Rick Steves' Germany, Austria & Switzerland: 2004
Please share any ways we can improve or fix this guidebook. Are there recommendations in this book that disappointed you? Do you have any new experiences or new places we should consider? Any warnings or tips? Here's what you thought:
Accomodation Suggestions in Germany/Austria
I'd like to suggest several inns/pensions in Germany and Austria not covered in Rick's guide to these countries. I always use Rick's guides while traveling in Europe (the BEST out there) and typically rely on his accomodation suggestions, but somehow came across these on my own and enjoyed them, and think others will as well. All were reasonably priced.
ROTHENBURG, GERMANY
Gasthof Butz
Kapellenplatz 4
- Tel.: +49 9861 / 22 01
- E-Mail: gasthofbutz@rothenburg.com
- small and homey, not "luxurious", but 1 of the largest private bathrooms I
had on trip, pleasant and clean guest rooms, and great location (on a quiet square behind main town square)
GARMISH PARTENKIRSCEN, GERMANY
Landhaus Hohe Tannen
Zoeppritzstr. 13
- Tel.: 0 88 21 - 5 46 47
- Email: hohe-tannen@gmx.de
- http://www.hohe-tannen.de/
- very clean, welcoming atmosphere, AMAZING breakfast, pleasent guestrooms, friendly owners, quiet neigborhood location, quick walk to town center and cog wheel train to Zugspitze
ST. ANTON AM ARLBERG, AUSTRIA
Pension Juen
Alte Arlbergstraße 64
- Tel.: +43-5446-2501
- Fax: +43-5446-2501
- ULTRA clean, homey, comfortable guestrooms, easy walk to town center and cable cars/skiing, good breakfast, ask for room with balcony. The kind of pleasent place you want to return to after active day of skiing/taking in the alps.
Lawrence <email>
New York, NY USA Wed 12/29/2004
Pension Lettie-Bacharach
During our recent visit to Germany and France, we stayed two nights at Pension Lettie in Bacharach based upon's Rick's recommendation.What a great place! Not only is Lettie as effervescent as Rick described her, but she is an extremely enthusiastic and friendly host as well. She kindly helped us with train schedules along the Rhine, and suggested which castles for us to visit that were open in early December as well.Lettie proved to be a delightful breakfast companion and a very gracious host. The rooms were larger than anticipated, and very clean and comfortable as well.We agree with Rick's assessment and highly recommend this Pension for visitors on the Rhine.Tell her that Lee and Wayne say hello
Wayne <email>
Pittsburgh, PA USA Wed 12/15/2004
Munich Art Museum Hours and Pice Changes
I have been living, working, and traveling around Germany and sourrounding countries for the last four months and have found the combination of Rick Steves and Lonely Planet books works great.
Munich - The art museums have changed their times and prices. The Neue and Altes Pinoteks are no longer open late on Thursdays. Their prices have also gone up to 6 euros per person. More when life slows down.
Patrick Johanns <email>
Hannover, GERMANY Sun 12/05/2004
Germany
My daughter is an exchange student at the University of Bonn in Germany for 10 months and I went to visit her for 2 weeks in October-November 04. My experience was a little different from those people trying to pack in as much as possible in a two week period, but I did use the book and have some comments.
First, Bonn is a lovely city and worth at least a few hours. Of course I was there a number of days. The University atmosphere is very nice, the city center is compact and lovely to stroll in. The University buildings are beautiful former palaces. The Basilica of St. Martin is a lovely Romanesque church in the main part of town near the train station.
One of my daughter's favorite restaurants for German dishes is the Kaiserhof at Maximilianstr 8. We also took a weekend trip by train to Nurnburg where we visited the German National Museum....which was great, and the Kaiserburg. My daughter was able to translate the tour at the castle for me, but I think if you dont speak German, it would be hard to get much out of the tour.
In Nurnburg we stayed at the Ibis, near the train station, recommended in the book. It was a holiday weekend (All Saints Day was the Monday) so there were quite a few people in town. I would ask for a room in the back in the future unless I wanted to learn some new German beer drinking songs. The hotel is right over a lively beerhall. The value for the rooms is very good however and the location is very convenient.
We also went to the Nazi Documentation Center and enjoyed it. We walked around the lake to the Zeppelin Field, and I would recommend that more than the book recommended it. It was a lovely walk. Sometimes when you are on vacation you just need a quiet walk, especially after a couple hours in a museum thinking about Nazis. And the size of the Zeppelin Field and seeing the Congress Hall from outside, as well as the Great Road, and knowing they were built from stone mined by concentration camp workers, sort of brought the size of Hitler's meglomania into sharp focus.
In Nurnburg we ate at 2 restaurants recommended in the book. The Nassauer Keller we liked but we felt it was a more formal atmosphere. At the Hutt'n, we had a wonderful experience. Despite the busy weekend, the waiter made a spot for us at a table in this small restaurant, and took time to tell my daughter a local legend in German. The food there was very reasonally priced and excellent. Our waiter, who I took to be the owner, did not know his restaurant was recommended in the book and was happy to hear it, but asked me to remind Americans that the way he keeps his prices low is to seat couples together at tables with other couples even though they do not know each other. This is customary in Europe but often bothers Americans who want a table to themselves. Since in Europe you arent hurried to leave a table after you eat, you might linger for a long time, and a restaurant cant afford to have seats sitting empty if they want to keep their prices down. I promised him I would remind Americans..when in Europe...mingle! make some new friends!! Join other people at a table and do it the local way!
In Nurnburg we also enjoyed the local market and if you are in Germany at Christmas time you will not want want to miss the Christmas markets there.
My daughter and I also spent a couple days in Koln sightseeing and enjoyed a great meal at the Gaffel Haus mentioned in the book. This place seems very popular with locals so I would go there early on weekends or make a reservation. In Koln we went to the Dom, of course, and, if you have the energy, you must climb the tower. Add it to your list along with the Notre Dame in Paris, the Duomo in Florence, St. Peter's in Rome. You just must go up. As Catholics, a highlight for us was to arrive at the Dom as a Sunday evening Mass was starting. We also enjoyed the Roman-German Museum. There is a lot more there than I thought there would be and it is very much worth the visit. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum was also very fine.
Throughout Germany we noticed that if you want to pick up food in a hurry you have an option of Doner. My daughter tells me the students eat lots of it. Its sort of an import from the Turkish immigrant population. You will see big hunks of meat hanging on stand going around and around cooking. It was usually chicken or lamb. If you order a Doner, you will get some of the meat sliced off very thin, and then placed in pita bread, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc, and spicy or yogurt seasonings. A big sandwich for less than 3 euros!
One of my last evenings there we were in Bonn having dinner and we saw a parade going down the street. There were many groups of children walking down the street carrying paper lanterns with candles inside and singing songs. There were a couple of small bands playing music. We saw a man dressed as a Roman soldier riding a horse. And a truck pulling a cart that had 2 big cages, each holding a goose. People were standing by the side of the street watching and we did too. My daughter asked a woman what was going on, and she said, "Its St. Martin's Day". It was November 8. They celebrate the Saints Day in Bonn and many cities throughout Germany. We hadnt known anything about it. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time to see a little piece of wonderful German tradition. It made a special memory for us.
Lisa Lavington <email>
Federal Way, WA USA Tue 11/23/2004
Reichstag Line-Beating Tip
We just spent 4 days in Berlin. Rick's book was incredibly helpful. The best tip was the "Line Beating Tip" for entering the Reichstag. We followed Rick's suggestion and made a reservation at the restaurant at the top of the Reichstag. Because of this, we avoided waiting in line for 1.5 hours in 40 degree Farenheit weather. The line kinda sneered as we passed them and got in immediately, but we were ever so grateful. As an added bonus, the food and views were fantastic!
Ann <email>
Concord, CA USA Wed 11/17/2004
Rental car one-way fees
In October we rented car for 10 day trip from Austria through Germany and returned car in Paris.To rent car in Vienna and return in Paris the one way drop-off fee would have been $600. By taking train to Salzburg (a stop on our itinerary), and then the Salzburg city bus 4km to Europcar location in Freilassing, Germany the one-way fee was just over $80. Even with train fare of $30 per person, (there were 4 of us) the savings were substantial.
So if you will be driving through more than one country, try to rent car in country closest to final drop-off to cut the extra expenses.
Ray <email>
Ottawa, Canada Tue 11/16/2004
Onion Market in Bern, Switzerland
Bern, Switzerland«Zibelemärit», traditional onion market on 22 Nov 2004. If you are going to be in Switzerland, make a trip to Bern to see this, here is the URL for more information in English.http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=411&sid=1476932
P. Wang-Kolner
Zurich, Switzerland, ZH CH Thu 11/11/2004
Burg Eltz hike - it's worth it!
Rick is right about Burg Eltz being a favorite castle! We followed his instructions by taking the train to Moselkern and walking the forest trail to the castle. Don't give up - just follow Rick's instructions and you will be rewarded with the awesome castle at the other end.
However, Rick states that the walk from the station to the castle is 60 minutes....only if you are RUNNING! I know Rick has long legs but we kept up a pretty good clip and it took us a full 90 minutes - it was beautiful, so don't hesitate to do the hike. Just know that after 60 minutes you may have another half hour to go before you see the castle itself. We began to wonder if we'd taken a wrong turn somewhere because of the time it was taking!
Take a picnic to eat either along the way or on the stream bed below the castle when you get there. It's an all-day thing but WAY worth it!!
Renee
CO USA Wed 11/10/2004
Cologne and Frankfurt
Just got back from 2 weeks in Europe. A few additions and updates:
Cologne: I keep coming back to this city. If you're interested in a few things not usually mentioned in the tour books, here are three suggestions.
Spend a day in Bruhl. Bruhl was the residence of the Cologne Archbishops. It's a short 20 minute train ride from Cologne. As you step out of the station, you will see Schloss Augustusburg at the end of the path. It's a lovely Rococo palace with UNESCO World Heritage designation. They only hold tours in German (4 Euro), however for a small fee (1.50 Euro) you can rent a walkman with translation in English. You can only see the inside by tour, but the grounds are accessible to the public. Nearby is the hunting lodge called Falkenlust, which was also commissioned by Elector Clemens August. This is also available for tours. If you take a walk in the town, be sure to visit St. Maria of the Angels (Maria von den Engeln). It was designed by the same artists as the castle. There's a lovely Rococo altar in this charming little church. The TI is right next door.
Visit the Cologne Botanical Gardens: It's located next to the zoo. It's a very short (4 stop) U-Bahn ride from downtown. Nice place for a short stroll and has the feeling of a city park.
Take a ride on the Rhein cable car (Rhein Seilbahn). It's the only cable car in Europe that spans a river. Your best views of the city are here. Open April to October, from 10am-6pm, 5.50 Euro for the roundtrip, small discount with the Cologne Welcome card.
Cologne updates not in the current edition: The TI has moved. It's now across the street on the right hand side as you exit the Dom.
Frankfurt updates not in the current edition: The TI no longer sells the all-day transit card, but you can buy it at the machines. The Tageskarte (day ticket) without airport is around 4 Euro. If you want to include the airport, you must select the Tageskarte button with the airport symbol. It's 7.20 Euro. The Frankfurt Card is just a little more at 7.80 Euro and includes other discounts as well as all-inclusive transit.
Zaida <email>
CA USA Fri 11/05/2004
Cheap Airfare
Going to Germany late May 2005. I just got airfare from Boston to Frankfurt for $300 (my daughter for $150)thru Iceland Air. You must sign up for Lucky deals on their website and book online. Plenty of dates available up to and including Memorial day.
Rich <email>
RI USA Thu 10/28/2004
Avoided Bavaria in October
We flew LAX-FRA and stayed in Cologne, Dresden, Berlin, Bern, and Lauterbrunnen before flying home from ZRH. Nine months of self-taught German paid dividends when I was able to read signs, understand station announcements and negotiate a deal with an elderly gondolier for a ride on the Spreewald canals. The trip went well. We traveled comfortably on railpasses. I enjoyed these stays the best....
