Rick Steves' Germany & Austria: More Feedback
If you've traveled with this guidebook, please help us improve it for future travelers. How can it be more helpful and accurate? Did any recommended hotels, eateries, or sights disappoint you? Do you have any new experiences or new places we should consider? Any warnings or tips for people traveling with the current edition?
Archived postings: 2004 | 2003
North and East Germany
We are avid readers of Rick's but he has not done much in Northern and Eastern Germany so we decided to try traveling there and here are some of our findings.
LUBECK - we stayed at the Hotel Stadt Lubeck. This is a budget 2 star hotel that is not bad. Small but clean, the the staff is extremely helpful and friendly. It is right across the from the train station and a few minutes walk from old town which is a beautiful Hanseatic city with lots of spires and charm. Hr. Richert was most helful as we arrived a day early and he also did our laundry for us. There is a book store in the train station that has English books.
WISMAR - a nice town on the Baltic. Very medieval, well preserved, but not as much English spoken. Stayed at Hotel Am Alten Hafen, a good 3 star with large rooms, close to the water and a good breakfast. Internet access in the library. Went for a day trip to WARNEMUNDE a lovely little fishing village and resort town where they smoke fish on the streets and there was music playing everywhere. Well worth a day trip if not overnight.
BERLIN -Rick's book says you can buy the Prague Pass at the EurAide office in Berlin. Unfortunately the EurAide office was closed when we were there as it was a weekend and a holiday and the DB station staff at first had no idea what we were talking about and then when somebody finally understood, they said you couldn't purchase this pass in Germany, you had to get it at home. We ended up buying a ticket from the border to Prague and back, which if you don't plan to travel anywhere else in the country except Prague, turned out to be cheaper than the pass.
DRESDEN stayed at the Mercure. Very nice hotel and a good location with food stalls everywhere, even a sort of food fair on Prager Str right in front of the hotel. A very managable city on foot. Very interesting to see one side of the street that was destroyed during the war replaced by boxy soviet buildings, and the other side which was not destroyed, with lovely old character buildings.
STRALSUND- Stayed at Royal Hotel am Bahnhof, immediately across the street from the train station and a walk through a park and over the bridge to old town. A good 3 star hotel with a good breakfast. Downstairs is a buffet restaurant with a great buffet for 8 Euros. Also found a great fish house on the wharf with inexpensive seafood.
GOSLAR a nice medieval city. Stayed at the Hotel Der Achetermann which is a refurbished old castle. Our room was very small but it looked like there were much bigger ones also and breakfast was great and they have a swimming pool.
EISENACH Stayed at Logotel which was a nice surprise. Large rooms, quiet, large bathroom, good breakfast.
The thing to note about traveling this part of Germany is that there is not as much English spoken so you have to work harder to make yourself understood, but we really didn't have too many problems.
Sue Moffat <email>
Nelson,BC, Canada Sun 05/29/2005
Germany
Rothenberg: The main street going to the south part of Rothemberg was having construction at the beginning of May.
Berlin: Some museums are closed or limiting their exhibits - For the bust of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti go to the Gemeralde and pay the extra 6 Euros to see it. The giant brachiosaurus skeleton is in scaffolding at the Natural Histroy Museum on May 4th, anf the head was removed.
Germanrail pass holders: If you are having trouble adding on Prague reservations from the states, I found that it could be done in Dresden or Berlin at the trainstations. Sometimes a supervisor has to help the ticket reservationist. Also I found a nice way to use your passes: Eat the earliest breakfast at the hotel (esp if near the trainstation), take a 8:00 train to the next city, Throw the bags in a locker at the next city's station,go to the travel info booth, see the town for the day, pick up the bags and go to the hotel, or continue on for another stop.
Joe <email>
Livermore, CA USA Sat 05/28/2005
IN DEFENSE OF PENSION NEUR MARKT
My husband and I travel often to Austria (he is from Linz) and we often stay in Vienna. Pension Neur Markt has a fabulous location for the price (right around the corner from St. Stephenplatz and the train station). We always get a large room on a top floor (non-smoking) which is more than large enough and the bath is fine. It is rare in older European cities to find "American- sized" facilities. The breakfast is "typical" Austrian - yogurt, pastry, rolls, cheese, meat and juices, tea and coffee. The staff is always helpful and is willing to give directions and recommendations. I would recommend the Pension Neur Markt.
Anne Fischer <email>
Chicago, IL USA Mon 05/23/2005
German travel
a few suggestions
If you are not driving, the train system is the best way to get around in Germany. It's relatively easy to understand, just take a few minutes to review the handy dandy maps that are at every hauptbahnhoff you'll see. If your still a little unsure don't be afraid to ask, German people are sometimes a little short with you but not because their rude, they believe in efficiancy and most ticket agent/ bus drivers/ cab drivers etc. do speak at least a little english.
The romantic road is great, but much of it is often missed when seen from inside a bus or car. There are bike rentals available and wonderful bike trails all over the place. If you have the time and inclanation, jump on a bike. It's great!
Kurt Friedemann <email>
Gelnhausen, Hessen GE Mon 05/16/2005
Salzburg
My friend and I stayed at Trude Poppenberger's. Trude and her husband were wonderful and treated us like family! If you get tired of bread and cheese, Trude recommended an Indian restuarant, Saran, whose owner is a friend of theirs. We loved the food and their friendly staff (who spoke good english and translated the menu for us!).
Michelle <email>
CA USA Fri 05/13/2005
Germany
Thanks for the guidebooks - they are very helpful.
Romantic Road bus corrections: The ticket office is no longer in the Frankfurt Haupbahnhof - it is across the street. The south side of the train station is under renovation, so look across Mannheimstrasse (west end) for the office. Also, the bus unloads passengers inside the walls of Rothenburg at Schrannenplatz, not at the train station outside the walls as the book indicates. The driver (Thomas) was very helpful, and the trip was enjoyable.
