In late July/Aug, after dropping my teen off at a German immersion camp, I don't want to turn right around and fly back to the US. Any suggestions for where to spend a week or so in Germany (or beyond?). I speak ein bischen German, a bit more French and have traveled in Europe with family the last few years, though never solo. Tour suggestions? (Rick's tour dates don't match up well), any particular great cities you'd recommend to park myself in and enjoy? (Paris is a serious option.) Thanks for any thoughts!
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
Where's the camp? It's good to know where your mini-tour starts and ends. Germany offers a lot of variety, so any personal interests you might wish to share could factor in too.
It's easy to get around solo - public transportation is generally a "10" on a 1-5 scale, and English is widely spoken. You might want to read Bavaria Ben's solo trip report just to gather some thoughts on the matter of solo travel.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
Berlin would be my first thought. There is so much to see there. It's easy to get around. If you want to contemporary Germany it's where it's at these days now that the capital is back in the city.
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi,
It's great to travel solo in Germany and easy too, even easier when you know the language, To see the cultural history of Germany how far regarding distance are you willing to travel? Do you have any places in mind? Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Berlin, Dresden, Munich, etc? Or, do you prefer the smaller towns?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
A lot would depend on what you like? Cities, mountains, forests, lakes, museums (kind?), historical sites, authentic castles? Without knowing what you like it is not possible to advise you. There is so much to see in Germany.
If you want to practice using your German, I would suggest small towns. Most of the scenic sites in Germany are near small towns, not cities.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15791 posts
Berlin for at least 5 days, with a day trip to Potsdam, then 2 days in Dresden (2 hours by train). You can easily get to the Berlin airport by train directly from Dresden. If you want to extend, then head to either Munich or Frankfurt. Frankfurt has enough to fill 2-3 days, and there are easy day trips from there too.
Paris? My favorite city in the world. If you're taking the train to Paris, perhaps stop in Strasbourg for 2-3 days on the way. There are several picturesque towns in the area, including lovely Colmar.
I had no trouble speaking only English in Germany. My French helped somewhat in France, but you could get by with just English too.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
You can choose your destination without the solo aspect entering your concerns at all. See also tips for traveling solo at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning.