Germany & Austria

Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:

Best: Freulein Maria's Bike Tour (Salzburg) & The Night Watchman (Rothenburg)
Why: Bike Tour: Great guide, great scenery, and a nice getaway from the crowds. It was fun getting some exercise and seeing the outskirts of the city. 3 hrs/ 10 miles. The Night Watchman: Pure entertainment!

Worst: Zell
Why: The book mentioned oompah bands on Saturday nights. We left Beilstein for this, and there was nothing at all going on! We should have stayed in Beilstein.

Mike Greene in Wildomar, CA USA 07/08/2008

Best: Sound of Music Tour
Why: So much information about Salzburg in addition to Sound of Music references. Very knowledgable guide, Bruno made the whole tour fantasic...don't miss this!

Ann Doty in Juneau, AK USA 07/07/2008

Best: Insider's Berlin by Bike tour
Why: A fantastic way to see Berlin! Our guide was a German History PhD student from Ohio State and extremely knowledgable.

Karis in New Berlin, WI USA 07/05/2008

Best: Radius Tour of Neuschwanstein Castle
Why: 1)Small group size (9 in total), 2)very good guide who was knowledgeable about other places in Germany and 3)didn't have to wait in line when we got to the castle

Jennifer Blitz in Chicago, IL USA 07/05/2008

Best: Munich Guide Georg Reichlmayr
Why: Georg was the Very Best Guide we had on our 5 week trip through Germany, Austria, France, and the Czech Republic. He met us each day at our hotel. He was very informative and was a delight. We had 2 full day tours with him. The first day was a Munich City Tour and the second day to Dachau. His recommendations for rest stops were outstanding. White sausage and beer. Can't forget that.

Worst: Berlin - New Berlin Tours
Why: I originally contacted Original Berlin Walks for Private Tours in Berlin. Sadly, after what appeared to be a missed email I opted to contact New Berlin Tours from the 2007 Germany & Austria Guide. Our group of 4 consisted of people from 78 years of age to 58 years. We contracted (required by the tour company for private tours) for 2 tours. First the Berlin City Tour 3.5 hours and the next day a Potsdam tour for 6 - 8 hours. We were met at our hotel by the guide and started our tour of Berlin. We took the train to East Berlin and saw the opera house, site of the book burning, Bebel Platz. We stopped for a WC break at a deli about 1.5 hours into our tour. Upon returning to our guide we were told that his boss had called and he was scheduled for another tour. He handed us a map showing us how we were to get back to our hotel. We had not seen any of the sites promised. Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall etc. We were told his boss had agreed to refund two hours of the tour cost. We had just arrived in Berlin and had no idea how the train system worked. That is why we used private guides in part. I informed him we would not agree to that and we wanted/demanded the balance of our tour. He handed me the phone and let me talk to Nick (the boss). I was very upset and he was very rude. After a half an hour of standing and talking on a street corner Nick agreed to let us continue our tour. Unfortunately, it was rushed and did not include everything we were suppose to see. We were taken back to our hotel by an office worker once we arrived at Brandenburg Gate. I informed Nick that we were very unhappy with our tour and we wanted to cancel the tour we had planned to Potsdam the next day. He informed me that I had signed a contract. So, since I had no recourse we took the tour the next day. I was told in an email that all transportation costs were covered in the tour price. When our guide arrived he informed us we were responsible to train tickets etc. Thankfully I had the email and showed him that Nick had included the cost in the tour price. Our guide paid. It was a nightmare... Our guides were very good but I would NEVER recommend booking a private tour with this company. They seem to prefer the free tours.

Susan Meeker in Sisters, OR USA 07/02/2008

Worst: AMENDED - Renting a car at the Koln train station
Why: See my previous comment. I forgot to include the city!

Nancy in Bellingham, WA USA 06/29/2008

Best: Berlin
Why: What a wonderful city this is! This city is so easy to get around. We took the recommended walking tour and it was great. It gave us a good foundation to explore on our own. This city has so much to offer - not to mention the history it has seen. It is friendly and relatively inexpensive for a large European city.

Nancy in Bellingham, WA USA 06/29/2008

Worst: renting a car at the train station
Why: In a word DON'T do this!!! Even with maps getting outside the city is horrendous and don't even THINK to try to find your way back. It is behind the train station and while that certainly sounds easy enough it isn't. No maps tell you which streets are one way, which streets don't go all the way through, etc. We would opt to take the train to the airport and rent a car from there.

Nancy in Bellingham, WA USA 06/29/2008

Worst: Haus der Musik in Vienna
Why: It might be the best museum ever but I never got in. The guidebokk and the actual museum itself states that they close at 10 pm but have last admissions at 9 pm. So I show up to get in at 8.55 pm, cutting it close I admit but I did comply with their rules. They tell me, "We close at 10 and don't allow anyone in after 9." When I point out that it isn't quite 9 yet they say, "there are only two visitors in the museum now, and it wouldn't be worth it to let you in." They tell me to come back tomorrow but I tell them it is pretty obvious that they want to go home and watch the Euro Cup Football matches on TV and that's why they won't let me in. Needless to say, I didn't go back the next day. Anyway, might be a great museum but I'd recommend not counting on them to follow there own rules and if you really want to see it, go a couple of hours before closing. Of course, maybe they'll toss you out if you are the only one there in the last hour :). Good luck!

Shonn in HdG, MD USA 06/28/2008

Worst: not going to Heidelberg or Rudesheim
Why: They are really cool places and even if they do have a lot of tourists, information about them should still be included for those who want to go there. We were in Heidelberg the end of April and it was just gorgeous up by the castle. Scenery was spectacular and we never felt crowded. Rudesheim also offers a great view riding the chair lift to the top of the mountain.

Jodean in Frankfurt, Germany 06/27/2008

Best: Bob's Special Tours, Sound of Music
Why: Even if you've never seen the movie, this is a great way to see the gorgeous lake district. I felt sorry for all the schmucks on the big buses as we zipped in and out of places, enjoyed amazing streudel, made special requests for stops (or lack thereof), and generally had room to enjoy everything.

Worst: Mozart Gebursthaus, Salzburg
Why: At some point while there, it struck me, "So this is how you open a museum without any artifacts." It TRIED to be significant instead of just letting the significance of the place speak for itself. In the room where Mozart was born, I wanted to wrap my mind around the history of it, not look at hanging birds and listen to new age music (Mozart, anyone?).

Melissa in Rochester, NY USA 06/26/2008

Best: Bob's Special Tours (Salzburg)
Why: We did the "Sound of Music" tour and it was great! While they do play songs from the movie and go to the sights where many scenes were filmed, the tour is MUCH more than that. You get to see a lot of the city and countryside, stop for apple strudel, even ride a luge. It was 4 hours well spent.

Also I want to recommend the Munich walking tours. I have taken a RS tour before and in many places they hire the best local guides to give a tour. We did the regular 11:45 tour and had a lady who's name I've unfortunately forgotten (but she moved to Munich from S. Africa, should be easy to find if the RS staff is interested) who gave a wonderfully detailed and enthusiastic tour, the equal of the best guides we had on the RS tour. If anyone from the RS staff reads these comments and is looking for local guides, I highly recommend they audition her.

Worst: Romantic Road & Hallstatt
Why: The description in the guide book makes it sound like you'll be rolling past small towns thru the countryside, along a well-marked route. And the free map from any TI stop will show you the route. Stop anywhere that delights you.

I wish I had gone on the same trip the writer of the RS guide took, but it sure didn't match my experience. I got the free map and travelled between Peiting and Rothenburg. First off, while I saw the occasional brown "Romantic Road" sign they were few and far between. Maybe I wasn't on the right road very much; it would be hard to tell from the free map because it has a thick blue line obscuring the names of the roads and is pretty much useless for navigation. If you're going to try the Romantic Road by car, buy a better map of the area. In many places it seemed I was driving thru suburbs and outskirts of cities, don't really see the beauty in all that.

And as for finding the centers of the towns listed along the road, good luck with that! It Italy every moderate-sized or smaller town had nice signage that said "centro" with the 3 circles and showed you where to go; in Germany you are pretty much on your own. The "zentrum" sign was almost never present in the towns.

To me rather than a delightful drive it was an exercise in frustration as I drove thru non-descript suburbs and seldom saw signs marking the Romantic Road. Not worth it at all!!!

A close 2nd to waste of time was Hallstatt. If you want to visit a postcard-perfect town to see houses where other people have a wonderful view of the lake, Hallstatt is right for you. If you want to see the water yourself, maybe relax with a beer and look over the lake, expect that during most of the day you can see the water -- keep on going. Aside from a beer at the bar under the big white umbrella, there might as well not be a lake there. From the ends of town you can get good pics of the houses set against the hills and on the water. My advice is either buy postcards of it somewhere else and skip the town, or go thru it on your way somewhere else and stop for the 15 minutes you need to see it all. I honestly can't understand why RS puts it in as a destination. Ironically enough when I did the Sound of Music tour RS recommends they went out to the town of Mondsee which actually looks worth visiting; places to stroll, shops, tables to have a beer or lunch, etc. Its not covered in the RS book and there may be even better lake towns, but my advice would be to get the nice lake view and also have something else to do at one of the places OTHER than Hallstatt.