Bacharach: Hotel Kranenturm was great. The room was the nicest decorated I have seen in my 3 trips to Europe. Fatima is a great hostess, very helpful; she will bend over backwards to help a guest with any problem. This hotel is highly recommended.
Comment on Rick's philosophy of a home base - follow it! I was there on business with some sightseeing mixed in, and stayed at 6 hotels in 10 days (the 4 nights in same hotel were for business). This is no way to travel, so listen to Rick.
Dale <email>
Fairfield, OH USA Tue 05/10/2005
PENSION NUER MARKT
I will forgive you for such a bum recommendation on the PENSION NUER MARKT in Vienna because of your many good tips. This "four star" hotel is a 1-2 star at best. The breakfast is served by characters out of the Les Miserables bar scene..chainsmoking but pleasant. One would pay $39.95 per night for such a dump in USA. Please reconsider your choice.
Russell <email>
tallahassee, fl USA Sat 05/07/2005
Feedback on a few specific recommendations
My wife and I just got back from Germany and Austria (April/May) and found the book very useful. Here’s some feedback on a few specific recommendations:
Wurzburg:
Rick, where do you park? We kept seeing parking signs that seemed to lead nowhere. We finally found a perfect spot by the river, but I think we got lucky.
Rothenburg:
Hotel Kloster-Stuble – Great location, Erika was great. Restaurant food very good. Parking is tough. Nice included breakfast. Comfortable rooms but ours was a tad small. Good value.
Fussen/Reutte area:
Moserhof Hotel – We took Rick’s advice and stayed in Reutte instead of Fussen. Worked out fine. The hotel, though the nicest we stayed in, was priced below the others on our trip. Great view from the room balcony. Friendly restaurant. Nice breakfast included. Rooms were large, clean, modern, with large bathrooms and balconies. Internet and sauna downstairs. This town is not really a destination but handy for seeing the ruins of Ehrenberg and a short easy drive to Neuschwanstein. Unlike Fussen, it is not touristy at all. We found no other American tourists, and few English speakers, but that was no problem.
Driving tour tips around Neuschwanstein:
We did the castle tours in the mornings as Rick suggested and then drove the loop seeing Wise Church, Oberammergau, Lake Plansee. Worked perfect for a great full day.
Salzburg:
Hotel Goldenen Ente:Good location. Friendly service. Nice included breakfast. Great location. But I would not stay here if you are driving. You have to park a 15 minute walk away and parking is 14 Euros a day. You could take the 14 Euros, add it to 76/night and stay at a 90 Euro a night place that has parking. Did not try the restaurant as there seemed to be more interesting places around the corner. (We liked the Austrian/ Italian/Indian place. Sounds weird, but food was great)
Munich:
Hotel Uhland. Nice rooms. Helpful staff. Internet. Nice included breakfast. Very close to the Oktoberfest park. A short walk from a handy subway stop. Too far to walk from train station with luggage. Spotlessly clean.
Munich mass-transit:
Very easy to use. No need for a car in this city.
Tim <email>
Cupertino, CA USA Fri 05/06/2005
Accomodations in Germany
Your book was a wonderful help in finding our way around Germany and Austria. We did have one disappointment with a recommendation in Fussen. Sonnenhof was dirty! Location was great, however there were lots of stray hairs in the filthy sink in our room and the WC. We were the only guests in the house, so it must not be cleaned daily. No warmth of hospitality either. Two recommendations I have are Hans and Karin Weiss (www. haus-karin.de)in Rothenburg o.d.Tauber. Extremely clean and hospitable with a HUGE breakfast--best on our trip, and another B&B in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Gastehaus Ferienwohnungen Reiter at Bugstrasse 55. Very nice and welcoming. Another suggestion for people renting cars is get a GPS. It was so helpful.
Chris <email>
San Jose, CA USA Fri 05/06/2005
Austria
Hall in Tirol/Badl HotelOur third trip to Austria and it wouldn't have been complete without a stay in Hall in Tirol and the Badl. Beautiful old town, convenient to Innsbruck sights plus Frau Steiner and daughter Sonja at the Badl are the best hosts!
Paul <email>
Netcong, NJ USA Wed 05/04/2005
bacharach
its nice to travel all by yourself, sometimes, it gives you peace of mind. worrying no one except youself. everyime i visit germany (especially bacharach) i always make sure to make a room reservation at PENSION LETTIE thru e-mail or by phone ( you can find it at rick steve's book). i like the place not only having a clean, big room but also LETTIE. you may ask why, what's with LETTIE that others might don't have?
1. she cooks great breakfast
2. she helps you with the train schedules
3. she helps you to make some adjustment with your itenerary
4. she apeaks excelent english ( i think she's linguist)
5. a friendly person
6. the best HOST i ever met the entire europe tour i made.those are just few things about her.
if you ever want to visit bacharach try the PENSION LETTIE. no regrets.
abbie migs
USA Mon 05/02/2005
Mauthausen
If you are planning on going to the Mauthausen Death Camp in Austria, be aware that the information about the book store and movies in the 2004 edition of Rick's book is incorrect. A new building has been constructed outside the camp near the parking lot. The book store is located there and the guide book in English can be purchased there. They also have movies in English regularly (I think it was every hour). My wife and I enjoyed watching a collection of interviews they have from survivors of the camp. Rick says you can do the tour in 2 hours, but I would suggest a little longer, maybe 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours so you can see everything.
