Munich May 6 - 10

hi Dan, Bavarians are very nice and so helpful, in Munich we found that most people spoke english. We always learn the basic, hello, thank you, please, numbers etc. I have noticed that in most of Europe, the younger generation speak english so when i really need help, i ask them.

I can give you the Canadian perspective, if not the American one.

Munich is a very welcoming city. As great as it would be to speak German, I do not and the Germans do not seem to expect that people should be able to speak their language if they are from a different country. I never had trouble, and the people who speak no english, or very little english, were still very nice and tried to help as best they could.

Even the few moments where I tried to speak German, the person usually responded in English (which is an indictment of my German ability... which is almost zero).

From an American perspective, I found Germany as a whole to be a very welcoming country. Honestly the people I met could not have been more outgoing, more helpful and just plain kind.

The German language is so very similar to English - it is by far the easiest to pick up a few phrases before you go. It always helps to approach people with their language and then try to piecemeal a conversation after that - plus its fun.

My husband realized learning German was for him when we took a class and found out the word for mitten in German is litterally "Hand Shoe"...a shoe for your hands. Handshue (spelling probably not quite right). Anyway, have fun, be relaxed - you will be welcomed with open arms if you have a smile on your face.

You'll be fine. Just be polite and make your best attempt to use a few curteous German phrases. The person you're talking to will probably then answer you in nearly flawless English...

And don't worry about anyone's opinion of Americans. Most peoples' interactions with you will be based on you as an individual, not on their preconceived notions of Americans.

My grandfather always told me that within 30 minutes of his first visit to Munich in the 1940s (he was an army officer), every image of bloodthristy Huns he had been exposed to from Hollywood in the previous 20+ years was forgotten.

As a visitor (tourist), your inability to speak and/or understand German should present you with no problem whatsoever in Munich. It's possible that you may encounter someone who speaks little or no English (perhaps a taxi driver), but you'll be able to patch enough German together with a phrase book to get where you're going. Use the basic phrases to really enjoy your visit and earn respect points: Guten Morgen, Guten Tag, bitte, danke, Auf Wiedersehen, whatever. My family speaks German, but I do not and can get along just fine with a phrase book. As for attitudes toward Americans, Munich is laid-back and liberal, so you should expect to feel as welcome as you might feel in, say, San Francisco (another fantastic city). Munich feels much smaller to me than in actually is...it's accessible and accommodating. I've visited Germany many times and find Munich to be my favorite of all the cities. On second thought, I think you'll probably find Munich more welcoming than San Francisco.

Munich is a great city. It has some world class sites and gemutlichheit (translates roughly to good living). Bavarians are generally jovial and most speak excellent English. I've been a few times and always felt welcome.

We just got back from two weeks in Germany, the last three nights of which were spent in Munich. We encountered no hostility to Americans anywhere. Everyone we came into contact with (hotels, restaurants, museums, tourist traps, etc) was very pleasant and spoke English. I know a little German but it was not at all necessary. Rick's guidebook will give you plenty of ideas on where to stay and what to see in Munich. We stayed at the Pension Lindner which is two blocks from Marienplatz in the center of town. Like all the other places he recommends, it was quiet, clean, comfortable, and included a very nice breakfast.