Which German cities to visit?
 

I'm planning a trip to Europe in early October. We have nine days once in Europe and definitely want to go to Prague, probably for four days. We were originally considering pairing Prague with either Budapest or Krakow, or both. Now I'm thinking of changing gears and going to one or two German cities instead of Budapest and/or Krakow. The problem is that we have to make a decision fairly quickly and I don't know much about Germany. Our priority is to see a concentration camp, we like Jewish history in general, I love castles and we prefer quaint over big. We don't want to spend a lot of time traveling between cities, so flying may be preferable to train or bus, but we're open to anything. It also doesn't matter what order we travel in. I would greatly appreciate any input from someone familiar with the logistics of Germany. Everything looks beautiful and interesting to me!

I suggest Dresden on the Elbe river. It's about two hours by train from Prague. The historical center is compact and easily toured on foot. Sights include the Zwinger, Semper Oper, Hofkirche, Frauenkirche, Grunes Gewolbe (Green Vault - old & new) and many more.

For other castles you can do day trips to Moritzburg or Pillnitz.

And many possible day or half-day trips from Dresden, e.g. to the wine country of the Elbe valley. Early October should be the best time to visit, though it always depends on weather when the grapes get harvested.

And/or a visit of the beautiful town of Meissen
http://en.touristinfo-meissen.de/Get...illkommen.html

and the famous porcelain factory:
http://friedrich.meissen.com/index.php?id=7&lang=1

For Jewish history, Prague is a major destination anyway. And Terezin concentration camp memorial is half way between Prague and Dresden, though I have no clue about accessibility with public transport.

dresden is a gem

Berlin is one of the most fascinating cities in Europe and for a concentration camp Sachenhausen is a short train ride from it and there are other Nazi relics like the Topography of Terrors - Plotenzee Prison, etc.

Berlin is a few hour train or drive from Dresden.

If driving from Prague to Dresden then you have the superb Saxon Switzerland to trudge thru - one of Europe's prettiest river valleys with castles and fotresses perched on red sandstone pinnacles high above the Elbe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxon_Switzerland

(see the picture on this link of the Bastei Bridge for an example of bastions topping the pinnacles!

When come from (or continue to) Prague, of course, Dresden. And also Berlin. And in between, I strongly suggest the Wartburg in Eisenach (Luther.. UNESCO World Heritage).

If you like quaint, also Erfurt, Weimar, Görlitz.

Explore the web. The usual webaddress is www.cityname.de

We're heading to Dresden in the Fall and I'm looking forward to it. If we had more time, I'd love to visit Leipzig as I'm a classical music fan.

Thank you all so much....What about Munich? I'm not sure, but I believe that Dachau concentration camp is not too far away. Also, I've read about Rothenburg, which looks like a fairytale town. Are these places geographically practical for my trip?

I'd certainly consider Munich. One of our favorite cities and yes, Dachau is a quick trip on the S-Bahn and is one of the more moving camps IMO. Plus it's close to several of Ludwig's castles.

I woudl also highly recommend Dresden and Berlin for many of the reasons already mentioned. If you consider Munich, would suggest flying between it and Berlin, if you were to pick it.

And Eisenach and Leipzig, mentioned above, are also both well worth the visit. Seeing where Luther translated the Bible at Wartburg is rather awe inspiring.

There are a lot of great choices.

Driving time from Prag to Dresden is 1:53, to München 4:30. That's the reason for our recommendations.

And because you said you prefer quaint over big.

As a Dresden resident I am of course biased ;-)

But in this case, seriously, it makes perfect sense to combine Prague with Dresden. Four days for Prague is excellent. On the way from Prague to Dresden see the concentration camp Terezin (right on the way) and then spend two days in Bad Schandau in the National Park "Saxon Switzerland" (international trains between Prague and Dresden stop there). It is a quaint town in beautiful location by the Elbe river which offers endless hiking opportunities from easy to difficult to great viewpoints. Or visit Fortress Königstein. Or take a paddle steamer ride on the river. Or take the historic oldtimer bus to Bastei (view!). There's a new and relatively inexpensive 5star hotel with great spa in this town which I can recommend. www.elbresidenz-bad-schandau.de
Room rate incl. breakfast and spa € 180.