Mike Thompson in Los Angeles, CA USA 06/26/2008

Best: vienna
Why: this was our second trip there. We found it much more like paris, which we have been too numerous times. People were great and the sights were numerous. we believe their public transportation was the best in europe. we stayed outside the ring road and there was no problem getting anywhere quickly and easily

Worst: vienna's opera house
Why: Although, beautiful from the outside, the actual stage area is not as grand as prague's estate theatre or budapest's opera house. There was damage from WWII bombs and it was not rebuilt to the grandness of the other two mentioned. Also, an opera in Budapest was quite cheap and you can get a seat for not much more than the standing room only seats in vienna. However, legroom is worse than flying economy in the us in the budapest opera house

mike in tempe, az USA 06/22/2008

Worst: Chocolate Museum in Koln
Why: This may not be a correction, but I thought it was implied that there would be many samples of chocolate treats. In fact I was given a very small wafer cookie that was dipped in chocolate and that was all.

Cynthia J. Tiechner in Pebble Beach, CA USA 05/25/2008

Best: Bacharach
Why: Incredibly beautiful city. Easily walkable, very relaxing after trecking around a number of big cities. Boat ride on the Rhine was breathtaking! We loved the look and feel of the place. Also found some great wine!

Barbara in Eikenberry, CA USA 05/23/2008

Best: Burg Eltz, Rheinfels Castle, Koln Cathedral, Night Watchman Tour
Why: It was such a great experience to tour a medievil castle in such good shape. Rheinfels was a lot of fun to explore the nooks and crannies of the ruins (definitley bring a flashlight). Koln cathdreal is absolutley huge (your jaw does drop) and the Night Watchman tour is very informative and very funny!

Kate Buechler in Winnipeg, MB Canada 05/22/2008

Best: Bus 208 in Baden-Baden
Why: Just fun and cheap. Two euros. If you miss it one spot on Leopoldplatz, you can catch it at two other spots on the platz. It loops around the city slopes three times, so there are 3 spots to catch it. We missed it by a minute and thought we would have to wait an hour, but ended up looking around and finding a stop that we had to wait only 10 minutes for. It goes right past the Hotel am Markt, but you can't even imagine how the driver is able to get through those windy streets.

VanHemert in Denver, CO USA 04/14/2008

Best: Hiking near Hallstatt
Why: We love the outdoors. Hiking to various look-out points and waterfalls was the highlight of our stay in Hallstatt. Not to mention - we were practiclly the only ones on the trail! We felt like Austria was our private playground.

Worst: Duetsches Museum in Munich
Why: The museum seemed outdated and dusty. I felt like we walked around for two hours in an old warehouse filled with gadgets that didn't work and irrelevant information.

Robert Villigram in St. Louis, MO USA 02/28/2008

Worst: Gasthof zum Schluxen
Why: The food was only average or less, the wait staff not very efficient,and the owner was extremely rude to me. We were also asked to not make noise at night but they had an oompa band that played so loudly that my bed was vibrating. I got the impression that RS tours were simply a cash cow to the owner and he put out the least amount of effort to these tours.

James A Brosman in Marysville, CA USA 02/21/2008

Best: Rothenburg and Bavaria/Tirol Area
Why: We loved the city of Rothenburg. The Nightwatchman Tour was great. The Crime Museum was gruesome fun. The Friese Shop was a great place to buy pewter mugs, etc. They had the best price of anywhere we went(we compared all over the country). We had some great fruit sherbet at a little shop on the square.

In Bavaria/Tirol we loved the countryside and scenery. Our favorite castle was Ehrenberg Ruin, near Reutte. We hiked up from our hotel (Pension Waldrast) one evening and had the whole place to ourselves. The wildflowers were blooming and we got great pictures. We hiked back via a bike trail that led us through a cow pasture. The cows (complete with bells) came running to greet us.

We really enjoyed the Zugspitze. We went up on the tram from the Austrian side. It was a beautiful clear day and you could see Alps galore. It was probably the single most expensive activity we did at €105 for 4 of us but it was worth it. They only charged us the child rate for our 18 year old which was nice. Be sure to wear a jacket, its windy up there.

We went to the Alte and Neue Pinakotek in Munich on a Sunday. It was great at €1 per person and we didn't need an audioguide; it was fun to just wander. We had checked our cameras in the lockers outside the lobby and went back to get them, photographs are allowed with no flash. It's fun to have photos of some masterpieces.

Have to mention that Rheinfels Castle Ruin was our favorite on the Rhine. We spent 2-3 hours climbing around the castle and crouching through the tunnels. It was fun even in a pouring rainstorm. And because of the guide we were equipped with our flashlights.

Worst: Salt Mine in Hallein
Why: Not that it was a really bad experience, but it was expensive and we had to wait a considerable time in the ticket line and before the tour. We have toured a working coal mine and were expecting to see more about actual mining and were disappointed because it seemed more like wandering around underground. The wooden slides were a kick though. Made a good "action video".

Carolyn in Birrell, UT USA 02/06/2008

Best: Munich
Why: The whole city is great. The Deutsches Museum is cool and the Alte and Neue Pinakotheken are a must see. Stay at Wombat's, drink Keller Bier. It is the best beer I have ever had.

Worst: Hallstatt
Why: It sucks in the winter, everything is closed, and it can be dangerous to climb up the mountain (when I was there, it rained overnight and the path was a sheet of ice). The views are still gorgeous though.

Shawn in L, NY USA 02/01/2008

Best: Munich and Nurnberg evening Christmas markets
Why: Crowds of people outside in very cold weather -- eating ("tubular" meat everywhere), drinking hot wine, musical performances, crafts for sale, and most of all sense of community. Really felt Christmas spirit and no comparison to the day after Thanksgiving 5am sales in USA.

Gail in Albany, OR USA 01/27/2008

Best: Lipizzaner - Privatism
Why: This is an excellent special show done by only a few horses and a few riders showing how both the riders and the horses are trained together. They come out one at a time, and the narration (both in German and English) is excellent. Very enlightening.

Alan & Shelley Davis in Thornton, CO USA 01/23/2008

Best: Halstatt
Why: In the winter is was wonderful. Not many tourists, may eateries were still open, and very quiet

Paul Wester in Dickinson, TX USA 01/02/2008

Best: Salzburg, Austria
Why: The beauty of the city, the friendliness of the people, the whole experience was just wonderful. We stayed with Fr. Hundhammer in her farmhouse B&B, which was just outside the city of Salzburg. She is most helpful, her English is just great, and her daughter is very sweet, too. It was so nice to have an actual home to come home to at the end of a long day of seeing the sights.

Cynthy Barnes in Glendora, CA USA 12/15/2007

Best: Baden-Baden
Why: By far Baden-Baden was the biggest "find" from the Germany/Austria book. We enjoyed the casino, even though we didn't go into the upstairs because we weren't planning to gamble enough to justify renting suits. The downstairs is casual, though. And they have electronic roulette, where we won 1000 Euros in a matter of an hour. The 2 hot springs in town were an amazing experience. The perfect end to our trip.

Worst: Salzburg
Why: Felt like I was in a big tourist trap.

Dane Kantner in Chicago, IL USA 11/28/2007

Best: Hotel Monoco, Munich
Why: Not only were the rooms clean and spacious, but when my husband had an allergic reaction to the detergent used on the sheets (very sensitive skin) the clerk took me to the wash room so I could copy the ingredient list (I keep track) and then got us blankets that had been washed with the German equivalent of Dreft. So helpful!

Laura in Laugle, Oh USA 11/17/2007

Best: Nightwatchmans Tour, Rothenburg
Why: Rick Steve's is right about this tour. Humorous, informative... just an absolutely good time. Highlight of our Rothenburg stay.

Worst: Rothenburg
Why: While it's a well preserved, beautiful old town, the commercialism was too much for me. Do things (gifts, etc.) really have to cost at least 2x more here than anywhere else?

Paul Alesi in Netcong, NJ USA 11/09/2007

Worst:
Why: We had reserved a room with Pension Lettie several months ago for 10/26 and reconfirmed on 10/2 that we were all set. When we arrived, there was a sign posted that she was closed for renovation. We rang the doorbell, even had the tourist office try to reach her by phone but no luck. We found another place. We thought we might have an email from her once we arrived back home but there was nothing. Very disappointing experience.

Pat Dirschbeger in Phoenix, AZ USA 10/31/2007

Best: all, Rothenberg, Frankfurt, Munich, Salzberg, Venice, Paris, Verona,Interlaken
Why: loved every recommendatio of yours,(except 1) took a special 3 1/2 week family vacation and booked all hotels thru your recomendations, I have and will continue to recommend you- it was so fabulous! And I was amazed at how many times I saw your book- we went to Germany- Salzberg, Paris, Switzerland and Italy

Worst: hotel Goldener Hirsch, Ruette
Why: Hotel was beautiful,wedding went on until 4 am, no one on our floor could sleep, loud music, several folks complained and no results, the only hotel in our experience of your recommendations to be bad, hotel staff was extremely rude to us and to the other guests not associated with the wedding, guests should have been given rooms away from the function and notified, no sleep by any one who stayed at the hotel that night. I would recommend a review of this hotel.

Sue Kerns USA 10/27/2007

Best: Linderhof
Why: All of the glamour of Ludwig's Castles, without the hordes of tourists at Neuschwanstein... Don't miss the grotto-- makes our government waste look frugal by comparison...

Worst: Oberammergau
Why: Not much to see-- although a pretty town, it is just one of many.. the traffic is tough, parking is really hard, and the streets are confusing...

