Itinerary help - Munich and Berlin

I’d really like to take a Trip to Neusch castle

I take it you are referring to Neuschwanstein. You can do that by train as a day trip from Munich. You can use a Bayern Ticket for 3 people for 52 EUR total round trip if you travel after 9 am weekdays or anytime weekends. Be sure to ,a]make a reservation to visit Neuschwanstein for the after noon.

Salzburg is in Austria and you can also use the Bayern Ticket for that as well.

I cannot speak specifically to music in Berlin, but there will be posters everywhere for coming events. One thing you may want to look into are the "underground" tours that are available. I recently did the one a couple weeks ago through the remaining flak tower and it was very good. Interesting and different. Also, if you want to buy music, look for one of the flea markets, if they are still open. I say this because late October is when everything shuts down. It's the breathing space between summer and the Fashing Christmas markets. And you really need to plan on rain. At least half the time. Also it will be getting colder. Last year we had snow by then, although I'm further south.

If you go to the area around Brandenburg Tor before 9am you have a good chance to see it without all the crowds that come later in the day. That's also a good time to walk the gardens, but in OCT the trees will mostly be bare. Remember you're only going to have about 9.5 hours of daylight. The Tor is very nicely lit at night also.

I'd fly between Berlin and Munich. The train will take a whole day out of your trip.

In Munich try to stay up around the University, by the museums and west of the English Garden. That's where you find a lot of locals and students the age of your son, and they can tell you about music and game shops. I know they have them, look for Warcraft on google maps; I subconsciously note them as my nephew is a gamer.

I'm a Marriott member with permanent status, but that doesn't always mean I use those hotels. I did the last time in Berlin, the AC, but I wouldn't recommend it due to the neighborhood. Also, the area around the Bahnhof in Munich has a Courtyard and a Loft, both of which I have used, but again, I cannot recommend that neighborhood.

You can easily take a tour to Neuschwanstein, multiple companies offer them. And if you use the Bayern Pass on DB you can go to Salzburg and back on that ticket. Note that both Salzburg and Munich are known for their music schools.

Whichever city you are in, remember that Sunday mornings are very quiet, and a great time for photos. But both Berlin and Munich will have places open, unlike many smaller cities.

https://www.berliner-unterwelten.de/

Here are some record stores in Munich that are supposed to be pretty good:
- Optimal Records, Kolosseumstr. 6 https://www.optimal-records.de/
- M2, Rosenheimerstr. 77 https://www.m2music.de/
- Gutfeeling Recordstore (Indi Labels), Maistr. 1 https://www.gutfeeling.de/
- Ludwig Beck, Marienplatz 11 https://kaufhaus.ludwigbeck.de/musik
Ludwig Beck is actually an upscale department store, but on the top floor they have an incredible music section. They're also selling records again these days. If you're at Marienplatz anyway, you should definitely stop by. They also have a cute little cafe on the 4th floor in the traditional Bavarian costume department with a nice view over Marienplatz :-)

And otherwise, there's so much in Munich that has nothing to do with museums that I don't even know where to begin. Perhaps you could give some more information you might be interested in, apart from nothing that has to do with WWII and not so many museums? The Olympic Park, BMW World, Allianz Soccer Arena, the English Garden with the Eisbach surfers, a beer garden that's a Munich must and still open when the weather's nice, places and locations that you don't typically associate with Munich and that also attract young Munich residents? Something like that? Munich likes to attract visitors to its typical sights and highlight Bavarian culture but there's luckily so much more.

When it comes to food, there's probably hardly a country that doesn't have restaurants in Munich. So if, like me, you're not keen on Bavarian cuisine, please just tell me what you're looking for. There are mountains of meat, excellent fish, but also vegetarian and vegan options in all price ranges.

