We were watching a special on the autobahn in Germany over the weekend (we both love to drive German cars way too fast), and remembering the taste of the heavenly beer we drank when we ventured over the border from France for a day last June. As a result, we’ve started seriously thinking about visiting Germany next year.
Does anybody have any advice, thoughts, warnings, anecdotes, etc. about traveling to Germany from the U.S. which will help us make up our minds?
I’m an American. I spent a university year in Germany, worked there for several years after graduation, married a German and, even though we’re living in the States now, hubby and I keep an apartment in Germany that we visit once or twice a year. Some thoughts:
Start in Munich. Avoid Oktoberfest, which, as you probably know, is actually held in September. It’s peak tourist season and the city is hideously overcrowded and the prices are jacked up at hotels and restaurant. The city is full of drunks and if you don’t like stepping in puddles of vomit, avoid Oktoberfest. Munich is a beautiful city and well worth seeing, but I’d recommend visiting it in the spring. If you love art, the Alte Pinakothek is one of the world’s great museums. More info at: http://www.pinakothek.de/alte-pinakothek/museum/museum_index_en.php
In Munich, rent a car and travel into the Bavarian countryside to see some of Mad Ludwig’s castles. Neuschwanstein is the most famous http://goeurope.about.com/cs/germany/p/ludwig_castle.htm It’s garish but worth seeing. Ludwig II also built other royal residences, including Linderhof, a small perfect gem of a castle, exquisite in every detail. I recommend it. You can visit Oberammergau if you’re driving through Bavaria. Be sure to pick up some wood carvings.
Another wonderful place is the Andechs Monestery just outside of Munich. The monks there brew beer. It’s fabulous beer, memorable beer. It is beer to make you praise God and thank Him you were born. It is, I’m convinced, the beer that’s served in heaven. http://www.andechs.de/englisch/brauerei/ The German drunk driving laws are very strict and the police don’t show mercy to tipsy drivers, so take care if you drive. There’s a train from the city, but you have to climb a very steep hill to reach the monastery.
The Black Forest is just that - a forest. I mean, it’s nice and it’s pictureseque but we have woods here in the US. If you’re short on time, skip it and head for the Rhineland after you leave Bavaria. I’d recommend getting a Eurail Pass and taking the train to the western part of Germany.
Give Frankfurt a miss. It’s archtecturally undistinguished; the city was flattened in the war and most of what you see is modern construction. Unless you’re a Goethe fan. If you are, let me know and I’ll give you info about the Goethe house.
Be sure not to miss Cologne. The Cathedral there is one of the glories of Western Europe. After you leave the Cathedral, go next door to the Roman Museum, which features artifacts from the Roman occupation. There are fragile glass vessels dating from the First Century A.D. that are marvelous to behold.
After Cologne, take the train to Koblenz, a small, pleasant city on the confluence of the Rhein and Mosel Rivers. In Koblenz, board any of the several sightseeing boats that sial up and down the most scenic part of the Rhine. You don’t need a reservation on the boats and there are ticket booths on the Rhine quay. The boats go past the Lorelei cliff, wonderful castles, vineyards and medieval towns. You’ll love it, I guarantee. The boats have restaurants on board.
Oh dear, now I’m pining for Germany. I’m going to go pour myself a Sam Adams (the closet thing you can get to fresh German beer in the States) put on my dirndl and sing Volkslieder.
Thanks for your advice and for collecting up and posting all this data, Sonia Montdore. That braueri website makes my mouth water.
When we had our brief visit last year, we visited strawberry fields where nice women sold us baskets of delectable strawberries, saw the towns of Baden-Baden and Freudenstadt in the black forest, and sampled no less than four kinds of local beer, including Alpirsbacher. The taste of that last beer will haunt me until I revisit Germany.
It’s starting to sound better all the time. I am not, however, looking forward to the ordeal of the long flight and the jetlag, to which I am very susceptible. But I suppose if we’re going to see Europe anymore at all, it’s better to do it sooner than to wait until I’m older and even less able to deal with the rigors of long-distance travel.
What about that autobahn, eh? I wonder if our rental car will be able to match speeds with the local BMWs.
Then rent a BMW. I rented a diesel Mercedes there a couple years ago and hit 130, very briefly, on the Autobahn. Learn the rules before you go. Never pass on the right. Stay to the right unless you’re passing someone else. If someone behind you flashes their lights, they want you out of their way, now. Pay attention, not everyone is going as fast as you are. See a truck a quarter-mile ahead of you? You’ll be on his bumper before you know it. And it’s not all unlimited speeds; watch the signs.
If you want a real driving experience, you might see if your travels will take you by the Nürburgring. There’s a modern F1 track there, but the real treat is the Nordschleife (“Northern Loop”); a 14-mile loop through rolling hills near the border with Belgium. It hosted the German Grand Prix for decades (Fangio’s drive in '57 is the stuff of legend) and is probably the most difficult and demanding race track ever built. Car companies from all over the world test their vehicles there. And on certain weekends it’s open to the public as a one-way toll road.
