First time to germany

That is a pretty broad question, so please check out the pages, articles, and/or shows on Germany if you haven't yet. There are loads of good info.

Berlin is incomparable, and has the most museums, best nightlife, most energy, etc. It is more or less the NYC of Germany, but far more affordable.

Munich is probably the most traditional of the large cities. It also has great museums, is home to the most famous beerhalls, has many great restaurants, and is pretty easy to sightsee on a combination of foot and transit. Going there for Octoberfest is a very worthwhile experience, but be forewarned you will face extremely large crowds and everything will be more expensive than usual.

My favourite smaller towns/cities are Heidelberg, which has a great medieval town centre, an ancient university, and a very well preserved castle, and Rothenberg Ob der Tauber, a perfectly preserved medieval walled town.

I have heard great things about Hamburg and the north, but can't comment from experience.

Depending on the length of the trip, you might want to stick to one region to cut down on transportation time, but Germany is extremely well connected by high speed rail and of course the autobahns, so it isn't too hard to get between regions if time allows.

Why did you chose Germany? What are your interests, age range, physical limitations? Will you be traveling by train? How many are in your group? Do you want to stay in hotels (knowing that very few sleep more than 3 people per room, unless you include a sofa bed), or apartments? Are you wanting to visit multiple places? Cities or countryside?

Thank you for your replies. Originally we wanted to visit the town that our ancestors are from, Wallenhorst municipality of Osnabrück. We may or may not plan to visit that town depending on time and distance. I have 9 siblings and their significant others, possibly 16-20 people.
We will probably all spend 5 days to a week in Germany and then go our separate ways to see other countries of interest for a week.
We are just starting to look into where in Germany we should visit, lodge at and fly in to. We are all from USA state of Ohio. We are mostly in our 50’s and 60’s. So far we all get around fine and love to walk.
We’d like to take trains or short flights if that is easier to visit different areas in Germany.
I appreciate suggestions from others that have traveled there to bring back to my family to research. We like a mixture of experiences: good food and breweries, museums, architecture, hiking etc. thank you!

Hi, jjpain9989 - I did the same thing in May of last year. I visited Germany for a month but while I was there, I went to the village that my great-great-great grandfather emigrated from in 1835 and stayed there for 4 nights. I had the good luck to run across a local historian who took me around and showed me records of my ancestor's emigration, and a number of other things. The village is Ostbevern and is about 40 minutes south of your family's village

I recommend going there if you can (obviously that is dependent on your interest in genealogy). I am very glad I went and really enjoyed my stay there. The rest of my stay I went around the country to various places like Berlin, Nuremberg, Gengenbach (in the Black Forest, Boppard (the Rhine area), Cologne and Aachen, Münster and Ostbevern, and Hamburg. It is very easy to get around Germany by train and I would definitely recommend doing that.

Just out of curiosity, where in Ohio are you from? I'm originally from Cincinnati, but my ancestors emigrated to Sidney, Ohio when they came in here in the 1830's and I know there were a LOT of Germans that went to that area. That was my dad's father's family. His mother's family also came from Germany in the mid 1850's but they went directly to Cincinnati.

Good that you're going to Osnabrück.

Since you're there, I would suggest seeing the city nearby, Münster and a small place next to it, Warendorf. The last time I was at Osnabrück Hbf (central station) was in 2017, it is one of the city train stations that has not changed since my first time there in 1971.

For your interests, I would look at flying into Frankfurt then taking the train directly to the Rhine area (Boppard or Bacharach would be my choices). Both towns are just over an hour by train. Boppard may have the most lodging options, and it’s a lovely town with lots of hotels right on the river. From Boppard, you can take the train to St. Goar and explore the fortress. Then continue by train to Bacharach. Explore the adorable town, then return to Boppard by boat.

This area of the Rhine offers lots of hiking, wineries (and plenty of beer), the quintessential half timbered buildings, castles, and the river boat experience. You could take a day trip to Cologne to experience a bigger city. From Boppard, it’s about 4 hours by train to Wallenhorst.

We have not been to Octoberfest, but we traveled during that period and stumbled upon several fun harvest festivals during that time. If you decide to go to Octoberfest, know that prices are very high during that time and hotels in the area book up way in advance.

You didn't mention the length of your trip, that can make a difference.