Randy <email>
Kaysville, UT USA Wed 04/27/2005
Munich updates
I just got back from Bavaria (April 2005), and have a few additions to the book:
1. Coming in from the Munich Airport on the S-Bahn: The ticket system is extremely complicated, and only some machines have English explanations. The airport is in zone 4, Dachau is in zone 2, and the center of Munich (with everything else you want to see) is zone 1. Tickets are "Innenraum" (cover the inner zone 1 only), "XXL" (cover zone 1 and part of zone 2, out as far as Dachau), "Aussenraum" (cover zones 2-4), and "Gesamtnetz" (cover the whole system). All of these come as chlid or adult; as single tickets or day tickets; and as one person or "partner" tickets (good for up to 5 adults traveling together). Furthermore, the innerraum ticket also comes in a 3 day version. Got that? Well, there's more. You can also get a strip ticket, and cancel the appropriate number of strips for each trip. On the machines, they have a list of stations; next to each one they show the number of stripes needed (over a blue background) and the number of zones covered from where you're standing.
OK, here's what you need to know as a tourist (presumably not going to the suburbs except for Dachau and the airport). A one way ticket from the airport to the center is 8.80, but the "Gesamtnetz Tages-Ticket" is only 9 Euros. This latter ticket is clearly the one to get, if you're taking the S-Bahn in from the airport. The next day, unless you are going to Dachau, get the appropriate "innerraum" ticket (the 3 day ticket is an expecially good bargain at 11 euros). Individual tickets and strip tickets add up fast; I found that with a day ticket I took frequent short rides, and these would have been too expensive if I were buying each one individually.
2. In Munich, I stayed at the Hotel Alcron (http://www.hotel-alcron.de/index.htm). It's right in the center, and only cost 60 euros per night for a single. The staff is very friendly, helpful, and speaks English. Breakfast is served from 6:30 AM to whenever (no set cutoff, for you late risers). My room in the back was quiet. The room is minimal but perfectly adequate, and overall it's a great bargain for the perfect location. Drawbacks: there's no elevator (although the circular staircase has a gentle rise, so it wasn't too strenuous to walk). Someone had stolen my TV's remote control, and in any event there are only German channels (no CNN). And the shower has neither soap dispenser nor soap holder; I put the liquid soap (from the dispenser next to the sink) in a cup, and brought this into the shower). I would certainly stay there again.
3. Regensburg was lovely (between Munich and Nuremburg), although there is much less English. It gets lots of German and Italian tourists, but few Americans. Walking arund the old center at night was especially pleasant, as there are lots of bars, cafes, etc.
4. In Nuremburg, Rick's recommended Hotel Probst Garni was delightful, and a great bargain. You even get a soft boiled egg with your breakfast for no extra charge! However, while Rick was right that the red light district was harmless, the streeet leading from the train station has some typical "train station riff-raff" - drunks, groups of rowdy teenagers, etc. Be prepared, especially in the evening.
Steven <email>
New York, NY USA Wed 04/27/2005
Hotel Pension Cornivus
We stayed at the Hotel Pension Cornivus in April based on Rick's recommendation and we were not disappointed. The room was a decent size and very comfortable and the bathroom, albeit microscopic, was very clean. There was a nice variety to choose from for breakfast and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. When we got to Vienna we realized we had forgotten to return the key from the hotel in Salzburg and Mr. Esti at the Cornivus happily took care of sending it back for us. He even sent it registered. The only problem we encountered is when we were leaving. We were supposed to park in the designated garage to get the hotel discount but when we tried to use the hotel card at the gate to leave, it wouldn't work. We had to leave the car at the gate and walk back to the hotel where we discovered that we parked in the wrong garage. We ended up not getting the parking discount but it was a small price to pay for a fantastic, but short, three days in Vienna. We'll someday get back to Vienna and will definitely be staying at the Cornivus again.
Wayne & Susan Avers <email>
Chicago, IL USA Tue 04/26/2005
Germany Highlights
I returned a few days ago from about a week in Germany/Austria (and another week in Krakow and Prague). Here are my highlights and lowlights...
Bacharach -- stayed at Pension Lettie. I found the room clean and bright as described, but Lettie herself is really the highlight of this place. She was extremely helpful with advice, providing maps and timetables, and even went so far as to check on me when she thought I had not returned that night. (As a woman travelling alone I appreciate this!)
Munich
-- I stayed at the Hotel Atlanta. The room itself was fine. The price was 10 euro higher than listed in the guidebook, and though I was told it had a shower, the shower was in the hallway.
-- The Pinakothek museums are no longer free on Sundays, but cost 1 euro. So if you're planning to use the audioguide, the price would be the same any day of the week. (I only visited the Alte Pinakothek, but I think their audioguide has very good descriptions.)
- I thought the recommended Italian restaurant La Vecchia Masseria was very good.
Wurzburg -- Gianni's Bistro was excellent. Gianni himself came out, made recommendations, and took care of everyone in the restaurant.
Stephanie
CA USA Sun 04/24/2005
pension siebel in munich
Pension Siebel is definitely going down the tubes. We could not walk around the rooms(we had the 4th floor apt.) without sticking to the tile floors or in white socks(they were filthy in 20 minutes.) also the refigerator did not work and there was no interest in fixing it. things like lampshades and curtains have gone from shabby to broken. the big but to all this is that they have a great location.
lisa
USA Sun 04/24/2005
Pensions and trips
Hi, I'm spending 3 weeks in Germany in June, starting in Trier, looking up "ancestors" in that area, driving down the Mosel, ending in Koblenz, which will be a base for 3 or 4 days while I tour that area of the Rhine. Then on to Wurzburg for more ancestor searching (actually, cousins at this point). I'll also visit Bamberg, Coberg and some tiny towns my great-greats came from. My itinerary is pretty firm, but if anyone's got any "must see & do's" I'd appreciate it and will give a full report when I get back. And BTW, Pension Pertschy is indeed wonderful--we also had an apartment there in 2002; and Pension Seibel is going downhill fast. We were there in 2000 and never again. In 2003 my daughter and I found a good hotel near the Bahnhof that treated us well. Someone mentioned the Hertie Department store: go in and browse, it's like Harrod's in Munich. Wonderful place!
