Berlin - Dresden Day Trip

Posted by JimD (Upstate New York) on 08/16/24 11:27 PM

Prior to joining the RS Best of Poland trip, I will be spending several days in Berlin. This will be my first time in Berlin and that part of Germany. I hope to visit Dresden also, a day trip from Berlin. My preference is a day-package that would include the round-trip transportation and at least a guided tour for part of the time in Dresden. Since I have never been to Dresden and will only have a single day there a guided tour seems preferable so I don’t waste my limited time wandering aimlessly. I am a somewhat experienced traveler and able to explore on my own, but as I just said, limited time…. Any thoughts or experience with any company offering such day trips? Any other thoughts or recommendations would be much appreciated. And thanks in advance.

P.S. While in Berlin, I will be staying somewhere near the main train area, tho I haven’t booked a specific hotel yet. My trip is in the Spring of ‘25.

Posted by MarkK

Berlin

08/17/24 07:45 AM

2844 posts

It makes more sense to travel to Dresden and meet a local guide there at the main station (German: Hauptbahnhof or Hbf).

Train tickets can easily be booked at Deutsche Bahn.

Dresden Tourism Office can help you to find a guide.

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

08/17/24 11:34 PM

27613 posts

In 2015 I took a good city walking tour offered by the Tourist Office in Dresden.

If you want to see the Historic Green VauIt, it's smart to buy the (timed) ticket a bit ahead of time. I was lucky to snag the one remaining ticket for the next time slot when I just walked up, but that was 9 years ago, and I was spending multiple days in Dresden, so I had a lot of flexibility.

Dresden is an interesting city where one can certainly spend more than a day, but Berlin has a great deal more to see in the form of museums and historic sights. Be sure you'll have enough time in Berlin to accomplish your sightseeing goals in that city before committing to an out-of-town trip that will cost you about 4 hours on trains plus the travel time between your hotel and the Berlin Hbf. In other words, you'll be giving up a day in Berlin for a half-day in Dresden. When you dig into the details of what is available in Berlin, you may recalibrate the amount of time you want to spend there.

Taking a bus tour is unlikely to save time; ViaMichelin.com estimates the round-trip drive at over 4-1/2 hours, and it takes time to load and unload a tour bus. There's likely to be a lot of time wasted if a big bus is involved.

Posted by Tim

Wyckoff, NJ, USA

08/18/24 02:06 PM

7748 posts

Check whether the train to Dresden happens to stop at Zooligische Garten station; that would permit a less downtown hotel if you desired.

I personally question a run-out to Dresden with no time for Meissen or Saxon Switzerland. Two hour on the train is at the outside of my daytrip range. You don't say if you are a "museum person", but that's more than half of what's desirable about Dresden. So one issue is how long it takes to see the riches of the Green Vaults or the several art museums. Remember that Berlin is an extremely rich destination, with a week's worth of sights.