Staying on Military bases

The problem is that many military bases in Germany have closed over the last two years so it will be hard to get an current listing. There is still the Edelweiss Lodge in Garmisch:

http://www.edelweisslodgeandresort.com/eligibility.html

The Ramstein Air Base (Nato) is still open so you might research there.

When we were stationed in Germany, I thought that it was often preferable and even cost competitive to stay in Germany Gasthaus. But, with the recent slip of the dollar the cost competitiveness may have changed.

Regards, Gary

It's been a long time since I was stationed overseas, some of this may have changed. You can stay at R&R facilities run by the American military. As I recall they are now priced more like a regular resorts based on rank. Still a good deal for lower ranks. I'm still in the Air Guard but find better deals elsewhere.

You can also stay at on-base housing on a space available basis. This is usually affordable basic housing but may be hard to come by, especially if there is any exercise or deployment when you are there.

You can also take advantage of a couple of military benefits. The exchange and commissary may be a source of affordable groceries and souvenirs. They are based on the dollar, so a credit card transaction won't have an exchange cost.

You can also use their post office to ship souvenirs home. The cost of sending a parcel is the same as if you sent it from a Post Office in the states (but it takes awhile to arrive).

Availability at the on-base guest houses has been tight recently (almost unavailable at Ramstein and Landstuhl unless you are on orders), so it might be difficult. At any PX, Navy Exchange or BX, you should find a copy of a book that lists the phone numbers and web addresses (if available) of all the military guest houses throughout the world. And also, be aware that most of the remaining US bases in Germany are located in the Rhineland-Pfalz, in areas of little touristic interest (although certainly enjoyable enough to visit)...

The book that was mentioned will help you, but many, many bases have closed. And there is a certain amount of red tape coming and going from on post guesthouses--there are guard gates, and id cards are checked. If you do not have an id card, your father will have to sign you in and out each time or do paperwork that covers your stay.

Cost is based on rank, so sometimes it is cheaper to stay in local guesthouses or even hotels. If you tell me some of the places you plan to visit, I might be able to make some recommendations.

Enjoy your trip!

Jan,
I currently live on a military installation located in a great area of Germany. I would suggest that you locate a base hotel that you would like to stay at, contact them and explain your situation. It might be extremely difficult for you to gain access as those of us who have family visit have to gain commander's approval as well as fill out a bunch of paperwork. If you do gain access, I do know that you will not be allowed to shop at the PX or Commissary. As for the comment that most military bases are in areas of little tourist interest, I would have to disagree. The military installation I'm located at is in Heidelberg, which is a beautiful city with a stunning castle. I live within 45 minutes of Rothenberg and Strasbourg France, 3 hrs from Fussen, and there are many excellent small towns located within 30 minutes of my house that have great sites (Speyer is one of them). So if you are able to stay on a base, you will have no issues getting to see great areas!

The biggest problem with some bases is they only let you stay as Space A. If they have an opening. I have a hard time with this. It is way too hard to plan things. The Navy on the other hand has Navy Lodges. They let you reserve up to a month in advance and you can not be bumped. Unfortunatly the only country in Europe with a Navy Lodge is Italy. They have 2.

Ok, your dad should still be in the DOD system. If you have his social and his birthdate you can use Air Force Crossroad website.
http://www.afcrossroads.com/ You will be able to see all instalations listed by country and then by base. If you click on either the housing link or relocation link you should get a list of inns or TLFs and a phone number where you can call for info. I was just looking to see if they say Space A or not and didn't see it but from staying on so many bases here in the US I have found it is mostly Space A. In Stuttgard there are 4 inns and the Army has 17 instalations.

Heidelberg is an obvious exception, but I would still argue that few people travel to Europe to visit Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Weisbaden, Kitzengen, Hohenfels, etc. (although it is possible to enjoy yourself in these towns). You'll have to pay for the transport costs to travel to more interesting sites anyway, so why not just stay closer to the tourist attractions? Having used the Airforce Lodge at Landstuhl as a base to expore the Rhine, I can say from experience that if I had to plan that trip again, I would stay in Bacharach, or some other town on the Rhine.

Thank you, everyone for your information. As I plan this trip, I will consider what I've learned.

Carrie - We plan to fly in to Frankfurt and fly out of Munich. Some of the places my dad would like to visit include Frankfurt, Augsburg, Munich, Steinberg?/Starnburg?, Garmisch, Oberammergau, the Eagle's Nest, Babenhausen, ... We have two weeks. I will need to find places that won't be too expensive, but can be comfortable for an 84 yr old man who is 6'4" and is not in the best of health. I know I'm asking for a lot.

Thank you All, again.

In the case of Garmisch (one of the greatest spots on earth, in my opinion), you won't even save any money at the military hotel. There are much better options available for less money.

We're stationed in Germany as well (in one of the less desirable stations) my advice would be to stay in German guest houses but use the US services that are available to you. Edelweiss isn't the cheapest way to stay in Garmisch, but it is handy to be able to use the commissary. Hohenfels is an hour and a half outside Munich and close to Regensburg. Garmisch is a couple hours away from Bertchesgaden.

If you are traveling with a car, you can often save money by not staying in cities but rather near them. Private homes in tourist areas like Garmisch, Berchtesgaden (Eagle's Nest) or St. Goar (on Rhine near Frankfurt) will often let rooms and you will see "Zimmer Frei" (room free) signs to identify them.

You might also rent a vacation apartment (Fereienwohnung) in vacation areas for three or more days (usually required). Do web searches on Fereinwohnungen _______ (Garmisch, Berchtesgaden, St. Goar, etc.).

Most towns and villages in Germany have websites such in the following format: Berchtesgaden.de or St-Goar.de. Many have tourist offices that can direct you to vacation appartments or pensions, or even help you make reservations. They will usually have an email address and someone who can handle English.

Jan,

If you are interested in where you can stay using Army lodging, you should check out the Army's MWR travel website, http://www.armymwr.com/portal/travel.

Dan

Jan,
You have gotten some great input but also some with that is wrong. My wife and I travel to Germany Austria etc every year and sometimes more.
- PX,PO, commissary - For Active duty only.You can not use cause Status of Forces agreement, but you can use Foodland for food, beer, cokes etc.
- Without ID you must sign in at gate. Can get to be an ordeal as when we visited Baumholder with IDs.
- Places on base you can use: Guest rooms at Ramstein. Kelly Barracks near Stuttgart--excellent hotel and price was not bad.
- Hohenfels has guest rooms, but location is isolated but near a beautiful town Regensburg.
- Best of all--Zimmer Frei or Gast zimmer. You can see the signs as you drive in the towns.
- I agree with some responders, but the Mosel river is a very beautiful place. Bernkastel Kues is about 1 1/2 hour drive from Ramstein. Rooms at small hotels were 50-55 euros last year in off season.Ditto in Bacarach as one said. Rhine boat tour is great.Can give you more if asked. Enjoy

I am currently at Kelly Barracks/CFK in the Darmstadt area. I would not recommend using either of these as they are in the process of being closed. All of the facilities on these bases are being transfered to Weisbaden. I am pretty sure they have already closed the lodging. Hope this helps.