Planning a trip to Germany maybe Munich or Berlin

Is this your first trip to Europe? Is it your first trip to Germany?

What is attractive to you about Munich? Berlin? How did you choose those?

I have been to Europe about 5 times in the last 3 years. I have been to Baden-Baden and Rothenburg ob der Tauber and also Fussen. Last couple of trips to Europe have been mostly Switzerland and Italy, thought I would try Germany this time. I found some of the WW2 sites in France to interesting and was thinking I would enjoy exploring Berlin for that reason. Not sure what is drawing me to Munich.

Open for suggestions.

Both central Munich and Berlin have a lot of interesting places to experience. I spent 3 nights in each but didn't visit either by rail so can't offer hotel suggestions other than to say check the standard lodging websites. I'd be tempted to also spend a few nights at a smaller place on the rail line in between the two if you end up taking 2 weeks. Dresden was impressive and Nuremburg is another choice (I've yet to visit). Good luck!

I spent a week in Berlin last May and absolutely loved it. There were blooming flowers everywhere, lots of birds chirping in the parks, and it was warm enough to take advantage of outside seating at restaurants and beer gardens. And I didn’t encounter any crowds.

I stayed at the Adina Apartment Hotel near Hackescher Markt. It was very convenient to public transportation and it came with a small kitchenette, so I didn’t have to eat every meal out. I really liked it, although when I go back someday, I will probably opt for something a little farther out that has more of a neighborhood feel.

I did a lot of stuff in my week and felt like I only just scratched the surface. Things I really enjoyed included:

• Touring the Reichstag Dome.
• The “Famous Insider Walk” (4hr walking tour the covers the main sites and lots of history)
• The “Original Berlin Public Craft Beer Tour” (visited several bars, with numerous beer tastings and some food)
• Day trip to Potsdam with Fat Tire Tours (I’m a big fan of guided tours, especially when traveling solo)
• The Neues Museum (the Bust of Nefertiti was amazing … i had no idea a sculpture could be so beautiful)
• Topography of Terror (recommend getting the audio guide, it gives some extra context and does a really good job of actually guiding you through the displays)
• Getting lost in the Tiergarten
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
• Gemäldegalerie and Alte Nationalgalerie (I like art museums)
• Concert at the Berlin Philharmonic
• Berlin State Ballet production at Staatsoper Unter den Linden (an absolutely gorgeous opera house)

There were only a couple of things I wish I hadn't bothered with (although I’m sure lots of people would disagree with me):

• The Pergamonmuseum (I liked the Islamic art rooms, but it seemed like everything else was a reproduction with only tiny bits of the original, there was also a lot of construction going on and some rooms were closed off)
• The German History Museum (although I did really enjoy lunch at the Cafe)
• KaDeWe (I'm not a shopper and I've learned that I don't like department store food courts)

I'm a huge fan of Berlin. My 5th annual May trip to Berlin got shot down this year by Coronavirus. I like being there early to mid May. There are many daylight hours to see things and temperatures are generally mild.

