Munich and Prague Dilemma!! Help Please

We will be coming from a river cruise in Passau to Munich.

DH wants to see Dachau and I want to go to Prague.

We get off the ship in Passau on Sunday morning and we have to fly home on Wed.

The ship offers an extension to Prague but since we would like to make a stop at Dachau we won%26#39;t be able to go with the ship extension.

My question is: Is Passau to Dachau to Prague doable in the time limits that we have? If so, how should we get around, trains, rent a car, etc? And how much will it cost?

Or should we skip Dahau and go to Prague?

I%26#39;ve got to decide soon as I%26#39;ve got to book airfare. Thanks for your help

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Can%26#39;t see the point of going to Dachau - i would not go to Guantanamo either - so go to Prague. It%26#39;s crowded w tourists but very beautiful.

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You could possibly rent a car and drive to Dachau, tour it, drive to Prague--but if you are flying out of Prague the out of country drop off fee would be very expensive.

You could look for a bus tour of Dachau and see how the return lines up with your planned transportation to Prague. Most of the experts posters state that the train is easier, faster, and cheaper than a flight.

Do you just want to see a concentration camp or specifically Dachau? I believe there is another concentration camp just outside of Prague--that of course, I can%26#39;t remember the name.

Dachau is closed on Mondays.

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I believe that any camp will be fine. Personally I don;t want to go but my DH does. I%26#39;m just going to stand there an cry!

I didn%26#39;t know that there was one outside of Prague I%26#39;ll see if I can find out the name. Thanks

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The name of the concentration camp near Prague is Terezin (Theresienstadt),

Please go to Prague. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

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I recently faced this dilemna and decided to go to Munich (5th visit) rather than Prague. Flight options are better and though we have not yet been to Prague and did want to visit, some of what I have been reading just put me off.

We are getting off a river cruise in Nuremberg and training to Munich. From there we will do day trips to Mittenwald and Regensburg and then fly home.

As for Dachau, I have been twice and found it very moving. So I disagree with Frank who feels the opposite. I went for the first time at 16 and then again 5 years ago at 47. Both times I was affected by the experience.

Munich is less touristed than many large European cities and we really enjoy it and are looking forward to this return trip.

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Do you have a favorite place to stay in Munich?

What have you read that%26#39;s put you off of Prague?

I haven%26#39;t booked the air yet so I%26#39;m still open.

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Yes, we love the Sofitel Bayerpost for convenience, amenities and service. Le Meridien is my second choice.

I read quite a few posts and trip reports here and on Fodors.com that spoke about how tourists were being treated and how over touristed Prague has become over the last several years. It turned me off. I am sure it is a lovely city but just did not want to deal with that after what I am certain will be a lovely visit to Germany.

Germany has never disappointed and I prefer a city that has a more residential feel which we have found to be the case there. I also find it to be very clean and friendly and a perfect base to day trip into other parts of Bavaria - even Austria.

Also the airport in Munich is organized and excellent.

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Below is a link to the tour of Terezin from Prague:

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g274710-d545…

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I thought the question was Dachau or Prague not Munich or Prague.

If you are seeing Munich anyway, adding another city would be far preferable IMO, Prague is a wonderful place to visit, I wouldn%26#39;t be put off by what people read in books.

Yes Prague is touristy but so is London, Rome %26amp; Paris. You can move away from the tourist throng quite easily. Missing Prague for the sake of visiting a concentration camp? Well you%26#39;d have to have a special family or personal reason to do that IMO. Maybe that%26#39;s why yor DH wants to go in which case some find a visit to Dachau essential.

Salzburg is also close by with easy rail link from Munich.

Stoofer

Hamburg or Lubeck

Myself and 7 friends are going to Hamburg first week December for 6 days. We are all in our early 40%26#39;s. What is the best area in Hamburg to stay or is it better to stay in Lubeck?

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you could stay in Hamburg and explore Lübeck on a day trip?

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Thanks for this. Do you have any idea which is the best area in Hamburg to stay? I have been told St. Georg is a great area. Somewhere where there is plenty to do and see or somewhere where there are plenty of cafes, bars, restaurants.

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Hello!

I would also recommend to stay in Hamburg and go to Lübeck for one day. Lübeck is a very nice city, but of course there is more to do in Hamburg.

St. Georg is in the centre (backside of the main station). There are lots of bars, also many for gays. But it is also known as red light district.

I would recommend the Eimsbüttel, Hoheluft or Eppendorf district. Those are fancy places close to the centre with a good connection by metro or buses. All of them have lots of bars, restaurants and nice small shops.

Trains from Hamburg%26#39;s main station to Lübeck take around 40 minutes. You can use %26quot;Schleswig-Holstein-Tickets%26quot; which cost 30 € and are valid up to 5 persons. They are valid a whole day, so you can use it for both ways, if you only stay in Lübeck for one day.

Enjoy your time in Hamburg!

