We recently returned from Best of Germany, Austria and Switzerland June 2023 GAS060323.
1. Many of us were not sure why we stopped in Baden Baden. We had time for dinner and sleep and then back on the bus. Not sure of the purpose of this stop.
2. Destination Hallstatt. We were told to pack an overnight bag to make it easier on our bus driver so he would not have to handle our suitcases that day. Pack, unpack, repack for a one night stay. Then had to unpack and repack our luggage when we arrived in Vienna. Not sure why we were inconvenienced when it is the job of our driver and what he was being paid to do.
3. Hallstatt was beautiful, but the hotel (Dormio?) left something to be desired. Rooms were strangely designed with doors blocking other doors, i.e. the bathroom door blocked the exterior door creating a safety issue. The hotel had very few fans and the rooms were very warm.
4. Several of us were not able to download the Mauthausen Concentration Camp App so we went to the visitor's center and handed over our passports to receive an audio player. It should be noted to all future tours that there is a QR code on the wall of the visitor's center that provides exactly what the downloaded App provided without having to give up our passports.
5. Our Guide, Ruby, was absolutely wonderful and adorable. She made the time on the bus fun and entertaining.
6. This was our first tour and we were amazed at how cohesive the group was. We were from all over the USA and everyone had a unique story to tell. Other tour members who had been on multiple tours said this is the norm.
7. Murren, Switzerland was by far our favorite stop. We had plenty of time to explore and hike and ride the gondolas and the trains. The scenery was beyond belief. The hotel we stayed in, Hotel Jungfrau, had amazing views from our rooms and the front desk and restaurant/bar staff were wonderful.
Posted by
Southern Oregon
627 posts
When we took this tour we had plenty of time in Baden Baden, toured the casino, some took spa treatments, we walked the creek and took the funicular to the top of the nearby mountain, next day explored the town. Hallstatt was a great stop with the boat ride around the lake, exploring the churches and some did the salt mine tour. Sounds like you had a different hotel in Hallstatt than the norm, possibly. I am truly sorry some of these days didn’t meet your expectations.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8882 posts
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Sometimes there is a short one night stop because logistically one is required to cover the distances involved. I was quite surprised that you were upset about taking a small bag to Hallstatt. I've done this several times when we were going to a location that involved moving our luggage over distance. It took just a few minutes and made carrying my bag so much easier on me. The truth is that packing a small bag makes it easier on you, not the bus driver.
Posted by
32 posts
Thank you for the update on the trip. I am on this trip in Sept. and it is nice to know a little in advance. I had thought about going to the visit the Spa in Baden Baden, but now will rethink that visit. No problem. Also good to know about the short overnight trip and repacking my storage cubes. Last year, I took the BOE 14 day and it was advised to repack for an overnight in Venice. Thank you for the trip report.