The amount of WWII stuff depends on how deep you are willing to dig. There are the big things like the Reichstag, Topography of Terror, some old Nazi buildings around Topography of Terror, a grassy space where Hitler's bunker was. A little further afield are things like the German-Russian Museum at Karlshorst that contains the room mentioned above where the Germans signed one of the documents of surrender to end the war (and contains an exhibition that gives the Russian victor's history of WWII) and the highly, highly recommended Gleis 17, the track at Grunewald station that was the deportation site for Berlin's Jews -- each transport train is memorialized with a metal grate on the platform that contains the train's destination and number of passengers. Even further out are Sachsenhausen concentration camp and Ravensbrück, a female concentration camp. Or how about Berlin Underground's tour of a WWII bomb shelter, which is near a partially-collapsed Flakturm (anti-aircraft tower) in the nearby Humboldthain Park. More obscure are things like the Kammergericht building, which held The People's Court, the tribunal that tried political enemies of the state, in front of whom 17-year-old Helmuth Hübener, after being sentenced to death for distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets, declared, "Now I must die, even though I have committed no crime. So now it's my turn, but your turn will come." Or the Plötzensee Memorial, which consists of a monument and the shed where political prisoners (including Hübener) were put to death via guillotine or hanging from meat hooks. Even more obscure is the Bonhoeffer House, the home of the parents of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the few German theologians to oppose the Nazi regime and the place where he was arrested by the Gestapo; there are tours on Saturday mornings that consist of a short talk on his life and then a walk up the stairs to his room, which houses some of Bonhoeffer's belongings. The Bonhoeffer House is a short walk from the Grunewald station through a pleasant neighborhood built in the early 1900's and relatively spared of Allied bombs. More obscure? The memorial for employees of Siemens who died as soldiers during WWI and WWII outside the company's headquarters (which is near a very interesting 1930's housing development for Siemens employees that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Cold War highlights for me: The Berlin Wall Memorial (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer) with an area of the wall as it originally existed, the enormous Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park, Checkpoint Charlie (not for the silly fake checkpoint or the actor military dudes who are supposed to no longer be there, but as a historical site where US and Soviet tanks faced off in October 1961), the Schöneberg Rathaus where JFK spoke, the TV tower (Fernsehturm).

Transportation + WWII + Cold War Coolness = Tempelhof Airport. Built largely by the Nazis. Used by the US and the UK for the Berlin Airlift. English tours available -- more are available in non-COVID times than are currently available. https://www.thf-berlin.de/fuehrungen/english-guided-tours/

Outdoor spaces I like ("scenery"?): The Tiergarten, especially the Luisininsel with all its flowers; Volkspark Friedrichshain with its fairy tale fountain, its two hills made out of war debris, and its large number of Berliners being Berliners; Britzer Garten -- the tulips in the front and the rhododendrons in the back are blooming in early to mid May.

I would suggest two weeks if you can swing it. I would think about Berlin --> XXX --> Munich (or reverse)

An option for XXX:

Dresden that had the bejeebers bombed out of it but has been rebuilt with a day trip to Saxon Switzerland for scenery/nature.

On the train to Munich, consider a stop at Erfurt (the one-stop connections connect through Erfurt). It has an enormous locker area for storing luggage. Head toward the city to explore Fachwerkhaüser (half-timbered houses), pleasant squares and impressive cathedrals -- the RS guide has a nice walking tour. If you were a museum guy I would suggest the Errinerungsort Topf und Söhne, a museum in the old Topf and Sons company's administration building that details how this "perfectly normal company" became the builder of the ovens of Auschwitz.

Nürnberg, as mentioned above, is also an option and has a number of WWII sites.

As you know from visiting Füssen, southern Bavaria is gorgeous, but perhaps not enough time. I'm fond of the Berchtesgaden area.

Another vote for Erfurt. And I found Quedlinburg positively stunning. Few American tourists, but the Europeans have found it. The tourist office has an audio guide you can use to explore the gorgeous historic area.

As Dave notes , above , if you dig a bit deeper , The House of the Wannsee Conference is an easy S Bahn trip west of Berlin . This site , now a museum , is where , in January 1942 , Nazi higher ups met to devise " The Final Solution " . I spent a full day here , well worth the time . Leading this event was one of the most notorious Nazis , Reinhard Heydrich . He met his well deserved end in Prague , several months later , during " Operation Anthropoid " . Read about it here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wannsee_Conference and here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Anthropoid

Remember that most large European cities have superb public transportation. You don't have to stay in the noisy, seedy HBF area if you plan your arrival and departure in advance. We happened to stay near Savignyplatz on two Berlin trips, and it was a great location. Even the nearby intermediate train station (maybe Tiergarten) worked out well for our trip from Prague, and there was a freestanding transit kiosk to buy our local multi-day passes before we even went to the hotel. It turned out that a basic transit fare bus to the airport we needed stopped on Kurfuerstendamm just steps from our hotel.