John & Diane Hearing in Maple Valley, WA USA 10/15/2007

Best: Riding a summer luge in Austria
Why: A whole lot of fun! Did it multiple times, going faster each time! Loved it!

Worst: The House at Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin
Why: Overpriced and poorly presented. Also way too overcrowded to truly get a full experience. One of the more expensive museums around. Skip it and go to the Deutsches Historisches Museum instead (also in Berlin). Much better experience.

Troy in Vancouver, BC Canada 10/13/2007

Best: Train trip from Vienna to Venice
Why: It was really gorgeous--went through farmland, mountainous areas including the Dolomites and near some beautiful lake areas in S E Austria. Glad that we didn't fly or take a night train or we would have missed it

John & Susan in St Petersburg, FL USA 10/09/2007

Best: Cruise from Melk to Krems
Why: Both the abbey in Melk and the trip down the Danube to Krems were beautiful. Both towns were charming.

John & Susan in St Petersburg, FL USA 10/08/2007

Best: Halstatt
Why: Awesome views and loved the Bone Yard

Worst: Dissing Hellbrunn
Why: Went on a Sat afternoon and really loved it the water tour was a lot of fun

Jeff Rittmueller in Chicago, Il USA 10/06/2007

Best: Saran Essbar in Salzburg
Why: It was kind of late and we were having trouble finding a place that was open. We checked Rick Steve's book and he suggested Saran Essbar. We were kind of leary, because it was an Indian place in Salzburg that also served traditional favorites. We were pleasantly surprised. My wife and I had traditional food and our friends got Indian. We all loved our meals and it was probably the best meal we had in Salzburg during our 2 day stay there. The cost was also very nice. It was very cheap to eat there and yes the owner/waiter was very nice as well. If I ever go back to Salzburg, I will definitely eat there again.

Keith R in Queens, NY USA 09/28/2007

Best: The Friedrichsbad in Baden-Baden
Why: This was a great experience. It was so calm, peaceful, and relaxing. A great way to end a trip to Europe.

Aimee in Anaheim, CA USA 09/26/2007

Best: Burg Eltz and Rothenburg ob der Tauber in a tie!
Why: So breathtakingly authentic and historic; right out of the pages of all the historical fiction and history book articles of my youth.You expected to see knights riding up the valley at Burg eltz and a strolling minstrel coming down the cobbled streets of Rothenburg...like stepping back in time, to walk the walls. And, as we sat on a bench in Rothenburg, a townsman walked by,and spotting us consulting your book before taking the R.Steeves self-guided tour, spoke to us, saying: "Oh, I see you're traveling through Europe with the Rick Steeves book; he does a good job." After traveling with Rick to Wiesbaden, Bacharach, St.Goar, Burgen,Trier,Wurzburg and all stops on the Romantic Road to Fussen,and at last to Garmisch, we couldn't agree more!

Worst: Wiesbaden and Wurzburg were downplayed in the book as not worth a day, but we very much enjoyed the day in each. There were no "worst" destinations on our trip; it was all enjoyable.
Why: The only moments of being uncomfortable were when the road signs did not conform to our "US expectations" and we made the wrong split second decision and had to backtrac or recalulate the route. Likewise Parking garages there operate differently, as we belatedly found out. ADd that to the Through the Backdoor Book, please. And most Germans speak a "little English" but are embarrassed to speak it (in their minds)poorly so choose to deny speaking English at all. This was explained to us by several Germans who did go out of their way to be helpful, and restored our opinion of thes fine people.At first, though we felt somewhat ignored. Attitude and politeness as a guest is everything.

John S Treadwell in McDonough, GA USA 09/22/2007

Best: The Medival City of Rothenburg
Why: It was like stepping back in time to Bavaria. It was clean, beautiful and amazing that those structures have survived.

Worst: Frankfurt Airport
Why: We were lost in the airport for two hours trying to find our luggage after arriving at 5:30am. There was no assistance either in person or with signs. Upon leaving, the customs station in our departure terminal was closed and we could not get to another open station without going back out sercurity to get our VAT stamps for a refund. I would avoid arrivng into Frankfurt if possible.

Jamie Galis in Southlake, TX USA 09/14/2007

Best: Insider Tours Berlin
Why: I took the Famous Insider Tours with Brian. To me, Brian has set the gold standard for walking tour guides. His passion for the city and its people is clear. Do see a group of strangers in tears during a walking tour is something to behold. I took 3 walking tours of Berlin with this company and all were excellent. And stay for the beer afterwards.

Kevin Mott in Edmonton, Ab Canada 08/27/2007

Best: Mt. Zugspitze; Eagle's Nest
Why: Worth the cost if you have a clear day like we did:)We didn't want to leave. At Eagle's nest paid 6 euro for a guided English tour... well worth it.Also, be sure to visit the bunker down the mt.

Melanie Murnan in Columbus, Oh USA 08/20/2007

Best: Rothenburg
Why: Incomparable, clean.

Worst: Cochem
Why: Crawling with tourists (in August at least)

Craig Walker in Beaverton, OR USA 08/19/2007

Best: Burg Eltz and Walking Tours in Munich
Why: No picture does this place justice. Amazing. Totally worth the three triangles. Worth the drive. Best Castle in Western Europe!

Worst: Deutsches Museum in Munich and Imhoff-Stollwerck Chocolate Museum in Koln
Why: Boring! Three Triangles? Seriously. What a waste and so far from the city center. Not worth the time or money. However, the surrounding neighborhood was nice.

Chocolate Museum was a waste as well.

Alex Griffin in Danville, Ky USA 08/19/2007

Best: Hallstatt, Austria
Why: We loved the pristine beauty of the lake and mountains, and along with the charming shops and lakeside cafes, Halstatt provided an enjoyable day trip from Salzburg. There is something here for everyone, with the attractions of the salt mines and ice caves nearby.

Kathy Weeks in Portland, OR USA 08/15/2007

Worst: Hallstadt
Why: The train ride is WAY too long for the distance. There is no air conditioning on the train. Waste of time

Robin Wissing in Vernon Hills, IL USA 08/06/2007

Best: Frauenkirche in Dresden
Why: This church is just spectacular. The restoration that was done is simply breathtaking. We had a hard time leaving because we just wanted to stay and take it all in. We were among the few Americans to see this church but it should be a top priority for those who decide to travel to Dresden.

Gary Hoffman in Baldwin, WI USA 07/30/2007

Best:
Why: I am in Vienna now if there are anyone with questions let me know. It is raining, so I am hotel bound. Been here many times so don't mind. Also there was a major heat wave (Very Unusual) of 95+++F even reached 104F three days ago.

AB in Vienna, Austria 07/24/2007

Best: Munich, Germany-Hotel Monaco
Why: After 20 trips to Europe & almost that many times in Munich, we found a great small hotel in the heart of town about 1 block from the main train & underground station. The price is more than fair and includes a wonderful breakfeast. The owner is very warm, personable & helpful in finding places. We will go out of our way in future trips to the Munich & Bavarian areas to stay at the Hotel Monaco. What a wonderful find for us. We shared it with a German foreign exchange student & he is telling others about it. Even the Germans are finding this place because of location, price & a supurb breakfease. We watch Rick Steves on TV & use his books when travelling & feel this is a plus.

John Crabb in Modesto, Ca USA 07/21/2007

Best: Rothenburg & Neuschwanstein Castle
Why: Rick's cautions about the commercialization of Rothenburg are accurate, but this wonderful town is still worth a visit. We also completely enjoyed our visit to Fussen and Schloss Neuschwanstein. A fun tour and a lovely Bavarian town to relax in.

Worst: Hofburg Palace, Vienna
Why: Rick is entirely correct that the Hofburg has completely sold out to the myth of "Sissi." A much better Hapsburg palace visit is Schonbrunn, also in Vienna. More impressive real estate, but mostly, a much more thorough history of THE ruling family of Europe for many, many years.

Matt Sears in Lafayette, CA USA 07/20/2007

Best: Sound of Music Tour on bicycles-Salzburg
Why: After so much walking in Europe, it was good for our family to get on bikes to see the sights. Our "fraulein Maria" was actually an Australian named Jake, but he knew his stuff and really seemed to enjoy his job. He also kept the group together, even though there were serious bike riders and children together on the route. Even if you're not a big fan of the movie, it's fun to come home and watch it again after visiting the locales.

B Werker in South Berwick, Me USA 07/20/2007

Best: Vienna's Wine Gardens (Heurigen)
Why: We had so much fun at the Wine Garden's Rick describes in his guidebook. We took the tram and visited 3 or 4 of the wine gardens. We tasted wonderful local wines, had a tasty meal and enjoyed the ambiance and mixing with the locals. A great experience I would highly recommend.

Susie in Golden, CO USA 07/13/2007

Best: Hotel Maximillian, Ruette
Why: Gabi was the best. She directed our site seeing and suggeted great walks. We loved watching the cattle coming and going to the pasture. Gabi's father took us to the church where he is the organist and gave us an incrediable tour and played the 2,000 pipe organ for us. It was a real highlight on our 5 week trip throught Germany, Austria and the Eastern European countries.

Nancy Miles in Winnetka, Ca USA 07/09/2007

Best: Pretty much everything!!
Why: Up until this tour, all of your recommendations are spot-on. However .......

