We will be taking a Transatlantic cruise to Rotterdam arriving April 26 and had planned to spend five days or so visiting the tulips and areas around Delft.
But then came an opportunity to book a river cruise with my sister leaving Amsterdam on May 27. So we are in the exciting position to spend a whole month in Europe beginning and ending in Amsterdam. We have travelled to Europe yearly since retiring in 2013, so have been to many places, but usually only two weeks at a time. It seems daunting as well as exciting to have a full month. In our early travel days we enjoyed 1 and 2 night stays but now we lean to at least three nights per hotel.
We haven’t been to much of Germany north, but have been to Munich, Salzburg and much of Switzerland
as well as the French Alps. We like museums, music, interesting train rides and quieter small towns as much as big cities. We are pretty much plan ahead, budget travelers but like to have a clear schedule.
I am thinking of Berlin, possibly Alsace, possibly Prague and the Mosel area. Would a week in Berlin renting a small apartment be doable? We have done that in Paris and London. Should we plan on trains only? My husband turns 75 this year, is that an issue? Last year we rented cars in both Normandy France and Scotland (different trips) and the Hertz office said terms become different for drivers over 75.
All suggestions would be great. Thanks so much in advance.
Posted by
West Michigan
139 posts
Sounds like a great trip!
Personally, my wife and I like Bavaria. We don't care much for big cities, but we do like Munich very much. So much to see and do there. We like the town of Mittenwald a lot.
But I'm sure you will get a lot of replies that Berlin is their favorite city. Berlin really is a favorite on this forum.
Or maybe pick a town on the Rhine and stay there a week. You can travel up and down river by train or boat. Lot of beautiful small towns, castles and scenery.
As for travel, depends on how much travel you will do, but possibly the Deutchland Ticket would be useful. It is still 49 Euros per person for unlimited train and bus travel anywhere in Germany for 30 days. It doesn't include long distance trains and it's a bit tricky to buy, but there is a lot of good info about it on this forum.
Posted by
Georgia
91 posts
We too retired in 2013 and my husband is 75 and I am almost 77. We go to Germany every year at least once. We enjoy Berlin and Leipzig and Dresden in the north but we also enjoy Wurzburg and Freiburg in the south. This year we are spending a week in Leipzig where we can take day trips to Berlin and Dresden. We are also spending a week in Wurzburg where we take day trips to Nurnberg and Bamberg. My husband has cousins who live near the Black Forest so we will spend a week there also. There are museums in Berlin and Leipzig that would keep you busy as well as the Monument to the Battle of the Nations that is spectacular where we spend at least half a day. Good luck picking your places to visit. It is very nice having an apartment to use as a base.
Posted by
Chicago
2049 posts
I wasn't impressed with Berlin-too dirty and unfriendly people, but if you'd want to spend a whole month there, I'd recommend Potsdam. Far enough out of Berlin but has a cute city center, parks and you can still take the S-Bahn into Berlin. And Krakow and Poland is close as a day trip or weekend trip.
Like the other poster, if I had a whole month I'd probably stay in or near Munich but it's because it feels more livable to me and calmer.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2555 posts
We love the Rhine area. I would be very happy based in Boppard for a week and exploring the gorgeous villages in the area. Take a river cruise. See the castles (Marksburg is great!). Check out Bacharach for a ridiculously cute town.
We’ve also traveled along the Mosel and loved it. Trier is amazing.
Alsace is another great choice. We’ve stayed in both Strasbourg and Colmar, and visited many of the small villages. It would be easier with a car, but there are great towns on the train line: Turckheim & Obernai come to mind. Gengenbach is another easy ride from Strasbourg, and is soooo charming.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8987 posts
Jane, welcome.
To clarify, you said this:
But then came an opportunity to book a river cruise with my sister leaving Amsterdam on May 27 . . .
Does that mean you've already booked the river cruise? Is it a Rhine Cruise (to Basel Switzerland or elsewhere) or something more local?