I much prefer Berlin to Munich, which is also out of the way if you're not going to Austria or something like that. I don't have a particular interest in war sites, but I'd remind you that the Stolpersteine, the Jewish Museum, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews, the Neue Synagogue .... are all over the place. There were some good mentions, but I don't think Erfurt and Quedlinburg are good daytrips from Berlin. Maybe Leipzig, maybe UNESCO Garteinreich. Not mentioned yet was the S-Bahn trip (long walk after getting off) to the Gründerzeitmuseum, which ties to the Pulitzer Prize play I Am My Own Wife, and which bridges most of the twentieth century in Berlin. The basement includes remnants of a Weimar-era forbidden bar, and a prostitute's room.

You will not NEED to train anywhere else for a week in Berlin, if you don't want to! And Potsdam is good for a full day or two, depending on your interests, and your appetite for hiking.

I agree; I wouldn't day-trip to Erfurt or Quedlinburg from Berlin. For me they both deserve more time than that. However, Dresden takes as long to reach as Erfurt, and some folks are willing to day-trip to Dresden.

I actually like the Motel One at the Hauptbahnhof. This area is not seedy and the location means you have easy access to trains going everywhere. Have stayed here twice. Price is a bargain and it is worth paying for the breakfast option each day.
Berlin has more than enough to see to keep you busy for 2 weeks. After 5 visits, I still haven't seen everything.

Yes, to going to both Sachsenhausen and Ravensbrück Concentration Camps. Others have already posted about visiting Track 17, the Wannsee Villa, the Olympic Stadium, and all the various museums and memorials. Visit the Spree Wald.

Save at least 2 days for Potsdam. Either train there each morning from Berlin, or stay overnight in the Dutch quarter.

If you really want a longer trip to a close city, then perhaps Hamburg or as already mentioned, Dresden.

I'm not entirely sure what "scenery" means, but if it means nature, here are some more Berlin ideas...

1. Hike/walk a stage of the 66 Lakes Trail, a > 400 km trail that surrounds the city. I am just beginning to knock out stages, so I don't have a recommendation, but Google is your friend.
2. Go to the Köpenick/Müggelsee/Friedrichshagen area (detailed in the Rough Guide Berlin) for light hiking -- the Spreetunnel Friedrichshagen is an underground pedestrian tunnel that goes under the Spree to connect Friedrichshagen and Köpenick (built 1926-1927) -- interestingly (at least to me), Friedrichshagen has a Creole restaurant
3. If you are into kayaking (I'm not), check out kayaking on the Landwehrkanal and the Spree.

Like Ms Jo, I'm of the opinion that Berlin has an endless number of things to do. I've spent 40 nights there since 2016 and would have spent another 7 there in May had it not been for that meddling Coronavirus.

Thank you for all the great responses. I have my a lot of work in front of me reading all of these recommendations and doing some research and planning.

I can't really comment too much on Berlin as it has been a while since I was there purely for holiday but for Munich here are my recommendations:

• For solo travel Motel One is tough to beat in terms of value. The Munich locations I would recommend are: Sendlinger Tor, Ost or Haidhausen. All of these are in easy reach of public transport. If you join their loyalty program, BeOne, you should get a code for free breakfast for one stay. They also have a decent cancellation policy so you can book early and make changes if needed. I would not recommend the area around the Hauptbahnhof, there is nothing wrong with the Hauptbahnhof area but staying there is like staying near an airport in a major US city, it's mostly geared to business travelers who are just looking for convenience.
• Late spring through early fall is a good time to visit Munich.
  
• If you like transportation museums the Deutsches Museum and it's associated satellite museums, like the Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum, are worth a visit.
• For decent scenery/day train trip, any of the locations served by the Bayerische Oberlandbahn would make a nice day trip.
  