I didn’t get to Cologne, but there’s also a spectacular cathedral in Ulm; tallest in the world. For a couple euros you can climb almost to the top.
The autobahns are a blast, but heed the warnings! Most people will be traveling reasonable speeds*, so if you are going flat-out you will come up on people much, much faster than you are accustomed to. Also, people will come flying up behind you much, much faster**. You need to get in the habit of checking your rear-view mirror more frequently than you do in the U.S., and looking much father ahead.
I’m not much of a beer drinker, but the only place I will willingly drink beer is Germany (and Belgium).
mischievous
*Driving really fast consumes a lot of gas, which is extra-expensive in Europe.
**We called these vampire cars. You can’t see them in a mirror, but suddenly they’re RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!!
About the Autobahn - some do have speed limits now, although there are a few places where you can drive like a banshee. However, be careful - when they have pile ups, it is no joke - I remember one horror story (spot of fog on a section of the Autobahn) that had close to 100 cars slammed into each other. They didn’t even find a couple of cars until the next day as they were so jammed into the cars in front and in back of them! (Hope I didn’t rain on your parade with that bit of info.)
I lived in Berlin and loved it - great nightlife, lots of parks and waterways - and more bridges that in Venice!
Depending on your finances, you might want to look into actually buying a car while you are over there and shipping it back to the US. If you don’t want to buy a new car, prices of an used Mercedes or BMW are far cheaper than here, and shipping costs to the US are not all that bad if you are in no hurry to get the car. Check to see about import tax here in the US, and be sure your car is fitted for American standards (height of bumper, for instance). I am not sure how it works today (what with Chrysler and Mercedes being joined at the hip) but in the “old days”, I would often meet other Americans who would buy cars there and claim it was worth the effort and price to ship to the US. I met one couple who came to Germany every year, bought a car, shipped it back, paid all the tax and duty, and then sold the car six months later in the US, They said the profit on the sale paid for their annual trip. Again - not sure if this is still the case today.
Years ago I spent nine weeks in Göttingen. I happened to fall into a lousy bunch of coworkers (you could have distilled the hate in that lab), but the town itself was very pretty, has a lot of interesting history… and nobody talks about it! The university’s first teachers included Gauss and the brothers Grimm. While I’m sure many other towns have architecture as interesting and varied or more, if you happen to be thatawat it may be worth a look.
I second Frankfurt being a monster. Best thing you can do with Frankfurt is avoid it.
I’m now in the Black Forest (I cross over almost daily, for work); quite pretty, specially for someone like me who’s more used to Arizona-desert-like landscapes than to forests, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of museums and architecture. Lots of sporty things.
Baden Baden is a classic and very close to Strasbourg (which is in France but very much worth visiting if you’re there, the EU buildings can be visited, the old town is pretty and I lenjoyed the bateau-moche ride a lot). BB’s mostly neoclassic, which I’m no fan of. I spent a month there once for work; most of my coworkers tried the spas at some point and, except for the one who chose a nudist, co-ed one and freaked out so much we’re surprised she didn’t dent the roof, loved them.
I lived in Germany for 3.5 years, over in west, near Kaiserlautern. I would agree with the posters above to hit Munich first, and take a tour of the southern castles and palaces while you’re there. If you do decide to go to the Black Forest, hit Baden-Baden, which is just awesome for relaxation. BTW, the completely nude mixed gender spa mentioned above is perhaps the most relaxing thing I’ve done in my life.
If you come up from the south, head up the Rhein for a quick cruise past some of the river towns, and if you have a shot, head to Burg Eltz, which is near Koblenz. Absolutely awesome castle to tour.
Cologne is a must see, and the cathedral alone is worth the trip there. While out west, depending on the length of time you’re there, Trier is an historical gem. It is the oldest city in Germany, and has a host of sites clustered together, including a huge city gate from 200AD (four stories, and you can go inside), a Roman amphitheater from 100BC and the ruins of great baths from about the 4th century AD. If you’re a history buff, this is one of the must hit places. If you’re not, you probably wouldn’t like it all that much.
If you have time to go to Berlin, it’s a fantastic city to visit, but I prefer the southern areas of Germany to the north.
If you have time, either before moving over to the west or on a round trip back to Munich, make sure to hit Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It’s a walled city that is probably the best preserved medieval city in Germany. There are a lot of tourists, but it’s got amazing atmosphere and I just love walking the streets there.
Ah…I miss Europe.
Dear lord, how many typos in that post? I can’t believe I screwed up Kaiserslautern; typing a bit too quickly. 
A: There is no town named Ausfahrt. But all roads lead there.
B: Do NOT pass on the inside.
C: Do NOT pass on a cloverleaf.
Hm. Beer is wonderful, cheese is interesting, sausage is godly.