Hi,

My husband and I have been invited to a friend's birthday party event in the Tegernsee area in Germany, but we want to travel outside Germany to somewhere else really cool - question is, for stretching our american dollars, what would be a good place to visit? We only will have about 6 days to venture elsewhere...

Thanks!

Jeenie

At what time of year?
Will you have a rental car?

Croatia is rather inexpensive - but you will lose almost a day (by car) in each direction. 600km one way from Munich/Tegernsee via Austria.

But you could also go back to Munich airport, and go anywhere else where a low cost carrier flies, from Poland to Portugal.

Hi,

Oops sorry - We will be going first two weeks in October, and no, probably will not have a car unless it is truly easier and as cheap as the trains...

Jeenie

There is plenty to see in Bavaria to last several weeks, but if you want to go somewhere else it is true the lowcost airfares give lots of options.
Personally I would probably take the train to northern Italy. The train trip over the Brenner pass is quite impressive and you could easily get to cities like Verona, Vicenza, Padova, Venice.
However, if you want an inexpensive location Italy may not be your best choice.

Hi J,

The coolest part of Germany at that time of year will be in the mountains near Garmisch or Innsbruck.

You can spend 3 days in the mountains, see some of Ludwig's castles, and 3 days in Munich.

I think we need a clarification from the OP re. "cool".
(P.S. I know that you do not mean the outside temperature ;-) )
What is cool for you?
A lively city? Berlin, Barcelona, Istanbul? Or the beaches on Ibiza? Or a quaint mountain town and some old castles?

Hi,
Salzburg and Berchtesgaden come to mind as they are close enough together to be able to visit both from one base. I know you say "outside of Germany" but there is so much to see. I'd say this area plus Mittenwald, Germany and/or Innsbruck area (we prefer to stay in Hall). With a car, the fact you want to stretch your $$, and be outside of Germany, I'd suggest a drive down through Innsbruck, over the Brenner Pass and into the Dolomites in northern Italy. You could make this drive easily (through some fantastic Alp scenery) in one day. You'd then have a few days in the Dolomites.
I don't know what you consider "cool" but here are a couple of websites you can check out:

www.val-gardena.com
www.altabadia.org
www.brixen.org

Our recent photos of some of these areas can be seen at:

www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/travel11.html

Paul

"for stretching our american dollars, what would be a good place to visit? We only will have about 6 days to venture elsewhere..."

Tegernsee is but a grain of sand on the beach that is Bavaria. Agree with the others that if you spend the time elsewhere in Bavaria, you'll be somewhere "cool" - and it won't cost an arm and a leg (Dolomites and Italian cities tend to be very pricey.)

Use a Bayern Ticket - 27 Euros for both of you for a day's unlimited train travel on the RE and RB (regional) trains all over Bavaria (well, almost unlimited - travel after 9 a.m. on weekdays.)

A few places you might go, all included on the BT:

Salzburg

Berchtesgaden (Königssee, Eagle's Nest

Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Zugspitze, Germany's tallest Alp)

Herrenchiemsee (palace on Chiemsee lake)

Tyrolean Austria (train from Garmisch to Reutte, Vils, and back into Germany included on BT

Touristy Füssen/Ludwig's castle

Eichstätt

Rothenburg (marvelously preserved walled town)

Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, all close by one another

Oberstdorf

Lake Constance / Lindau

You can find private B&B's or Pensions in these places for 60 Euros or less including breakfast, as a rule; try that in Venice.

More travel ideas and accommodations options:

www.bensbauernhof.com

Have a look at Prague. an absolutely beautful city and less expensive than western europe. But- if you're neer been to Germany before there's way more than enough there for only 6 days (Munich, Berlin, the Rhine).

Hi again,
As others (and myself) have suggested, with 6 nights you won't run out of things to see and do in Bavaria. We've been to Bavaria on 5 trips so far and still want to go back. The list that Russ posted is a very good start.
Just wanted to respond to his above post regarding the Dolomites. Although we've never stayed in a city, after 3 recent trips we've found the Pensions and B&B's in this region to be very inexpensive. I believe the most we paid for the 2 of us was 50 Euros per night with a buffet breakfast. Then again, that's also possible in Bavaria. I've found that smaller towns and villages outside of a main city are always your best bet. Depends on what you're looking for and where.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all of your input. My husband and I have been to Italy and the Dolomites in the past, we are possibly leaning towards Prague and making a trip out of the in-betweens from Munich to Prague area.

As for my definition of "cool", well, good food, good sightseeing, not too crazy crowded, don't care about nightlife, and hopefully friendly locals, and yes, as in all of Europe, the architecture.

I did alot of business travel to Frankfurt area and around there in the past, never been to the Bavaria region before, but we will be staying with our friend in Tegernsee for about 4-5 days, then we want to go on our own.

What is your opinion - car or train?

Oh also,

And we have been on a Rhine journey in the past, Cologne, Koblenz, Weisbaden, etc... So do not want to concentrate too much of the trip in Germany necessarily...

Prague sounds like a good idea. Train would be better than a car, since you won't need the latter in Prague.

First two weeks in October should also be a beautiful time for Alsace/ Lorraine. Yet, there is the issue of $$.