Spend the remaining three days in Dresden. You can easily fill the days with things to do in the city alone - don't miss Pillnitz Palace and gardens in the outskirts (paddle steamer ride), but I highly recommend to see the quaint town Meissen (Porcelain manufacture tours, castle, cathedral, picturesque old town). Or see the Baroque hunting castle Moritzburg. Or see the picturesque castle in Weesenstein. Indulge in concerts, opera etc.

I.

Thanks again...

Does anyone have a recommendation for private tour guides in Munich, Dresden and/or Berlin? With only a short time in each city we've found them invaluable. I'll also post in each city on this sight for recommendations.

I got backs from Prague,Dresden an Berlin just 3 weeks ago.

Dresden attractions are very close together. It is interesting town, but I would not spend more than 2 nights in Dresden.
Berlin is a very large city with numerous historical sights .
You might do some reading to find out what you would like to see there.
There are number of walking tours in Berlin.
How much time do you intend to spend in each city?

Hi danon,

What luck to hear from you. Please tell me about your trip. How much time did you have? In what order did you visit the three cities? What means of travel to each? In retrospect, would you leave out one in order to spend more time in one of the others, or in another city altogether? Did you have a tour guide in any of the cities? Have you ever been to Budapest and, if so, how would you rate it in comparison to these three?

I was planning on spending 4 nights in Prague and the other 5 nights are undecided. More than likely, 3 in one location and 2 in another.

Sorry for all of the questions. I would appreciate any information that you think may be helpful.

I'll be glad to help (I did post a short report)you might find helpful. I spent 5 nights in Prague, 2 in Dresden, 6 in Berlin.(in that order) I did not have a guide, or visited Budapest.
Berlin is a large city (3.5 million) .At first I was a bit lost in Berlin ,but by the end of my stay I decided I would like come back .
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...r-of-shoes.cfm

if you have any question re: report, please feel free to ask.
I just made one mistake I said I was able to print ticket
Dresden - Prague ( I meant to say Dresden -Berlin)

sorry, I just notice you said 9 days and that you like small towns (unlike me). Many posters love Budapest .
Dresden is close to Prague and Ingo has some good suggestions.

dresden and the area around it would be an excellent add-on to prague....

a visit with ingo is well worth the trip too

Is Ingo meeting with American visitors?!?

I just found out that a high school friend of mine not only lives in Regensburg, but is a tour guide for the city there. Has anyone been there and can you tell me which large German city is nearest to it? It seems that Regensburg is about a 3 hour train ride from Prague, so it may be doable. Thanks to all of you for your information and patience. I WILL make a decision this weekend!!

I'd recommend Berlin for the remainder of your trip. Since its a very large city there is alot to do and see there.

Yes, Ingo is meeting with American visitors. ;-) In fact, I have met several Fodorites (hi rhkkmk!).

But it looks like it's Regensburg for you.

I.

Hi R,

March 2008 I took my parents to Europe for their first overseas trip. We flew into Prague for four days and one day we took a bus to Terezin to see the concentration camp there. It was my first visit to a concentration camp and I'll never forget it. It was, however, a not so great trip to the bus station and then a not so great bus ride to the camp and then we had to wait for a train to get back. Not sure I would recommend that just because transportation to/from is a pain.

We had a private driver take us from Prague to Munich (which ended up being cheaper than the train if you can believe that) and spent 3.5 days in Munich. It was a quick 3-4 hour drive. Once in Munich, we saw the castles, explored Munich (very fun city), and took a day trip to Dachau. In our collective opinion, Dachau was more moving than anything we'd ever seen. It was also incredible the amount of information provided there. My dad made a very long detailed powerpoint from the pictures he took there and it really captured what we saw and felt that day. We then took the train to Venice for the last three days of our trip, but you could head to another German city from there. I highly recommend Munich and Dachau.