Hilde Horvath <email>
Old Bridge, NJ USA Fri 04/22/2005
swiss driving sticker
if anyone is going to switzerland and driving you need a 40.00 sf driving sticker. if your going i have one that i bought but unfortunately did not use. Long story. It is good until jan 2006. i just came back On saturday april 17, 2005. Please email me if you would like to buy it. jik992003@yahoo.com
USA Tue 04/19/2005
Fabulous Vienna
We had the pleasure of spending two days in Vienna this week, April 10th & 11th. We were coming from Bolzano, Italy and the hotel gave us great directions and great advice. We drove in to town and stopped at Schonbrunn Palace first. Did the Classic Pass tour and ended with the bakery show for the finale. It was a little chilly so this was a great time to warm up with strudel and coffee. Beautiful palace and no waiting this time of year. We then drove to the parking under the Opera House and walked to the hotel.....Pension Pertschy! Undeniably the best location and super friendly staff! We stayed in one of the apartments and it was great! Bathroom a little small but we are in Europe! Very clean and great breakfast! The girl behind the desk helped us complete our Austrian Euro collection for both our kids (coin books are available to collect the first 10 EU country coins)Come to find out she is collecting them too so we helped her with France (where we currently live)! Can't say enough good things about this pension. Thank you!
Our next day we visited Hapsburg apartments and the treasury in the morning and would definitely recommend it to anyone. We ate lunch and wandered the streets. Stopped by Sacher Cafe for coffee and the famous sacher tort. DON'T eat it anywhere else! You will be disappointed! Afterwards we walked across the street for our english tour of the Opera House and were so excited that they allowed us backstage (not always possible)! Food we decided to do "non-traditional" meals like Akakiko Sushi, large portions and very fresh! We had pizza (can't remember the name, cafeteria style place down the street from Zanoni & Zanoni ice cream, same side of the road). Order by the slice and pay at that counter. Have a made to order medium sized pizza or other main courses and pay and the seperate register. Made the mistake of choosing a restaurant across the way from Brezel-Gwolb because this one wasn't open. Gustl Bauer had a unfriendly waiter that spoke no english. Not that this is required but it wouldn't of mattered if he had been kind to us. To be politically correct, he was rude to everyone, not just us! The food was just mediocre and not cheap.
The town was SO CLEAN! We couldn't believe it! It is a large city, no noise and just amazing! It is obvious that its population has dwindled because there seemed to be room for many more people in the city. The architecture was incredible and our necks hurt from staring up the whole time. We felt very at home here and will definitely be returning!
Meg
USA Sat 04/16/2005
short stay in Munich
We spent 9 days traveling to Bolzano, Italy, Vienna, and Prague. On our way to Fussen (castle heaven) we decided to spend the night in Munich. We really enjoyed the city.
HOTEL: We stayed at Hotel Deutsches Theater. Beaware that there are 2 with the same name and practically back to back. Parking garage right next door was reasonable and the hotel was great for the price, Rick Steves cash rate of 112 euros for the apartment 2 adults and 2 children. The room could accommodate more! Clean and basic but for that price who cares! Easy walk to center with great grab and go food all around (even McDonald's but in this city you would regret missing out on the goodies). The hotels breakfast was good. Very friendly and helpful staff!
RESTAURANTS: With only one night there I wanted to do the "touristy" thing and go to Gausthaus beerhall. When arrived, walked thru the smoked filled rooms and enjoyed the "show" of drunk Asian toursits, pretzel girls, and the band. With two children and me and my husband not liking the smoke we moved around the corner to Haxnbauer on Sparkassenstrabe. You know you found it by the rottisserie pork knee in the window! WOW! The BEST potato dumplings that I have ever had! The meat was fantastic and we ate and drank until we couldn't move! We will definitely try to get back to Munich because there was alot we didn't get to see because of time.
Meg
USA Sat 04/16/2005
Pension Seibel and Munich
I wholeheartedly agree with the previous comments about Pension Seibel. Rick, please consider taking the pension off your list of recommendations. It was not clean, room was TINY. Street noise RIDICULOUS despite attempt to reserve room in the back. Breakfast was delightful, but I did not find Kirsten overly helpful--friendly yes, but not overly helpful. Registration is a bit confusing as the "office" is through a private door off the breakfast nook. Great location, however.
Jenny <email>
Bucharest, Romania Sun 04/03/2005
Germany/Austria tips
As always, Rick's book was a constant companion during my husband and my recent trip to Germany/Austria. We met many people along the way with the same book and had fun chatting with them.
Just a few tips that we found:
If going to Rheinfels Castle on the Rhine, you can easily drive your car right up to the parking lot versus walking the steep incline or taking the tourist train. Very convenient.
In Rothenburg, I was glad that I emailed the TI after I read in Rick's book that the Nightwatchman's Tour does not begin for the year until April. The TI informed me that the tour would indeed begin at the second week of March, so we were fortunate to be able to go on this very fun tour. Loved it! When we were in Salzburg, we met some women who were extremely disappointed that they did not know this during their stay in Rothenburg, as they had Rick's book and thought the tour was not available yet in March.
For Munich, we would highly recommend that Rick check out the Acanthus Hotel. It is a great little hotel with super service and friendly staff. The rooms are very nice, breakfast great, and the location is absolutely excellent. For a double room with bath, we paid E90 per night. It was a great value, again I would highly recommend that Rick take a look at this gem. It is located a block from Sendlinger Tor, with a very short 5 min. pleasant walk on the pedestrian Sendlingerstrasse to Marienplatz.