Worst: Christiane Schneeweiss - Salzburg tour guide
Why: It might be time to revisit her inclusion in the book. I led a group of 25 colleagues on a trip through Germany and Austria and had booked Christiane S. for the Salzburg tour since I had very little knowledge of the area. She showed up without any paperwork, so she had no idea what kind of tour we'd requested. After I reminded her of the parameters we'd agreed on (1.5 hours, general overview of the city, high points), she "punted" her way through the tour. She seemed generally unprepared and after we spent a good 20 minutes sitting in a church, she realized we weren't on a 2-hour tour but rather the 1.5 hour version. She was generally unprepared and spent much of the time walking between destinations talking on her cell phone rather than to the rest of the group. Rather disappointing for 150 Euro. Next time I will book a more expensive tour through the official tourism office.

L Havas in Milwaukee, WI USA 07/09/2007

Best: Munich Residenz
Why: Toured it early in the morning. No crowds. Admission was for the full day, so we came back in the afternoon and did the treasury. Very impressive.

Worst: Black forest drive on B-500
Why: Got onto non-B-500 small roads. Signs not well posted. Asked directions several times but still got lost. Scenery was very nice, but if you want to stay on the B-500, will definately need a very detailed map (at least 1:200,000. We had 1:1,000,000 and it didn't cut it.

howard sears in houston, tx USA 07/07/2007

Best: Dresden: Bastei Bridge; Rothenburg: overall
Why: We loved hiking in Saxon Switzerland National Park. We took our most gorgeous photos there and the bridge may be the most memorable sight of our 2 week trip. Rothenburg was also quite charming -- we spent 2 nights there, loved the architecture and recommended activities.

Marianne Sullivan in Newark, DE USA 07/04/2007

Best: Ruette
Why: Indeed a great location for exploring southern Bavaria and the Tyrolean area of Austria, if you are touring by car. While Fuessen is about a half hour away, as is the Austrian approach to the Zugspitze. Linderhof, Ettal and Garmisch are less than an hour, the Wieskirche not much more, Innsbruck less than two. Munich is within two hours. The Plansee is a nice lake area and there is a lift near Reutte bringing you to hiking in the mountains.

Stephen Hoffmann in Upland, IN USA 06/28/2007

Best: Eagle's Nest
Why: It's just awesome...

Ellen Langer in Dayton, OH USA 06/23/2007

Best: Night Watchman's Tour in Rothenburg
Why: Very entertaining, mostly Americans. German speaking tour starts after the English tour. We did this 6 days ago and would have done one thing different - brought mosquito repellent and sprayed right before the tour started. By the end of the tour, my 17-yr old daughter caught 3 little buggers on her in the act!

Sandra Potter in Arlington, TX USA 06/16/2007

Best: Barbel Schalber
Why: This tour guide was recommended in Rick's book and she was great. She talked non-stop, we very much enjoyed her service and would recommend her highly. She met us at our hotel and was prompt. I enjoyed her opinions (why would I not want spicy opinions?? Besides, they weren't even spicy really).

Sandra Potter in Arlington, Te USA 06/14/2007

Best: Linderhof Castle
Why: Most amazing of all the castles we visited. The grotto was unbelieveable. Do not miss!!!!

Linda Bell in Sewell, NJ USA 06/12/2007

Best: Georg Reichlmayer - Munich Tour Guide
Why: We spent 13 days in Germany and France.... the three hours we spent with him, were some of the best. His ability to tour, unreavel Munich history and storytell is phenomenal.

Worst:
Why:

Kaye Peloquin in Lititz, PA USA 06/08/2007

Best: Original Berlin Walks - Discover Berlin
Why: Excellent introduction to Berlin. Guide was very knowledgeable and handled questions well.

Nigel Bradbury in Toronto, ON Canada 06/06/2007

Best: Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Why: Extremely charming, quiet, and enjoyable medieval walled town. Very walkable from one end to the other. I enjoyed the peace and quiet away from the larger cities.

Rachel Tagge in Burke, VA USA 06/06/2007

Best: Berlin Museums
Why: Being one former history teacher and another history major, we especially enjoyed many of the museums in Berlin. The Pergammon is just without parallel. We could of spent all day in there, surrounded by bits of antiquity. The Jewish Museum was both fascinating in its content and beautiful in its outlay/architecture. Again, we had so little time to spend in it. The Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe was both harrowing and beautiful. Harrowing in its true effect in conveying even a bit of the horror of the era. Beautiful in it's design and outlay. The architecture used for many of the newer German museums and monuments is modern, blunt, and emotionally true to the subjects of the museums.

Worst: The Bus ride up to Neuschwanstein
Why: The bane of much of our trip was the tour groups. These pushy groups would jump ahead of anyone in line for any sight. This was most evident in our ride up to the castle. We waited our turn (in the heat), while multiple groups just jumped ahead to board the bus. We had to eventually run from the bus to make our tour time at the castle. Luckily we formed a sense of humor about it. Any time we saw a large tour (especially in Rothenburg), we would raise a piece of paper or cloth upward in the air (like the flags and umbrellas the guides use to shephard their flocks), and get a little giggle from it.

Joshua Jacobson in Bradford, VT USA 06/05/2007

Best: Vienna Ring Tram Tour
Why: Ring Tram Tour was a great inexpensive orientation

Gary R. Smith in Moorpark, CA USA 06/03/2007

Best: Imperial Treasury - Vienna, Austria
Why: I have been to Vienna 2 other times before and somehow never went here. It blows Englands crown jewels out of the water...excellent exhibit...well worth every euro! and the audio guide was excellent too!! Pay the 3 euro for that!

Worst: Secession- Vienna Austria
Why: Unless you are a MAJOR fan of Klimt...it isn't worth 6 Euro to go in there....and the other exhibits are ridiculous.

Taj in Sarasota, FL USA 05/29/2007

Worst: Innsbruck city center
Why: If it is raining you dont get the views, leaving a congested city center.

Steve in Boise, Id USA 05/29/2007

Best: Vienna museums
Why: nearly empty museums may 2007: combo habsburg Ephesus, musical, and arms/armory museum. Belevedere palace a little more busy but lots of room to see large number of paintings.

Worst: Driving Vienna
Why: If you drive in, get a really good map to negotiate the maze of streets.

Steve in Boise, Id USA 05/29/2007

Worst: Hotel Schweizerhof
Why: Stayed 3 nights on May 22,23,and 24th 2007. The rooms are overpriced and you need to correct your book to state that the rooms WILL be noisy on weekends, which in Vienna include Thursday night. The clubs surrounding the hotel finally closed at 4:00 AM. The weather was very warm and the staff did provide a fan but the windows of the hotel room had to remain open for air circulation ergo the very noisy room.

Debra Dennis in Raymond, WA USA 05/27/2007

Best: Guided Walking Tour- 3rd Reich
Why: I never would of found any of the sites, plus the guide spoke English, which helps to appreciate what you are visiting. The Topagraphy of Terror was in German, so the guide was esssential

Worst: Checkpoint Charlie Museum
Why: Crowded, and overpriced compared to other sights in Berlin. And- I went in early May

Patti Siwajek in Toledo, oh USA 05/20/2007

Best: Bacharach
Why: Very quiet, not too many rowdy people.

P Gordon NJ USA 05/19/2007

Best: Dresden,Vienna
Why: Dresden has so much history,got in line on Sunday morning and got tickets to the Green Vault fantastic experience, Vienna,went to the flea market on Saturday,lots of interesting stuff,Military Museum worth seeing along with the usual sites

Worst: Hall in Tirol
Why: we took the bus from Innsbruck and found little to do

Mike dela Pena in Shingle Springs, Ca USA 05/15/2007

Best: Vienna, Austria
Why: From 1998 to 2001 I was living and working in Germany. In either 2000 or 2001, my daughter and I decided to visit Vienna with, of course, your guidebook in tow. We selected one of the inns you recommended (can't recall the name) and headed that way from the train station. Once there, we discovered it had moved around the corner and now shared an entrance with the Love Birds Sex Shop (Visa, Mastercard, American Express. We hope to meet all our customers' needs.) It was a delightful room with charming proprietors. In fact, he told us you were visiting that day. As much as we wanted to see you, we wanted to see Vienna more, so off we went. Happily, upon our return, you had autographed my guidebook. Thank you for a wonderful family story about a mother-daughter adventure at the Love Birds and for years of happy travels in Europe.

Betsy Robinson in Prosperity, SC USA 05/11/2007

Best: George - the nightwatchman tour
Why: George should be a college professor. You get so much information from him, but with his sense of humour, you don't even realize it.

Peggy in Nashville, TN USA 05/04/2007

Best: Rhine River Cruise between Bachrach and St Goar
Why: Easter Sunday afternoon, 70 degrees and sunny sitting on the top deck and watching the castles glide by to smaltzy music. And then climbing up to Rhienfels castle. Awesome

Pat in Vinkenes, VA USA 04/23/2007

Best: Spa experience in Baden, Baden
Why: Very relaxing, a wonderful value and a great place to take your children (ours is 6). Place is large enough that the children are not annoying and has so many waterfalls, pools, whirlpools, fountains that even the kids don't get bored. Get tickets at your hotel at discount.

Pat in Vinkenes, VA USA 04/23/2007

Best: Rothenburg
Why: Simply a beautiful medieval town. You need to see a picture of it in 1945 (after the Allied air raids) to really appreciate how well it has been rebuilt.

Worst: Interior tour of Neuschwanstein Castle
Why: After a long hike to get to the castle, the interior tour is short and not really that impressive. (But the view of the castle from Mary's Bridge is excellent.)