~O

I have not read all the posts but can report on the Dresden-Prague-combo: It's easy and an easy drive (we did not buy a stamp for the Autobahn as there was no station to do so, and did not get caught ;-) ): 1,5 hrs.We travelled last July.
I particularly LOVE Dresden and have visited 3 times and might go back a forth.
Prague is also wonderful - but be prepared to share it with LOADS of visitors (June - Sep/Weekends).

Happy Travels!

SV

Okay, your friend changes everything. Forget Dresden and Berlin.

Go to Regensburg (a very pretty city - and hometown of Pope Benedict) and proceed to München, Dachau, Rothenburg, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen, Nürnberg... You will enjoy historic towns in Bavaria. Everything will be very convenient from Prague.

Regensburg i once read has more historic old buildings in its city center than any city in Germany - obviously not blitzed in war as much as most cities like Dresden (which has been wondrously pieced back together)

Rajen, this is a difficult decision for you but I would strongly recommend Munich as traveller 1959 above suggests. It is a fascinating city with many museums, hearty food, and accessibility to the castles and, of course, Dachau. Bavaria is a beautiful and historic part of Germany.

If we go to Munich, would you suggest going during Oktoberfest or avoiding it? The price of hotel rooms is not so much of a factor as availability and whether it's better to see the city in it's usual state as opposed to during a big festival. Our travel dates are now set...September 29 (arriving in Europe on September 30) and leaving Europe on October 9.

Overplanner....how nice that you were able to make that trip with your parents...a lifetime memory! Do you still have the name of the driver who you hired to take you from Prague to Munich?

Off topic: Palenque, that's not correct. Görlitz has the most historic buildings in Germany. Almost 4,000 I think.

Did not see this answered above but Dachau is an easy trip from Munich, reached via short train ride than a bus. Also from Munich it is a nice trip to Linderfhof castle which we very much enjoyed and fits your criteria of small over huge.

We have made several trips to Munich and find it an excellent base. We have visited Garmisch and plan next to visit Mittenwald. Nuremberg is an hour away by train.

I would recommend John's Bavarian Tours in Munich; we booked him for a full day last December and very much enjoyed it.

In Berlin, Jeremy Minsberg [[email protected]] comes highly recommended and we have booked with him for our trip this November. We plan on Dresden as a day trip from Berlin.

Personally I love the Bavarian cities. Munich , Mittenwald, Garmish-Part., Oberammergau, Regensburg, Nuremburg, Rothenburg are all exceptionally beautiful. The Alps and Black Forest are simply awesome!

Wiht only nine days and 4 being spent in Prague I would opt out of going to different German cities and simply stay in Munich. You can do day trips from there. You will need at least serveral days just to see Munich

I've seen all of Ludwigs castles and I think Linderhoff is my favorite.

Enjoy the food,beer,museums,beer,music,beer, sites. You get the picture. October in Munich?? Hmmm....anything going on there?

As to your specific question whether to go when Oktoberfest is on (and I assume you know it actually starts in Sept), that really depends on whether you want to see a big festival with the expected crowds or see Munich when it's a little less hectic. We've done both and prefer Munich at other times - though it is some amazing festival. [BTW - like many big events, it really helps if you know someone locally who can show you the "inside"].

Ingo - gotta do Gorlitz - really do not know much about it but i now know enough to want to see it

I think my Regensburg reference was probably pre German reunification = and Gorlitz is in the former DDR, right>

thanks for the correction.

Regensburg is a beautiful city even if it does not have the most historic buildings in Germany. I would go there and see your friend, then to Munich

Okay...these are the final two choices for itineraries. We will leave the US on September 29, arriving in Europe on September 30, and leave on October 9.

CHOICE #1: Fly into Berlin from US, stay 2 or 3 nights, train or private car to Prague (private car costs 259 Euros, does anyone know how that compares to train for 2?), possibly stopping in Regensburg on the way;

Prague 4 nights leaving time for 2 day trips, possibly one to Ragensburg;

Fly to Budapest for 2 or 3 nights, leave for US from Budapest.

CHOICE #2: Fly into Budapest from US for 2 or 3 nights, fly to Prague;

Prague 4 nights, train or private car to Munich (281Euro), either stopping in Regensburg or taking a day trip to Regensburg from Munich;

2 or 3 nights in Munich including surrounding areas, fly from Munich to US.