Also in Munich, consider adding the Altes Hackerhaus to the list of restaurants. It is the former site of the Hacker-Pschorr brewery, lots of history there and Hacker-Pschorr memorabilia. The food is terrific, staff very helpful, very attractive decor, small biergarten, reasonably priced. It is located just a few blocks off Marienplatz on Sendlingerstrasse.
Also in Munich: Panorama Tours for Neuschwanstein/Linderhof/Oberammergau depart across the street from the Hauptbanhof in front of the Hertie Department Store, not at the Neptune Fountain on Elisenstrasse. At least ours did in late March 2005. The cost for admission fees to the castles was E13.50 per adult.In Vienna, we would highly, highly recommend the Gasthaus Purstner at Riemergasse 10. English speaking waiters and menus, great food, super Tirol ambiance, all around fantastic and fun experience. A real gem, quirky, old-world and quaint!
Lastly:
Hotel Kranenturm in Bacharach was great. Fatima is so friendly, we enjoyed her company. She is thrilled to be in Rick's book and showed us pictures of Rick during his visits.
Gasthof Greifen was a terrific experience. Loved all of it!
Hotel Weisses Kreutz was very nice, but a bit of an odd experience. We were shown to our room, but after that we never saw anyone who looked like the proprietor during our three nights' stay. Each morning we saw a different housekeeping/janitorial staff member tending to us at breakfast, but they did not speak English. It was as though we were at an inn without an owner. No hearty welcomes or offers of assistance, no one around. But the rest of the amenities were wonderful. Had we felt more welcomed, we might have partaken of their restaurant. Perhaps we were not looking for the proprietors during the right time of day/evening. On our last night there, we asked for a wake-up call and taxi for the next morning to the train station from one of the housekeeping(?) staff who did not speak English. We thought we had communicated our wishes pretty well in broken German and gestures, she seemed in agreement. No wake-up call came, and that particular staff member was not present at breakfast, so we did not know if our taxi had been called. We inquired with the staff person there, also non-English speaker, and asked about the taxi. Long story short, we ended up with two taxis waiting for us, one of the drivers not very pleased about the mix-up! I would still stay there again, though - just brush up more on my German!
Thank you so much for all the great tips that made another trip so much easier. Rick's books are very entertaining to read as well, not what you'd expect from your average dry guide book!Cheers!
Patricia Boos <email>
Milwaukee, WI USA Fri 04/01/2005
Jugendhotel Marienherberge - new e-mail
After many bounced e-mails, I found that the address for the Jugendhotel Marienherberge (mentioned in the 2005 version of Germany and Austria)has been changed. The new e-mail address is: invia-marienherberge@arcor.de.
Kerry
Portland, OR USA Tue 03/29/2005
Munich - Pension Seibel - Needs Updating
While in Munich I stayed at the very overpriced and very dowdy Pension Seibel. I knew it was not going to be the Ritz, but this hotel sorely dissappointed. The sheets were worn with holes in them, the room was smaller than a dorm room, the light in the bathroom was burnt out, the phone did not work, and the furniture had seen its better day (when it was new in 1960!). I found the hotel staff not to be overly knowledgeable or friendly. I was here in March and could hear through the walls, I would hate to be here at the height of tourist season! On top of it, the place was virtually empty and I was still charged those mysterious 'convention' rates.
On a positive note, the location was superb, I LOVED the neighborhood and the coffee shops and restaurants nearby were perfect!
Rick, you let me down twice lately (last time it was my London hotel). Please find me a better hotel in this area of Munich. When I showed my husband the pictures of where I stayed he felt very sorry for me.
DeAnn <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Sun 03/27/2005
Salzburg Laundromat
Found a really nice self serve laundromat (Bubble Point Waschsalon) in the City Center Mall right across the street from the train station. You have to enter the laundromat from inside the mall in the winter but they have a door to the sidewalk that you can use in good weather. Bubble point waschsalons, City Center am Hauptbahnhof, 5020 Salzburg, Karl-Wurmb-Strabe 3. The service is all automated, and you can call up the displays in English. They also have 6 internet connected computers that you can use by signing up on their automated system. Best laundromat I have used in Europe.
Rick
Houston, TX USA Sat 03/19/2005
Munich Hotel
I recently stayed at the Aspen Hotel in Munich. The room and staff were excellent, but the construction on the building across the stret starts between 7 and 7:30.
Rick <email>
Houston, TX USA Sat 03/19/2005
Wurzburg, Germany - Tiepolo fresco in the Residenz
The fresco is undergoing construction and is partially covered. There was a large sign at the entrance saying that restoration was being done on Tiepolo’s fresco (the largest ceiling fresco in the world) and that there was a 0,50 € discount on the admission fee because it was "partially covered from view". Discounted admission was 4,50 € per adult. The fresco was MUCH more than "partially" obscured, but much effort had gone into making sure that museum visitors could get an idea of what it would look like. There were silk screens of the obscured portions in many places, and there was a display (including a movie) explaining the restoration process. There was also a "model" of sorts that you could walk underneath, look up, and see what the ceiling would normally look like.
Jill Briesch
Denver, CO USA Mon 03/14/2005
Friese/Kathe Wohlfahrt shops in Rothenburg
I forgot to mention that we visited the RS recommended Friese shop in Rothenburg when we were there last month. As promised in the book, we were given the wonderful map (normally costing 1,50€). We found the selection of cuckoo clocks and the prices to be very good and we purchased several other knick knacks as well. The kind owners threw in a cute magnet for free and proudly displayed their picture of Rick in their store last summer.
We were told the cuckoo clock would arrive in 4-6 weeks, however we got it in a little over 3 weeks. Perfect condition.Just an informational note - they only run credit card purchases about once every 2-3 weeks so don't panic if you placed a large order and don't see the charge come through for 3+ weeks. They must have had our clock in the mail before they charged our card, because the charge showed up only about 2 days before the clock! Very trusting store owners!!