DRESDEN: This city was the urban highlight. The Altstadt (old town) is beautiful and the exterior restoration of the once bomb-levelled Frauenkirche appeared finished. Terrific museums abound. The Hauptbanhof was a different story as it was undergoing a torturous rebuilding that make it look like 1946. Look for the DB booklets detailing major schedule revisions. We stayed at the nearby Kipping, whose hotel and restaurant are recommended by RS for good reason. Picked up DDR commemorative pins at a flea market for half-Euro each. Rode the S-1 Schnellbahn down the Elbe River to Kurot Rathen and caught the minivan that took us to the top of the cliffs, yielding a spectacular view. The trip back was aboard a steam paddleboat that by itself made the trip worthwhile.
LAUTERBRUNNEN, CH: If you can, stay in Lauterbrunnen at the Hotel Staubach (waterfall view if your room looks south or west) and do the Mannlichen-Kleine Scheidegg hike. Everything Rick says about the Berner Oberland is true and I can only add that the toy-like rack railway (track gauge is only 0.8 meter) to Schnigge Platte is a delight.
Paul Kakazu <email>
Walnut, CA USA Tue 10/26/2004
Bavaria and Salzburg
We spent 10 days traveling through Munich, Hohenschwangau, Salzburg, Rothenburg and Nuremburg in mid-October. Two adults and one 6 year old child. Here are some tips:
Munich: I found a great weekend rate of $80 (= 63 Euros) for a double room on Expedia for the King’s Center Hotel - much cheaper than the price on their own site. It is a three star hotel, modern bath, small bar in lobby for a nightcap, and only a five minute (and safe) walk to the train station. Rate did not include breakfast, but the train station is very so close with everything from Burger King to fresh pastries and we started out our day there anyway in order to catch the subway. This was not published anywhere, but we showed up in Marienplatz for the 3:00 p.m. Munich Walks Third Reich tour, even though we really wanted the Munich Highlights tour (but we’d missed the 10 am meeting time), and luckily they were offering the Munich talk at 3:00 pm as well.
We rented a car in Munich and drove to Salzburg for two days, then on to Hohenschwangau. We used a car rental company recommended on the Graffiti board: http://www.gemut.com I shopped around and Gemut not only had the best rates, but also saved us money by advising I book with a large German rental outfit - Sixt, which does not charge extra for the spouse to drive the car (while Avis and Hertz do).
Salzburg - We had a large triple room at Hotel Jedermann on Rupertgasse. It is perfect if you have a car, with free parking out front, nice breakfast, and is one block from a major bus line (#4) that takes you to the Old Town in four quick stops (or you can walk it in 10 minutes). It is also close to the major roads out to Berchesgaden and Munich. We loved the Sound of Music Tour and the SOM dinner at the Sternbrau, where the singers pulled my daughter up on stage to sing “Goodbye, Farewell.”
Hohenschwangau - We stayed at the very comfortable non-smoking Alpenhotel Meier. I also recommend its small family-run restaurant for the exceptionally good food. The Tegelberg Luge was the highlight of the trip for my six year old daughter, who refused to apply the brakes on her trips down the luge!
Nuremberg has an enormous, wonderful Toy Museum with interactive exhibits. There is an emphasis on dolls, trains and wooden toys. On Sunday afternoons until 4:30 p.m. kids and parents can play all sorts of board and table games in the playroom on the 3rd floor. It is only a short walk from Nuremberg castle. The only place I noticed people begging on our whole trip was around the train station here, so be a little more alert there, although it was still very safe with lots of tourists around.
Erin <email>
Orlando, FL USA Tue 10/26/2004
Munich & Rothenburg
Alan Wiessman of Euraide is an incredible resource at the Munich Train station. He grew up in the good ole USA and speaks excellent english. Very kind and patient he advise us on how best to spend our days in Munich. And help us purchase the best deals like the bayern pass.
Munich -- My wife and I stayed at the Munich Marriot, which I got with my marriot points and slept in the best bed in Europe. Most of the B&B we stay at had small uncomfortable beds and this was a welcome respite from our travels.
Rothenburg -- We stay with Karin Weiss. She offers a good deal for 44 Euro for the both of us. The best thing is she pick you up and returns you at the train station and serves an excellent breakfast. Trust me you don't want to be walking down Rothenburg's cobblestone steps with your luggage bouncing behind. Our only disapointment was the fact our bathroom was a shared one down the hall.
Joe
San Francisco, CA USA Sun 10/24/2004
Oktoberfest in Munich
Oktoberfest in Munich...reservations are a must, especially on weekends. We didn't have them but found a table on Friday about 11 am. However, we had to leave by 4 pm because the table was reserved. On weekends, tables are reserved at noon, and if you aren't there by 10 am or so, you will not get in, let alone find a table. That having been said, Oktoberfest was a great time. Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, Gemeutlikeit! We will be back!
Roger Schreiner <email>
Cheyenne, WY USA Fri 10/22/2004
Baden-Baden
We landed in Frankfurt at 7 am, took the 9:53 train to Baden-Baden. Got there at 11:30 and after lunch we went to the Caracalla Therm. What a great way to get over jet lag!! Rathausgloeckel was a superb restaurant as was La Provance, both recommended in your book. Stayed at Hotel am Markt and loved it. What a great start to our holiday!
Roger Schreiner <email>
Cheyenne, WY USA Fri 10/22/2004
Swiss Alps
MURREN/GIMMELWALDOur brief September stay in Murren was fabulous, and we would definitely go again. We were at the Alpenruh, next to the cable car station. No fools, we walked downhill to Gimmelwald and took the cable up. Views in every direction were spectacular. The area is uncrowded and quiet in September, it seems, so don't expect a party atmosphere, but we enjoyed the relaxation very much. We bought lunch supplies at the Co-op store on the main (almost the only) street in Murren, then had a picnic wherever noontime found us. Rick's hints and tips were excellent.
Doug and Margaret <email>
Upper Arlington, OH USA Thu 10/21/2004
Golden Ente, Salzburg
I stayed at the Golden Ente in Salzburg at the beginning of June 2003. I just happened to be there on the very last day that the long time owner had it. She was retiring the next day after decades of being the proprietor. She was very sweet and the place was just perfect. She went out of her way to make our stay memorable. The accomodations and food were great. Apparently the place has gone downhill because the posts now are not as kind. I felt very blessed to be there sharing this special moment as this wonderful woman was reaching this big threshold in her life.
Richard
Bellingham, WA USA Thu 10/21/2004
Munich: Oktoberfest
If you attend the Oktoberfest in Munich, and would like to sample the beer and roast ox and chicken in the tents, be sure to call the breweries for an advance reservation. There is virtually no open seating in any of the tents at night.
Roger Ingenthron <email>
Earlysville, VA USA Thu 10/21/2004
Vienna, Salzburg
Stayed in Vienna for 5 nights at the Pension Mariahilfer (I can't remember the exact name - Mariasomething. It was fine. Great location, especially at night and right in front of the entrance to the metro station.
Did a day trip to Bratislava - stay the night if you can - posted in Eastern Europe section.
Salzburg - stayed at Golden Ente - don't stay there. Very noisy, tiny - it should not be in Rick's book at all. The breakfast was non-existent. There was a couple jugs of warm juice and literally 3 pieces of sliced meat. The dishwasher door was open - I guess you were suppossed to get your plates and cutlery from there.While we were there there was construction. It started at 6am - a chainsaw. They did not tell us or by the looks of it any of the guests about the construction as I heard a lot of people complaining. If we knew there was construction, we would not have booked there. It was terrible and as the book said non-existent customer service.
We went to the Weisse-Taube Hotel. For 3 euros more we got a large room with a bathtub, 4 star place. Excellent service. You choose your breakfast from an assortment of items from a menu and they serve it to you. I read in the hotel info that it's a family-owned hotel but that they send their staff to hotel school. The staff at the hotel were extremely professional and just excellent overall. I would definitely recommend that place.
sc <email>
canada, Wed 10/20/2004
Fellow Rick Steves travellers
Just returned from three weeks in Austria and northern Italy. Used Rick's recommendation to stay at the Gasthof Zum Turm. At dinner one evening, we asked for a non-smoking table and were ushered into a separate dining area. As the filled up, we could see that most of the twenty plus patrons were Americans or Canadians. We all spoke quietly amongst ourselves rather self consiously. I stood up and loudly asked if anyone present was there for any reason other than Rick Steves' recommendation. The room was silent for a moment, then broke into laughter, introduced themselves to each other and had a very memorable evening.Keep up the outstanding work!
Dick Holm <email>
Savage, MN USA Tue 10/19/2004
Germany / Switzerland
Stayed at the Gerberhaus Hotel in Rothenburg - a great place to stay, very nice rooms. The gentleman on the night shift is a little gruff but we called to confirm before we arrived and had no problems. The women working the day shift were very pleasant. Our stay in Gimmewald was beautiful but this area can get expensive with all the train/lift/bus tickets required to get around if you are travelling between Jungfrau and Schilthorn. Gorgeous views and worth it.
AG123
MI USA Mon 10/18/2004
wonderful place to stay in Italy and Switzerland
Italy - Pignara Bed and Breakfast in Rovolon was wonderful. The owners were so nice, they arranged a place for us to eat a delicious Italian meal and showed us their wine making equipment, shared a bottle of their wine with us and gave us a bottle to take with us. They were so nice to us. The room we had was large and the bed very comfortable. The view was beautiful, it overlooked their vineyard on an escarpment. The drive to the B& B was beautiful but the house was a bit hard to find, there were no signs!! The price was inexpensive including breakfast which was delicious. It was about 15 - 20 minutes from the train to Venice which was perfect for easy non stressful travel.
Our other favorite was in Grimmelwald Switzerland. Ester's B&B was amazing. Ester is very nice, the view was gorgeous. We stayed 3 nights. Hiked, biked and relaxed. Grimmelwald is a small village but it is so nice. That was our favorite part to our vacation.
Allison
Oakville, ON Canada Fri 10/15/2004
Hotel Nussdorfer, Salzburg
Salzburg, Austria, and we stayed one night at Hotel Nussdorfer (sp?) which is listed in Rick's tourbook. It was great. Breakfast was wonderful, but I would rather eat downtown Salzburg for dinner. Rooms was very comfortable. I would go back in a heartbeat.
Linda Tygenhof <email>
Shingle Springs, ca USA Fri 10/15/2004
Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
I just arrived to USA from Europe. I had a wonderful vacation in Austria, Hungary, Germany and Switzerland. I never have heard about Rick Steves until my mother made a comment in one opportunity about his trips on public TV. I have always bought travel guides but this is the first time a use one from Rick.
First, Rick give excellent suggestions and I feel how I was talking with a friend who wants the best in my vacation. I started my trip from Miami to Vienna, and then we made a side trip to Budapest and come back to Vienna. After that, we visit Melk abbey, Salzburg, Munich, and then the best: The castles of Ludwig, then Innsburg, Liechtenstein and Zurich. The guidebook helped me with a lot tips as enter to the Opera in Vienna or made the reservations to the castles.
I made this entire trip with a car rented; always I drive in Europe. I do not recommended, it’s very expensive in some countries but it is worth for us (we are 4), we cover more in less time but you need an excellent driver (ex. NY driver) and great map co-pilot oriented until we can find a car with gps. Thanks Rick for your hard work.
Alex <email>
Miami, FL USA Wed 10/13/2004
Castles on the Rhine
For people that are looking for a castle to stay at on the Rhine, the Schoenburg Castle was really nice and worth the long drive up there. It is in Oberwesel and we lucked up and had the room at the top of the "cone". Its a great central location to see the Rhine and the Mosel rivers.
Ann-Margaret Johnston <email>
Gainesville, GA USA Fri 10/08/2004
Austria & Germany
I just returned home from traveling with my parents for 2 weeks in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. We used Rick's book for Germany and Austria and we found it extremely helpful and user friendly. In Salzburg we stayed at the Rick approved Hotel Goldene Krone on Linzergasse. It's a wonderful hotel with a friendly staff, big rooms overlooking the bustling pedistrian street, and a great breakfast. It didn't hurt that we got 10% off with our guidebook!