Posted by
OP
North Georgia
49 posts
Hi Stan. It is a Gate 1 river cruise, one week Amsterdam-Basel. Already booked during Black Friday sale!
Posted by
San Francisco
14990 posts
To spend this week I suggest Berlin along with Potsdam. Good that you have 8 nights , which is ample time for Berlin , Potsdam and the "Greater Berlin " area.
Get yourself out away from the typical tourist places , more to the esoteric places, such as to Werder an der Havel, Neustrelitz, Rheinsberg, Babelsberg, and many other places , all very much logistically feasible. I've been to Babelsberg (its famous Schloss/chateau), These places deserve more time an merely superficial visit.
Posted by
Paradise
7078 posts
"have been to Munich, Salzburg..."
If that's it for southern Germany - just southern Bavaria - I will suggest a few days in the other Bavaria, northern Bavaria. Würzburg has already been mentioned, but more impressive yet IMO art the cities of Bamberg and Nuremberg.
Bamberg has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage status for its medieval old town:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fd/7d/1a/fd7d1a5cce6467ba232e106cd5fb8149.jpg
https://en.bamberg.info/sehenswertes/
https://www.frankentourismus.com/cities/bamberg/
Nuremberg is very charming as well and ripe with museums of every kind. Very walkable for a city of its size.
https://iflyfirstclass.com/public/images/5f0b9964cbbe8.jpg
https://tourismus.nuernberg.de/en/discover/museums/
https://wikitravel.org/upload/shared/8/8d/Nuremberg_Altstadt.png
This fascinating museum in Bad Windsheim, near Nuremberg, is outdoors:
And I strongly endorse your idea for some time on the Mosel as well. Trier, Bernkastel, and Cochem are perhaps the most popular destinations. Fantastic scenery, short day cruises, castles, wine... and one of Germany's most scenic train routes.
Cochem and Reichsburg Castle
Mosel towns: https://www.mosel-inside.de/en/travel-guide/mosel-villages.html
Mosel train line map
Offshoot railway for reaching Traben-Trarbach
Posted by
SoCal
1168 posts
I personally think a week in Berlin is a magnificent idea. I must do, as we did exactly that this summer. So many fine museums, so much history, so much culture. And the intracity transit is outstanding, what with U-Bahn, S-Bahn and Deutsche Bahn trains serving the city with many convenient stations.
We stayed at a lovely AirBnB near the Friedrichstrasse station. Excellent location. But if your budget can handle it, consider staying at the Hotel Adlon on Unter den Linden. The historical significance of the place is undeniable, plus it's a great hotel.
Posted by
Freedonia
16315 posts
I've been to Berlin a few times and agree with the others. There is much to do in Berlin and surrounding areas to keep you busy for a week. Public transportation will take you everywhere. I think a car would be a hinderance just in regards to parking.
If you want the services of a hotel but an apartment like room with kitchen and washer/dryer, look at Adina hotels. (Most rooms have w/d but not all.) There are three in Berlin. I've stayed at both the Hackesher Market and the one near the Hauptbanhof. I prefer the one near Hackesher Markt. That location is also easy walking distance to many sights including Museum Island.
Posted by
San Francisco
14990 posts
On your question if renting an apt. in Berlin is doable: Yes, definitely.
The longest I have stayed in Berlin consecutively is 15 nights. However, renting an apt. is not an option as I preferred then to stay in a Pension, which no longer exists in Berlin-Charlottenburg. I would suggest if you do choose Berlin that the apt. be close to a U-Bahn or S-Bahn stop. My Pension then was only 3 minutes from the Savignyplatz S-Bahn station, from which one could access directly Berlin Hbf or westward to Potsdam.
As pointed out above, no need for a rental car if you do not plan on going out to the villages and small towns in the Greater Berlin, to see these examples of rural Brandenburg, this Prussian "backwater" feature. Are they interesting? Absolutely.