Although overpriced, the Kathe Wohlfahrt stores had a wider selection of decorations and many of their Christmas items were of slightly higher quality. There was no difference in the quality of the cuckoo clocks they were selling however (except that they were priced much higher).
Jill Briesch
Denver, CO USA Mon 03/14/2005
PENSION NUER MARKT
Rick, you've let us down on this one! Exremely smokey place & the breakfast is lousey, simply not worth it and expensive for offering so little. When Mother & I placed our reservations over the phone (based on Rick's recommendation in his guidebook) we were told 100 euros per night to include a double room with bath, breakfast and transportation to and from Vienna International Airport. When we arrived the bath turned into a shower so small my mother could literally not fit into it (nor I), transportation was not included (20 euro per trip) and the breakfast turned into a few rolls, little butter & sliced meats, and barely passable coffee (in Vienna no less!) And the pension staff lounged about in the dining area smoking like "chimney stacks." I am loath to follow any more "recommendations" from Rick, to be completely honest.
SYLVIA MEDNIKOV <email>
GLEN ALLEN, VA USA Fri 03/11/2005
living in Germany
We are moving to Germany this summer. We will be living outside of Weisbaden. Is there anybooks that you would suggest reading before we leavre? We have already bought your Germany travel book. We have 2 small children and want to prepare them as well. We are hoping to travel all over Europe in the next 3 years!
Susy <email>
Great Falls, Mt USA Thu 03/10/2005
Germany/Austria trip
We traveled to Germany, Austria, Switzerland (and back to Italy) last fall, using Rick Steves books for our fifth(!) European trip. Thanks, Rick, we have such wonderful memories of these trips. It is to be Ireland in ‘05. Reading other travelers’ tips is helpful to me, so I want to reciprocate.
GERMANY
Rothenburg just as charming as promised. Gasthouse Greifen wonderful location, comfortable room, decent food. Restaurant Glocke very good, wild mushrooms, also wine tasting made for a fun evening. Beer,sausages and kraut at Zur Goldenen Rose introduced us to German cuisine.
We rode the Romantic Road bus tour from Wurzburg to Fussen, stopping overnightsat Rothenburg. While the scenery was great, it was not a “tour” but a bus ride. Stops were not much more than bathroom breaks, and not many of those. If I were redoing this, I think I would drive.
Scenery into Fussen incredible, loved seeing the cows with their bells and house/barn combinations. We stayed at the Altstadthotel zum Hechten, fine room with castle view. Restaurant was fun, with lots of local activity, but don’t expect much from the food. That fresh river pike looked suspiciously like prebreaded frozen fish sticks.
AUSTRIA
Salzburg quite lovely, amazing that these inner cities do not have a big city feeling. We particularly enjoyed the Mozart Dinner Concert and the open air market in Universitataplatz. We stayed at Frau Balwein’s on Moonstrasse. She was most helpful, our room was spacious, with balcony and wonderful farm view. The breakfast room – so quaint, and the food was delicious too. We voted this our best lodgings. But one cautionary note. The bus stop is right in front of the house and we found it most convenient. But when we came back that night, even though we had shown the driver our address card, he did not stop. He only stopped for those who signaled in advance. And it was impossible for us to recognize this stop so far from town in the dark. So he took us to the end of the line, where we sat for some time alone with him on a vacant lot. We speak some German, enough to know that he found this quite amusing. He showed my husband a picture of Hitler. This was definitely my most frightening travel experience. The next day we took the bus into town, and taxied back, which is what I would advise.
The scenery at Hallstatt is breathtaking, even in the rain. And it rained ALL the time we were there (in September). And it was completely free of tourists. Quiet and scenery are the only reasons to go there. We stayed at Gasthuas Zauner which was okay, good fish at the restaurant, the only restaurant open while we were there.
We stayed overnight at Innsbrook, stayed at Hotel Weisses Kreuz, No complaints, short stop on our way to Switzerland to ride the Bernina Express.
SWITZERLAND
We stayed overnight in Chur so as to board the Bernina Express in the morning. This ride through the Alps was incredible. After several days of rain, the clouds lifted and we had a beautiful day with great visibility. This was an awesome experience – meaning we were filled with awe – seeing the lakes, mountains, glaciers, beyond description.
Our day ended in Luguano, Italy, amid palm trees, sunshine, another beautiful lake. We felt we were home to be in Italy again. Our first European trip was to Italy and it is still our favorite country. We spent our last week there; I will post on the Italy page.
Nora <email>
USA Mon 03/07/2005
Hotel-Pension Bloberger Hof - Salzburg
I recently returned from Salzburg and the Bloberger Hof (www.blobergerhof.at) was an absolute joy. Clean rooms, good rates, very nice breakfast and the owner, Frau Keuschnigg, is extremely friendly and helpful. She has a great personality and speaks English very well. The Bloberger is located outside of town, just off of Moosstrasse. yet is very convenient to the city center. Once I arrived there, I found that I didn't need my car. The bus stop is about a two minute walk from the hotel and the bus takes about 20 minutes to get to the city center. There are also 2 restaurants within 2-3 minutes walking distance of the hotel. The Bloberger has its own restaurant that is open Tuesday to Friday nights. Unfortunately, I was staying on the weekend and did not get to try it. I heartily recommend staying here and I will use it on my return visits to Salzburg.