Russ and Mandy in San Diego, CA USA 04/15/2007

Best: sound of music tour (Bob's tours)
Why: Great personalized tour for 6 of us.

janet Archibald in San Francisco, CA USA 04/08/2007

Best: Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Why: Wow! What an oasis from the bustle of Munich and Frankfurt. My wife and I had the joy of staying overnight (Rick's recommendation) during one of our 8 days in Germany while attending the 2006 World Cup. The highlight of the trip, and you MUST do the Nightwatchman Tour as well as walk the wall.

Eric Eiss in Rockford, IL USA 03/19/2007

Best: Stolzenfels Castle near Koblenz
Why: It was open off-season whereas most everything else was closed. Beautifully preserved structure, furnishings, paintings, chapel. Toured in German with small English pamphlet - still loved it.

Brien Muller in Ballston Spa, NY USA 03/06/2007

Best: Rhine river (and everywhere else in Germany)
Why: Had a wonderful 2 hour cruise down the Rhine river from St. Goar to Bacharach. The castles were spectacular. Stopped in Bacharach for about 2 hours. We saw a castle and climbed the 500 steps to the top. It was Stahleck castle, which is now a youth hostel. We had two large glasses of wine (about €3) and sat down outside with a wonderful view both ways down the Rhine, as well as the wine fields. The climb was definately worth the effort. Thanks Rick for the travel tips. I can't wait to go back.

Ron Easson in Brampton, On Canada 02/14/2007

Best: Christmas in Germany
Why: I was hoping for snow in 2006 but it didn't matter. Each market was different, had loads of decorations (how do they store them?) Every one was bright and friendly. The food was great.

Beth Halle in New York, NY USA 02/04/2007

Best: Baden-Baden for the Spas and Hotel - Hotel Beeg was WONDERFUL.
Why: The Roman Irish bath was a fascinating experience and allowed a period of rest. The Carcella Springs was very nice with the various treatments available. The Hotel Beeg was absolutely wonderful to us. We greatly enjoyed it. Your book described the staff as "Chilly" and they were great to us.

Lorene Boyes in Lindenhurst, IL USA 01/13/2007

Best: Andechs Monestry South of Munich
Why: The best beer in Germany at the best location. We were there in December on a weekday eveing late and no tourists.

Stan Biles in Blue River, or USA 01/03/2007

Best: Just about everything we did in Munich & Berlin
Why: Nothing specific; your book is great!

Worst: City-Circle Sightseeing tour in Berlin
Why: Page 360 in 2006 guidebook. This was our first hop-on, hop off tour. The buses left "checkpoints" early; like 2-3 minutes. This seems trivial, but when you're scheduling hop-on/hop-off with half-hour pick up schedules, it's not. After just missing three buses, we got the point. We had a few bummer experiences on different buses; no headset, no headset jack, headset jack not working, volume not loud enough, warped tape, and last but not least the recording was old--there was a reference to upcoming year of 2000.

Colleen & Dave in Federal Way, WA USA 12/07/2006

Best: Rothenberg: by a landslide! Plus: Herr Jung: a national treasure!
Why: Rothenberg: What a fabulous living time capsule. The night watchman tour was so much fun for my kids and us, too. Gisela Vogl custom crafted a tour aimed at my children's ages. St. Jakob's was packed with fascinating gems. The twins loved the poisonous plants and pretended to feign death at the sight of them (cute photo) in the Convent Garden, they were transported by the Tradesman's House, had sugarplum dreams in the Christmas Village, were stunned by the treatment of naughty kids in the Crime museum, were dazzled by the little kid armor in the city museum and were delighted with the plush red and white poisonous but friendly (?!) mushroom man toy they bought. I have high praise for the way I was treated so kindly and honestly by the fine folks at the Friese Shop. Highest praise for the breakfasts at Hotel Gerberhaus: WOW for the quality and rareness of their fruits, meats and pastries in the morning. Great 2 bedroom apartment and free parking next to the town's wall, too, and the discount was lovely, too. We had a terrific night at the Altfrankische Weinstube am Klosterhof with the English Club and learned a ton about the dialects of German (the expression "one egg" yielded a myriad of separate locutions). I'm part-Chinese and I my brother, father and grandfather were or are famous chefs and I was bowled over by our dinner at Lotus China! Max und Moritz were fascinating to the 6 yo twins and the show when on even though it was only 2 families in the audience.

I also have to thank my lucky stars that we were able to spend time with Herr Jung in Bacharach; it was totally worth it to book him from the US. He did a custom-crafted tour for my twins and they loved it, as all four of us did. My kids still talk about what they learned and keep as treasure his handouts he made for them to color. Lettie of Pension Lettie was just so kind to our twins with special breakfasts just for them.

My twins will always treasure the time spent at St. Goar and Rheinfels Castle (their favorite castle...they thought Neuschwanstein was 'fake' in comparison...and of course, they are correct in this). They were so happy to stay in the hotel there (I blew my reservation with no credit card guarantee somehow but the staff plugged us in to decent accomodations). We were blessed to be there during the local schools' tours and observed tweeners learning how to fight with wood or metal faux swords from medieval-costumed docents that thrilled my 6 yo kids who had outfitted themselves in the giftshop with period costume in their sizes. Such joy!

Bubbly Frau Heike in St. Goar guided us to a tasty East Indian restaurant across the street when we were craving vegetables.

Great info on Cologne's cathedral; we did it in 90 minutes and didn't feel blown by our train ride from Berlin and on the Rhine by this brief visit. The kids were entranced by the idea that the 3 Wise Men were here.

Kettensteg Biergarten dazzled friends who met us here (they lived near by and didn't know of it!). Points for us, thanks to you!

We so used all the self-guided tours even when we hired 5 guides on our German/Austrian trip.

Bonnie Seto in San Rafael, CA USA 11/29/2006

Best: Bob's Tours
Why: Since there was only our party [two of us] scheduled for an afternoon in the Bavarian Alps, our driver went out of his way to make this a memorable trip. We were not terribly interested in seeing Eagle's Nest, except for the view. Instead, the driver took us down tiny, winding country roads to some of the most beautiful views! He was very friendly and accomodated us very well. He even drove up to a little village that was the same name and my mother's maiden name! It was one of the favorites experiences during our trip to Europe!

Lois in Silverdale, WA USA 11/25/2006

Best: King Ludwig's castles/Alte Pinakothek
Why: Although it was rushed, as you indicated, the bus ride was quite comfortable, and the lunch accomodations that were arranged made it easy to get a quick meal. And by the end of the day we seemed to have reached a saturation point, so it was nice not to have to worry about getting back to Munich. And it was still early enough for an early evening meal and some beer at a sidewalk cafe. The Alte Pinakothek was overwhelming. How did Munich end up with so much ancient art work. It was quite stunning to see it all up close and personal.

Roger Streu in Springfield, IL USA 11/20/2006

Best: Bike rides, train travel, Salzburg, Ehrenberg ruins
Why: We had a great time biking from Melk to Krems, around Forgasse See and from Reutte to the castles. It was easy to rent bikes and a wonderful way to see the countryside and small towns that we couldn't have seen without a car.

Train travel in Germany and Austria is so easy and reliable and the staff at all the stations was friendly and helpful.

Salzburg has so many interesting sites to see and it is easy to get around on foot. We loved all the street musicians, the market, and the concert at Mirabell Palace.

It was an exhilarating walk up to the Ehrenberg ruins and well worth the effort. The view at the top is excellent and it was interestng to walk around and imagine how it looked centuries ago.

Kathy and Jim in Oakdale, MN USA 11/11/2006

Best: Bob's Tours
Why: We would not have known of them without your book -- we took their Sound of Music tour over Panorama's large bus. With just three of us and another couple it was like a private tour. The guide was friendly, very knowledgeable and gave us the real scoop on the movie and locations. He also stopped for an incredible strudel at a place run by a biplane pilot overlooking one of the lakes.

John Bologna in Greenwich, CT USA 11/07/2006

Best: Hotel Kranenturm, Bacharach
Why: We have stayed here twice now -- each time, the Engels have been very gracious and accommodating. Fatima is very sweet and nice -- has gone out of her way to make us comfortable. Yes, the hotel is right on thr train tracks, but with the multi-pane windows, we really didn't notice the noise. We would definitely stay there again!

B. Schnoor USA 11/04/2006

Best: Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Why: Very interesting city. I felt like I had taken a time machine back in time. The tour of the Nightwatchman was a highlight of our entire trip. It's worth staying overnight just to take his tour. The best 6 Euros I spent on my whole trip! He also sells a DVD (suitable for the USA) from a store in town if you are a day-visitor and just can't take his tour. I bought it and have enjoyed watching it again.

Karen Landon in Orlando, FL USA 10/31/2006

Best: Hallstatt Austria, Dachau Concentration Camp
Why: Compares to Bellagio in beauty but quainter. We loved both the village and the drive from Salzburg, as well as lunch at the Hotel Gruenerbaum Dachau,25 minutes from Munich by train, is the definitive reality check. This sensitive subject is presented candidly and professionally. Not to visit Dachau when in Munich is ignoring history. We were impressed with the way it was handled.

Worst: Mozart dinner and concert at Petersschtift
Why: Not worth the money. Meal was just fair. It was, in a word, tired.

Stan Schwartz in Washington Twsp., NJ USA 10/30/2006

Best: Rhinfels Castle
Why: We had a blast exploring this monstrous ruin, including some of the dark, dark tunnels. It was my favorite castle in Germany, even over Ludwig's.