We traveled to Hallstatt and found it to be one of the most beautiful little cities we had ever been in. We didn't stay at a Rick approved hotel-we stayed at Hotel Hirlatz, a wonderful, very friendly place with beautiful views. We dined at Restaurant Braugasthof, which turned out to be delicious. We were seated next to two travelers from our hometown area and we also met a very nice Austrian couple, who bought us a carafe of wine!
I highly recommend checking out the Viktualien Markt off of Munich's Marienplatz for food and beverages. I'm torn about the Hofbrauhaus: I've been there twice now, the first time being with Germans the day after Christmas. They didn't want to take us there because it has become so touristy, but they figured we should see it anyway. I loved it. We went there this past time-during Oktoberfest-so it was especially crowded, but we ending up sharing a gigantic table with 6 very friendly Germans, 2 of whom asked us to come visit and stay with them some time.
Nicole Adrian <email>
Wauwatosa, WI USA Mon 10/04/2004
Germany, Austria, Czech Republic
Rothenberg, Munich, Hohenschwangau, Salzburg, Hallstatt, Cesky Krumlov and Prague. The Altfrankische Weinstub in Rothenberg was great. And, don't miss the Nightwatchman's Tour. It's everything that's been written about it. It's a "must do".
The Pension Westfalia in Munich was also great. Good location about two blocks from a U-bahn stop, clean, parking available and Peter is a great source of information.
We found the Romantic Pension in Hohenschwangau located at the base of the Neuschwanstein Castle. Immaculate, charming, inexpensive with a great view of the castle. Walking distance from the center of the village.
Salzburg: Another win for RS recommendations. The Hotel Trumer-Stube was excellent with a great location and Silvia proved to be as helpful as all the recommendations had suggested. Buy the Salzburg Card as it really was a good value.
We opted to cut Salzburg short by one day and drive to Hallstatt for a night. The drive was indescribable and shouldn't be missed. Beautiful! We stayed at RS recommended Gasthaus Simony on the town square. Another winner. Very, very charming. Don't miss the "Bone House".
We drove thru Matthausen and on to Ceske Krumlov where we stayed for two nights at the Pension Onyx. Another outstanding accomodation. A 15 minute stroll from the town center and a $2 cab ride back. Zero alcohol tolerance in CZ and we weren't about to skip enjoying $2 per liter Czech beer. Pension Onyx owner Peter is British and was a great help with info on CZ and restaurant recommendations. Don't miss the Svetlava (the dungeon or cave) in CK. Outstanding food and quite an experience.
In Prague we found the Roma Hotel in Praha 1 about 400 mtrs from the Charles Bridge. Czeck by Click.com had the lowest rates. The Roma was recently remodeled, very nice, best breakfast we enjoyed in Europe and conveniently located on tram routes.
All the places we stayed at were winners. We drove the entire route, renting a car in Frankfurt and returning there on the final day. A tip: renting a car in downtown FRA rather than the airport or hauptbahnhof will save you 16% tax. In our case this amounted to about $100.
,/p>The drive across northern Austria was spectacular. We stopped at Berchtesgaden and visited the Hitler's Eagles Nest. We recommend the stop if the weather is good.
James Baudhuin <email>
New Berlin, WI USA Sun 10/03/2004
Germany, Austria
Just came back from about three weeks in Germany, Austria used Rick's book quite a bit. In Munich stayed at the Pension Seibel, great location, great breakfast, great prices. In Freiburg the Hotel Barbara was fantastic, I think Freiburg is under-rated. Took the walk from St. Peter to St. Margen absolutely beautiful. Day trip to Basel out of Freiburg was easy and inexpensive on the train. In Salzburg we stayed at the Weisses Kruetz for the second time, we like it better everytime we go, no better location in Salzburg. Thanks for all the suggestions, had the trip of a lifetime.
James Deal <email>
Sherman Oaks, CA USA Tue 09/28/2004
Mosel Hotel
At the end of August, my wife and I had some free time between a conference in England and a visit to inspect a factory in Wiesbaden, Germany. We have been traveling to Europe regularly since 1979 and this time we decided to take some down time and sample the Mosel wines. Cochem was booked for the duration of the wine fest and we wound up in Poltersdorf, 20 minutes upstream from Cochem at the Hotel-Weingut-Dehren. They have 31 rooms, with I believe 6 with a balcony overlooking the Mosel. B&B was 72 euros for the two of us in a double with balcony. Joseph manages the hotel and is the chef, speaks excellent english. Spent time in L.A. The food was excellent and the wines were also. Poltersdorf is across the river from Beilstein, a ten minute walk from the hotel to the ferry (1 euro each way) and you are in Beilstein. Their website is www.dehren.com and is German only at this time. If you have had enough of the tourist route and speak a little German, I highly recommend this hotel.
P.S. Did take the ferry from Beilstein to Cochem for the wine fest and had a great time. Spent considerable time in the Market Square listening to music and sampling the local wine. Heard only one other couple speaking english, mostly German, Dutch and Belgian. Even translated for a Bavarian couple who did not totally understand the menu. If you are having trouble finding a place in the back country (as I did) try travelxl.com. They link directly to hotel websites which helps keep the prices reasonable.
Ken Culverson <email>
Alameda, CA USA Tue 09/28/2004
Oktoberfest
Unless you are a professional drinker and want to start drinking early, don't go to Oktoberfest on Saturday evening. We got to the fairgrounds at 4pm and found that every beer hall was FULL and even though there were packs of people waiting to get in at every door, no one was being let in. We waited for over an hour and never got a seat.
Also, once it starts to get dark, most of the enormous crowd is VERY drunk (some happy, some pushy) and there are a lot of smashed glass bottles and beer steins. This can feel unsafe if you are traveling alone or with a small group.
SO, if you are going to Oktoberfest and want to party, start early otherwise you might miss out. OR, for the more tame party goer, go on a weekday when it is slightly less crowded and the drinkers are a bit less crazy.
Otherwise, Oktoberfest is a great time to go to Munich because the people watching is FANTASTIC! And the city somehow seems more vibrant (if that's possible).
Kate <email>
Vancouver ( but currently living in Stuttgart), CAN Tue 09/28/2004
Hotel National, Bern, CH
Skip Hotel National in Bern, Switzerland. We found the hotel over-priced, the breakfast nearly non-existent, and the staff inexcusably rude. The cleaning staff, I should say, were very friendly and helpful. We would try to stay in Avenches or Murten the next time around.
Jennifer Marchman <email>
Austin, TX USA Mon 09/27/2004
Salzburg - Pension Am Dom
Lovely Pension Am Dom. We arrived via Ryan Air to Salzburg airport about 9:15PM. After some money changing, all 15 of us hailed four cabs (Mercedes and BMWs of course!) to the lovely Pension Am Dom. There was no one at the pension to receive us, but there was a friendly note explaining that reception at this family run lodging closed at 10PM and we would find our room keys downstairs at the Chinese restaurant. Our taxi driver told us we had chosen a lovely hotel and he was right.
We also learned that our hotel was one of the oldest buildings in Salzburg, over 700 years old. While the charm of its age, particularly its original beams, stone stairs and iron gate were evident, no modern comfort was missing. Four of our group of 15 were in the attic rooms that were very small but comfortable w/ a working skylight, sink in the room and sharing a hall bath. The 2nd and 5th floor rooms were spacious and charmingly furnished w/ bathrooms en suite. We were a group of 15 - 4 moms and 11 high school seniors. Upon seeing Salzburg and our picturesque hotel, more than one of the girls was sure they wanted to honeymoon there.
The hotel owner, Herr Bachleitner, was on holiday and his gracious and amazingly capable daughter, Angie, singlehandedly ran the hotel in his absence. The charming breakfast room was set w/ pretty table linens and china and Angie quickly made us delicious coffee and hot cocoa to accompany our breads, croissants, jams, & cheeses. The cost is quite reasonable at $50per person/night. You are in the heart of Salzburg where the Saturday festival takes over the Residenzplatz and poof! disappears just in time for a quiet evening.
Bike rentals are right out your door and you must partake. It was a highlight of our 14 day European tour to bike through Salzburg early on a Sunday morning while the town slept. Cafe Glockenspiel offers a memorable dining experience overlooking Mozart's statue on the square. Bob's Special Tours picks you up at the hotel for your Sound of Music or Hitler's Eagles' Nest tour. Pension Am Dom and Salzburg are on my MUST VISIT AGAIN list. 5 starz!!
<email>
MD USA Sun 09/26/2004
Switzerland, Germany, and Austria – 3 great weeks.
(last two weeks of August, first week of Sept)
ZURICH- easy airport to land into (first flight that we have been on where people applauded after the landing). Within an hour of landing, we stopped at the ATM for cash, validated our Swiss Rail Pass, onto the train to downtown, and got to the Hotel Leoneck (nice and clean but the included breakfast is just one croissant and coffee). Great tram system to use and loved the Limmatschiff boat ride (rail pass covered it). Nice city walk but got lost a few times (need better instructions – never found where Lenin lived).
ZERNEZ – Not in Rick’s book but very nice village down in the Engadine area of Switzerland. Romanish is the primary language and the houses have very unique decorations and painted exteriors. The Hotel Bettini was great with nice balconies in the overlooking the valley. Super dinner – Rudi is a great chef and speaks good English (so does his wife).
BERNINA AND GLACIER EXPRESS – Took parts of both trains. They both have different scenery (except for the one common part between the Engadine Valley and Chur (sounds like Coor – the beer)) and we liked both trains. Don’t get the panarama seats – go for the 2nd class so you can open windows and take photos without shooting through glass and getting bad reflections.
GIMMELWALD – Stayed 3 nights at Olle and Maria’s B&B. Simply a wonderful place to stay – they are both so friendly, nice and helpful. They lent out hiking sticks and have great hiking recommendations. Spent the 15CHF for Maria to do a load of laundry for us. Rented bikes at Mürren and did Rick’s recommended ride down into the Lauterrbrunnen valley (caution on a few steep sections near the creek – we walked them). Took the funicular back up and road back to Murren (not all flat here either). Road up the Allmendhubel funicular and hiked the North face trail the long way back to Murren – just beating a thunderstorm. Enjoyed the Trümmelbach Falls. Also did the morning ride up the Schilthorn for the James Bond breakfast. Got the discount for the trams but would have been the same price that our Swiss Rail Pass would give us. Staying in Gimmelwald made getting the early tram easy.
MURTEN – Hotel Bel Air (in Praz across the lake) nice clean and bright, but small rooms and we had a tiny bathroom. However sitting down at the lake sipping on a glass of wine (from their lakeside bar) and looking across at Murten was ‘priceless’. Couldn’t eat dinner at their restaurant because it was too smoky and they were not serving outside. The next morning really liked Murten walking the wall and the streets – like a miniature Rothenburg.
BLACK FOREST – Another highlight was the Schwarzwälder Freilichtermuseum (Black Forest open air museum). We arrived just as they were opening and had a nice three hours stroll though and exploring the relocated buildings. Having arrived early we stayed ahead of the crowds that arrived an hour later. Long ling to get in as we were leaving. Food stands at the entrance are expensive but convenient (and good).
BEILSTIEN AND MOSEL RIVER – Beilstien was one of our top spots. We stayed at the Hotel Haus Lipmann. Stayed in room 4 which had a lovely and large balcony. Jonas and Dave speak perfect English and bent over backwards to be helpful. They sell bottles of wine at a special discount (great price) for guests for use in their rooms (not in their restaurant). Every night they have a four course dinner special for guests – usually for 13.50 Euro. Having their wonderful food and wine while sitting in their grapevine covered outdoor terrace watching the barges go by was a trip highlight. Breakfast was also great with soft-boiled eggs to go along with the standard fair. Beilstein was just a nice small and quiet (once the tour busses left) village – great place to call home for the three nights. We loved Burg Eltz only having to wait for an English tour for 20 minutes or so. Did a day trip over to the Rhine taking the boat ride from St. Goar to Bacharach, doing Rick’s city tour, then riding the train back to St. Goar before our picnic lunch and a walk through Burg Rheinfels. We didn’t forget to take our flashlights to go walking through the tunnels. Marksburg Castle was OK but it is undergoing some renovation so parts of the tour were dropped – plus there were no English tours - so even with Rick’s self-guiding tour we were not that impressed. David at the Hotel Haus Lipmann helped us on finding several driving shortcuts in the area.
