Good Afternoon Group,
I need some travel advise for a trip to Europe in October 2026. My wife and I would like to visit Germany and then travel to Vienna (we have been to Vienna before) before traveling to Paris for a few days, then taking the Chunnel to London for a few days then home to the USA.
We have never been to Germany so with the other cities we would like to visit too, where in Germany should we concentrate our travels?
Thanks,
Bill
Please share some interests, Bill. Although Southern Germany is somehow obvious by a look into the map but maybe there are places that fit more to your interests.
Some inspiration you might find in the top 100 of Germany voted by travelers.
It would also help if you told us how much time you have allocated for the German portion of your trip, whether you want or could drive for part of it, or if you want to just use trains and possibly planes.
Do you want to explore the middle Rhine for wine festivals, Berlin for 20th century history, or Bavaria for castles and beer, or something else entirely?
"...with the other cities we would like to visit too, where in Germany should we concentrate our travels?"
I'm not sure what you're requesting here. Are you saying you want to visit places that are SIMILAR to London, Paris, and Vienna... or different? And knowing your interests would help...
The top sights in Germany from the list above are amusement parks... which do not interest me in the slightest. I tend to enjoy visiting new towns and smaller cities more than big ones that require subway rides (I'll spend plenty of time underground once I am gone!) or long inner-city bus rides. I am not a big foodie. I will eat and enjoy almost anything. I am not much for city bus tours at all, and I am persnickety about which museums I spend time in. I enjoy exploring these smaller places on foot, independently, using either walking guides that I have researched or created on my own. And I enjoy spending 1 or 2 days out of every week hitting some pleasant natural areas... mountains, river valleys, etc. I usually check to see if there are any local festivals where I am traveling - those can be fun.
Here is a link to selected day-trip guides from Earl Steinbicker's guidebooks. The list contains numerous places in Germany which I have visited (in the way I like to visit places) and enjoyed.
https://hastingshouse.typepad.com/hastings_house_us/2006/05/sample_daytrip_.html
So how would you describe the way you like to travel, the things you enjoy seeing/doing?
One minor comment is that no one there calls it the "Chunnel." I think that was a U.S. news outlet moniker. It is the called the "Eurostar."
actually the current operator of the train service under the Channel is called Eurostar and the tunnel is called the Channel Tunnel (in English).
I think Munich would fit well into your itinerary.
And you could break up the long train ride from Munich to Paris with a couple of nights in Strasbourg.
I'm going to second Munich if you're looking for another large city. Direct train connection to Vienna in about four hours. Lots to see and do in that area, well covered by RS and other guidebooks. Also, generally good air connections.
If you're looking for something that is NOT another big city, you could fly into Frankfurt, rent a car and visit the Mosel and Rhine valleys. Direct train to Vienna in about 6.5 hours. Check to see if you can get the train from the airport after dropping off the car.
Can you start in Vienna? You will save some travel time, especially if using rail, if you start in Vienna and then go to Germany. If you are flying around Europe, then it doesn't really matter. My choice for a one and only one city introduction to Germany is Berlin, with Munich coming in a close second.
