Hello - I'm hoping some of you experts can help me narrow down some travel plans for Sept 2017. My husband and I will be traveling to Berlin in late September of 2017 - I'll be running the marathon. We are planning to travel for about a week or so afterwards and would like to end our trip in London (my law firm has a London office and I'd like to stop in and maybe work a half day out of the London office). My difficulty is figuring out what to do in between Berlin and London. We'll be leaving Berlin Sept 25 (morning after the marathon) and would like to head to London around Sept 28 or 29. The question is what to do in between Berlin and London. I'd like to actually get to enjoy another city but I'm just not sure where. We've considered Prague, Paris or just other cities in Germany. Would love some ideas and input. We will be skipping Oktoberfest - I am much more of a wine drinker and while I know there is a wine tent, I don't think my husband would love it. BUT we would be interested in a wine tour or river tour or something if possible. I'd also be willing to scrap London for something amazing. Basically there are too many options for two first time Europe visitors. Help! Oh - we'd like to avoid renting a car if at all possible. Thanks in advance.
Posted by
Edmonds WA
244 posts
From what your describing your interests are I think you would like the Rhine region. You would get 2 of your interests- wine tour and river tour. Its a beautiful area especial that time of year. You can check out the Mosel too. Since you are also outdoorsy and into running you would enjoy the paths along the river and hiking in the area.
Posted by
Washington DC
27184 posts
Tell us a bit about your interests--art, history, beautiful countryside (mountains? lakes?), food, something else? Will you have had time to see much of Berlin before the race? It has a wealth of museums and historic sights and can absorb a lot of time if you happen to be interested in World War II and/or Cold War history.
As you said, the options are pretty much endless, so we need some guidance about your interests.
What I wouldn't want to do is pick a place so far from both Berlin and London that I had to take two intra-European flights, thereby pretty much killing most of my free time.
I you want to explore transit time to some places that interest you, you can use the Deutsche Bahn for trains and skyscanner for flights. For smaller towns buses might be helpful; you can get some rough bus-time estimates from Rome2Rio.
Posted by
Chicago
7880 posts
Considering the time you have available and that you will be recovering from soreness of running a marathon it would seem realistic to take a quick plane ride to Paris
(where you can tour the seine and get a wine day tour away http://www.wine-day-tours.com/ )
and stay 25,26,27,28 and then the high speed train to London
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks - this is helpful. I should mention this will be marathon #8 so I'm not opposed to serious walking the day after - it actually helps with the soreness. These are all great options. As far as more interests, food, wine, and history are interests for sure. We like museums but not as into art.
Posted by
Greeley, co, usa
2416 posts
Last sept., we met some who had run and completed ! the marathon when we were in Bacharach on the Rhine
Posted by
Chicago
565 posts
If you like non-art museums, Berlin is chock-full of them. Are your plans to leave set? Berlin really is a great place to visit. The Jewish Museum and the DDR Museum can be done in one day together. They both have interactive exhibits and are very informative.
The big daddy, on the other side of the Spree from the DDR Museum on Unter Den Linden, is the German History Museum. Plan to spend a full day here, especially if you are fascinated by 20th Century history, like I am. It's easily my favorite museum in the world, and I am into art.
Skip the Checkpoint Charlie Museum (expensive, cluttered) and go to the Mauermuseum near the Nördbanhof instead if you'd like to learn more about the Berlin Wall.
If you do leave, Dresden is a great place to spend a night or two. Heading in the other direction, I'd suggest Amsterdam.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15591 posts
You said a week or so after the marathon, but then you say leave Berlin right after on the 25th and get to London on the 28th or 29th. That leaves only 2-3 full days and potentially a long train ride on the 25th when you'd rather be walking.
Please clarify. If you've only got a couple days options are much more limited
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
If you'll be in Berlin and wine interests you, the closest wine region is in Saxony, outside of Dresden along the Elbe river. I was particularly surprised by the quality of the wine in Radebeul. Even in Germany, the wine from this region is not well known. September is harvest festival time all across Germany (Oktoberfest is just the most well-known festival abroad, but it's only a Munich affair), so it wouldn't surprise me if Saxony has it's own wine festival(s) around the same time.
Posted by
Paradise
6663 posts
"...we would be interested in a wine tour or river tour or something if possible...As far as more interests, food, wine, and history are interests for sure. We like museums but not as into art."
Catch a train to one of the wine towns near Koblenz for a few days. Once there...
Take Boppard's chairlift and walk to Gedeonseck terrace.
Tour Marksburg Castle in the town of Braubach, or Rheinfels Castle and museum, and/or Burg Eltz Castle
Cruise past the vineyards, castles, and villages of the Middle Rhine Valley
Stop off in Winningen on the Mosel on the way to Burg Eltz or to Cochem.
Museums: Head tp Remagen for the Peace Museum. Also, The open-air museum in Bad Sobernheim - really interesting.
Boppard's wine fest begins Fri. Sept. 29. Saturday (w/ fireworks) is the biggest day though. Of course if you can't make it, there are places in town, wherever you are, where you can try the local wines - like the Heilig Grab in Boppard. Boppard also has a popular eatery/wine house - the Weinhaus Römerburg, with walls from ancient Rome:
All the river towns in this region are served by train. Getting around is cheap and easy - a VRM-zone day pass for 2-5 adults is €22:
http://www.vrminfo.de/en/tickets/tickets/ticket-offers/leisure-ticket/#c422
After a few days here, you can fly from nearby Frankfurt-Hahn airport to London-Stansted on Ryanair.