ROTHENBURG– Drove part of the Romantic Road to get down to Rothenburg and only got lost twice. We think the route needs to be better marked (yes there were large signs but not at all the turns). Best part about Rothenburg was the Night Watchmans tour – Hans does a great job and make for an enjoyable time. We stayed at the Gasthof Greifen which is right off of the market square and very convenient (as Rick says they have free parking). Room was modernized and clean.
VIENNA – It was another highlight of the trip, a very beautiful city with a great pedestrian area - Kärntner Strasse. Staying at Pension Suzanne made almost everything that we wanted to see within walking distance. We were there over the weekend so on street parking was free and no problem. The Imperial Apartments (liked the Sissy Museum) and Treasury were both very good but the next day going to Schönbrunn was the best. We got there when the gates opened at 8:30 so had no lines, no parking problems, and no need to have made advance reservations (which we hadn’t). By the way all three places now have the hand held audio machines which we found to be nice – though we did bypass a lot of the audio in the treasury. Don’t miss the tour through the Opera House – very well done though somewhat short.
MELK – The Gasthof Goldener Stern was another highlight with a great room except for the 6am Melk Abby church bell ‘alarm clock’. Regina was super nice and the food that Kurt put together was wonderful. It just had the feel of a nice down to earth friendly place. At dinner some locals were there with their children and when they were done eating, Regina took away the dishes and brought out some of her children’s games. The children played them while we enjoyed watching them having fun just being kids. The Abby was beautiful though we had trouble finding the right way just to get up to the Abby. You need to park in town and find the right little path that takes you up the hill. This should be better marked (we had to go in the TI and ask to find the right way).
HALLSTATT – Simony was nice and basic. You need to ask in advance for a lake view room or you get a view of another building wall. Had one of the better breakfasts that we had on the trip. Really enjoyed the Salt Mine Tour.
REUTTE – We were amazed how busy the main road through town was. We stayed at the Gasthof Pension Waldrast and agree what Rick says that it is very quiet. A basic room with a small balcony with great views of Ehrenberg Castle ruins. Just down from the Gasthof is a trail that we walked up past the Klause Valley Fort and to the ruins. It is easy to get to both Newschwanstein and Linderhof (driving) from Reuttee though do not use the ‘north’ exit off the highway since it is way north of town. At Newschwanstein to get away from the crowds take the trail down Pöllat Gorge to walk back to your car. Not many people were using the trail and it was delightful. Parking lot ‘E’ (as Rick says) is the best lot to use. Plansee was a beautiful lake where we had a nice picnic lunch on our way back from Linderhof (which was one of our favorite palaces). Back in Reutte spent an afternoon taking the Reuttener Bergbahn and hiking in the alpine meadows on a nice sunny day. We found a great place for dinner in Breitenwang which is a next-door neighbor to Reuttee. Hermann who owns and runs the Gutshof zum Schluxen in Pinswang has purchased the Alpenhotel Ernberg. We at two dinners out back on their nice and big patio - the food and service was great. Hermann helped us both nights and as Rick and others know, he speaks fluent English and was very nice and friendly. We didn’t check out any of his rooms but I expect they are quite nice too. Rick needs to add this to his book.
MUNICH – King Center Hotel worked out very nice (though the rooms are very small) and staying there on a Saturday night getting a nice cheap price. Loved the Augustiner Beer garden just sitting drinking the beer and watching the people. Got great chuckles watching the guy drive around on the miniature truck picking up the beer glasses.
Don <email>
Dublin, Ohio USA Thu 09/23/2004
Suzannes B&B
We stayed with Suzanne in 2002 and were treated quite well. Her husband took me to the ticket office to buy our tickets for the castle. He also took me on his early morning breakfast shopping trip for the B&B. Suzanne allowed us full use of her kitchen (which we took care not to leave a mess). On numerous occasions her family went out of thier way to accomodate us and we had 3 small, noisy children. Please remember you are a guest in thier home. I would highly reccomend Suzanne's.
Scott Dove
ellijay , ga USA Thu 09/23/2004
GRAZ!!!
So, you don't know about Graz, eh? My wife and I haven't figured out what the deal is...why hasn't Rick Steves covered Graz?It was the Culture Capital City of Europe in 2003 for goodness' sakes!My wife was a student there for about year around '91-92.I went for the first time with her in '99 and now we just got back from touring there (and Salzburg and some of Italy) with my mother. Graz is without a doubt one of the great hidden secrets of Austria and Europe.
What a wonderful city with so many things to see and do. It's not a touristy place, but yet it's the 2nd largest city in Austria! It's a college town, but yet it has a wonderful mix of old and new, young folks and old folks. The Styrian wine country is only about 30 minutes away. And the local markets are incredible and everybody has Kurbiskernol...the local Styrian pumpkinseed oil, that is used on salads, bean salad and other wonderful ways.
I'm going to start hounding Rick Steves about Graz until he gives up and goes. I think he would agree once he visits, that's a hidden treasure.Anyone else been to Graz?
Scott <email>
Little Rock, AR USA Mon 09/20/2004
Schweizer Pension Solderer, Vienna
We used Vienna as our gateway city and Rick's new Best of Eastern Europe guidebook to have a wonderful 22 day adventure in May 2004. In Vienna we stayed at the delightful Schweizer Pension within the old city as recommended in the book. Rick's words about "lots of rules" and "runs a tight ship" are not at all what we experienced in our 3 days there. Gerhardt was a wonderful host and answered our many questions and lined us up for fun things to do. He's a real gentleman. When we took a day trip to Budapest that left before breakfast he packed our food and had coffee waiting at the crack of dawn.
When we wanted to stay an extra day in Vienna, the pension was booked (as was almost every room in Vienna due to the Vienna International Marathon in town), but he found us a nice room in a friend's place and even went over and got the key for us! Anita assisted us with our train reservations and also was very helpful with information. We felt a lot of warmth and kindness along with the cleanliness and good value. We felt absolutely no tight atmosphere and feel those words may need revision in the next edition. We wholeheartedly recommend Schweizer Pension as a great "back door" experience.
Rich
Sedro Woolley, WA USA Sat 09/18/2004
Munich food
We had the most wonderful meal just down the street from Hotel Uhland hotel Munich. A small place Al Quid Bistro on the corner.The food is Turkish, very cheap, and the best service we enjoyed on our 2 week vacation. Forget the high priced recommendations offered through the hotel, we ate there also. Enjoy
Vickie <email>
aberdeen, wa USA Fri 09/17/2004
Mark Hotel Munich
Recently stayed at the Mark Hotel in Germany and have to consider this one of the worst properties we have visited. We found the property over-priced, the breakfast not fresh and most disturbing the staff at the desk rude.
mike <email>
aberdeen, wa USA Thu 09/16/2004
Train reservations - here or there
While I agree that it is certainly cheaper to get reservations in Europe then it is to get them in the U.S. from someone like Raileurope, I can't agree that it is cheaper, or more practical, to get them in Europe.I was on the RailEurope website today, and I believe that they said it was $18 for reservations for one segment. I agree, that is outrageous.
However, RailEurope and getting the reservations in Europe are not the only options. Bahn.de has an English section (International guests) to their website, and they discuss getting tickets and reservations online. If you buy your tickets online 3 days in advance before you go, and it is a round trip over a weekend, you can save 50% on the cost - and reservations are free. If you just reserve online, it is €3, but I am not sure if that is for the entire trip. They do, however, indicate that the price for the reservation online is the same as it is at a counter over there.Furthermore, if you make a reservation online with bahn.de before you go, you have a better chance of getting that reservation than you do if you wait until you get there, particularly on a crowded train.
Larry <email>
CO USA Tue 08/31/2004
Hallstatt, Austria Train Schedule and Wiesbaden, Germany
When traveling by train: It is cheaper to get reservations in Europe. It cost us E3 (3 euros) for reservations. Also, indicate that this fee is for the entire trip no matter how many connections you make. It appears that some people have paid $11.00 per segment making reservations from the US.Hallstatt was put on our top three places we visited in our lifetime (Hallstatt, Sorrento, and overlooking the Pitons in St. Lucia).
However, I found it difficult to find the water taxi schedule that takes one from the train to Market Square so here it is (until 11 Dec 2004).Train depot to Hallstatt:
7:06 am
7:36 am
8:44 am
9:34 am
10:05 am
10:29 am
11:34 am
12:05 pm
12:29 pm
13:34 pm
14:05 pm
14:29 pm
15:34 pm
16:05 pm
16:29 pm
17:34 pm
18:05 pm
18:29 pm
Finally, you might add a special section on festivals. There are many places that one might not visit except during festival time. One of these places is outside of Wiesbaden in Biebrich. Its festival is held the first week of July and the big tent music and ambiance is not to be missed. This particular festival is called the Gibber Kerb and is held in the "Gibb." There are also many street and plaza festivals in Wiesbaden. In addition, one can get the Koln Dusseldorfer boat from Biebrich for a trip down the Rhine. Senior citizens get a discount on Fridays when its half price for them. Also you can use your Eurailpass or this boat trip.
One last note, the Orthodox Church in Wiesbaden is not to be missed if your in the area. Also, many come to the world's largest cuckoo clock store to do some shopping.
Donna Mason <email>
Katy, TX USA Tue 08/31/2004
Fussen B & B
I would highly recommend NOT staying at Suzanne's B&B in Fussen. Recently returned from a two week Italy, Germany trip with fiancée' and parents and had a lovely time using Rick Steve's recommendations with the exception of Suzanne. I read where she was rather harsh but she was just rude. Our first night there we actually paid for an extra room since it was available and she had a late cancellation. We decided to leave a day early and once we mentioned that to her she did not speak to us when we were the only people in her breakfast area. People in the service industry especially someone from Ohio should at least know how to treat people. There are plenty other B&B's which I'm sure at least offer kind hospitality.
Brenda <email>
Reston, VA USA Mon 08/30/2004
Check Out Blumental Hotel
If anyone is headed to Switzerland, I would highly recommend the Blumental Hotel in Murren, which is just a short ride from Interlaken. The hotel staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the rooms are really cozy with great down comforters. The hotel restaurant is also worth checking out, and since there aren't many independent restaurants around, you won't mind eating at the hotel every night. Everything about the hotel was fantastic and made my trip that much better.
Kelsey <email>
Larkspur, CO USA Sat 08/28/2004
Zurich and Mt Titlis
I recommend give information in this book about Zurich, Switzerland; and Mt Titlis with the first revolving aerial cable car in the world, the breathtaking panoramic view, the glacier grotto, the chair lift Ice Flyer, the Glacier Park.
Alex <email>
Miami, FL USA Sat 08/28/2004
Germany, CH, Switzerland
Rick,My wife and I recently returned from an almost three-week tour of Germany, CH, and eastern France, and we'd like to thank you for publishing what amounts to be absolutely invaluable touristic guides to these parts of our planet. Indeed, I'd be hard pressed to think of better value-for-money resources than your '04 guides .
A couple tips immediately come to mind: The ultra-detailed description of the Berner Oberland (no other guide even comes close to this kind of detail); the village tour of the highly atmospheric Beilstein; the superb overview of Cologne's cathedral; the walking tour of Bacharach (who else has the chutzpah to tease you with a "pervert's peep show"?); and the background on offer concerning Burg Eltz. All were most informative, helpful, rewarding. Well done!
This late summer I've already done some bending, bookmarking, and highlighting in my Steves' '04 guide to eastern Europe, as I've got my sights set on a possible '05 tour of that region.
Speaking of a dog-eared appearance, my much-used - and inadvertently abused - copy of Rick's guide to Germany, CH, and Austria is so dog-eared that it makes the Hush Puppy hound look downright debonair.Thanks much, Rick!
