Dresden vs. Potsdam daytrip from Berlin

There's a big difference between the main palace in Dresden and those in Potsdam. In Potsdam, the palaces are preserved to give some idea of the residential living conditions of the various Prussian monarchs. Dresden's main Schloss (palace) was heavily damaged during the war. Although the exterior was restored, the interior merely serves as a shell to hold the impressive collections of the kings of Saxony. These collections of various treasures are some of the most impressive in Germany, particularly of armour and the historic green vault. But you'll see very little of the building's original function as a royal residence.

So I guess the choice comes down to if you'd rather see how the kings of Prussia lived, or see what the kings (and electors) of Saxony collected.

Dresden also has several smaller palaces a little further away from the city center, on the Elbe river, but I know neither what these contain nor if you can tour them.

Hi,

If you are pressed for time, then choose Potsdam, mainly because of its proximity to Berlin. The guided tours of Potsdam you can catch outside of Potsdam Hbf or you can arrange something with the Tourist Office at Potsdam Hbf. I like going to Potsdam, one of my favourite smaller places in Germany. The palaces (Schlösser) shown on the tours are Sans Souci and Neues Palais while tours on Dresden could also include a palace outside of the city, ie, Schloss Pillnitz on the Elbe. That's the one I saw on the tour. If time is not pressing, I would recommend absolutely going to Dresden, take the early train from Berlin.

Having been to both, have to say I enjoyed my visit to Potsdam a lot more. Dresden has some nice sites to see, especially the Green Vault, but Potsdam was not only beautiful but also very charming. One of the most attractive cities I've seen. The palaces are fabulous, the park grounds are beautiful and fascinating, plus the town itself is interesting. The Dutch Quarter especially. Finding good places to eat was easier here too.
Considering that it is closer to Berlin, you have more time to sightsee and save a lot on train fare.

I am with Ms Jo: Potsdam is much nicer. It has a beautiful park and it's a pleasant stroll from the railway station. And there are the practicalities. Potsdam is a suburb of Berlin and it takes only 40 mins on the S-Bahn (buy a Tageskarte for Zone A+B+C). No need to plan your visit. Just go when the weather is fine.
You'll probably like Schloss Charlottenburg as well, also with a beautiful park. Even closer to the city centre.

It would be silly to go all the way to Dresden and miss all the other museums and attractions there, just to see the palaces. Dresden needs a few days, and has its own "suburban" attractions, like the Meissen porcelain factory, vineyards, and Saxon Switzerland. Potsdam is a simple, short trip on the S-Bahn from downtown Berlin. You'll be "missing" Wansee when you go to your long day in Potsdam. Be prepared for a lot of walking in order to see everything.

"Just go when the weather is fine." That is certainly a factor. True about going to Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin, also Schloss Köpenick in the eastern part of the city...both well recommended.

Thanks everybody for all the replies. I was intending on spending 10 days or so in Germany - I was originally thinking of taking a day trip to Wittenberg and Leipzig via train, but now I'm thinking of staying a night in Leipzig and in the morning taking the train to Dresden, and in the evening going back to Berlin.

If you decide you have the time for a Green Vault tour in Dresden, you must book in advance. There's more than you can see in one day.

I stopped through Dresden and I really didn't care for it at all, its basically a tourist trap

Dresden a tourist trap? In what way? You can't make a statement like that which is rather damning for an entire city without backing it up with some reasons.
This is an historic city, with many worthwhile sites to see, and there were no hoards of tour buses here or masses of tourists. The prices here are low, and there aren't even any tourist restaurants here.

There are two Green Vaults in Dresden. It's the Historic Green Vault that requires a timed entry ticket. It is fabulous. The regular Green Vault is also very much worth visiting (timed ticket not required as of 2015) but is somewhat less spectacular.

I asked in the forum last year and was told by several people that there was no need to book in advance for a Historic Green Vault ticket. I went last September on a weekday afternoon and was able to just walk up and buy a ticket for the next entry slot. It might be possible that you would need to buy in advance on really busy days, but probably only a few a year.

