My husband and I are going to Amsterdam in June for a conference and then we hope to travel to Germany for a week afterward.
Neither of us have been to Amsterdam or Germany (although his family originated from Germany). My questions....
1. Is it better to travel by train or rent a car (which would be more economical)?
2. What would be a suggested itinerary?
Thanks for your help.
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If you plan on visiting the larger cities, then a rail pass would work better than a car.
What interests you and your husband? Knowing this would make it easier to reply about an itinerary.
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Your right, I should have posted our interests.... we love castles, historical highlights, military, science and medical museums, parks and ANYTHING on the water. We were thinking because we only have a week that we would stick to Berlin. Any suggestions on places to stay?
Thanks.
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If you stay in a city like Berlin you do not need a car at all (in fact, I think that you would not use it anyway), because public transportation in Berlin is excellent. You can stay in Berlin for a week easily, recommended day trips could be Potsdam (a must + it%26#39;s nearby amd easily accessible!), the Baltic Coast, maybe Dresden (very nice, but quite a ride. Still doable by train). Berlin offers lots of museums (there even is a place called Museumsinsel (museum island)).
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Berlin could be a good choice. Even closer to you would be the Rhine and Mosel River Valley region, which would also satisfy the criteria you mention. The Rhine near Koblenz is peppered with medieval castles and ruins; Marksburg and Rheinfels, both south of Koblenz, make for good tours there. Remagen, north of Koblenz, has an excellent WW II museum, and Cologne has several too. On the Mosel River, Burg Eltz (near Cochem) and Reichsburg (in Cochem) Castles are worth a visit, and Trier, just upriver, has some very good historical sights as well, including several buildings and ruins from ancient Rome and some good museums. Of course, the area is famous for its wines too, and towns like Bernkastel, Traben-Trarbach, and Ruedesheim might be on your itinerary as well. Here%26#39;s a page of stuff on the Mosel River:
mosel-reisefuehrer.de/moselhighengl/moselhig…
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It would be a good idea to stay close to the airport of departure the day before you leave for States. Berlin to Amsterdam is about 6-8 hours by train, depending which train you take. Frankfurt to Amsterdam is about 4 hours by train on the ICE train, fastest way to get there.
Close to Frankfurt is the Rhine and Moselle that %26quot;Russ%26quot; mentions. I do concur w/ his suggestions. Also on the Rhine is Bingen which is across the Rhine from Rudesheim - a round trip ride on the passenger ferry is 2.80 euros and about a 10 minute ride. The Bingen forests have an extensive network of paths. Wherever you walk, you will see the breathtaking view of the Rhine River with the numerous vineyards and its castles. Also in Rudesheim is the forest behind the Niederwald Monument that you can wander in. You should take the seilbahn/chair lift to get there.
The best part/most picturesque section of the Rhine is the middle Rhine, from Bingen to Cologne/Köln. You can take a cruise on one of the KD boats along the river. It should be a great time in June. From Koblenz to Marksburg Castle in Braubach, would be a good trip on the boat. The train ride from Bingen to Koblenz (on the left side)is a great ride-it pratically hugs the river and you see the many hills/valleys, vineyards and castles. There is a bicycle path along the river as well from Mainz to Koblenz, you can definitely ride that if you guys are bicylists - rental is available in Bingerbruck - ask at the tourist info office in Bingen. Then you can take the train back from Koblenz.
Mainz would be a nice city to visit, but I would not start a boat trip from there. The scenery is not impressive until you get to Bingen.
Here%26#39;s a few links -
Bingen -
www.bingen.de/tourist/englisch/index.php
Rudesheim -
http://www.ruedesheim.de/en/index.html
cometogermany.com -
http://www.germany-tourism.de/e/21774.html
villages along the Rhine from Bingen to Koblenz-
www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/index.php…
Castles along the Rhine from Bingen to Koblenz. Just click on top the village name to see the different castles-
www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/index.php…
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Without question, it is more economical for two people to travel by train in Germany. Once you decide on an itinerary your next question is if you will save money by buying a railpass. Raileurope.com is your best resource for the different passes available, most of which must be purchased in the United States. Bahn.de is the website for German Railways. The top left corner of the page has a schedule search tool.
I love Berlin, but it is out of the way from Amsterdam (6 hours by train). I would suggest traveling along the Rhein from Cologne to Heidelberg. You can even take a river cruise. This would be managable for a one week trip and give you a good taste for Germany.
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Liking the water, I would recommend Hamburg, after all, it is Germany%26#39;s largest port and second largest city. Besides the river and port, there are nice lakes and canals within the city. Another possibility having to do with water is the Bodensee (Lake Constance) with the Swiss Alps on the other side. Meersburg and Lindau are enjoyable cities.
Germany is full of nice things to see and do. It%26#39;s almost impossible to make a bad choice.
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