David Dillon <email>
Westford, MA USA Sat 08/28/2004
Baden Baden
We used the guide for Germany ,Austria and Switzerland. We visited Baden Baden and stayed at the Hotel Colmar. It is possibly the friendlist hotel I have stayed in. Staff and management were the best!Accomodation and food were first class.Contrary to the guide there is no deduction in price when you buy your ticket for the Caracalla Therme from the Hotel. It is 12 euros, nor is there a reduction fro children. The baths deserve 3 triangles , don't miss them.If you park your car in Baden Baden , use the hotel car park. The cost is 9 euros per day, but you can come and go from the car park as often as you wish.
The laundry in Baden Baden is hard to find. It is several hundred metres from the main shopping arcades. It is essential to be armed with several 1 euro coins as there is no facility to change . The Waschcenter has no washing powder dispenser and so you must buy some before you visit, that is essential.
robert binning <email>
Birmingham , UK Fri 08/27/2004
Austria, Switzerland
Just back from another 2 weeks following RS guidebook.Appenzellat Haus Lydia, Pension Hohenrainer in Ehenbichl,Gastof Badl in Hall,Haus Trausner in Hallstatt and Trude Poppenbergers in Salzburg all were excellent choices for my trip. They were very good values, personable and helpful hosts.Again RS guidebooks are invaluable to a successful and cost conscious visit to Europe.Thanks Rick Steves for all your hard work.
JS
CA USA Thu 08/26/2004
Halstatt, Austria
Stayed 4 nights at the Simony in Hallstatt, Austria. Great location, tremendous view and lots to do. Kids swam from garden in the afternoons while wife and I sipped wine. We're going back there soon! Ask for lakeside rooms...streetside is noisy and you have a lovely view of a wall.
Red <email>
Stuttgart, Germay Tue 08/24/2004
Lauterbrunnen Area
We just stayed three nights at Hotel Staubach in Lauterbrunnen. Inexpensive for Switzerland and it's clean and convenient. The rooms facing the falls have the best views but the rooms facing the street also have views to Wengen and of the falls. Our last morning (this past Sunday) was comical. The hotel staff didn't show up as scheduled so two guests went into the kitchen and began bringing out the food, brewing coffee, etc.
Do the tour of Stubbech(sp?) falls, it's well worth the cost. It's incredible to see the inside of the mountain and the caves carved by the waterfalls. Do visit Murren and Gimmelwald. We took the funicular up to Gutschalp, then the train to Murren, hiked to Gimmelwald where we had lunch overlooking the valley 1000 meters below, then took the cable car back to Murren. We only spent a few hours up there, but the views are long lasting. This is some of the absolute best scenery I have ever seen (I've been through most of Europe -- loved Hallstatt Austria, but Hallstatt doesn't compare!) in the world. I will return in Sep after the tourists have gone home! Do the Brienz Rothorn steam train from Brienz to the top of the mountain. The sights are amazing looking down on Brienzersee. Be forewarned, it's about 72 Swiss francs per person! Do drive around both lakes surrounding Interlaken as there are numerous castles and nice villages. Skip St Beatus caves (visit the caves of Han in Belgium instead) and skip Interlaken as it's expensive and full of tourists. Spend quality hiking and sight seeing time on top of the mountains above Lauterbrunnen. You'll never forget the scenery!
Tim <email>
Germany Mon 08/16/2004
10 day Trip to Germany and the Swiss Alps
Just got back from our 10 day trip to Germany. This was our 3rd trip to Europe but the first using Rick's book. It was a breeze assembling the trip. Rick must have a "super-detail oriented-personality" and his book really helped us get the most out our trip. For instance, in Baden Baden we would have not thought to go on a German speaking tour of the Kurhous Casino (a must see -- by the way). Most of the experience of this lavish casino is in "the seeing". Using the English pamphlet that Rick suggested prompted the tour guide to notice that we needed a little translation. She gladly reviewed the key parts of the tour in English.
One of the great strengths of Rick's tour book was the detailed information about the hotels. For example, his write up on the Hotel Kranenturn in Bacharach prepared us for the rather loquacioua proprieter (Fatima) and the noisy train track next to the hotel. We did choose the quiet room in the back and it was great. By the way, one specific value of Rick's books is that he updates them. Fatima told us the entire 19 year remodeling journey of her hotel. It's is a far cry from when she bought the property.
If anyone decides to do the overnight stay in Appenzell (at the top of the mountain in Ebenalp) we suggest taking a hearty picnic dinner up with you. The food is expensive and (quite honestly) of very low quality. The overnight, however, is well worth it.
RICK: Add this to your book for Americans driving in Switerland:
White signs: back road - not the best
Blue sign: good road in city
Green sign: highway
Also, we got a little lax on the train transfers and were on the right track, right time, but wrong train. Can you believe, Germans are sometimes late! We learned to identify the different types of trains, ICE, RB etc. Also if you go the wrong direction make sure you get off at a major stop so you can easily return to the right direction.
Tom & Barbara Jakab <email>
Allison Park, PA USA Fri 08/13/2004
Trudes B&B Salzburg
In 7/04 Our family of 6 (2 grandparents,1 parent, 3 children ages 14, 11, 9) found Trude's B&B perfect for a family. She was our grandchildren's "Austrian Oma". She helped us find tours and places to eat, get tourist cards, and transportation. Her warm welcome made a lasting lifetime memory for our family.
Jane Foster <email>
lake forest, CA USA Tue 08/10/2004
Austria, Switzerland, Bavaria
Our family just returned from a month in Europe, including stops in Vienna, Hallstatt, Reutte, Lauterbrunnen. All Rick Steves recommendations were excellent, but I have to support the poster who praised the Gusthof zum Schluxen. Terrific location, rooms, food, and people. Internet access right there and you can walk to the castles which would be wonderful on a nice day - we didn't: time was short and there were rain showers. Bonus at the castles: we drove after dinner to check out directions, etc. for the next day and came upon an alpenhorn concert by the lake at the parking lot. Three guys in lederhosen up on the mountain side and relaxed tourists just hanging out at the lakeside making daisy chain crowns for their kids........
The saltmine tour in Hallstatt is terrific, especially the wooden slides! Hallstatt is idyllic. The B&Bs along Moostrasse in Salzburg seem perfectly situated and Haus Bankhammer where we stayed was very nice. Park under the mountain as you drive into town to avoid Salzburg traffic.
Hotel Staubach in Lauterbrunnen very nice altho' full of Americans singing at the piano late into the night. Perfect location, tho'. Definitely do the hike from Mannlichen round Kleine Scheidegg and back to Wengen. If you're trying to do a lot in a day, get a one day rail pass for the kids: excellent value for 20 Euros (I think that was the cost). Trummelbach Falls is phenomenal: 3 stars not 2! Gimmelwald is cute but I hate to think of a tour load of Rick Steves fans descending on it to double the population.
Ray Clarke <email>
Malvern, PA USA Mon 08/09/2004
Rothenburg Hotel Kloster-Stuble -- Erika Rocks!
We just got back from 2 nights in Rothenburg and, I have to echo Rick's sentiments: Erika at the Hotel Kloster-stuble was just fabulous! We drove into town, so once we arrived, she guided my husband to a close parking spot and helped him park! She also carried our luggage up to the 3rd floor for us (we had a bit of an irritable 21-month-old on our hands) and was just fabulous! The rest of the staff was wonderful as well! We enjoyed the Nightwatchman's Tour, walking the wall, and shopping to our heart's content at the Kathe Wolfart stores! We have used Rick's guides to Paris and Brugge (OUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!) and plan to do a bit more travelling using his guides before we move back to the States next year! Thanks, Rick!
Annette <email>
Niedermohr, Germany Mon 08/09/2004
Trier, St. Goar, & Rothenburg
We just returned from our first trip to Europe, a two-week journey that started in London and went through Paris and Germany (Trier, Mosel Valley, Rhine Castles, and Rothenburg). Rick's guidebooks on London, Paris, and Germany (plus Austria and Switzerland) were invaluable. In fact, we used them to plan the entire trip. The Eurostar train was easy and was the best way to get from London to Paris.Driving out of central Paris was challenging, but the autobahn through France, Luxembourg, and Germany was very much like driving on the U.S. interstate system and was easy.
All of Rick's recommended hotels and restaurants met or exceeded expectations with one exception. I would NOT recommend the Hotel Gerberhaus in Rothenburg. After confirming my reservation via e-mail on three separate occasions, we arrived late to find that we did not have a reservation. The hotel apparently decided to run my credit card number the night before our arrival (not sure why they didn't do this prior and why they confirmed three times without running the card). As they had written down the wrong number, the card would not validate. So, they decided to cancel my reservation & give my room to someone else (apparently notified me by e-mail, but I was already in Europe). No apologies, just an "oh well, that's the breaks" attitude. I'm not sure what else I could have done to confirm our reservation in advance. The good news is that they did offer to walk across the street & secured rooms for us at another hotel. This place was great. We had two rooms and a private bath, all in a private apartment area of this very small hotel with a great restaurant downstarirs and a popular beer garden out back. Extremely clean, new, and friendly. I would highly recommended the Gasthof Zum Spitaltor (Spitalgasse 26 Rothenburg o.d.T. 91541, Tel.: 09861/6759).
A few favorites: Hotel Hauser and Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar, Burg Eltz (best castle and Mosel area is very pretty), Rhein river cruise between St. Goar and Bacharach, and all of Rothenburg. We especially enjoyed the night watchman's tour in Rothenburg. A year ago, I never would have pictured my little family of four (two of us are little kids) traveling across Europe like seasoned professionals, but Rick's books made it easier than I could have anticipated. We're already planning our next trip to Austria and will use Rick's book to ensure a great trip. Thanks, Rick!
Mike
Overland Park, KS USA Sun 08/08/2004
Germany, Switzerland
We used Rick's guide to plan most of our entire trip to Switzerland and Germany. Right after we arrived in Zurich, we toured the city. Imagine our surprise when we ran into Rick Steves in Zurich! Remember, we had only been in Zurich a matter of hours! It sure helped set the tone for the rest of the trip. One wonderful surprise after another! It was wonderful to meet him and he signed our guidebook and allowed us to take our picture with him. After we left Switzerland we headed off to Munich to meet with many of my husbands friends. We stayed at the Apollo. Not bad and near the train station. It's not in Rick's book, but we couldn't control this part of the trip.
We rented a car and headed to Rothenburg. We really enjoyed the Nightwatchman's tour in spite of a group of 400 from Missouri also enjoying the tour. He told us that he only asks for payment at the end of the tour. If you can't hear or don't enjoy the tour, you don't pay! His voice is such that it carries well and we had no problem enjoying the tour, even though it was such as large group. Walking the wall was fun. We did parts of it on two separate days. The lady at the Freize Shop was getting updates of Rick's travels and was anticipating a visit from him "any day now".
Rick's guidebook was the best! We will always use his books. They are right on the money and we really appreciated how honestly his books are written.
Sue <email>
Northville, MI USA Sun 08/01/2004
Luzern
I've found the book to be helpful, but agree that Luzern deserves more mention. It's near Switzerland's historical center and has good mountain and lake excursions. It's a good place to shop and the old town is worth checking out. So is the Swiss Transportation Museum.
If you're flying back from Zurich, you should consider staying in Luzern. It's convenient to the Zurich airport. The commute is a little more than an hour and there are frequent trips. I've been to Switzerland 4 times in the last 8 years and always spent the final days in Luzern.
LesLein <email>
USA Sun 08/01/2004
2 Weeks in Austria und Bavaria
I have been a Rick-Steves-Junkie since 1997. If you are using only the country guide(s), I strongly encourage you to also read Europe Through the Backdoor.
I had been looking forward to Halstatt for years and finally spent a few days there in June 2004. It is now my favorite getaway spot in Europe! The Bert at the Diver's Inn was a perfect host, recommending outstanding hikes in area. One night there was a Jazz concert at a restuarant overlooking the lake, there was even a full moon - it was a surreal experience shared with a table of Texans and folks from Missouri. Don't miss the Salt Mine and the hike up to the Giant Ice Caves across the lake.