Philip, it's very valuable to have a recent, first-hand, report, thank you. But the most recent post by the OP suggests that he might be in Dresden for part of a single day. In view of the fact that the actual website for the Historic Green Vault says,

For the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe, which is on the ground floor, it is advisable to purchase admission tickets in advance, as the number of visitors who can be admitted each day is limited for conservational reasons,

do you really recommend that he "roll the dice" in June? I don't think so.

Sure I can... the old town area is a tourist trap packed with, ya know, tourists and bad restaurants... tourist trap. If you like museums and such, then I suppose there are some things to do... tourist trap things. Personally going to museums and such isn't my style, which I understand is at odds with many here, but thats ok, to each their own.

So, I, respectfully disagree on the two points of:
Yes, there are tourists there...
Yes, there are bad restaurants there...

Personally, I had no bad meals at all in the old town... well, the Freiberger Schankhaus perhaps wasn't fantastic, but the food was at least servicable and better than 90% of the meals one could get in most of the US. And I particularly liked the Canadian-themed restaurant.

Also note that Dresden has much more than just the small rebuilt area around Neumarkt. Yes, there are parts of the city that feature nothing but drab DDR-era architecture, but a surprisingly large amount of the city escaped the bombing and offers a great opportunity to see examples from the German Empire period.

Then your definition of a tourist trap is way different than mine. There are tourist attractions that draw tourists in but they aren't a trap. Would you call the Eiffel tower a tourist trap or a tourist attraction? What about the Vatican? Would you call the D-Day beaches a tourist trap, even though there are 1000's of tourists there every day? No, you wouldn't. Dresden has tourists, but it isn't a tourist trap. A trap means you are getting taken for a ride, getting scammed, you are stuck and can't get out. A wax museum might be a tourist trap, though for many people it isn't.
A restaurant serving only packaged food, is a trap. A good restaurant in a city center is not a trap. Dresden had decent places to eat, just not as plentiful as in Potsdam.

Did you go in the underground vaults? Go see the Opera House? Go into any churches? Check out the Meissen Porcelain factory? Go on a walking tour to learn the history of this town? Learn about the bombings? If you had, then you would not call it a tourist trap.

Semantics... chillax ms jo.

And yes, if we're going to be very specific, then sure, you're not trapped in Dresden and I stand corrected.

If, however, your itinerary includes doing all of the things you just listed, which, I again, will say is what Rick Steves caters to, then you are in fact, a tourist, and not a traveler. It is my personal preference to not travel the world to stand in lines, and there is no right or wrong in that. I really like the community here, even though I tend to advocate a different, more youthful approach to traveling, I also respect others opinions to explore how they see fit... it is, after all, about having fun and experiencing the world is it not?

I really have no interest in arguing with you in an internet forum, the scope of which is to share opinions, as to whether or not Dresden is or is not a tourist trap... I didn't like it, I found it overrun with tourists and the food awful, and, really, uninteresting, and that's coming from a huge war buff... but it is my opinion and I am entitled to it. You obviously really like Dresden and all of the touristy things to do there, and obviously appreciate experiencing history in a different way then me, thats ok too. I understand that the general paradigm of this forum is at odds with that sentiment, but I have no problem with that... it is about experiencing how YOU want to, nothing else, and, of course, arguing opinions is the art of fools.

And certainly, don't mistake this for an insult to Germany, which is where you are from, I see, because I love your country...

But Dresden sucks :)

then you are in fact, a tourist, and not a traveler.

The difference between the two is that the former simply enjoys their trip, but one who self identifies as the latter looks down upon the former and considers themselves on a higher mission, despite doing and seeing much of the same stuff.

Well, if you meant Traveller, then that's something different entirely.

Tom:
This was a predictable ego-defense mechanism from a rick-nick... an unoriginal and garden variety response intended to protect the multi-million dollar industry that Rick Steves has created, one in which he needs people to believe they cannot "travel" without his books and fanny packs and zip off pants- its no secret that in the travel community, people do look down on Rick-nicks, I mean, c'mon, they don't call it "geriatric travels witih Rick Steve's" for nothing....