OHCharlotte

(Oh-Holidays)

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Thanks very much Charlotte. This is a great help.

Derag Max Emanuel

Is there anyone who is familiar with the hotel Derag Max Emanuel in the Haidhausen neighborhood? Two of us (separate rooms) are heading to Munich for six days before Christmas and the rate for this hotel (and what reviews we can find) look great. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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Since nobody has replied, I%26#39;ll give you an almost answer. I stayed at a Derag Hotel in Berlin, and it was perfect. Standards are usually %26quot;standard%26quot; among brand names, right?

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Thanks. I agree with the propositin that name brand hotels are usually consistent in most cities. The pruce at this hotel was so good (couldn%26#39;t stay at a cheap Motel 6 in the States for the price), I think I will go with it.

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I stayed there in July this year. I was quite happy with the choice. Quiet location except that they tore down an apartment block next to the hotel. I had requested a quiet room, though, and they gave me one on the opposite end of the hotel so that wasn%26#39;t an issue.

Room was a bit outdated but surprisingly large (23 m2) with balcony and a kitchenette (yay!). I saw some stains on the carpet, otherwise it was very clean. Breakfast buffet was excellent. I would stay there again.

Internet access was quite expensive (lobby) for 15 minutes but ok for an hour (weird rates).

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have never stayed there, but its round the corner from my flat, so I can tell you its a great, central location.

You can walk to the Marienplatz in about 10-15 minutes and it is minutes away from the Rosenheimerplatz S-Bahn (2 stops to Marienplatz).

There are a few nice restaurants very close by and many more within easy walking reach.

There is a big building site going on next door and will not be finished by the time you come here.

Closeby alternatives are the Holiday Inn and Novotel. The novotel is apparently really nice, has a pool, sauna, fitness etc.

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Thank you all for your responses. Given the noise issue with the cionstruction, I decided to go with another hotel which has gotten near universal rave reviews and for which I got a great price: the Flemings Hotel Munich City. I hope that it was a good choice and will report back on it.

Trams In Munich

Can someone tell me if the tram construction project for Tram Line 17 has been completed? I wanted to take Tram 17 from Schloss Nymphenburg to the Deutsche Museum but read on the Museum website that tram construction was scheduled through September. Thanks!

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MVV timetable

http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/home/index.html

From: Schloss Nymphenburg

To: Deutsches Museum

Seems to be running (the MVV timetable is the most reliable source on this). However various other connections which are not slower either.

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Visited Munich during Oktoberfest and the only construction we noticed that impacted tram service was at Karlsplatz.

The first two underground levels at Karlzplatz are being renovated and this spills over to the stairway for the south above ground tram stop. Trams 17,17,18 and 27 still operating.

We rode the #17 from the Hbf to Tivolistraße.

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Thank you. It appears that the Trams are up and running and I shall use them. I must say that the Munich transportation system looks incredibly efficient (and cheap with partner tickets).

Traditional German Music

Hello,

I will shortly become an occasional visitor to Bonn (every couple of months).

I know it%26#39;s a bit touristy but I love Oompa Bands, Polkas, Alpine music (and the odd stein of good German Bier). While this is more widespread in Bavaria (which I visited and loved) are the any places in Bonn where I could see and hear this sort of band or group.

Thank you in advance.

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The Germans practice this with gusto during Oktoberfest, Karneval, Weinfest, Bierfest and whatever Fest needs to be celebrated. and while on holiday,, especially in Palma at the famous Ballerman on Playa de Palma. Drinking beer from the Stein is common and none of this is neither kitschy nor touristy either but part of german custom well liked by all levels of society and all ages.

Ask around while in Bonn, your hotel receptionist should be able to help.

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This kind of music will not be played in pubs or similar. Unless you come across a Volksmusik concert somewhere, chances are slim. The average German under, say, 70 hardly ever listens to this kind of music, with the exceptions mentioned in the first post.

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I am going to agree with Blandine, this kind of music and atmosphere is NOT enjoyed by groups of all ages and all over Germany. I have never seen people drinking from beer steins at any fest at all, and unless you are an old person, you do not listen to this kind of music.

Along the Rhine, you are more likely to see folks drinking wine than beer, though of course beer is popular too. Around Bonn, it will be Koelsch, and this is drunk from small glasses.

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My favored hang-out is the Bitburger Wirtshaus in Trier a short ride down the road where I live and half the beer there is consumed in Steins. Last week I was at a Brauhaus in Kaarst-Büttgen and they served beer in Steins. I should be in the Bonn area next week-end and I will have a look around.

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Thank all you guys for your advice.

As I am a senior citizen, I fall into the category of %26quot;oldie%26quot; I just love the music and spend far too long on YouTube or listening to my collection of German CD%26#39;s. Can%26#39;t beat the real thing though!

HikeyH

Which cities in January?

Planning a midwinter vacation. Only have time to visit two cities in Central Europe. Which two would you choose: Prague, Munich, Vienna, or Budapest?