As a first overview. For more tips I'm happy to help.
https://www.munich.travel/en
https://www.munich.travel/en/categories/discover/urban-districts/local-love-munich

This thread has been incredibly helpful — thanks so much, everyone! I'm gearing up for a trip from Munich to Berlin soon and was curious if spending 3 nights in Munich and 4 in Berlin would be enough time without feeling rushed? I’m really hoping to check out the Dachau memorial, enjoy some beer gardens, and maybe fit in a museum or two while I’m in Berlin. Also, has anyone taken a day trip to Potsdam? Is it worth it if I’m short on time?
Thanks in advance for any tips!
Marlon Rabattdigga

Also, has anyone taken a day trip to Potsdam? Is it worth it if I’m short on time?

Potsdam is an extremely easy day trip or even half/three-quarter day trip as it’s very close to Berlin and a simple train ride followed by a bus. It’s great if you like palaces - the big attraction is Sans Souci, which is very attractive. There’s also a big expanse of parkland and some interesting little quarters with cute old houses in the town. I spent about three-quarters of the day there and thought it was nice. I was in Berlin for about five days that trip and Potsdam felt like a pleasant break from the city.

If you like palaces and historic buildings, go for it.

and was curious if spending 3 nights in Munich and 4 in Berlin would
be enough time without feeling rushed?

That's nowhere near enough time, but if that is the time you have available it will at least give you an overview of the cities.

"...curious if spending 3 nights in Munich and 4 in Berlin would be enough time..."

You've mentioned these things...

Berlin
Munich
Oktoberfest
museums
record stores
games stores
beer gardens
Neuschwanstein
Austria
Dachau
Potsdam
Train ride between Munich and Berlin

So my tentative answer is "NO" - it's time for you to start prioritizing and laying out a plan hour by hour and day by day to see what will stay and what will have to go.

Russ, she mentioned Oktoberfest but just to say that she was planning on traveling to Germany after the festival. So I don't think she plans on being there during that time.

But jessica, Russ has a point. You should prioritize the places you want to visit. I like to list everything and then plug them into days and see what you have. With 3 nights in Munich, you will have 2 full days there, so basically one day for seeing the city and one day for visiting Dachau OR Neuschwanstein Castle. Depending on when you get to Munich from Berlin, you could possibly visit Dachau on your travel day from Berlin, but it would make for a long day.

Have you decided against Salzburg/Austria?

Also, with regards to where you fly into, it really doesn't matter. But what I would do is fly into one city and fly out of the other. For example, fly into Berlin, then out of Munich. It will make much more sense to do so as you will save time and money. Fares for multi-city trips are usually not much more expensive than a round trip ticket, and definitely save on train fares (and time, as mentioned). You can check flights for multi-city trips on Google flights, if you want to see what prices are like. https://www.google.com/travel/flights

Third and final question, as first time travelers to Europe (who have been outside the US, just not here yet) should we stick to big chain hotels like Marriott to feel a little more comfortable? Or just “when in Rome” it?

I've done both and there's no right or wrong way to choose lodging. Personally, I prefer staying at European hotels/B&Bs as much as possible, as I feel that it gives me more of a European experience. That said, I have stayed at American chains on occasion. A lot depends on your budget. If you are looking for something that won't break the bank, then Motel One is a good choice. It's a German chain and the rooms are very comfortable and clean. I've stayed in them before and like them.

Another choice would be an apartment hotel. For example, in Berlin, I stayed at the Adina Apartment Hotel in Hackescher Markt. I loved the area and the hotel. I stayed in a studio since I was by myself but they have 1-2 bedroom apartments with fully equipped kitchens, washer and dryer and so on. They do have hotels in other Berlin locations as well, but I really liked this location. The staff was friendly and courteous, and the rooms were very well prepared, large, clean and nice. Breakfast is available although given the kitchen facilities, I just ate in my room in the morning.

Also, the hotel is very convenient to the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and trams, and is an easy walk to the major museums. The DDR museum is only a few blocks away along and Museum Island is not much farther. There were many other sights within a short walking distance, such as the Berlin Dom, the TV Tower, and so on. There were also lots of very nice restaurants, grocery stores, and wine shops within walking distance. And public transportation was very convenient. There is an S-Bahn station just up the street with a line that runs straight to the airport (no transfers), and tram and metro stations galore. I really liked this area (I had no problem with noise) and would definitely stay here again.