Worst: Modern Art Museum in Munich
Why: We couldn't even look at the special exhibt of small small medieval sketchings because if we stood close enough to see them, we set off the alarms. Plus, there were more museum employees than patrons in the place, and they followed you everywhere you went. Overpriced museum for the amount of interesting art on exhibit.

Jane in Coppell, TX USA 10/29/2006

Best: Rothenburg Night watchmen tour
Why: Outstanding ,the hightlight of our two week trip.He is entertaining,funny and even with 100 persons along on the walk easy to hear.

Worst: none
Why: By following Ricks advise we didnt have any bad experiences

jack in Sheboygan, Wi USA 10/27/2006

Best: Sound of Music tour and room tips
Why: We found the Sound of Music tour, and especially our tour guide Christian, to give us more than we expected. The tour was great, we saw much more than the Sound of Music, and were dropped off at a local spot, the Augistinier Brewery. We could not have asked for more. Your tip to stay at a zimmer in Salzburg was right on. We stayed with Frau Ballwein and it was great. Accommodations were top notch, the food was good, and it was an easy commute to the city center.

Dennis Pribbenow in Wisconsin Rapids, WI USA 10/22/2006

Best: Bob's Sound of Music Tours in Salzburg
Why: I'm not particularly a Sound of Music fan, but the 4 hour tours in a small bus with a very friendly driver were absolutely marvelous. We saw some of the best sights in Salzburg and the surrounding lake district countryside. Fantastic and informational. The lady who takes care of the souveneir shop at Bobs also was extremely helpful and friendly.

Judy & Mark Anthony in Dallas, TX USA 10/21/2006

Best: herties and kaufhof basements for food wine etc
Why: Unbelieveable selection

Worst: euraide office
Why: no help at all

sbraggins in tampa, fl USA 10/17/2006

Worst: Pension Siebel Munich (City Center)
Why: Old and a bit run down. Breakfast was nice and people friendly but for the price, we stayed in much nicer pensions/zimmers.

Melissa in Sartell, MN USA 10/16/2006

Best: Mozart exhibit at the Albertina Museum
Why: By far the most tasteful and knowledgable of all the Mozart displays we visited in Salzburg and Vienna. Since this exhibit is closing, we also mention the Kunsthistoriches Museum and the Strauss concert at the Kursalon

Worst: Mozart's Birthplace, Salzburg
Why: Crowded and full of tour groups.

David Lermond in Wilmington, DE USA 10/15/2006

Worst: Hotel Kranenturm, Bacharach
Why: Small cramped room was barely ok. BUT room had mismatched furniture, lumpy beds, yucky looking carpet & bathroom floor. Shower had intermittent HOT!! water scald my skin so I was afraid to use it. Expected more from book's review. We visted mid-August 06. Breakfast was ok. Won't stay here again. Plus was location on Rhine River, boarded for r'trip river cruise to St Goar/Goarhausen. Was very pleasant venture.

Alexa Berenbak in Decatur, AL USA 10/14/2006

Best: Hallstatt
Why: So beautiful and peaceful. The mirrored reflection of the town on the water was a painting ! The hikes up and around the town were wonderful. One day was definitely not enough!

Worst: None -
Why: Each stop in the 21 days was well worth it - loved every location . Great suggestions, Rick!

Bob and Janet James in Smiths Falls, ON Canada 10/11/2006

Best: Bike Rides!
Why: We rented bikes in Munich (through the Englischer Garden & along the Isar River) and in Salzburg (along the Salzach River to Hellbrun Castle). It's so easy to bike in Europe - great paths, and everything was well-signed. Other Bests: 1. the Zugspitze (amazing views!) 2. Salt Mine Tour in Halstatt - I never thought a salt mine tour could be so much fun! 3. Second-hand lederhosen and dirndl store in Munich (on Im Tal east of Marienplatz). If you want to dress like the locals for Oktoberfest, this is the place to go!

Worst: Mozart's Birthplace, Salzburg
Why: Rick Steves warned us that it was not as informative as Mozart's Wohnhaus. We felt like we were in an art exhibit, not a "museum".

Julie in Los Angeles, CA USA 10/05/2006

Best: King Ludwig's Linderhof Castle
Why: Hard to get to unless you have a car but well worth the trip! Its the most opulent of all of the castles .

Rick in La Jolla, CA USA 09/28/2006

Best: Salzberg.... the entire city was enchanting!
Why: From the castle to the shopping... the restuarants and cafes. The splendid old churches... All delightful....

Bary Kauffman in Stevenson Ranch, CA USA 09/26/2006

Best: Rothenburg
Why: Touristy, but best tours and prices in Germany or Switzerland

Worst: Zurich
Why: Too expensive

Walt Keller in Malibu, CA USA 09/25/2006

Best: Rothenburg/Romantic Road
Why: When I made the reservations with Haus Karin in Rothenburg, I asked her questions about taking the train. She wrote back to me, suggesting that we DRIVE the Romantic Road instead. Since there were three in our group, it was actually less expensive this way, and it allowed us freedom to visit sites and travel at a rate we otherwise would have been unable to. I honestly think we were able to see twice as much this way.

Don't miss Rothenburg--I shot over one hundred pictures there. Also enjoyed Wies Church and Linderhof Castle. We stayed in Reutte, as Rick suggested, at Hotel Moserhof. Our balcony faced the Ehrenburg Ruins, which were lit at night, and the mountains around there are breathtaking. It was a HUGE room (modern and high quality) and we found the service good. The hotel was filled with Germans and Austrians, which we found refreshing. They don't even have a menu in English, which was actually kind of fun.

Dinner at Hotel Moserhof is gourmet quality food at reasonable prices. When we were being greeted by our waiter I said hello to him in German and he responded in English. I said, "Is my German really that poor (I actually spent three years in Germany as a child.) "No," he said. "I was sitting outside yesterday and saw you walk into the hotel with Rick's book in your hand!"

It's amazing the number of friends you meet when you have "Rick" with you!! We found this to be the case in many countries.

Cindy Johnson in Orange County, CA USA 09/21/2006

Best: Neuschwanstein Castle
Why: Awesome scenery and my daughter's eyes lit up to see the "real Cinderella castle". Thankful for the bus up with 4 kids!

Worst: Salzburg
Why: Driving in, we found it difficult to get around and just didn't think it was all that we thought it would be. Many of the sights are not obvious and had to ask for directions here more than any other city we visited in Germany/Holland. Not much for the kids to get into either.

Melissa Weikel in La Plata, MD USA 09/21/2006

Best: Original Berlin Walks - Berlin Infamous Third Reich Sites Tour
Why: Original Berlin Walks Tour guide Gabriel is, IMHO, the protoype of what a tour guide should be - accessible, entertaining, an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject without arrogance but with a real desire to share his knowledge. I've never had a better walking tour anywhere. Brought the Reich and World War II to life in a way no museum could (even on a guided tour). Brought Berlin to life, too. Just unparalleled.

Worst: Hofbrauhaus, Munich - but...
Why: It's "Worst" tourist trap, but with that atmosphere, who cares? There's something about watching rooms full of Aussies, Americans, Brazilians, and other soccer-lovers from around the world (this was during the World Cup) sing their anthems, dance on tables, and imbibe large quantities of pretty good beer. Food was surprisingly good as well. I'm sure there are more "real" brauhauses - perhaps I'll see them on my next visit - but going to Munich and not going to the HBH at least once seems, well, wrong.

Craig Dandurand in Sacramento, CA USA 09/09/2006

Best: The Romantic Road and Rothenburg
Why: It is a beautiful drive. Rothenburg has great shopping and Rick is right about staying over night. The town gets better.

Jeff Kane in North Tustin, CA USA 09/06/2006

Best: Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau Castles
Why: The castles are great, the setting is beautiful and you even get your exercise walking up the castles!

Maxine Weber in Merion Station, PA USA 09/04/2006

Best: The Nightwatchman tour, Rothenburg
Why: He is really polished with his routine - really brings the history alive. My son was captivated by him. Rothenburg is magical - you need to devote at least two days here. As Rick says, the tour busses arrive and depart like clockwork and the evenings are delightfully devoid of hoardes of tourists.

Ian in Minneapolis, Mn USA 09/03/2006

Best: Andechs Monastry
Why: The beer is the best in all of Germany. The food abundant and the band is truly locals. They played the Bavarian National Anthem at our Bavarian cousin's request. It was everything you would expect a Bavarian afternoon to be!

Julie Kluth in Poway, CA USA 08/28/2006

Best: Castle Day, Romantic Road
Why: We followed Rick's advice and booked Hohenschwangau at earliest time possible, followed by Neuschwanstein. We walked up to the counter (no wait) to pick up our tickets. After seeing both castles, we were amazed at the line the "unenlightened" had to stand in! Follow Rick's advice--if you desire transportation up the hill (30 min. difficult walk) take the bus rather than the horse and buggy. Even though, after looking at the map, I figured MY way was best, I found Rick was right. Take pictures at St. Mary's Bridge before seeing the castle.

We decided to see Linderhof as our third castle of the day, and were glad we made the decision, even though it was a strenuous day. I think it deserves the highest rating--and if you go there DO NOT MISS THE GROTTO. We saw many tourists move on, not knowing what they were missing.

Cindy Johnson in La Habra, CA USA 08/24/2006

Best: Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Why: Our time in Rothenburg was way too short. We could have easily kept exploring for another day or longer. The Nightwatchman's tour and the Crime and Punishment Museum were great. We bought cuckoo clocks for a good price near the market square.