L Riess
USA Mon 03/07/2005
Best car rental rates
When visiting Germany/ Austria/ Italy/ Switzerland I have found the best car rental rates from Sixt, and the best place to fly in/out of is Munich. Note however now a 19 percent additional tax for picking up at airports and train stations in Germany, so pick up the car downtown.
paul kelly <email>
Victoria, BC Canada Thu 03/03/2005
Berlin
I read the line-beating tip for the Reichstag. Your readers should know that the restaurant is very expensive. The cheapest entree was about 27E. After we sat down, we decided to have a beer, appetizer plate (20E) for very little food and eat elsewhere. We only stood in line for 5 minutes (we didn't have a reservation at the restaurant) because it was 8 p.m. on a cold Sunday evening. The Reichstag is open until 11 p.m. It's worth a stop, but it is embarrassing walking out of a restaurant because it is too expensive.
We stayed at the Hotel Carmer which I highly recommend. 89E included a great breakfast. Our room seemed luxurious. There were great restaurants in the area. We were only 10 minutes by foot from the Bahnhof Zoo.
Shoppers should be aware that even in winter there's a market on museum island. I bought some pretty Polish pottery. Also, we had a great side-trip to Gorlitz on the Polish border.
Karen Herreid <email>
Austin, MN USA Wed 03/02/2005
Roma Italy
we stayed at the Marta Guesthouse in Roma,Italy. It was near the Metro stop,shopping,great resturants and beautiful sites. Ovideo was a great help.He works at the desk,and gives great information for everything in Roma along with plenty of maps. Just mention his name at one of the suggested resturants and they treat you very well!!
M.Mumfrey <email>
oh USA Wed 03/02/2005
Hotels - Rothenburg, Bamberg
Hotels in Germany (restaurants, shopping, etc. to follow!)
Hotels
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
We stayed at RS recommended Gasthof Greifen for 3 nights (February 11, 12, 13) in a double room (room 17) at 58,50E per night. The hotel is the former residence of Mayor Toppler and was built in 1374. We really liked the hotel and the owners were very kind and friendly. The location is wonderful - less than half a block off the market square. The hotel was lovely and the main areas were beautifully decorated with antiques. The breakfast room is Mayor Toppler’s old office and there is a very interesting old safe with a medieval combination lock that we found fascinating. The breakfast was quite good and was served from 7:30am - 10am. There were several kinds of cereals and breads, yogurt, fruit, cheeses, and meats. Our room overlooked the biergarten and parking lot behind the house and was very quiet (of course, the entire town is quiet in February!). Our room was large and modernized with a nice-sized bathroom (great water pressure in the shower) and a good heater. No hair drier, a small TV that we never turned on. We loved the warm and comfortable down duvets, but the down pillows were a bit hard to get used to. Each side of the bed had a reading lamp. We received a 10% discount for staying 3 nights and the parking lot behind the hotel was free. The owners kindly scraped the snow off our car early the morning we were heading out of town and mapped out a very pretty driving route for us to our next destination. Incidentally, the restaurant was very good as well. They even served us hot chocolate when we came in freezing cold after the kitchen was closed. Mastercard is accepted and any meals taken in the restaurant are put on your room bill. We would definitely recommend this hotel to others and will stay here again when we bring our parents to Germany in 2007.
Bamberg
We stayed at Hotel Brudermuhle for 1 night (February 14) in a double room (room 5) overlooking the river for 105E. The hotel is a 14th century mill but it was completely renovated in the 1980s so it is difficult to tell it is that old except for the décor in the restaurant. The restaurant was very good by the way, but I will save that for my food section. If we leaned WAY out one of the windows, we could see the old town hall sitting in the middle of the river on its artificial island. The sounds of the river were wonderful – they put us right to sleep! Unfortunately, they were remodeling the floor that our room was on so everything smelled a little funny, not too bad, but noticeable when you first entered the floor. The remodelers were at work by 7:30am in the morning, pounding away with their hammers. Fortunately, we were already up but I would have found this annoying were I still trying to sleep. The room was fairly spacious and we really liked the fluffy pillows (2 for each person, yeah!!). There was a hair drier, telephone and small TV in the room and the heater worked well. There was also a sofa that looked as though it could be used as a bed if necessary. The bed (two singles pushed together) had reading lights on each side and a button on the headboard that controlled the other lights and lamps in the room. DH found this quite cool for some reason…??? The bathroom was pretty small and there was no curtain or door on the shower. One very strange and somewhat disconcerting thing was that the water from the shower and toilet and sink was somewhat brown, with little bits of sediment. The hotel is RIGHT next to the river (we looked out our window and down and there it was!) and the river water was the same shade of brown…. Hmmmmm…. There was no odor or anything, but showering in brown water still made me more than a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, DH is a saint and he went out and bought several bottles of water for me to wash off with after I showered with the brown water!! It's the little things in a marriage that make you adore your spouse The bottled water bath was a little cold, but I felt much more certain of being truly clean. Breakfast was great with the same fare as Gasthof Greifen but with an added bonus – scrambled eggs and sausages! We were given a free welcome cocktail at the restaurant when we ate dinner there (details will be in the food section) and we were given free little apples wrapped in pretty paper upon checkout. The hotel owners were most helpful with directions. Bamberg is a very interesting town and we definitely want to come back and visit for a couple days at some point. I would recommend the Brudermuhle, but I’d suggest that you request a room on a floor NOT being remodeled. Maybe the "brown water" was due to the remodeling, maybe because of the proximity to the river...
Jill Briesch
Denver, CO USA Wed 02/16/2005
Berlin
Over the Thanksgiving break we travelled from Wiesbaden to Berlin via ICE train and stayed at Pension Peters. We were delighted with the pension and its central location. As it was our daughter's 12th birthday during our stay, Annika helped us find a cake and set up a small party in the breakfast room (not to mention a birthday gift of chocolates). Charlottenburg is a great area to use as a base, central to the train station and the Berlin Zoo. My 10 year old son enjoyed the television tower and my daughter the shopping. The strangest thing was to sit at a Starbucks, of all places, looking at the EAST side of the Brandenburg Gate and thinking, "Oh, that's what it looks like from the front"!We will definately stay at Pension Peters on our next trip to Berlin.
