Trip to Germany: Suggestions

#29
#29
LouderVol said:
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.
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Just got back from Germany not too long ago. Not for sure if you've ever been, but I'll assume not and share what little I know. . . Don't worry too much about speaking the language as there is a decent percentage of Germans who do speak English. However, with that said, try to pick up a few simple words/questions/sayings so you don't seem too out of place. I found that people there are relatively friendly, but don't expect them to stand around and give you tons of tourist advice like someone from someplace like Ireland might. Also, they apparently hate it if you have to ask the same question twice.
We went to Berlin, Nuremberg, Rothenburg (ob de Tauber), and Munich. Berlin was pretty intense and still has slight gritty, Cold War and WWII feel to it. Lots of money there and you'll see more fancy cars than you'll care to see. I felt like I was back in the mid-1980's walking around the area. Take time to walk around and soak in the history and bring a camera, then go home and watch the History Channel when you get home.
Nuremberg was stuck between being a medieval town and a modern place. Obviously lots of Nazi history in Nuremberg to see (less overall than Berlin, though). We toured most of the museums there and walked the Nazi rally grounds. It was amazing to see the history, but I couldn't help feel a little down after leaving there.
Rothenburg was a sight to see. Not a ton to do there except walk around within the walls of the city and drink good beer. Sounds stupid, but everything there is very, very old and I felt like I was walking in some set of a movie walking through the town. Take a trip there if you have a chance.
Munich was a lot of fun, but about what I expected. Lots of darn good beer, but some of the places are a little touristy. It's still Germany, but sometimes I couldn't tell that I was in Germany when I was there with the exception of the architecture. I really did enjoy it though. You'll have a blast there if you're young. The river that runs through most of Munich (Eisbach maybe? can't remember it's name) is pretty crazy to see and looks like mouthwash.
One of the biggest things I noticed was how long it takes to eat a meal there. Here in he US we sit down, order drinks, order a meal, get a check, and usually we're out within an hour or so. Over there it's a huge deal and you can expect to sit there for hours. I wanted to jump around to all the bars and restaurants, and probably ticked off plenty of waiters asking for my check well before they wanted to give it to me. Also, from what I remember, you don't tip much -- if anything --on your tab over there. I also found that a glass of tap water without ice is a tad bit more expensive than an awesome beer over there, so keep that in mind. Also, there are a few places that have it, but don't really expect air conditioning in your hotel if you're staying at a traditional/historic place.
The train system there is excellent, so use it. Whatever you do though, make sure you have the correct ticket and don't dare try to get on a train without the proper ticket. I would tell a story about getting surrounded by two fat German ticket taking women and one screaming ticket taking man, then getting kicked off the train in the middle of nowhere for accidentally having the wrong ticket, but I'll save that for another day . . .
 
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#31
#31
I am going to visit my sister who is over there for school, and so really I am only on my own for a day.

What about money? Will my charge card work over there, is better just to go cash, where can i get the best exchange rates (I was told not to get money at the airport or train station)?
 
#32
#32
LouderVol said:
I am going to visit my sister who is over there for school, and so really I am only on my own for a day.

What about money? Will my charge card work over there, is better just to go cash, where can i get the best exchange rates (I was told not to get money at the airport or train station)?
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Your card might work, but you need to check with your bank in advance. But honestly, I'd suggest cash for your going out trips. For getting Euro, it might be better for her to do the exchange at her bank prior to you going over. Wire her the funds or something prior to and get a slightly better deal on the exchange through a bank. Other than that, don't carry large Euro bills. Just like here in the States, a lot of the smaller vendors don't carry a large amount of change and hitting them with a 50 or 100 Euro bill is not easy to change out.

Also, get ready to carry a bunch of coins. Single and 2 Euro denominations are all coins. They start going paper at the 5.
 
#33
#33
Grand Vol said:
Your card might work, but you need to check with your bank in advance. But honestly, I'd suggest cash for your going out trips. For getting Euro, it might be better for her to do the exchange at her bank prior to you going over. Wire her the funds or something prior to and get a slightly better deal on the exchange through a bank. Other than that, don't carry large Euro bills. Just like here in the States, a lot of the smaller vendors don't carry a large amount of change and hitting them with a 50 or 100 Euro bill is not easy to change out.

Also, get ready to carry a bunch of coins. Single and 2 Euro denominations are all coins. They start going paper at the 5.
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^ this is great advice.

Unlike here in the states, Germany (and even Europe) are still primarily cash transaction based while we are rely more card transactions. There are more vendors that do accept a credit card now but there are smaller places that do not. And that's the beauty of Germany - the small mom-n-pop shops. Don't pass them up.
 
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