Paul Smith <email>
Toronto, ON Canada Fri 07/30/2004
Haus Reichl
We just returned from 6 great weeks in Europe! While we enjoyed all of the Rick Steves' lodging recommendations, there is one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. If you're going to Salzburg, consider Haus Reichl. It is the best bed and breakfast that I have ever seen. It is clean (not musty!), convienent, and serves a huge breakfast complete with homebaked goods. They helped us arrange concert tickets, gave maps and touring information, and even hung my laundry on the line! It was incredible! I can not recommend it highly enough. The guidebooks are great - we used them in planning and never stood in a line. Thanks Rick.
Dianne Murray <email>
Bridgewater, VA USA Thu 07/29/2004
Rich Steve's Guide Books ARE THE BEST!!
I went on my first trip to Europe this year. It will not be my last. Rick Steves' Germany, Austria & Switzerland was an invaluable resorce. We lived by it. We only went for a week so time had to be used wisely. Two-nights in Munich -- 2 nights in Reutte, Austria -- 2 nights in Salzburg. I want to especially share my experience in Reutte. I made reservation for the Moserhof Hotel prior to leaving the US -- there was a mix up on receiving the credit card for confirmation (I called instead of faxed or emailed). When we arrived the hotel was full and no reservation. The owner that runs the Moserhof Hotel was absoulutely wonderful -- he made a phone call and got in his car and had us follow him to The Hotel Goldener Hirsh. He went in and spoke to owner and accomadated all our needs. Where else in the world would you get this kind of customer service? It was a wonderful trip. The people are absolutely the friendliest in the world. I plan to make many more European trips and I will always have Rick Steves' as my tour guide. Thank you, Rick for being SO REAL with all your information. Every location in the world needs a Rick Steves' Guide Book.
Lisa <email>
Pasadena, MD USA Tue 07/27/2004
Germany & Switzerland
Just returned from Germany and Switzerland with my husband and 2 teenagers. We only had a week and Rick's guidebook was invaluable, I used it to plan most of our hotels and sightseeing. It was my husband's first trip to Europe. He was amazed at the itinerary I put together which I credit entirely to Rick's guidebooks and videos.
Rothenburg - we stayed in Hotel Gerberhaus where we enjoyed an apartment with 2 bedrooms and a mini kitchen. The breakfast buffet included was the best by far I have seen. The Romantic Road was scenic, but slow going with the farm tractors.
Lauterbrunnen - stayed at Hotel Staubbach. We were fortunate and stayed in rooms with a balcony overlooking Staubbach Falls which was incredible. The staff was very helpful and friendly. The town was smaller than what I had imagined. The scenery was beautiful, but not much to do in Lauterbrunnen if it rains.
Fussen - stayed at Zum Hechten which was wonderful. We opted for rooms w/o bathroom facilities to stay within our budget. It wasn't inconvenient at all and worth the savings. The restaurant was very good. The owners have run the hotel for 50 years. We also spent an afternoon at nearby Tegelberg enjoying the rodenbahn and took the gondola up to watch the parasailers. It was incredible.
Munich - stayed at the Golden Tulip Olymp near the airport (the only hotel we stayed at not in Rick's books). The rooms were large, modern, clean and included a mini kitchen and seperate living area for only 60 Euro per night (breakfast was extra). I'd highly recommend it if you have any early flight out. We opted to take Mike's Bike Tour in Munich which has had mixed reviews. We all enjoyed it and felt it was well worth the time. We were able to see things on bicycles that we wouldn't have been able to on a bus tour or walking. I only heard one off colored joke. Other than that, our guide was very professional. We're already looking at Rick's other guidebooks to plan our next vacation to Europe.
Terri <email>
Tampa, FL USA Mon 07/26/2004
Germany,Salzburg & Prague
We just returned last night from 14 days in The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Prague. We rented a car and took trains, all of which went off without a hitch.
We had a wonderful time and loved every place we visited. We were surprised how friendly and helpful people were to us, many going out of their way to help us find our way, etc. They were less friendly in the Czech Republic, especially in places that catered to tourists. (such as the Jewish Museum and other tourist sites.) We did not experience any hostility directed at us because we are Americans.
We also enjoyed visiting distant relatives in northern Germany. They were gracious hosts and it was wonderful to visit the church where my great-grandmother was baptised and seeing family heirlooms that had been passed down from back in the 1600's! I encourage those of you with relatives in the "Old Country" to be brave and look them up!
We loved St Goar, Rothenburg and Salzburg. Bavaria was more beautiful than I ever imagined, and we're from beautiful Washington State!
I will try and write more about specific places we stayed when we recover from a strenous trip and jet lag! Thanks to Rick for lots of great recommendations.
jhs
USA Sat 07/24/2004
Family travel in Germany/ Austria
Just returned from 2 weeks in Germany. Arrived in Frankfurt,took train to Rothenburg. My children 15 & 20 and husband were thrilled to see our wonderful hotel, Gasthof Goldener Greifen. Had lovely clean family room with new very euro style bathroom. Good beds and so quiet.They will also do laundry for you.The night watchman tour seemed like it was a little cheesy, and I wanted to skip it, but it was a highlight. Bought our cuckoo clock at Ricks favorite shop,and it has already arrived at our home. Did have to pay duty on it.
Munich- we all loved it! Hotel Uhland rocks! We had two rooms, very clean, great breakfast & warm staff. Had a great dinner at Cafe Mozart suggested by hotel. So close to bus stop (2 mins). I would take a taxi the first time from train station.Wish we could have had more days here. If you have a shopper with you, they will be in heaven.
Fussen- Stayed at the Hotel Kurcafe. This was our 'vacation in our vacation" stop. The laundry listed in Ricks book has closed. Charming town. Great stop for slowing down. P.O. next to train station and ATM as you walk in.
If you are using the Bayern Ticket(Bavaria ticket) and you should be. It is so cheap for family traveling, you can step out of the train station and on a bus to the castle on the same ticket. I made reservations at home for English tour and it worked out great. You cannot pick up the tickets until the same day of tour( I tried to get them the night before). One thing we did find out is that the luge is not walking distance from the castle :) We finally flagged down a farmer on his tractor and showed him Rick's map, we had been walking forever. He thought we were crazy of course, and it made the long walk back to Neuschwanstein bearable just thinking about the look he gave us! We took the bus up and horse carriage down. I think you need your head examined if you want to walk up! We did not see anyone that looked happy hiking up. It is very steep.
Salzburg- We stayed at Haus Kernstock. We were refered by one of Ricks B &B's that were full. Although it was clean & good price, we were not very happy with our stay overall. We had been switched to a family room that was so small that it was only a bed. Frau Kernstock did not seem very happy, and her "extensive breakfast" was coffee and bread & jam. We were so glad to leave and I think it clouded our visit. The SOM tour with Bobs was our highlight. 5 Stars. We loved it and hamed it up the whole trip. We all gave Salzburg our lowest rating for wanting to see again.
Vienna- We stayed at the lovely Hotel Suzanne.Perfect location 2 minute walk from Opera.Lots of restaurants,ATM across the street. P.O. only 1 block away to mail home stuff you don't need anymore. We did this 3 times and it was so wonderful to lighten your load. We went to see Sigmund Freud's office. Was a ton of trouble to find, then it was just a couch. Skip this usless you are rabid fan. We went to the Prater, it was ok, and if you had little children they probably would enjoy the break from the sights.
You pay for each ride (a lot I thought). The rides are very dated and have their charm because of that. Don't plan a day there, but you can go and just walk around for free if you want and then decide. We liked the Lipizzaner Museum and the Hofburg Tour. Don't buy the Vienna card, we bought the 3 day one for the 4 of us and it was a total waste. You can walk were you need to go most times,and many places don't take the discount (Opera tours). Even when they did it was very small discount. There is a laundy/dry cleaners about 10 min walk from hotel called Putzerei Wascherei. Hard to find and know one knows where it is. We gave our lanundry a wonderful walking tour of Vienna one morning looking for it. We were desperate and I was wearing dressy black outfit, since everything was dirty. We begged her to do 3 suitcases full in one day and they did.
We needed to go to Berlin next so we flew on Berlin Air, had found bargain tickets @ $7.00 each one way. Great Airplane, on time, even served a meal. Found an old ticket for same flight in chair, they had paid 167 euro for same flight.
Berlin- Stayed at Pension Peters, Daisy is the best, was so glad to meet her after her friendly emails. Older, cosy place. Daisy is so warm and helpful. Wish we had a longer stay for sure. She even packed a breakfast for us since we were leaving on very early train to Legoland. We were later very glad, since on the 6 hr. trip there was no food or drinks.
Germany and Austria are wonderful and I can't wait to go back and see what we missed. I used the Pimsleur traveler's edition of language tapes for about 6 mos. in my car. On and off I would listen and it was enough to make our trip easier. I think you need some German, we were in lots of situations that no one spoke English. I did chuckle once, when was trying to ask a man for directions, using my well-rehersed "I only speak a little German" and he launched into a tirade louder and louder. I understood nothing. He gave up in disgust. Guess there are Ugly Germans too.
It was helpful with eating also. Sometimes I goofed up, but that was fun too. I once ordered a omelette and it came with pasta in it. Go to Germany/ Austria
you will love it. Happy to answer any questions.
Fiona <email>
Mi USA Tue 07/20/2004
Hallstatt is a must
Honeymooned in Germany & Austria in early May. Thanks to Rick's hotel recommendations, and this message board, we traveled like veterans. Our highlights, by far, were the Gustoff zum Schluxen in Austria and the Gastoff Simony in Hallstatt.
The Schluxen was wonderful. Set in a meadow, surrounded by snow- capped Alps, the hotel experience made us feel like pampered locals. We hiked the one hour (fast pace)from the Schluxen through the Austrian/German woods to Neuschwanstein castle. The hike was safe, easy, and peaceful. Our best meal of the trip was served at the Schluxen's restaurant. It was a five star meal.
Hallstatt was the best surprise of the week. We had seen pictures and were still unprepared for the jaw-dropping beauty of the lake and mountains. Since it was early May, the town was still very quiet. We stayed at the Gastoff Simony, a 450 yr. old charmer right on the water's edge, and were well taken care of by the 4th generation hotel owner, Frau Scheutz. The town was so beautiful and peaceful that we couldn't leave. We shortened Vienna by 2 days just to stay in Hallstatt.
Hallstatt was also full of friendly locals. We discovered the Hallstatt Half-Marathon being run the next day, and one of the townspeople loaned me the running shoes off his feet so I could run the race. The families and children were all along the course waving cowbells and cheering "Bravo!" I cannot overstate the beauty of this Austrian town. We would return again and again.
Dick Luna <email>
Buford, GA USA Thu 07/15/2004
Switzerland, Austria, & Germany
I just returned from 2 weeks in Switzerland, Austria & Germany with my husband and 2 teenage sons and had a wonderful time. This was our second trip to the area, but our first using a rental car. If at all possible I recommend the rental car. Drivers were polite and the roads are excellent and the speeds were not too intimidating on the autobahn.
We flew in and out of Zurich, which is a very pretty and interesting city. We stayed at the Leoneck Hotel. It was comfortable but lots of street noise all night and the streetcars go right by. Also the University is up the street and there is a club where the students were partying both nights in the street til 2 in the morning. Maybe asking for a room in the back would help.
We went off the beat and path and stayed one night in a tiny town in Austria called See. It is right at the start of the Tirol region. Beautiful and there is a cable car to the top of the mountain for great hiking and a very interesting Wellness Park after your hike.
We stayed at Gastoff Badl in Hall. Very pretty setting and comfortable. The Mint museum in the castle however is closed because they are doing renovations. Also if you are there on a Sun. just about everything including gasthouses and restaurants are closed. Also stores close early on Sat. so plan accordingly. We ended up driving around to find a pizza place open on Sun. evening. Crystal World is very interesting and different.
We then went to Mittenwald in Germany which is absolutely beautiful and I highly recommend it. It is a good home base to see Linderhoff, which has alot of scaffolding but is still worthwhile. We stayed at the Alpengastauf Grobl Alm which was recommended by the very helpful TI office. Spectacular views, nice rooms and a generous breakfast. One morning they shephards brouht the goats down the hill right in front of our balcony. We took the cable car up to the top of the Karwandelspitze, which is one seriously high mountain.