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This is like asking a stranger to guess if you want orange juice, grapefruit juice or milk for breakfast... Read some guide books my friend...

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I%26#39;d want Prague and Budapest because these are the two I have not yet visited - but this is of no use to you, I%26#39;m afraid. No one here can tell you what YOU want...

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It%26#39;s true that travel choices are highly personal.......It can also be very weather-dependent, and I was hoping for some insights into the complications/benefits/advantages(?) of these cities in the middle of winter.

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The only advantage I see in visiting any of these cities in winter is that there should be fewer tourists clogging up the places you may wish to visit. Personally, I would now visit the two cities that I would least like to visit in the Summer if returning to Europe in the future. Perhaps places lacking in gardens you might like to visit under better conditions. Of course the logical choice to minimize travel time and expense would be Budapest and Vienna. (Of course, there are a lot of other places you could also choose from, or pair up with one of those other cities.) Actually I like to visit more rural areas in the months when the leaves are not on the trees, as now you can see the forest without the trees%26#39; foliage blocking it (castles, palaces, mountains, etc. are much more visible), and to me having snow on the ground instead of rain adds to the experience.

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Architecturally and atmospherically, Prague stands out in the snow and winter IMO. No guarantee of snow but Prague lends itself well to a cold winter visit, frosty roof tops, muled wine in the square etc. . Personally I prefer Munich in good weather to indulge in the beer garden culture.

Therefore this time of year Prague would be my first choice and Munich, actully my last choice, much though I love visiting Munich and this is Munich forum. If it was me, It%26#39;d be Prague and Budapest.

Stoofer

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Very helpful considerations. Thanks for your thoughts!

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My vote would also be for Prague, fantastic in the wintertime when its all snowy and cold (of course no guarantee of snow). Had a long week at the end Dec/Jan two years ago for a wedding and there is so much to do and see.

2nd choice would be for Munich, I could visit this city anytime of the year and not be disappointed. Of course you cannot sit out and enjoy the beer gardens but you can have a nice cosy warm inside one!

Been to Vienna many many times to visit family, and really don%26#39;t like the overall atmosphere for some reason, but that%26#39;s just my own personal opinion.

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Scotlandscout

Funny place Vienna. Marvelous, stunning architecture etc, nice people, clean etc. But I agree with your observation, it%26#39;s a must visit city but it lacks something, some chemistry or atmosphere - I can%26#39;t put my finger on what it is that%26#39;s missing.

It%26#39;s very strange to visit a truly great and impressive city, thoroughly enjoy a few days and then not want to go back, but that%26#39;s how I feel about Vienna.

Stoofer

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Stooferuk..

Glad to know its not just me then!

Must admit I also feel the same way about Salzburg, so very twee for all the wrong reasons. We had a very nice visit but there was just something not...right.

Well that and apart from an absolute lunatic going mad shouting and generally making a a**e of himself, in the bar/cafe we were sitting in and everyone was too scared to move until the police came all this at 3.15 in the afternoon, not the genteel view of Salzburg one was expecting!

But hey thats travel for you, if we all liked the same place....

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Again, thanks very much for your thoughts.

Prague sounds like a must do. (Though another thread in the Prague forum makes the Prague-ites sound grasping and unfriendly, I think I can get around that.....)

Your comments about Vienna ring true (I visited there oh 35 years ago and got rapped on the back (literally) by a Staatsoper usher with a long pole, because I had the temerity to sit on the step of my %26quot;stehtplatz%26quot; during an interminable performance of %26quot;Parsifal.%26quot; The culture was great; the vibes were not.)

So what do y%26#39;all think about Budapest -- good or bad? (I know this is not the Budapest forum, but actually I might get some more objective reactions here.)

Advice with a 4 year old boy

What things are there to do with a 4 year old in the area between Cologne airport and Bruhl. we have been offered the chance to go to stay there for 4 days but it seems a long way to go from London. We know there is Phantasialand at Bruhl but we are wondering if there are other things we can do with him while we are in the area because we don%26#39;t want to spend all the time at a theme park. He%26#39;s quite active.

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There is a nice indoor playground in Köln-Porz:

http://www.okidoki-koeln.de/anfahrt.html

and another one in Bonn:

http://www.piratenlandbonn.de/

Also well worth seeing is the zoo in Cologne:

http://www.koelnerzoo.de/zoo-tierwelten/

In Colognes%26#39;s Stadtwald (urban forest/Kitschburger Strasse) you%26#39;ll find a petting zoo and pony trekking. (unless it rains)

http://www.pony-reiten.de/

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Thank you very much for this information!

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Thank you very much for this useful information!

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I%26#39;m sorry for the accidental posts, my computer went haywire! I was also going to ask if you can reach the pony rides by public transport at all?

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%26gt;can reach the pony rides by public transport at all?%26lt;

http://auskunft.kvb-koeln.de/

nach/to: Brahmsstrasse