extra day in Vienna or Hamburg? Berlin?

Should we spend extra time in Vienna or Hamburg? Also, should we spend
extra days in Berlin? I am asking anyone who has visited these cities
before.

That is a bit like asking if you should have some cava or crémant, they are both excellent choices and you will be happy no matter what you choose. So, what are you interested in and is there anything special you want to see?

I also checked the train from Vienna to Hamburg (long ride) vs short
flight. Your thoughts?

There are direct overnight trains from Vienna to Hamburg, they will save you both time and money. Read more about them at https://www.nightjet.com/en/

I haven’t been to Hamburg, but I can tell you that we just loved Vienna. After a 5 day visit, we decided to return for another week the following year.
Berlin is also wonderful. I don’t know how much time you’ll have there on your tour, but another couple of days would be easy to fill.

Thanks for the thought about the night train. I will look into it.

I also loved Vienna.

Thanks for the responses.

I took the inaugural Best of Germany tour and loved it. The tour itinerary has improved, but still shortchanges Berlin, imo. As I had been looking for a well-rounded tour of Germany, I spent 4 weeks in Germany, including 4 days in Hamburg pre-tour and 2 weeks in Berlin afterwards. Had a marvelous time in those 2 cities. Berlin is a great city; I took public transport to get around-- all over Berlin. Also, great Turkish restaurants. If you are interested, there are lots of classical music opportunities and really cool open air markets ( new and second-hand). Have a great trip!

I also think Berlin deserves as much time as you can give it. I was on the fantastic Berlin Prague Vienna tour and arrived one day early to Berlin and spent two days post tour in Vienna. I have my sights aimed at Berlin, hopefully will visit it again on the Best of Germany tour.

The last tour I did was Munich Salzberg Vienna in December 2019 and again thoroughly enjoyed Vienna in the Christmas markets season. The Third Man Museum was an activity of our tour and if it is not on your GAS tour, I recommend you add it in your free time. Gerhard and his partner have developed this museum with passion and I admired it so much. An education about Vienna and Austria’s unwillingness to confront their role in alliance with the Nazis.
You are going to have an amazing time on your two trips!

I don't know how much time you have in Berlin, but regardless I would say YES--Extra Days. We visited Berlin a couple years ago for about 4 days and felt we just scratched the surface. Whether it's museums, WWII sites, Berlin wall, enjoying present-day Berlin, I think extra days can only add to the adventure.

1. I have not been to Hamburg but have been to Vienna 3 or 4 times. I would do extra time in Vienna.

2. I've never done an overnight train, but my understanding is that some people sleep well on them and some people sleep horribly on them. I'm not sure I would want to discover my sleep ability on a night train a night or two before the fast-paced Best of Germany tour.

3. From 2016 to 2019, I spent 40 nights in Berlin. I still have more to see and can't wait to get back. Yes, add as many days to Berlin as you can.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Is it possible to be this excited so far in advance??? This is at least a year earlier than I normally book anything.

Hamburg!!! But I am biased ;)

In all honesty, you can't go wrong with either, though they are very different. Hamburg is beer and a Fischbrötchen. Vienna is coffee and Sachertorte. Hamburg is nightlife clubbing. Vienna is nightlife waltzing. In Hamburg you're sitting on the waterfront and having a leisurely lunch, while in Vienna you're sitting on a square in front of interesting architecture having a leisurely lunch. Both are very green cities. If your ancestors emigrated, they may have gone via Hamburg, so if that is something you want to research, it might tip the scales.

And you cannot, cannot, cannot spend too many days in Berlin! DEFINITELY spend the days if you have them.

Thanks for the thoughts on Hamburg and Berlin. I will work more on this on the weekend and make some decisions. Is it too early to book hotels? I usually do hotels and planes about 6 months in advance, not sure if these timelines are changing now.