My husband has relatives in Kaufburen outside Munich, so we took the train and did a day trip to Munich which was a nice way to do it. I must say and my sons agree, the Glockspiel is highly overated, but the city is a wonderful place. We went to the Duestches Museum, which is great for science and technology buffs. We couldn't get one son out till closing time.
All in all it was a wonderful trip.
Tara <email>
Miami, FL USA Wed 07/14/2004
Germany & Austria Trip
Just returned from 13 wonderful days in Germany and Austria using Rick's book and this Graffiti Wall for 90% of our trip planning.
This was a family driving trip with 12 people and 3 cars, so it may not work for backpackers and train travelers. Rented our cars thru gemut.com and were very pleased with the Renault Megane and Mercedes mini-wagons; ideal for 4 people and good luggage space. For detailed driving maps, Falk MaxiAtlas is hard to beat. The autobahn is clean and efficient and the backroads were gorgeous and uncrowded. We went the last 2 weeks of June and were surprised at the very few number of tourists.
BACHARACH/ST.GOAR Stayed outside Oberwesel at Gasthaus Stahl, a little off the beaten path, but fine if you have a car. Good meals & extensive wine tasting. Bacharach and St. Goar are lovely little villages. Rheinfels Castle is a must; 2 hrs. of fun climbing towers and crawling in tunnels and narrow passageways at your own pace. With a car drive right up, no need for the trolley. At St.Goar take the ferry across for the scenic 20 minute drive to Marksburg Castle, also very worth seeing.
HEIDELBERG. This was my 2nd time there and I think it's a beautiful and lively town with one of Europe's most picturesque castles. Climb up to the castle (315 steps but worth it) for expansive gardens and great views day or night. The Philosophers walk across the river affords commanding views back toward the city and castle. Lodging: Highly recommended Hollander Hof Hotel. Ask for room 124 overlooking the bridge and Neckar River. (172 EUR, quad rate). If driving, the road heading east along the river is beautiful.
ROTHENBURG. A medieval masterpiece. 2 days walking the cobblestone streets and staring at the buildings will transform anyone. The Night Watchman's Tour is great fun. Climb the very narrow steps of the Town Hall tower for fantastic views. Stayed at Hotel Hornburg located just outside the walls with easy parking & less traffic. All their rooms were very charming and spacious.
BAVARIA & TIROL. Stayed at the recommended Gusthof zum Schluxen. Idyllic setting in a meadow surrounded by Tyrolean Alps, plus great food. Ask for room 34, dbl with wonderful balcony views or #14, a good family room for 4. Neuschwanstein of course is a must see and easy to do from the Schluxen Hotel in the morning, thereby avoiding crowds. Take the shuttle bus up. Marienbuckle awards you breathtaking postcard views. Lechfalls in Fussen provides a Kodak moment. Tegelberg luge, 10 minutes away is a blast, especially for kids. The 3-4 hour loop covering Weiskirche-Oberammargau-Linderhof-Plansee is a very pretty drive in the countryside. Ehrenberg Ruins were OK, but not as good as Rheinfels and it was the most strenuous climb of our trip, especially in the rain.
MUNICH:Stayed at Hotel Uhland , a safe 20 minute walk to Marienplatz (or only a 5 minute stumble to the Oktoberfest grounds!). Augustiner Brauhaus on Neuhauser Strasse provided the best beer hall dining experience of our trip. The center courtyard is pleasant. Climb to the top of St.Peters for the views. And you gotta go to the Hofbrauhaus for at least a beer or 2. Best beer garden of our trip was the Chineischer Turm in the Englischer Gaten. While we were there the Olympic torch relay ran right past our table!
HALLSTATT: Perhaps the most picturesque town I've ever seen. Pension-Hallberg is most highly recommended with room 5 being the best and having stunning views (rooms 1 & 6 are also great). Take the funicular up to the salt mine for a very fun tour and stop by the restaurant afterward for a few beers while you soak up the incomparable views. Walk back to town via the steps thru the gorge to the old church and curious bone house.
SALZBURG: We stayed in a castle hotel called Schloss Haunsperg in Hallein, an easy 15 minute drive from Salzburg. Our private wing had enormous suites and included a 1000 sqft music room filled with antiques. This was a memorable splurge and it's close to Salzburg, the Hallein salt mines and only 35 minutes to Berchtesgaten and Lake Konigsee. (Rates 126-236 EUR). Augustiner Braustubl is another great beer hall.
HOT TIP! Bring battery operated walkie-talkies. They were invaluable while driving in a 3 car caravan and in town everyone could scatter to their favorite shops or beer hall and we could all be in communication.
Randy Grisham <email>
La Mirada, CA USA Tue 07/13/2004
Trip to Germany and Austria
My son and I just returned from almost a month in Germany, Austria, Czech Rep., and Hungary. Rick's books were very accurate and helpful. We reserved our hotels and pensions online and had no trouble with any of them. Special kudos go to Annika Peters at Pension Peters in Berlin---very personable and helpful; Lettie at Pension Lettie in Bacharach--it's true, she custom cooks your eggs and waffles!; Mr. Huter at Pension Waldrast --near Reutte, Austria who directed us on where to see the bonfires on the mountains to celebrate the summer solstice and also recommended good restaurants; and Mr. Kuhn at the Bergland Hotel in Salzburg, who arranged both our tours by phone and managed his hotel with a quiet, eagle-eye for perfection.
We found Salzburg's Augustiner Braustubl to be our favorite biergarten --even more so than Andechs. In Salzburg, we would like to recommend Steirische Botschaft on Rupertgasse 7 and its owner Gerhard Bunderla for a good place to eat close to the Rupertgasse hotels and pensions. We had two wonderful nights eating there and cheering on the English team in the Euro 2004 soccer matches with the locals! Also, a suggestion, Rick. It would be helpful to give directions to the Rupertgasse hotels from the train station by bypassing the Linzergasse hotels. We found a much more direct way to get there, but only after frustration in reading your map and directions and finally buying a local map at a service station (it was a Sunday night and the TI was closed when we arrived).
Another note about Pension Waldrast--we had the largest room on our trip with an outstanding view of Ehrenberg Castle from our balcony. It was one of the most inexpensive places we stayed in our whole trip. It is very quiet, as Rick states in his guidebook, but it was a wonderful place to relax---and just minutes from Neuschwanstein and the Austrian side of the Zugspitze. We had a wonderful trip.
This was the second trip that I planned using Rick's guidebooks and I would never plan another trip without them.
Diann Danska <email>
Benicia, CA USA Mon 07/12/2004
Apartment in Murren
Chalet Helvetia was full, so we were referred to the Hunzikers' friends' chalet, Chalet Boebs, for the same price. This is the last house on the way to Gimmelwald. It was wonderful! The views of mountains and valley were totally unobstructed. The sound of a falls was in the background. Our apartment, one of three, was compact but comfortable for our family of five and fully up to date. The owners, Kitty and Albert Feuz, live on the premises, speak good English and are very friendly and helpful. If you're lucky, you'll hear Albert practicing his alpenhorn. He's a master.
Note to Rick: check this out.
Mark
Denver, CO USA Fri 07/09/2004
Places we stayed in Bavaria and Austria
The Hotel Mozart in Salzburg was not in the book, but it was wonderful. Good food,helpful staff, well priced and a good location. Loved Salzburg and SOM tour. My wife made me go and it was great.
The Sonnenhof near Neuschwanstein is not a place I would return to. Frau Gorlich did not speak english very well and became angry when we did not understand. We paid for two days but left after one night.
Hallstadt was fantastic.
Doug Montgomery <email>
Denver, co USA Fri 07/09/2004
Lusanne restaurant 'find'
While staying in Lausanne, we asked local residents, including our hotel's manager/owner, for recommendations; they said the Cafe du Vieil in the Ouchy district "had the best fondue in town." We tried it, and agree: the fondue and other menu items were excellent, the menu was extensive, the prices very moderate, service also excellent, and there's a wonderful view of the lake. If you don't sit outside, ask to sit in the upstairs room; the menu and prices are the same, but it's much more comfortable. The Cafe du Vieil is easy to find: turn left off the Ouchy Metro stop, walk just one block, and the Cafe is right on the corner across the Avenue d'Ouchy.
David Nungesser <email>
Gahanna, OH USA Thu 07/08/2004
Eating in Interlaken
Traveling on a budget in Switzerland isn't always easy, but here's a tip we found in Interlaken for some very good food at very reasonable prices both given to us by local people and both tried and liked: Just across from the Interlaken West train station, the large, new Migros store includes a large self-serve cafeteria style restaurant that serves a large variety of items including local Swiss specialties at low to moderate prices. We saw many local people eating there, so that's a good recommendation. Likewise, just opposite on the square in front of the Interlaken Ost station is a large COOP store with a similar self-serve restautant, also with excellent variety and local favorites at good prices. So, whatever end of Interlaken you're on, one of these will be near and easy to find!
David Nungesser <email>
Gahanna, OH USA Thu 07/08/2004
Sleeping in Interlaken
[Not]sleeping in Interlaken: we have stayed twice at the Hotel Lotschberg with Fritz and Suzi, and agree it is one of the best deals in town; breakfast is tasty, rooms sparkling clean, and the hosts are always helpful. But-in warm weather, ie all summer, it's an awful place to get what every traveler really needs: a good night's sleep! Every bed has a very heavy, winter-weight duvet and a monster, uncomfortable pillow; both would be great in winter, but are unbearable in summer, and the hotel provides no alternatives. In addition, the hotel faces on two streets, so if the windows are closed for quiet, it is stuffy and hot, and if open, the noise keeps you awake. We suggest doing what the very similar, and Rick-recommended, hotel we went to in Lausanne did: in each closet was a lightweight blanket to use instead of the duvet, a substantial but standard pillow to substitute, and, in the corner of every room, an oscillating floor fan so we could close the windows and still be comfortable. These items, I would think, cost the hotel very little, but the result was hot, aggravating nights and Interlaken's Lotschberg and quiet, restfull sleeps at Lausanne's Hotel Regina.
David Nungesser <email>
Gahanna, OH USA Thu 07/08/2004
Burg Eltz and Moselkern Staton
We just visited Burg Eltz at the end of June. Please note that the MOSELKERN TRAIN STATION is NO LONGER STAFFED! There is no one there to hold your luggage, no one to answer schedule questions or provide tickets (use the track-side ticket vending machine), and not even a public telephone! We had planned to call our host at the guesthouse we stayed at, but there was no phone. Since we did not have a local map, we didn't know exactly how to walk there, either. We started walking in the general direction (toward Berg Eltz), and asked a person on the street if there was a phone to use. He went into his house and called the guesthouse for us, and we were then picked up, so it worked out; but you might want to call before you leave your previous location and let them know which train you plan to be on.
There was an ad for the attached restaurant (apparently specializes in potato dishes), but at least when we were there, that was also closed.
By the way - we had no trouble getting an outstanding English language tour of the castle, and our stay at the Grolig guesthouse was very pleasant (bring your own soap).
R.K.
Berkeley, CA USA Thu 07/08/2004
Fuessen and Neusschwanstein Area
One activity to do near Neuschwanstein castle in Fuessen that's not in the guidebook but SHOULD be is renting bicycles and biking around the lake near Fuessen, Germany. Views of the castles abound, along with passing through tiny villages and countrysides--it's fabulous!
I'd also like to add that the Germany section has nothing on north-central, Harz Montain region of Germany. Two towns worth mentioning are Goslar and Hameln (home of the Pied Piper). The surrounding areas offer fabulous hiking and views, as well as the castle Marienburg, sitting on a hillside like it just plopped out of a fairytale.
Jennifer <email>
Tallahassee, FL USA Thu 07/08/2004
Staying in Stechelberg, Switzerland
I just left Switzerland after 3 very incredible nights of hiking and relaxing at the Naturfreund Alpenhof in Stechelberg, which is listed in Rick Steves' book. I highly recommend anyone going to the Bern Oberland area to stay at this quiet lodge. It's clean, has great facilities (large kitchen and dining areas), has a splendid view out the window (several waterfalls just outside) and is adjacent to great hiking trails. Best of all, Diane and Marc are excellent hosts- the best I've had in all of Europe, They make the Alpenhof feel like a home away from home. If you value quietness, cleanliness, and friendliness, the Alpenhof in Stechelberg is the place to be!
