the Streetwise, and prefer the RedMap. WillTravel, the lure of Poland is strong for me as well - a flavor of something different (and maybe another stamp in the passport!) I think that's why I was interested in Gorlitz, I read it had a Polish feel. We did see lots of good things, but we rarely felt rushed. I have more energy than Jen does; she has always needed a lot of sleep, and she had mono in January. I think that she still had some effects of that, but she disagrees. At any rate, I had fun going to museums by myself several times, and just taking pictures to my heart's content. We worked around Jen's feet. We had brought these wonderful arch supports and she started using them, but of course only after her feet got sore, so it was a game of catch up. We did a LOT of walking at the front end of the trip, and really concentrated on the excellent public transportation. I will want to explore the bus system even more. Having a hotel that is near to the subway system - either U-bahn or S-bahn is pretty important, imo. |
Sorry Kopp, didn't mean to ignore you; I think I was writing when you posted, and then my computer ATE my reply :(
Anyway, I really enjoyed your report from Berlin and Dresden. You are so right, the Green Vault is amazing. Both of them actually, but of course, in the New Green Vault you did get to see the most amazing of the objects. If I return to the Moevenpick, I may just have to try that yummy breakfast! For the benefit of Berlin researchers, I will list some of the previous trip reports that I've marked: PalQ's Berlin Journal: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34660080 kopp's trip report Prague, Dresden, Berlin, Switz. http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34864330 Berlin trip report - caroline_edinburgh http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34614269 berlin trip report - michelleNYC http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34541911 report of weekend in Berlin - StephCar http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34858263 111op's trip report - including dresden (Green Vault) and Berlin: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34882641 |
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To noe and others:
Thanks for the postings. I was in Berlin and Dresden last May and will be back in Berlin this June - so it was nice to relive my trip and look forward to my next. I wanted to add my three (or four) cents: 1) If you have two days or more in Dresden, consider a paddle-steamer cruise on the Elbe. Very pleasant. 2) If I had to choose between the Green Vault and the Gemäldegalerie in the Zwinger (especially if long waits were involved), I would choose the Gemäldegalerie. 3) More in Dresden. A tour of the Semper Opera is a must in anyone's book. If you plan on attending a concert at the Frauenkirche in Dresden, get tickets well in advance. 4) The airport express busses in Berlin were very convenient and inexpensive. I would choose one of these over a taxi. (Unless of course, money is not a concern.) And finally, if Ingo (A Fodor's MVP) is willing to put together an GTG in Dresden, one would have to be crazy not to GT if you are anywhere close to Dresden. |
Michael, I am sorry to have neglected your excellent report, which I indeed had in my file. My categorizing system leaves a little to be desired, sadly.
Thanks for your several cents, Bird. Those are all great points. A quick comment on your #2) - If I were going to see the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, then in Dresden I'd definitely choose the Green Vault over the Gemäldegalerie in the Zwinger. I can only speak to what I saw in Berlin and in Dresden, but the collection in Berlin was stronger, imo, and after seeing those paintings I'd want to see the Green Vault because it is unique and of exquisite quality. Of course, I wouldn't want to have to make that choice! I'm glad a got a taste of all. |
No apologies needed.
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gabrieltraian, for some reason I totally missed your post - welcome! You should have a great trip to three great locations, with not too much travel in between. We've been to Prague twice and it's very special. You will get a completely different experience in each city, with Berlin being the biggest (it's HUGE!) and the most modern (well, I'm comparing city centers here), and Prague the oldest. I will be looking forward to your report, as you are always so good about writing about your trips.
As for my Romania trip report, I have written a very long account, but I very much want to edit it before I post it. I may put it in outline form rather than day-by-day. There will also be an explanation of why it has taken me so long to post it. For me, and for my brother and father, the trip was an experience of a lifetime. |
Noe, I have been out of town since April 15 but finished reading your report last night when I got home. Thank you so much for writing it. I hope to get to Dresden on my next trip to Berlin and will definitely check for your report again at that time.
I can't wait to get back! |
noe847- Have you posted about your last trip to Berlin with your husband? I loved reading your trip report from the spring and I am curious what you thought about Berlin the second time around. I was there this past summer with three teenagers and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
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My friend and I are planning a trip to Berlin this coming March (our spring break) and your travelogue is a wonderful source for us.
Thank you so much for posting it. Sandy (in Denton) |
noe847
we are going to prague next month and would be interested in your experiences there 'winter' recommendations |
kkukura, I have written about 80% of the report from the report I took, with my husband in September. I have to organize the pictures before I post it, but I'm not sure when I will actually pull it all together. I have a few pressing deadlines first. The report is not a blow-by-blow account but more of a summary. Still way too much detail, however.
To answer your question, we had such a good time in Berlin, that my husband was seriously depressed when we left Berlin (after a 7 night stay) to go to Cologne. But it took him two or three days to warm up to Berlin - just as it had taken my daughter and me on our trip. In fact, I'd go so far as to say don't go to Berlin unless you have a minimum of 4 nights. We are seriously considering a return trip to Berlin for March 2008 with both college-aged daughters (our older daughter has not been there). The other major contender is a return to London, which we all love. Captainmoroni, I will think about some recommendations and get back to you. We did mostly the standard tourist things, and always made a point of spending time on the Charles Bridge every day. |
Oops, hit the "post" button too soon!
kkukura, what did your teens like the best about Berlin? And how long were you there? Thanks, sandy_b for your comments! |
My daughter and her friend are both 18 and my son is 14. The girls enjoyed doing things on their own- the zoo, shopping at the KaDeWe, traveling on the subway, shopping at other areas...but mostly they enjoyed the shopping. My son and I did all the sights...one of our favorites was the Jewish Museum. The architecture was wonderful and added to the whole feeling of the place. We all did a bike tour. Taking a tour ensures that I have at least presented the "history" of the city to the kids, and in an enjoyable way! We also ate at the Unsicht Bar Restaurant. This is a restaurant where you eat in total darkness and are served by blind wait staff. It was an experience that we will never forget. We were there for only 3 days...enough to make us want to return again to see more. We had traveled throughout Germany and Austria for a total of 19 days.
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