Kent Hunt in St. George, UT USA 08/23/2006

Best: The walking tour recommended for Salzburg
Why: We felt we got to experience the city really well without getting on a bus or relying on someone else's interpretation. It was easy to follow, not too taxing, and will remain one of the best memories of our vacation.

Steve Huyck in Flossmoor, IL USA 08/09/2006

Best: the salt mines (Bad Durrenburg and Hallstatt)
Why: I was interested in the geology and the minerals anyhow, so both of these were superb to me. They do such a good job of presenting the mines. The slides are a hoot! (I clocked 24 mph on the big on in Hallstatt! -- assuming they're really clocking you and not just putting up numbers). The only hitch with the Bad Durrenburg one outside Salzburg was that I chose to go on a Sunday, which meant limited trains and buses. If you're stuck in Hallein like I was, make a quick visit to the Celt museum there.

Worst: Ice Caves above Obertraun
Why: Not really the worst at all, just a caution: believe the guide book about the steep path from the cable car station to the caves and the number of steps inside the cave. I live at 4,000' altitude and do okay, but the altitude in the Dachsteins took it out of me (plus, my middle aged body isn't in vibrant shape).

Donna Yargosz in Las Cruces, NM USA 08/09/2006

Best: seeing my ancestral castle Pfalz on Rhine River
Why: Man was it cold, but seeing my ancestral family castle Pfalz sitting in the Rhine after the wonderful sights from St. Goar was quite a thrill (even though it has green tarps due to repairs), esp since Rick's book told the history of it. Also enjoyed meeting locals and English couple in the bar in Bacharach (and the locals dogs as well). Also loved Rick's Bacharach city walk that took us into the vineyards. Don't miss this one. Got to have a great photo taken of us by another couple with Rick's book.

Worst: Rothenburg
Why: Not the worst, just wasn't very exciting to me. We did like staying at Karin Weiss's house. Great location in Rothenburg.

Shannon Hammond in Hoover, Al USA 08/08/2006

Best: Burg Eltz Castle
Why: It's the real deal. It's been in the same family for 800 years. It's not a reconstruction. It's in a beautiful setting.

Worst: Mozart Museum in Salzburg
Why: It was disappointingly uninspiring.

Brenda in Alameda, CA USA 08/07/2006

Best: Bacharach
Why: This town and its wine are not to be missed. And thanks to Rick's book, there are enough Americans to grab and go wine tasting with. We took Rick's recommendation to grab someone to go with us to the Weinstube, and ended up making some great friends that we kept up with throughout the trip and since we've returned home. We loved the bike ride down to St. Goar and the Rheinfels castle, and quiet evenings in this lovely town.

Jennifer Henry in Dallas, TX USA 08/07/2006

Best: Rhine tour
Why: We did best of the Rhine from Bacarach to St Goar. I've done the whole tour before and wasn't interested in taking my family on this one until I read through Rick's recommendations on doing only part of it and training back. The short experience was great--not too long, but good sights with Rick's commentary. Our only regret was that St Goar wasn't worth our time, whereas we shorted our time in Bacarach to see St Goar, and wished we'd spent more time there instead.

Worst: Bob's Special SOM tour
Why: Tour guide spent the whole time griping about politics, the Euro, conspiracies, etc. He also did not ask what we wanted to do, though I suppose he might have been receptive to our prodding, but no one wanted to talk to him!

Katherine Tucker in Upper Arlington, OH USA 08/05/2006

Best: Roman Museum in Trier
Why: We've been going to Germany for about 30 years and love all the Roman history leftovers.

Barbara and Werner Kraft in Gig Harbor, WA USA 07/25/2006

Best: Dachau concentration camp, Nazi documentation center
Why: both with great audio guides, explanations, photos. Historic.

Allison Korell in Minneapolis, MN USA 07/23/2006

Best: Black Forest Drive , Maximilian Hotel in Ehenbichel
Why: We wouldn't have found these without the book - the case for many other sights we found - so very helpful in planning the trip. Weiskirche was amazing and I KNOW we would not have seen it without the book.

Vicki Lutrick in Saint Charles, IL USA 07/20/2006

Best: Beilstein
Why: This little town on the Mosel is a great base from which to see Trier, Burg Eltz and the castles on the Rhine. It is far more quiet and scenic than towns on the Rhine.

Peter in Salem, OR USA 07/17/2006

Best: Neuschwanstein & Rothenburg
Why: Just as picturesque and charming as you'd expect. Best early and late when there aren't crowds, but wonderful regardless. Hohenschwangau was a great place to stay for Ludwig's castles (all 4 of them) and we'd like to go back and spend time in Fussen

Worst: Climbing the Town Hall tower in Rothenburg in a skirt, the Danube cruise between Melk and Krems, and Salzburg
Why: The guidebook warns about the many small, tricky steps in the Town Hall tower in Rothenburg, but doesn't mention that the last ten feet are essentially a ladder with tiny toeholds at the end and is best done taking a very large last step. It was 95+ degrees and very humid, and we huffed and puffed to the top only for me to discover that in my A-line skirt, I'd never be able to make it up the ladder unless I yanked my skirt above my waist and gave the tower operator and all the waiting tourists (there's a capacity limit) a birds' eye view of my underwear. I declined. So be forewarned. Either don't wear a skirt or be willing to show off more of your vacation wardrobe than is the norm.

If we had it to do over, we'd skip the Danube cruise between Melk and Krems. The river is a muddy brown and the scenery (except for a couple of okay castles) is comparable to what you see on the scenic train ride out from Vienna. We'd have spent more time at the Melk Abbey which was fabulous and then stayed in town for a nice lunch and a leisurely stroll. Plus the Krems train station is hard to find from the boat dock and if the TI isn't open (which it wasn't on a Sunday afternoon), you're on your own and the signage isn't particularly good. We made it tp the Bahnhof only with the help of a wonderful man who walked us and a couple from Tokyo over there even though a World Cup match was on. If not for him, we'd still be wandering lost through Krems.

Salzburg was a bit of a letdown after the beauty of Rothenburg. We're not Sound of Music fans so maybe that's it, but we much preferred Rothenburg for its architecture and Vienna for its pedestrian streets and wonderful cafes to the tourist crowds and Mozartballs of Salzburg. The Augustiner beer garden in Salzburg was nice though, with very few tourists because it is a tricky place to find. And anyplace that serves rhubarb ice cream can't be all bad.

Donna Peck Gaines in Seattle, WA USA 07/14/2006

Best: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles
Why: The castles are beautiful and the story behind them interesting

Worst: City bus tour of Munich
Why: Too many uninteresting sites pointed out, the tour guide was very monotonous.

Mary in Minneapolis, MN USA 07/13/2006

Best: Rothenberg
Why: The quaintness, really enjoyed the Nightwatchman's tour

Gary & Mary Nanke in Cedar Rapids, Io USA 07/12/2006

Best: Andechs Monastery
Why: Beautiful view of valley & snow capped mountains. We had a wonderful meal at the restaurant (not the cafeteria)...It was a bit pricey, but certainly worth it with the view and great food. The church was unexpectedly beautiful....for such a small church, it was the most ornate of any we saw anywhere in Germany or Austria. There is a delightful gift shop next to the church with some not too expensive items. It was not so hard to get to Andechs from Munich on S-5. The shuttle from Herrsching up to the Monastery is FREE with your railpass, just be aware that they stop running the shuttle a bit after 7pm, and after that you will have to take a taxi ride which will cost you about ten Euros down the mountain back to catch S-5 back to Munich. (Our fault that we missed the shuttle)

Worst: Bob's Sound of Music Tour
Why: Our tour guide was a "substitute" and not very well versed in the Sound of Music spots. Price is now 38 Euros, with Rick's book only 33 Euros. On the upside, we used the same guide to take a trip up to the Eagle's Nest, Hitler's retreat. We had a great view of Germany and Austria from that point.

Mary L. McNair in Katy, TX USA 07/11/2006

Best: skipping line at Reichstag with lunch reservation
Why: did not have to wait on line. in fact, even with reservation one did not have to go to the restaurant if you didnt want to.

les abrams in garden city, ne USA 07/01/2006

Best: Bob's Tour
Why: It was a nice way to see the Austrian countryside and learn a little movie trivia!

Worst: the boat ride down the Danube
Why: The river is murky and the scenery along it pretty uninspiring

Cindy May in Hilliard, OH USA 06/22/2006

Best: Cycling from Melk to Krems
Why: Very different experience especially when you'd too many musemum and castle hill in europe. Very romantic especially when it's raining and you're riding on the south side of the Donau.

chiaLC sgp 06/21/2006

Best: Therme In Baden Baden
Why: You have to experience it. Wonderful hot pools with various jets that alternate to sooth every part of your body. Cool wood fired sauna's upstairs if you don't mind getting naked.

Chris in Kelowna , bc canada 06/16/2006

Best: Pension Suzanne in Vienna
Why: Location is one block from Opera, one block from tram station. I could not imagine a better place to stay, the management and help were very friendly and efficient, the rooms very clean, the breakfast great. Everything about this hotel was positive and it really made our stay in Vienna a great experience.

John Cahalan in Austin, TX USA 06/14/2006

Best: Eltz Castle; Vitualien Markt, Munich.
Why: Eltz Castle is a wonderful stting and an interesting tour (even in German). No better place to drink beer than the Vitualien Markt Beer garden.

