vagabond_jeb

Hello! I have 16 days to see Berlin and Prague, and am deciding on how I want to fill the itinerary. I arrive in Berlin Oct 7th via Icelandair at 1:05pm. I leave Berlin on Oct 23rd at 2:05pm. Thanks to some excellent advise from a previous question I asked here about a week ago, I have a clearer picture of what I'm doing now. But there are a few options that I'm trying to narrow down, mainly how I'm going to spend the third leg of my trip. I anticipate the first 11-12 days of the trip will be as follows:

• Berlin 7-8 days (I've been reading guide books and even over a week doesn't seem like enough time. This will include a visit to Potsdam)
• Prague 4-5 days (I'm thinking a day trip to Cesky Krumlov will be included in this)

So for the third leg of the trip I'm trying to decide on one of the following options:

• Dresden (3-4 days) Dresden would be a "base" for seeing the surrounding region. Would spend a couple of days seeing Dresden, then rent a car and go to Gorlitz and Saxony Switzerland Nat'l Park for some hiking and sightseeing. A chance to see some countryside and explore the region at my own leisure. Also an easy train ride back to Berlin for the flight home.
• Vienna (4 days) I know doing this will force me shorten my stay in Berlin and perhaps Prague. Perhaps I could visit Cesky Krumlov on my way from Prague to Vienna. I'm a coffee lover, and have always wanted to check out the cafe scene here (among many other things!)
• Budapest (4 days) This seems ambitious, and it's a long train ride back to Berlin (maybe fly instead). But Budapest seems like one of those unforgettable cities that I would be enchanted with. I'm obsessed with WWII and Cold War history and I know I'd find plenty of that here.
• Wildcard idea: Nuremberg (3-4 days) WWII history

As I mentioned in a previous thread about this trip, my interests are history (especially WWII and Cold War history), food, beer, coffee, hiking/sightseeing, visiting local markets, walking neighborhoods, photography, architecture, art, and whatever else I can find. I'm trying to strike that balance of seeing enough without cramming it. Please provide any suggestions or advice. Thanks!

JEB

PalenQ

Going by train? Assume mainly- book tickets far in advance for discounted fares - www.bahn.de/en for trains involving Germany and national rail sites for others - www.seat61.com has great advice on doing that - general info - www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

PalenQ

https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...ournal-550993/

Little old but many things are timeless.

For WW2's grim aspect visit Sachenhausen Camp/Memorial just outside of Berlin - a Nazi work camp with all the grim remains like ruined gas chamber, etc.

Michael

I would choose Dresden. We did a trip that essentially went from Frankfurt east through central Germany to Görlitz and then up to Berlin. Click on my name to find the trip report.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...7634926912599/ and subsequent pictures.

and here's Dresden: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...230920764/show

kja

No bad choices, in my opinion, but FWIW, I'd go with Dresden -- IMO, it suits your timing best. As you note, including Vienna would mean shortchanging Berlin (and Vienna, IMO); including Budapest -- which I truly enjoyed -- isn't nearly as convenient.

Good luck!

Ingo

Dresden is the only logical choice IMO, being located half way between Berlin and Prague. You would lose too much travel time with the other options. Also, as Vienna and Budapest are big cities you would add another big city and totally skip any rural areas/hiking etc.

But be forewarned: Görlitz and Saxon Switzerland in one day is impossible. You will need a full day for Görlitz, or at least almost if you're not much into picturesque old cities, and for Saxon Switzerland one day means scratching the surface, you could only do one hike, either around Bastei/Rathen or Bad Schandau/Schrammsteine massif. Btw, until end of April (when it will shut down) I still have a blog on hikes in Saxon Switzerland online. Here's the link: Bastei - the famous viewpoint - Rathen Travel Blog
(If you're interested, the highlights of Dresden are covered in this blog: The inner old town - Dresden Travel Blog)

vagabond_jeb

Wow, Ingo, thanks so much! I've had a chance to look at your blog and all the fantastic pictures. The idea was a whole day for Görlitz and a day for hiking in Saxon Switzerland. I would ideally like an extra day to hike, there if time permits. Especially after seeing how beautiful it is.

I did wonder if I choose Dresden if it made more sense to stay in Dresden, or in a more central location like Pirna if I was going to be exploring the region. Maybe that is a question for a different thread.

So much choice and so little time. At this point I'm thinking 8 days in Berlin. Travel to Prague on the 15th. Four days in Prague. Travel to Dresden area on evening of 18th or morning of 19th. Then four days for Dresden and surrounding area - 2 days in Dresden, 1 day for Gorlitz, 1 day for Saxon Switzerland. Then train back to Berlin on the morning of the 23rd for flight home. Something like this:

Oct 7th: Arr in Berlin in afternoon
Oct 8th: Berlin
Oct 9th: Berlin
Oct 10th: Berlin
Oct 11th: Berlin
Oct 12th: Berlin
Oct 13th: Berlin
Oct 14th: Berlin
Oct 15th: Train to Prague in morning
Oct 16th: Prague
Oct 17th: Prague
Oct 18th: Prague
Oct 19th: Train to Dresden in morning
Oct 20th: Dresden
Oct 21st: Rent car and drive to Gorlitz
Oct 22nd: Saxon Switzerland NP
Oct 23rd: Morning train back to Berlin to fly home

Great feedback so far. Another thought I had was to stay in Prague instead of going to Dresden. And after seeing Prague, it would be the "base" to explore the Czech countryside, and see some small towns like Cesky Krumlov, Plzen, Karlovy Vary, et al, and make my way up to Saxon Switzerland that way. Any other thoughts?

Ingo

Sounds like a good plan.

Staying in Dresden vs. Pirna (or or nearby small town like Stadt Wehlen e.g.) is more a question of city vs. small town. The travel time between Dresden main railway station and Pirna by commuter train is only 21 minutes, from April on 6 trains every hour in rush hour, 4 trains the other times of the day.

Rent a car and drive to Görlitz? Why rent a car? I think you can easily spend the whole day in Görlitz, where a car is a nuisance. Most of the old town is pedestrian zone anyway. You won't save time by driving, trains take the same time (awful traffic jams on the motorway A 4 very often - trucks to/from Poland!) and run roughly hourly.

PalenQ

Vienna is a just a 4-hour train ride from Prague and though Dresden et all is great Vienna may be something a bit different and unique and another country. Do the fabulous Wachau Valley as a day trip from Vienna - by boat. Fly home from there?

Aramis

Pirna is not a better logistical option than Dresden simply because Dresden has much better connections to everything Jeb wants to do. One would be taking a train into Dresden just to train out. As Ongo pointed out - a car makes little sense for the itinerary that Jeb has planned. Enjoy the wonder of Dresden's Altstadt every day and take wonderfully easy trips to the other sites by train.

My proposed itinerary in your other thread still makes the most sense - i think anyway

PalenQ

Also near Dresden is Meissen, an old town with hilltop castle and home of the famous porcelain of the same name - you can tour the workshops and museum. Just a short train ride away.