Trip to Germany: Suggestions

[LouderVol]

I am planning on spending a week in Germany here in the spring and am looking for suggestions. I will be traveling all over, hitting up some of the major cities, and getting out of country at least once. Possibly just day trips to either Austria or Switzerland. Right now the only thing as musts are Berlin and Munich, the rest of my trip is still pretty open so i am open to suggestions. TIA.

 

[Grand Vol]

Try Trier. It's a neat city with some historical significance and a taste of a different side of Germany.

 

[Boston Vol]

Try to make it to Heidelberg.

 

[ATC_VOL]

I don't really have any specific suggestions but do spend some time "out in the county" as you said and visit some random smaller villages for dinner a night or two. I think you get a much better idea of what the country and people are really like doing that as opposed to only spending time in big cities like Berlin or Frankfurt.

My family was stationed in Ramstein for a year while I was in college and I got to spend a summer there. It was a great experience.

Make an effort to learn a little German, even if it's just a few sentences and the grammar and pronunciation are wrong. Typically Germans will appreciate the effort, as opposed to being appalled that you butchered their language as some other nationalities may be.

 

[LouderVol]

I don't really have any specific suggestions but do spend some time "out in the county" as you said and visit some random smaller villages for dinner a night or two. I think you get a much better idea of what the country and people are really like doing that as opposed to only spending time in big cities like Berlin or Frankfurt.

My family was stationed in Ramstein for a year while I was in college and I got to spend a summer there. It was a great experience.

Make an effort to learn a little German, even if it's just a few sentences and the grammar and pronunciation are wrong. Typically Germans will appreciate the effort, as opposed to being appalled that you butchered their language as some other nationalities may be.

i have got Rosetta stone. starting to hit that up.

 

[malinoisvol]

Try Trier. It's a neat city with some historical significance and a taste of a different side of Germany.

Forgive my spelling, also Trauben-Trebach and Mosel on the Mosel river.
St. Goer on the Rhine.

 

[Dave1967]

Go to Nuremburg or Munich and get that 1920s-1930s feeling:wink::wink:

 

[Vegas_Ferguson]

Spend a day in Leipzig if you can. Tons of interesting history and culture. A few were the Bach Museum, the Grassi Museum, Battle of Nations museum, and the Panometer. They even had a museum about the Stasi which was creepy as hell.

 

[LouderVol]

thanks guys, trip isn't for a while but i want to make sure i get the most out of it as i can. maybe a once in my life trip.

 

[GreveHaller]

i have got Rosetta stone. starting to hit that up.

don't kill yourself over learning German. "sprechen Sie Inglés" is all you need and 98% of the time the answer is "yes". Speak slow and in plain English (no slang words or red neck talk) and you'll be just fine.

I've being going over every year for about 18 years without formal German and I really don't have any problem. All the younger and mid age adults take intensive English and can stumble thru very well. Plus, you'll start to see that much of the English language is very common with German so you'll start understanding it. German is a very harsh sounding language and they enunciate the words so you might not know exactly what they are saying but you'll get about every 3rd or 4th word and can put the gist of the conversation together.

Where ever you go be sure to go to an Imbiss and get currywurst with pommes and mayonnaise. Yeah, the mayo with fries sounds very weird but their mayo is totally different than ours. And it works with the French fries.

I found this recently and sent it to my wife. 10 of the best budget eats in Berlin | Travel | The Guardian

I'm going over in March and getting excited myself

 

[LittleCat]

Most germans know english just as good as we do. I was there a couple years ago and they are extremely nice and happy to speak english. My german was/is good, I just finished my college classes for it and did it throughout high school. My german got a bit better there, but pretty everyone we met spoke great english. We spent most of our time in north and east part of the country.

 

[vol_in_ar]

drink the Krystall Wesissen beer, it's wonderful
I lived just north of Frankfurt for 3.5 yrs, and it's amazing the history in Germany, especially the age of churches, and the architecture

you should have a great trip

 

[Burhead]

One things for sure you won't have to worry about the trains running on time.

 

[xJesusx56]

drink the Krystall Wesissen beer, it's wonderful
I lived just north of Frankfurt for 3.5 yrs, and it's amazing the history in Germany, especially the age of churches, and the architecture

you should have a great trip

weihenstephaner?

 

[GreveHaller]

Most germans know english just as good as we do. I was there a couple years ago and they are extremely nice and happy to speak english. My german was/is good, I just finished my college classes for it and did it throughout high school. My german got a bit better there, but pretty everyone we met spoke great english. We spent most of our time in north and east part of the country.

You spend any time in the northwest part? Hamburg and north

 

[vol_in_ar]

weihenstephaner?

I liked Franziskaner, usually had a rack a week delivered along with a rack of Grolsh

 

[GreveHaller]

I liked Franziskaner, usually had a rack a week delivered along with a rack of Grolsh

only those with a good knowledge of Germany see the beauty in that statement

 

[LouderVol]

is there anything that is not worth doing? something that was just meh?

 

[Cyclopskiller]

Goodentág

 

[Grand Vol]

I liked Franziskaner, usually had a rack a week delivered along with a rack of Grolsh

Getting kinda high class with that swing top beer ain't ya?

 

[Grand Vol]

Best part of the racks of beer were the free glasses and mugs they would throw in from time to time.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

If you break someone's thumb in a thumb wrestling match, DO NOT APOLOGIZE! It is bad form and they'll think you're a wuss.

 

[crusse10]

is there anything that is not worth doing? something that was just meh?

Don't trust them about camps. They say it'll be fun, but

 

[Grand Vol]

is there anything that is not worth doing? something that was just meh?

Oktoberfest in Munich. It's turned into a tourist trap for the most part. To experience the best Oktoberfest, you have to get out into the smaller towns and villages.

I know you won't be there during that time, but in case anyone else is thinking of a trip during that period. Although it does have some redeeming qualities...

 

[rs16]

Oktoberfest in Munich. It's turned into a tourist trap for the most part. To experience the best Oktoberfest, you have to get out into the smaller towns and villages.

I know you won't be there during that time, but in case anyone else is thinking of a trip during that period. Although it does have some redeeming qualities...

I was at Oktoberfest in 1971, wasn't touristy then. Stayed in a small town about 30 minutes from Munich.