Worst: St. Goar's Rheinfels Castle
Why: A ruined castle does not compare with an intact castle [Eltz Castle]. We should have stayed only one night in Bacharach and not gone to St. Goar and used the other night in Trier.

Fred in Austin, TX USA 06/05/2006

Best: Walking the Wall in Rothenburg
Why: It was raining cats and dogs the whole time I was in Germany, and this was one activity which is still fun the the rain. The wall was covered.

Jo CA USA 06/01/2006

Best: Burg Eltz
Why: It's the whole package. Getting to it is half the experience. From getting off the train at the postage stamp village, to the trek through the woods, to the castle itself, it's absolutely unbelievable - and relatively un-touristy. My friends who LIVE in Dusseldorf had never even heard of it, and they rated it a close second to Neuschwanstein. It was a truly amazing experience.

S. Julian in Rochester, NY USA 05/26/2006

Worst: Original Berlin Walks
Why: The instructions on where to meet our tour guide were simply to "meet at the taxi stand outside Zoo Station." When we got there, we discovered that the taxi stand is at least a city block long. By the time we found the sign that marked the "meeting point" that we didn't know to look for, we had missed our guide and our chance to go to Sachenhausen that day. Worse yet, we had reserved tickets in advance (dumb move - there is no need to do that), so we were out the money because they don't refund. We ended up taking walking tours with New Berlin Walks (the Third Reich and Sachenhausen tours), which were both excellent.

Amy in Par, Fra 05/26/2006

Best: Rheinfelds Castle in St. Goar
Why: Excellent tour of the castle, and quite reasonable at 4 euro. My wife and I spent 2 1/2 hours touring the castle, and could have easily spent another 2 hours. The castle, once 5x larger, was very intricate, and every direction you turned there were new tunnels and rooms. I was very impressed - great recommendation by Rick

Worst: St. Goar - the town itself
Why: Tourist trap with some cheesy shops. Also, we were there on a Sunday and the Tourism office was closed. Not even open for a short time window.

Chad Butta in Hebron, KY USA 05/23/2006

Best: Reutte
Why: It was so GORGEOUS and we loved the Das Beck hotel.

Jenny Anderson in Holland, MI USA 05/12/2006

Best: Bavaria
Why: This "fairybook" land is just "waking up" after a long winters nap.

R. Chartrand in Bellingham, WA USA 05/04/2006

Best: Nurenburg
Why: The heart of WWII history - the tour is a must. The parade grounds, the church, and having brats in the restaurant on the square.

Dave Kamm in Ft. Myers, FL USA 04/23/2006

Worst: Hotel Goldene Krone
Why: It was not the worst place I've stayed in but I have a few complaints. The books says "comforts rare in this price range". We didn't find any comforts. I booked the hotel and asked for a crib for our one year old child. When we arrived at the hotel it was not in the room. When my husband asked Gunther about it, he rudely replied "Your wife did not tell me you were bringing a child and the crib is already in use". I didn't make an issue of it at the time, but when we got home I sent him the e-mail he had sent me for the reservation which stated we would have a crib. I did not get a reply back from him. There was also no high chair(kinder stool) for breakfast. The terrace was not functional but Gunther didn't tell us this the first time we asked about it but much later when my husband asked why it was locked. You can not watch the Sound of Music in the lounge because there is no longer a tv or vcr. We've lived in Europe for four years and have traveled all over and spent a lot of money here. We always try to give the Europeans the best impression of American travelers and never complain. And while most people are friendly and accomodating, we've seen this attitude many times when there is a problem. The popular response is to blame the guest instead of admitting fault and apologizing.

Kate Noble in Wuerzburg via, TX Germany 04/19/2006

Best: Ludwig's castle tour with Radius tours.
Why: It was interesting, fun and easy to do. There was no push to buy things and the guide was funny and informative. Our group had fun together and enjoyed the tour.

Natalie Garrett in Ashland, OR USA 04/16/2006

Best: Checkpoint Charlie Museum, Berlin
Why: Well, maybe not REALLY the best, but two cheers for this museum anyway. If you are expecting something like a typical history museum, you will be disappointed. This place is an eclectic collection of memorabilia, photos, and miscellany about one of the crossroads of the Cold War.

Harley Thronson in Fairfax, VA USA 04/16/2006

Best: Andechs Monastery
Why: This is a good as it gets! Great food, beer, atmosphere, and hiking. Lots of locals and the least smoke in Munich.

William S in TRAVERSE CITY, MI USA 04/10/2006

Best: Rheinfels Castle and Ehrenburg ruins
Why: Before our trip I asked my two sons what they wanted to see most. Their answers were both "castles", more specifically castle ruins. Rheinfels was great, we all had fun scrambling up and down stairs, crawling in tunnels, seeing catapult balls and the view of the Rhein from the tops of towers. We went first thing in the morning and the lack of people made the experience more fun.

Ehrenburg was more of a climb and more ruined but still fun for the kids. There were very few people at this sight as well.

Brad Benson in Spokane, WA USA 03/28/2006

Best: Salt Mines in Berchtesgaden
Why: It was a fun day for the kids. The area was beutiful and the Salt Mine was interesting to my wife and I as well as enjoyable for the kids.

Brad Benson in Spokane, WA USA 03/28/2006

Best: Rhotenburg Night Watchman's tour
Why: It was funny and interesting. I travelled with three children and they enjoyed it as much as my wife and I did. We learned a lot about life in the middle ages.

Brad Benson in Spokane, WA USA 03/28/2006

Best: Salzburg/Bavaria
Why: This is the prettiest area we have seen and packed with the most sights. Also the people are very friendly. We especially liked Bob's Special Tours in Salzburg.The guide was wonderful, offered many insights, and took us where ever we wanted to go. We took 2 tours with them in 2 days, and each one was wonderful, even though the weather was not the best. She allowed ample time and accommidated our large family. Even though I am not really a Sound of Music fan, I had a blast on the tour. It is also cheaper than a bus tour, and much more personal.

Worst: Checkpoint Charlie Museum & Berliner Dom, Berlin
Why: These were way to expensive for what they offered. I was very disappointed. Checkpoint Charlie is not so much a museum, as a gallery. I would recommend going to a free church or cathedral, some are better than Berliner Dom and free, 5 Euros (per person) was too much for this church.

Karoline Neill in Elkton, SD USA 03/20/2006

Best: Burg Eltz in Mosel Valley
Why: I can see why it is Rick's favorite! It is tucked away as if it were in a fairy tale - the photo ops on the trail in are worth it!

leigh in charlotte, nc USA 02/01/2006

Worst: Try to Avoid Neuschwanstein in Winter
Why: We went to Neuschwanstein last week and were very disappointed in this visit as compared to our visit in 2005. The ticketing process was much easier because we reserved in advance.

However, since we were the earliest english tour and their were only 2 other people besides us, they put us with the Japanesse tour, gave us audioguides and pretty much rushed us through in 15 minutes. Also, they played audio through speakers in each room for the other tour so we had to strain just to hear our little speaker.

I guess since there are not a lot of people in winter they sometimes do not bother with giving you the tour by an actual guide.

Besides that the scenery was beautiful.

The Goolsbys GA USA 01/23/2006

Best: Bob's Special Tours - Salzburg
Why: Highly recommend Bob's Special Tours. My wife and I did it last week, and while the weather was not great, we still were able to see all the sites. The small van was a definite plus, and we never felt like the guide was trying to force us to buy things or eat at certain places. If no one in the van wanted to do something, she had no issues and kept going. She even took us to a great place in Mondsee where we had some good Apple Strudel. However unless you know the weather is going to be nice, this tour would probably be better in the spring/summer.

The Goolsby's GA USA 01/23/2006

Best: Gasthaus Stahl in Oberwesel
Why: While not on Rick's list of places to stay it is an exceptional place. We arrived around 8am and wondered what to do until we could check in. The girl we met, set us down, fixed us breakfast, told us which pitcher had the fresh squeezed orange juice in it. A little later she came to our table and said that Paul would be there around 9. Paul showed up, introduced himself and told us our room was ready. Helped us with our luggage and got us settled in the room, all by 0930. The room was spacious and clean. There was a balacony that was nice to set on and the view, while some of it included the back yard of the house, was great. The breakfast was large. Fresh breads and rools, sliced cold cuts, fresh eggs, either boiled or scrambled, fresh juice and waffles. The half board was as nice as the breakfast and only cost less than 10 euros. Paul turned us lose in his wine cellar and told us we could help ourselves to the wine there, told us where the glasses were and left us there alone. There were 15 different types of wine in bottles there, all uncorked and ready to taste. He had bicycles that you could take for a ride. This place sets above Oberwesel in a little town called Dellhofen. PAul and staff made our stay there extremley pleasant and we will return to stay there again in the future. On leaving Paul made us a present of a bottle of wine that his family bottles.

James Hoffman in Leominster, MA USA 01/22/2006

Best: Rothenburg
Why: I loved this city when I lived in Germany in the 80's and it still is my favorite place for capturing the spirit of a quaint village that hasn't changed in architecture for hundreds of years. My kids (14 and 12) followed the Night Watchman like he was the Pied Piper. He was just totally awesome, as my kids would say.

Worst: Trying to find parking in Salzburg, Austria.
Why: I love walking in this city, but first locating parking that is close was the most frustrating part of our trip. Next time, we'll be better off booking a tour than trying to do this on our own.

Arlene Nickerson in Franktown, CO USA 01/15/2006