Wendy <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Tue 07/06/2004
TAXI TO MALPENSA AIRPORT
Except for the final hour of our two week trip, we had no problems getting around Italy for two full, weeks. Everything went according to plan, and we had one of the most fullfilling adventures of our lives. It wasn't until we left the Hotel Gritti in Milan and got a cab to the Malpensa Airport. I had taken 100 euros out of an ATM the day before, thinking that amount should EASILY cover the trip to the airport.
Unfortunately, we were a couple blocks away from our hotel when I noticed the cab driver had 29 euros already on the meter for "wait time." No problem, I thought. I still had 70 euros left. Well, we drove, and drove, and drove, passed the Milan main airport, and continued on to Malpensa. The meter kept counting 40 euros, 50 euros, 60 euros (I'm sweating---where IS this airport anyway?? We had been driving for 20 minutes on a freeway). I began checking my pockets for change. FINALLY, we reach the airport, and my bill is a whopping 103 euros! We got our bags out, and then I told the guy that I only had 100 euros. The cab driver then grabbed the bills, said "no problem" and sped away. What a guy!
Lesson learned: know approximately how far it is to your airport, and find out ahead of time the cost. Two weeks of a great vacation caused me to let my guard down and look like a chump. (But I'll go back again.)
Jeff Anderson <email>
Tigard, OR USA Mon 07/05/2004
Other Berlin info
Couple of additional museum in Berlin to consider.
The Story of Berlin on the Kuffdam is broken into 2 parts. The first is the main museum, this consists mainly of text describing the history of Berlin. Thier are various pictures and some displays, but not much until the 1900s. After WW2 they have alot more displays including a comparison of living rooms of the 1950 one from the west the other from the east. If interested in reading alot about Berlin this is great, in german and english.
The other part part which is more interesting is an actual 1972 nuclear fall out shelter, designed for around 3100 people to last 14 days. This is a guided tour(every hour) in german and english. Discount in Welcome Card.
If you are interested in anicent artifacts is the Museum of pre and early history, free with museum card. Located Charlottebrurg place, on the left wing(facing it). Its main claim to fame is that it houses the artifact found by Heinrich Schliemann and his excavations of Troy. While alot of items were claimed as war booty by the Soviets at teh end of WW2, alot were returned in 1958. Some in English.
if you are interested in aquariums goto the berlin Zoo and aqarium. Not just fish it contains alot of insects and other such creatures. However I would skip the Sea life www.sealife.de. It focuses on the north sea but overall is not that interesting.
The main point of interest, is the 4 story aquarium. This is located next door in the Radisson hotel as thier lobby feature, so you can see the outside for free. What your ticket gets you is a ride on the elevator in the middle of the tank. Neat but not worth the price for both. The museum has a discount in the welcome book, and everything is in English. the Sealife corporation is putting a bunch of aquariums in germany, and are really nice modern displays.
If you are going to Speyer I would easily recommend going to the one thier. IT has a great series of tanks set up to display the fish of the Rhine river.
Not if you are planning to goto the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, I would
recommend taking one of the tours. Thier are no real directions
from the train station to the camp(turn right from the train station) the
tourism center may have directions. The other problem is that all the
new info is in English, however since 1961 to the fall it was
a memorial from east german, and that is all in german. If you want a good
explaination of how the camp worked you will need a tour guide.
will dieterich <email>
Walldorf, DE Mon 07/05/2004
Murren, Rothenburg and Salzburg
My husband and I just returned from visiting Germany, Switzerland and Austria with our friends. Just wanted to share some of our experiences.
MURREN, SWITZERLAND: Our favorite place in all our travels in terms of natural beauty. We had huge expectations before the trip and were not disappointed. There were 9 people traveling together, and we had 1 apartment with a kitchen and 2 rooms at Haus Monch. The apt and rooms were old and small but clean and had amazing views of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. We would recommend Haus Monch because of its location, views and rates. Many apts we wanted to rent required us to stay for at least a week, but we were able to stay at Haus Monch apt for 3 nights only. We definitely recommend staying at a place with a kitchen because eating in Murren is expensive and you can make simple yet fresh meals with groceries from the Co-op. We went out to eat at Stagerstubli (in Rick's book) in order to sample the local cuisine, but it was just ok and pricey for what we got. We definitely recommed going up to Schilthorn and hiking around Murren. Breathtakingly beautiful. Make sure you wear sunblock and carry water.
ROTHENBURG ob der Tauber, GERMANY: Stayed at Gasthof Greifen recommended in Rick's book. Perfect location in the town center with parking. Rooms were spacious and clean. The Night Watchman's tour was very entertaining. We highly recommend Pizzeria Roma in Rick's book. Great food at great price. They had a separate non-smoking room which we had all to ourselves. The entire town is so cute. We only stayed 1 night and felt rushed especially because the women in our group spent hours at the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store. :) The Friese Shop recommended in Rick's book was definitely friendlier but not enough selections. We did most of our shopping for our friends and family in Rothenburg - they are all getting Christmas ornaments in July.
SALZBURG, AUSTRIA: Stayed at Haus Ballwein on Moosstrasse listed in Rick's book. Very nice rooms and Frau Ballwein was friendly and helpful. The bus stop right in front of the house was very convenient for going into the city center. I don't know whether it's the farm near the house, but there were so many flies and nasty stench surrounding the house. We couldn't leave our windows open in July... Salzburg was interesting and pretty but with lots of tourists. I wished I stayed in Murren or Rothenburg longer instead of coming to Salzburg.
Happy travels!
The Lees
Philadelphia, PA USA Mon 07/05/2004
Berlin
I'm a student from the U.S. who has been in Berlin for a few months now. So far, here's what I've learned:
The cheapeast places to eat are street imbißes which often serve Italian and Turkish food and wursts. A wurst and a beer will run around €3,50-€4; a döner kebap (roasted meat and vegetables in Turkish flat bread with Garlic sauce) and beer around €5.
If you have access to a kitchen, visit a discount grocery store like Lidl or Aldi. Pasta kits (noodles & sauce) run around €0,65 and huge pans of lasagna around €3. Asian markets are easy to find too and often have great deals on Thai ramen (€0,30) and fresh tofu (the one near me sells it for €0,85 for a huge block of it).
If you would like to go shopping in Berlin, I recommend Friedrichstraße (U-2 to Stadtmitte). You can browse through expensive upscale department stores like Quartier 205 and the Galleries Lafayette but then head to H&M to purchase a more "preiswert" gift for yourself.
It is often easiest to stay in the east part of the city: not only is it often cheaper and newer, but most hostels and cheap hotels situated in the east are closer to tourist sights and the nightlife. The stereotype that the people in the east are more prejudiced is pretty much dead; virtually all of the prejudice my friends and I have seen in this city has been in the west.
Activity-wise, I would highly recommend purchasing a Schaulust museum card. It gives you access to around 70 museums for three consecutive opening days (most museums are closed Monday, so if you get a pass on Sunday, it's also valid on Tuesday and Wednesday). I would also like to recommend Humboldt Universität as a good spot for exhibits... they almost always have a free exhibit in the main building next to the Neue Wache and it is always very interesting.
If you're interested in visiting clubs and the like and your German isn't good enough to understand Tip or Zitty, pick up a free copy of New Berlin magazine. This was a great find for me! It has English listings for different activities in the area, free maps, and coupons for different restaurants and activities.
I would also recommend going on a pub crawl if you want to meet more travellers. They usually meet at 9 p.m. by am/pm in the Hackescher Markt U-bahn station. I have been on a few of them. There really is no age limit (mostly 20somethings but there's often people in their 60s and older too), you get to experience a variety of bars and clubs in the city, get some free drinks while you're on the tour, and the guides are native English speakers too.
If you're interested in the theater, the Maxim Gorki and Theater am Schiffbauerdamm (Berliner Ensemble) offer really cheap tickets an hour or so before the show. They both are known for their solid productions. A cheap seat for the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm usually runs €3-5. The Staatsoper often has cheap tickets too, around €8.
If you're under 26 or a student, the purchase of an ISIC or IYTC is worth it. I have easily recouped its cost in discounted admissions. It is not valid on student bus passes in Berlin, though: you must be a student at a school here in Berlin in order to get the discount rate.
Finally... get a good map! Berlin's streets are laid out in a manner that makes no sense, are not marked well, and there are very few signs (if any) pointing you to major tourist destinations. This is one of the best investments you can make.
If you have more questions about Berlin and my experiences here, feel free to e-mail me.
Erica <email>
USA Sun 07/04/2004
Lodging in Germany
We just finished a thirty day vacation that included germany. It was our fifteenth back door tour of europe. In Frankfurt we recommend the Hotel Diana. It is a short cab ride from the train station. It is where we always stay our first night to get rid of the jet lag or our last night before flying out of Frankfurt. The rooms are clean and ample. The breakfast is very nice and it is on a residential street that has many trees and many birds singing in the morning. There is a very good italian resturant only two blocks away. They can direct you to it.
The best hotel I have found in Munich, compliments to Rick, is the Hotel Uhland on Westend Strasse. Great breakfast. Quiet street. Near the train station. Close to the big park. They still have rooms available for Octoberfest and the hotel is located only three blocks from the Octoberfest grounds! There is a great German resturant only three blocks away named "Maries" I believe. It is great for lunch or dinner.
In Munich, if you are going to the Agustiner beer garten, plan for a long walk. Rick says it is three loooooooong blocks from the station and he is correct. On a hot night it almost did us in. I did not see a u-bahn station near. If the weather is not up to your standards or if your feet are tired I recommed a taxi. Once there make certain to sit in the right place for food. Some areas are self serve where you do to the vendors and get what you want and bring it back to your table. Other areas have waiters and you are not allowed to serve yourself. There are signs that tell you where to go. You just need to know to look for the signs to avoid a long wait for no food.
stan biles
blue river, or USA Sat 07/03/2004
Swiss Alps
We just finished our fifteenth back door trip to switerland and germany including our tenth trip to the Swiss Alps. We happily endorse Murren as a great home base for your explorations of the Swiss Alps. We took Rick's advise and rented the apartment owned by the Huntsingers. It was fantastic. Great views great rooms and a great location. They are wonderful people and I give this a five star rating. Gimmelwald is a beautiful village too but it does not have as much to offer. I walked down to Gimmewald to tour for the morning. But the choice of resturants, the ability to buy fresh food to cook in the apartment and a bank wall machine made Murren a great home base for us.
stan biles <email>
blue river, or USA Sat 07/03/2004
Stuttgart Germany
Just returned from visiting my husband stationed in Stuttgart Germany. Stuttgart has some ineresting sights which include a town square , park and old city hall This is all surrounded by a large shopping area . The street is called knoigstrasse ( I believe) translation is kings street. I was stranded in stuttgart when my husband was called away toward the end of my visit. Still all in all stuttgart is pretty neat a true german city not many tourists.
Cbucholz
Va beach , va USA Thu 07/01/2004
Frankfurt Flughafen
Yes, thanks for the correction. I meant the regional bahnhof, not the long distance (Fernbahnhof). Unless the price has changed since Nov. 2003, it's 3.20 Euro for the quick ride from Mainz to the airport. Plenty of trains head to the airport, so you're bound to find one that fits your schedule.
Zaida <email>
USA Wed 06/30/2004
Austria & Germany
We visited Vienna, Hallstatt, Fussen, Munich and Salzburg from June 11th through 21st.
In Vienna-we stayed at Pension Hargita which was very nice for 63 eur per night. We really enjoyed the opera. Thanks for the advice. Rick's top five spots in Vienna were wonderful. The people were friendly and the pastry was out of this world.
On our way to Hallstatt, Melk Abby was a great stop. In Hallstatt we stayed with Helga Lenz 19 eur each per night with a wonderful view. We enjoyed the Salt mine, museum, boat trip and atmosphere. We wish that we stayed longer here (and skipped Munich).