Hi, this isn’t a full trip report but rather my notes from the early October RS Best of Germany tour. The BOG doesn’t receive a lot of attention on the forum. I thought it might be helpful to share for travelers considering the tour! Apologies in advance for lack of umlauts.
Guide & Overall: First, I thought this was a great tour. I’ve taken six RS tours, and this ranks as one of my favorites and favorite groups. Michael D. was our guide and did a fantastic job. Rene was our bus driver—skilled and has a wonderful sense of humor. With the Rhine at record lows and the KD river cruise axed, Michael came up with a creative alternative to enjoy a wine and flammkuchen lunch in Bacharach.
Hotels: Our hotels were all good with plentiful breakfasts. The bread, oh my goodness! Most all had eggs, bacon, and mushrooms (quasi full English) in addition to the bread, cereals, yogurt, meat, fish, and cheese offerings. The Altes Brauhaus in Rothenburg and Hotel am Markt in Bacharach were the two “old school Rick Steves” ones—others are modern city hotels. (Hotels vary by tour.)
Meals: I thought the food was excellent, even meals on our own, but I’m not picky and I don’t have a gluten allergy. We usually had three choices (one was 5 choices). My favorite meals were Pinkus Muller (group lunch) in Munster, Reichskuchenmeister in Rothenburg, Fleetschlosschen fish & chips in Hamburg. Several places had pumpkin soup! I grew up eating German food, but we were a little confused at first to not have mustard (senf) with our pretzels. I take it this is an Americanized tradition. The Germans tend to have butter with the pretzel and keep the mustard for wursts.
Cadence: It’s a quick moving tour. IMO, a little too quick in a few spots. I would have preferred a little more time (even an hour more) in Munster, Coburg, and Dresden. Longest walking day was Berlin. In terms of ascent, there are two short but steep climbs (Rheinfels and Wartburg) but shuttle bus was offered as an option on the way up.
What I'd change: The Rothenburg to Munich day includes Dachau. This is a long day. I would shorten or possibly eliminate the Munich orientation tour with the local guide. Instead, offer a quick history lesson on the bus and then do a brief "You are Here" neighborhood walk after getting to the hotel. This is mid trip, and I could sense the temporary fatigue setting in. Just my opinion. It was also raining that day, which may not have helped the mood.
Good to Know:
Trains - If you’re taking the long-distance ICE trains, I bought our tix from Deutsche Bahn and used the DB app while traveling. Very helpful. Delays were only a few minutes for us. Note: We were NOT catching the ICE the same day our flight landed, so we didn’t have to worry about missing our train.
EES at Frankfurt – We had short waits for both entry and exit (15 minutes). I understand others have had longer waits.
Tech/Charging – We had outlets on bus but no Wi-Fi (I don’t think). Not every hotel is going to have A or C USB outlets. Bring your adapter! Our guide set up an optional WhatsApp group. A fun way to keep in touch—the day’s itinerary is still posted in the hotel.
WCs – Have or borrow a Euro or coins. At truck stops, you insert the coin, receive a 1 Euro voucher ticket for a coffee or other purchase, and walk thru the turnstiles. Pay or not, every public toilet that I saw was clean. Public transit = very clean compared to the U.S.
Cash - Have Euros. We paid cash for at least one taxi and in smaller shops (Bacharach). Also, your RS guide may offer an optional group activity that might involve paying via cash. I would not assume that every place takes card. Many do. Some do not.
Taxis - We used the buttercream yellow taxis (same color throughout the country) a few times and found them easy to catch at larger train stations or have the hotel desk reserve. I can't speak to Uber or other apps.