Trip Report - 12 days in Germany
 

My trip report is too long to post here, so I have created a small web site that you can link to. You will find the link at the bottom of this posting.

A few notes about my trip report:

1) The trip report was created for my own use, as a way for me to remember my trip in the future. My opinions and impressions are entirely subjective. You may find that I have some names misspelled or entirely wrong. I am not an expert on Germany and have done my best to make sure I have the spellings and names of things correct.

2) You may note that we flew in business class, but I make mention of my budget througout the report. You may be confused as to why anyone who flies business class would be concerned about their budget. The airline tickets were paid for with frequent flyer miles. The rest of the trip was out-of-pocket.

3) Fans of Heidelberg will not appreciate my comments. I hate it when folks visit the "strip" in Las Vegas for a couple of days and then form disparaging opinions of my home. I realize that I have done the same thing with Heidelberg. I'm sure that given more time, I would have been able to discover the charm of this city. No offense is meant to its residents or folks who love it. I don't intend to discourage anyone from visiting this city.

4) My photos are posted on Snapfish. You are welcome to view them, and you may choose to do so as you read the trip report. Unfortunately, I don't know how to provide a link to the photos without sending you an email. Also, Snapfish requires that viewers set up a free account, but you can always unsubscribe later. If you would like to view the photos, send me an email at [email protected]. I will reply with the link as soon as possible.

5) This trip would not have been possible without the help of my fellow Fodorites! For that I thank you all for your invaluable help and advice.

6) Enjoy and feel free to post or email your comments or questions.

Here is the link to the trip report:

http://tinyurl.com/qpsqh

hi vegaslocal...
first, I can understand your disclaimer reference to the LV strip.
second, though I'm not planning a trip to Germany too soon, interested in reading your report.. for future possibilities.
third, the link didn't work. Maybe its me, or maybe it really doesn't work. But i thought i'd top this so it could be fixed.

thanks for posting.. looking forward to reading your trip report!

I got the link to work :) Thank you very much for posting!

Here is the actual url, but I believe the last part of the url is not displayed in the link. You may have to type it into your browser. The funny squiggle can be found on your keyboard just to the left of the number "1":

http://home.earthlink.net/~vegaslocal/

To get a Snapfish link, email yourself, and then copy and paste it into the Fodors reply box. Works for Shutterfly.

A very interesting trip report and perspective on some things. Glad you had a good time.

One note: believe me, Ludwig did not always "dine alone" and that special table you saw was probably designed as much to prevent the servants from observing with whom he WAS dining.

Even though I copied the link to the actual photo album, it appears that you can only get as far as the login page with the link above. But, from there, you can create an account and view the photos.

LOL Intrepid1, I understand completely, and I'll bet dollars to doughnuts we all know exactly what was going on with Ludwig. But, I toed the 'official party line' in my journal.

Oh no! I think your tiny url link expired! Please repost, I haven't finished reading yet :) Those dang 4th graders expected me to teach all day!! ;)

Read most of it. I agree with you about Worms and share your dismay about Heidelberg - it's really pretty average in many ways; although I do think the Altstadt is slightly more charming than you give it credit for, it's not a city I recommend. Do you wish you had overnighted somewhere else besides Koblenz? If so, where? Just curious.

Nice report. You bring back good memories of my honeymoon, part of which was spent in Germany, staying in Koblenz and Heidelburg. I understand the knocks on Heidelburg, but I do think it is worth a few hours visit if for nothing else to see the view of the castle from the bridge. I was also pleasantly suprised at how pretty the drive down the Neckar was as well.

TXgalinGA, the url still works for me. If you can't get there that way, type the url in the long way:

http://home.earthlink.net~vegaslocal/

Russ, I think Koblenz was a nice place to overnight. My intention was to have a stopping place on the Rhine, while still having a jumping off point to drive up the Mosel. I actually enjoyed walking along the Rhine, visiting the Deutsches Eck and the Aldstadt in Koblenz. To be fair, the Mercure was adequate, it just wasn't quite what I had in mind. If I had more time, I think Koblenz would also be a great place to start a boat tour along the Rhine or Mosel.

Bob_KY...I can see where Heidelberg could be charming, but it was just larger and more urban than I had envisioned. If I had the time to really explore Heidelberg, I'll bet I would have appreciated it more. I just didn't enjoy the fact that the Aldstadt was crowded with partying teenagers and college students. I've already lived through those days, and I was hoping for something a bit more relaxing. Also, the pedestrian zone of Heidelberg is the only place where I really felt I needed to keep a hand on my wallet. I just didn't fully trust the environment. I'm sure it has many redeeming qualities that I did not have the time to explore.

Correction TXgalinGA, I missed a slash in that url. It's:

http://home.earthlink.net/~vegaslocal/

I was not able to access your trip report either. Link did not work.

Not sure what you said about Heidelberg, but I have to agree with what appears to be a not-so-positive review. In 2002, we spent our last day there. A friend who had gone to the University on an exchange program had spoken so highly about Heidelberg for years that we were really pumped about it. What we found was a rather unkempt, rag-tag student-filled place with as many t-shirt kiosks as one would expect to see in Florida spring break destinations. We enjoyed our hotel (Gasthaus Backmulde) and the river views, but the Americanized college-town atmosphere was not what we had expected.

Folks seem to be having trouble with the link. Just type the entire url into your browser instead of clicking the link. Be sure to type the "/~vegaslocal/" or it won't work. The tilde key is located above your Tab key and to the left of your "1" key. Again, the url is:

http://home.earthlink.net/~vegaslocal/

"Russ, I think Koblenz was a nice place to overnight. My intention was to have a stopping place on the Rhine, while still having a jumping off point to drive up the Mosel. I actually enjoyed walking along the Rhine, visiting the Deutsches Eck and the Aldstadt in Koblenz."

Vegas,

First all, thanks for a thoughtful trip report.

My wife and I are taking our kids to Germany next year, after making a visit this year. We want to include the Rhine/Mosel this time. My wife and daughter are ardent shoppers. I thought that Koblenz-Alstadt might be a good place to shop between our sight-seeing forays along the rivers. Was there a large pedestrian zone with several shops, even department stores.

Thanks, Gary

I think they would be pretty disappointed with the shopping in Koblenz. I don't remember seeing many interesting stores.

If shopping is a high priority, I would recommend Koln. They'll find all the department/clothing/gift stores that they could possibly desire within a couple of blocks of the cathedral and the train station. You might consider a day trip to Koln via train to visit the cathedral and let the girls shop.

As far as the Rhine, Rudesheim had lots of souvenir stores, while Cochem had the most along the Mosel, but not as many as Rudesheim did.

Great report, thanks. I will email you for the link.

We are suppose to drive through Heidelburg, visit the castle, and then travel onward to Stuttgardt. Did you see the castle? Do you think this is worth doing?

Thanks!

I did not visit the castle in Heidelberg. I just viewed it from below in the aldstadt at night. By the time we got to Heidelberg we had our fill of castles.

What a wonderful trip report! Opinions and impressions help everyone out. I'm hitting many of the same stops this summer. I was actually feeling bad about skipping Heidelberg till I read your report, but no more. Let's hope my girls and I have as good a trip as yours was.