Marian Leknes <email>
Taunusstein-Wehen, Hessen DE Mon 02/14/2005
Question for sightseeing in Munich
Germany is my favorite country on the Earth. I hope to be in Munich for a couple of days, and I want to see the places that I did not see when I was in Munich before. (I only went in the Alte Pinakothek). I intend to go in the Residenz (palace of the royal family of Bavaria : the Whittlesbachs). Can anyone highly recommend any place to go in that is very close to the Residenz ? On a map I saw that very near the residenze are other palaces, churches, museums, ...Thank you.
Ron W. <email>
Springfield, MO USA Thu 02/10/2005
overrated hotel
SalzburgGasthaus zur Goldenen Ente,(golden duck)has a great restaurant but the rooms are more in the class of 1 or 2 star,not $$$.we stayed there two years ago for about 60 Euro, somewhat overpriced then.we have traveled a total of 5 months all over europe unaccompanied except for Steves books, we are 70 years old and gong again this year,
Richard E Schultz <email>
Absarokee, MT USA Wed 02/09/2005
Two women, train and Bavaria
My daughter and I had a wonderful adventure over the New Year in Bavaria. Not having traveled by train before, we decided to contact the Euraide Office in Munich and found Alan very helpful. He found the best price for us, handled the itinerary to the point that each attraction day was well planned. If we needed a ticket for transportation other than train, that was all provided in the package so we were not scrambling around trying to determine cost of transit tickets.
Our first stop after landing in Frankfurt was Rothenburg. It required many changes, but we made connections. I recommend the 5 euro taxi ride from the Bahnhof. We stayed at the Kreuzerhof Pension as recommended by others on the grafitti board and found Host Walter to be great and the breakfasts were great. Our room was self-contained and the othere guests were quiet and considerate. And even after Christmas, the town is decorated and bright and the shopping great.
Then it was on to Munich, our home base for five days. We stayed at the Hotel-Pension Beck, just a hop from the tram and minutes from any transit connection. Our room was set apart from ther others and self-contained. Neighborhood was quiet, except for New Year's Eve...an exciting night for all of Munich. We took several day trips into the Alps and for the most part the trains were comfortable until the return trip and the many skiers on board. I would recommend reservations for the return trips. Munich is a delightful place to visit - it is so clean and inviting. We were able to connect with home through an internet cafe across from the Bahnhof. Though most of the attractions were closed (not a surprise, as we were warned) we were able to wander through the grounds and the churches were still awaiting Epiphany celebrations so were very nicely decorated. Dachau in the winter is a very sobering place. The starkness is not minimized by the various houses of worship erected there.
Soon we were on our way to Frankfurt and the last days of our vacation. We stayed at the Ibis - very spartan and very noisy, but the front desk makes up for the deficency by its helpfulness and recommendations. The restaurant Baseler Eck is wonderful. We took a train ride up and down the Rhine and I was suprised to find that some of the boats still offer tours. If I had known that, I would have arranged to one. We followed Rick's suggestions for exploring Frankfurt's Romer area and delighted in the food maket place with all its sights and smells. Thanks for your tour books and the helpful comments from others.
Loraine Tuenge <email>
Nokomis, FL USA Fri 01/28/2005
Melk - Krems, Austria
When travelling through Austria in 2003, we took advantage of the boat tours on the Danube (Donau) between Melk, where we were staying, and Krems. The boat ride was an absolutely beautiful way to see the Wachau valley and its terraced vineyards, burgs, and churches. It made for a very relaxing morning. Spent a great day walking around Krems, exploring its nooks and crannies, attending a wine tasting of the local vintners, etc. Took the "milk run" train back towards Melk, stopping off at Nurnstein to tour the remnants of the castle. Took the train back to the station nearest Melk (on the othe side of the river), but there was no bus or taxi to get us back to Melk. Wound up walking the 3 km or so back to our pension. A nice walk, but could have been an unwelcome surprise in poorer weather. All-in-all, this part of Austria is well worth seeing and the boat/milk train combo is really a delight.
Dave Murray <email>
Avon, IN USA Wed 01/12/2005
Vienna
I took a trip to Austria and Bavaria this past summer and Ricks book was invaluable. We were happy with his suggestions for pensions and hotels.
One in particular, the Pension Lindenhof in Vienna was great. The rooms themselves were fairly plain but more than sufficient. The proprietors were very friendly and helpful and they patiently answered our questions. As we left to catch the train to Salzburg early in the morning they even packed a few rolls for us to take with us and walked us out to the street to give us directions to the shortcut to the metro.
This impressed us very much and I wanted to give Pension Lindenhof and the Gabrael family my thanks and I recommend them highly. Denis
Denis Byrd <email>
morrow , Ga USA Wed 01/12/2005
Trains in Switzerland, Germany & Austria
Only times when trains are late is when we have a bad snow storm. If you have taken the wrong train, the station might have switched tracks on you last minute. Again, please check with the board at all times that you do have the right track and they are boards just above the tracks that tells you in which direction is that particular train on that track is going to. The announcement is usually in German, so pay attention and read the board to ensure that no last minute track switches have been made. If you see lots of people walking away right after an announcement, just ask right away, don't guess!
P. Wang-Kolner
Zuerich, ZH CH Thu 01/06/2005
Zermat & Lauterbrunnen
Switzerland. Hotel Biner in Zermat is just great! And Hotel Silberhorn in Lauterbrunnen is run by a wonderful family. If nothing else you must have dinner there at least once. Yes, stay a few days in Luzern, try pension rosslei.
dee <email>
hakalau, hi USA Tue 01/04/2005