The reason for the reverse direction on the second itinerary is that we have decided to avoid Munich during Oktoberfest. The second itinerary would have us traveling to Munich on the last day of Oktoberfest. Both itineraries would allow for day trips to concentration camps. We would have tour guides in Budapest and Berlin, in order to see as much as possible in the short time we have. The choice of 2 or 3 days in Berlin/Budapest/Munch depends on travel schedules.

WHAT DO YOU THINK???

<i>Fly into Berlin from US, stay 2 or 3 nights, train or private car to Prague (private car costs 259 Euros, does anyone know how that compares to train for 2?)</i>

You can check for schedule and prices here:
http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml

Picking october 3 as your travel date, the CHEAPEST option <u>FOR TWO</u> is:

Advance purchase tickets, 2nd class for €58
or
Advance purchase tickets, 1st class for €98

Standard fare, ie, refundable tickets <u>FOR TWO</u> is:
€120,40 in 2nd class
or
€189,60 in 1st class

Therefore, even if you buy fully refundable 1st class tickets for Berlin -> Prague, you will still be saving a bundle over private car. And if you buy advance non-refundable 2nd class tickets, you'll be saving €200.

Hi Rajen,

Hmm, looks like you've got a really tight schedule...
Do you think you could skip Budapest?

Sept. 30 - arrive in Berlin, rest and relax for rest of the day
Oct. 1 - Berlin
Oct. 2 - Berlin
Oct. 3 - Berlin
Oct. 4 - Leipzig or Dresden
Oct. 5 - Leipzig or Dresden
Oct. 6 - Leipzig or Dresden
Oct. 7 - Prague
Oct. 8 - Prague
Oct 9 - fly out from Prague


Remember that the first and last day of flight travel is basically a 'wasted day' since you have either jet-lag or need to check-in at the airport early.

Also, the days of train travel and/or check-in and out of hotels really wastes another half a day, so you don't really get the whole day to do any full-day guided tours, etc.

Just my two cents :-)

Oh, and given your tight schedule, I wouldn't take the train from Munich-Prague because that train takes at least 6.5 hours and it is possible that the train is late and will stop in the middle of an inconvenient place. Three weeks ago I took a train from Prague to Munich, and the train was late 30 minutes and then in the middle of Swandorf (Germany), the train conductor just stopped the train and told everybody to get off. We were re-directed to another train from Swandorf to Nuremberg and then from Nuremberg to Munich. It really wasted a lot of time.

On the second day of one of my Germany travels I had my first wursts at a small restaurant situated in Regensberg. The restaurant was on the banks of the Danube at the end of a bridge. The kitchen was in an outside building and in addition to the restaurant they had a small beer garden with picnic tables. It was a Sunday after church and the picnic tables were full so we ended up eating inside.

We were served 6 small but tasty bratwurst (little finger size) with the best kraut I've ever eaten. Bread was sitting on the table but you were charged extra if you ate any. The beer was cold and yummy too! I don't remember the cost but very reasonable.

Visit St Peters church if you get a chance. It's very old and charming. You can't miss the steeple.

Yes, Regensberg is a good choice.

The "sixpack" of small sausages is the usual serving size and kind when you order "Rostbratwürstel".
A plate of 6 Rostbratwürstel with Sauerkraut should be around €6-8. If they ask for more, it's a tourist trap.

Just never ever order "brats" - the only thing which is phonetically similar to that in German would be a Brezn (or big pretzel)

P.S. Not trying to lecture you, paul, but you have been in Regensburg, not -berg. The reason the locals here sometimes get anal about the proper suffixes is that -berg and -burg are extremely common. And if you use GPS in your rental car or print online tickets for train travel, you may end up in either Regensberg, North of Nuremberg, or Regensberg near Zurich/Switzerland.

Thanks cowboy, yes it was Regensburg. The 'frau' leading us called them brats. Perhaps she knew we would understand what the were better if she called them brats. And yes if I remember correctly the cost was about 6E.

burg - castle
berg - town

or do i have it the opposite