DJ

I would do some research on Berlin vs. Munich (as you're probably already doing). Munich is more of "storybook" Germany, reconstructed in "old world" German style vs. the newer style of Berlin. Seemingly more history in Berlin because of its prominence during WWII and after. Munich is more like going "back in time", as is Bavaria on the whole. Bavaria is gorgeous and not seemingly as "industrial" in my opinion.

Fall preferred for both. BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works, and since you mentioned transportation, a HQ tour is likely a good option for you if you visit Munich. Old town Munich right where the train station is located.

If it's scenery you're looking for, Munich and Bavaria has this is spades in my opinion. Every corner reveals something new and very cool. If you want to look at some of the most beautiful villages in Bavaria, check this out (https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/the-10-most-beautiful-towns-in-bavaria/). May give you an idea of some of the towns to see in Bavaria. If you do go to Bavaria, make sure you see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau (Ludwig's castles). Bucket list sights IMO.

Thanks, Dave! I've been to Berlin a couple of times, but now know much more I want to see.

I haven't been to Berlin in about 25 years and am noting all the comments above for sites to visit. Hoped to go to Germany for Christmas markets again this December but the Covid is interrupting that plan. Berlin was to be my starting point on a train trip to various German markets. I encourage a week in both cities. There is much to see in Munich as has been highlighted. While Munich can easily occupy a week, do consider a couple of day trips out to Nürnberg and Salzburg. We spent three days in Nurnberg for the Christmas Market a couple of years ago and encountered several others who trained (approx. 1 hour) from Munich for the day. The Nazi sights are a tram ride out of the main center and the main part of town and castle, Druer house, etc. are well worth the time. Of course Salzburg is a couple of hours but would be a good overnight stay from Munich. The old town is easily reached by walking from the train station.
Mu final suggestion is to take your time wherever you go and simply walk, meet the locals, eat and drink in local establishments and soak up the uniqueness of each place. RS has great guidebook info for all of these places. His walking tours can easily be done in a couple of hours and that leaves time for returning to your favorites. Enjoy! Let's hope we are all traveling soon!

Hey, Ruth. You're welcome!

Personally, I would rather go to Berlin than Munich. It is a vibrant, alive city with so many more things to see and do. Munich for me is a bit on the boring side.

Berlin has more varied tours, a more interesting history, more interesting side trips. You can visit Potsdam, Hamburg, Dresden, or the Spree Wald from Berlin.

I totally agree with @Ms.Jo here. For me Munich is a little bit boring and if you're looking for a more differs and a lot of experiences than go to Berlin.

However, for me I'd suggest that first you go to Munich where you can feel and taste all the traditional things in Germany, just to feel the roots in. I'd bet you really enjoy it...but since you do not like museums I dont suggest you stay for long in Munich maybe 3 days would be enough because the vibes is historical. You can go to the Rathaus and saw the traditional German clock..the beer scenery is amazing. Englischer Garten and many more....

This months should be perfect for you to travel...if you want to spend longe time in that area you might also want to go to Garmisch Partenkirchen, its so beautiful and take about 2-3 hours drive from Munich.

After all the traditional and into the nature experience you can visit Berlin for the more fun experimental things. Berlin are also historical but in a modern way...Bundestag, Alexanderplatz, The Berlin Wall and many more. Berlin is also known for its diversity...apparently there are more nationalities living in Berlin than in New York. So you can find so many restaurants from each country...how amazin is that :D

Hi,

Ideally, I would heartily suggest going to both, if time is not really a big concern. On my first trip to Germany, I went to both as a solo traveler, planned for it, etc.

Given only one choice, then I say Berlin hands down. Much as I like Munich, it is provincial compared to Berlin, fascinating going to Berlin, especially going out to the former suburbs (until 1920, Spandau, Koepenick, etc.

I find it super interesting walking through parts of Berlin sole or with the Mrs. The U-S Bahn system is not difficult to work. I use mainly the S-Bahn, plus going to Potsdam, one of my top favourite small towns in Germany, and Babelsberg can be done conveniently and easily as a day trip(s).

Time-wise, I like the summer, starting by mid-May.