I guess its possible that we see the same things, but you wouldn't really know now would you?

And since we obviously have to resort to ad hominem attacks at this point, I will ask you, is your attempt at correcting a spelling error intended to somehow undermine my opinion? Sadly for you, the correct spelling, unless you are from GB, is with a solitary L... but I know that has no bearing on your astuteness as everyone makes mistakes every day and I will in no way attempt to exploit this silly error because I do believe my arguments can stand on their own without attacking someone's personal character... I will wait for you to get your 1986 version of Webster's Dictionary from your den to verify the veracity of my claims.

oh, and p.s., if you bothered to read my post beyond the part that butt-you, you would have noticed that while yes, I do prefer my style (which is why I do it... right?), I also very clearly stated that I DO NOT see myself on a "higher mission", WETF that means... I'll say it again, do what you want as long as it makes you happy... but people should be able to hear my opinions too, even if they aren't, you know, main stream here.

I generally pride myself in not arguing on the internet, but I however, have somehow lost control of my own moral compass this morning and for that, I apologize. I might be ribbing people a little bit, but I again, really, see this as a fun forum with a lot of really nice people, which, I am sorry to say, I am not offering a positive contribution to this any longer. This is Simeon's thread, and if you wish to continue this aimless conversation, I invite you to PM me so we can restore the respectful community that exists here.

I really have no interest in arguing with you in an internet forum,
the scope of which is to share opinions, as to whether or not Dresden
is or is not a tourist trap... I didn't like it, I found it overrun
with tourists and the food awful, and, really, uninteresting, and
that's coming from a huge war buff... but it is my opinion and I am
entitled to it. You obviously really like Dresden and all of the
touristy things to do there, and obviously appreciate experiencing
history in a different way then me, thats ok too. I understand that
the general paradigm of this forum is at odds with that sentiment, but
I have no problem with that... it is about experiencing how YOU want
to, nothing else, and, of course, arguing opinions is the art of
fools.

But Dresden sucks :)

Isn't it pretty obvious that a tiny reconstructed area with lots of world-class museums and architecture is full of tourists? You just have to visit the Neustadt area or suburbs like Wachwitz, Loschwitz or Radebeul to avoid this. But I guess you didn't know this...

Darn, I was just going to get some popcorn.

I think you are upset at the wrong people. Tom and I are always trying to get people to get off of the RS path and see other things. But, I see you are new here and wouldn't know this, yet still chose to presume you knew something about us.

Actually dag, I am an American who has lived in Germany for over 30 years, and a huge history buff. Tom lived here for a long time too. We all have our special interests. I like half-timbered buildings, vaulting in churches, Romans, Celts, cemeteries, Jewish history in Germany as well as WW2 stuff.

There are certainly restaurants in Dresden that cater primarily to international tourists, look for those with bus loads of Russians. Whether any of them is worth it, I can't say since I've not taken the advantage of going to any of them. Of course, you can avoid those assuming if you know what to look for. The last time I was in the obvious tourist area in Dresden, really swamped with them, I heard way more Russian than American English. Should there be a difference between being a tourist and a traveler in Europe, if it matters? It depends where I am, in Germany I am a traveler, in the other countries a tourist. Obviously, the locals will spot me out as not being from there so making efforts to blend in, not to stand out conspicuously is very low priority, if not irrelevant.

"...coming from a huge war buff...." Then you ought to know that Dresden as a city has always occupied a strategic position and well known for that, plus the following: Both Frederick the Great and Napoleon each had their own versions of the Battle of Dresden. Dresden, apart from it cultural achievements, was also a HQ for a Wehrkreis, that the Infantrie Schule was located there, that the Saxon military establishment was maintained after the unification as an independent entity until general mobilisation (allgemeine Mobilmaching) was ordered in 1914. See Dresden-Neustadt for the largest Military History Museum, located on the famous historical site, which was left untouched by the fire bombing of Feb 1945, and see the neighboring town Bautzen for war historical reasons, not only because of its connection to Napoleon but also for the Polish Military Memorial (Gedenkstein)