The three areas of Germany that I recommend visiting are:

1) The Rhineland in the west, from Cologne down to the Swiss border. This would include areas west of the Rhine like Trier. Also, Strasbourg, France, the Black Forest, Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Mainz, etc.
2) Bavaria, including Rothenberg ob der Tauber and The Romantic Road https://www.romanticroadgermany.com
Munich, Augsburg, Garmish/Fussen, Berchtesgaden(also Salzburg, Austria), and Nuremberg.
3) Berlin and Dresden.

You will need a minimum of a week to see each of these areas, perhaps more.

Oktoberfest is lots of fun, but booking lodgings in Munich can be expensive. We lived in Augsburg, a short train ride to Munich and visited three times. If you go, try to go to the parade at the beginning of the fest. One thing, the fest involved lots of crowds and you will see lots of inebriated people. For your first time in Germany, you may not want to do the fest.

"We will probably all spend 5 days to a week in Germany and then go our separate ways to see other countries of interest for a week."

With so many in your group and so few days, and maybe with individuals arriving on different flights, and perhaps on different days, you will want to keep matters on the ground very simple, I imagine. I'll suggest that you visit just one area of Germany. Let's say you go for the Osnabrück/Wallenhorst area and make Osnabrück your base....

Wallenhorst is a smaller place that is pretty remote from Germany's major airports, of which Frankfurt is closest. The high-speed ICE train journey from FRA airport to nearby Osnabrück takes a bit over 3 hours if you use direct train service (9:16 - 12:21, for example, with other direct trains leaving at 11:14, 13:11, so every 2 hours, roughly.) There are plenty of other train options to Osnabrück throughout the day as well using connecting trains, but these trips will cost you roughly 4 hours.

Wallenhorst isn't served by train, but bus service will get you there from a stop near Osnabrück's main rail station in about 40-45 minutes.

From Osnabrück, outings to Bremen, Hamelin, and Münster, all nice places to visit that seem to meet your criteria, are accessible on day trips by train using local/regional group day passes.

So the "family heritage" option here looks like it's doable as long as you are all OK with the distance from FRA airport.

The Rhine option - The Upper Middle Rhine Valley that is, where Boppard is located - would be a great option. Boppard is about 1.25 hours from FRA, and it makes for a great base, in part because of the free train transport pass you will receive from your innkeeper. Outings by train to nearby old-world towns (Bacharach, Oberwesel, Rüdesheim, Cochem among them) as well as to Marksburg Castle and Burg Eltz castle, would be quick and easy. Further afield, Mainz, Cologne and Trier are possible day trip options as well. September is wine festival season in this area - so book early if you go.

So please investigate the place names I've suggested. I'm confident you will have a nice stay with a nice variety of experience in either of these two areas.

I would stick to summer and find alternative festivals. From Osnabrück you can visit the aforementioned Münster, but you could also go the other direction to Bremen. GREAT city.

From Wallenhorst after your visit and research, you might prefer to stay in the north and visit the Nordsee, Netherlands? I would work my way south thru Bavaria to Austria and Südtirol (Alps). That's my preference. Things will be getting colder and maybe/probably snow in the higher elevations. You could really do something else like the Como See or Prague. I think the Oktoberfest would be a personal preference. Lodging in Munich is expensive then, and the Fest could take two days of your time, unless you make it a stop/daytrip. Weather allowing some Bier Gardens will be still open along your travels. Lots of Breweries in Bavaria. Where in Ohio?

Thank you all for your replies! A ton of great information for us to research. We appreciate you taking the time to help.

We have been in Clevekand our entire life except for 2 years in Cincinnati Ohio.

Born in Bedford, OH. Now an American Oberpfälzer.

How nice. I bet it’s beautiful there. We are in Westlake. Approximately 20 miles from Bedford.

My mother liked Heidelberg and Bad Wimpfen, Freiburg and the Black Forest, time spent around Berchtesgaden and the Konigsee, Garmisch-Partenkirchen too. We did see Neuschwanstein. Because it is nearby, we also visited Marienbad in Czechia, Bamberg, Burghausen and Regensburg in Germany. Time allowing, I would still recommend some time in the Austrian Alps. You can go the full tourist route, but I suggest a little off the beaten path included too. I'm south centric, because I live here. I would not short anywhere in Germany.