Hi! We just got back from our 2 wk GAS tour, and I wanted to send out some notes while all is fresh.
We were blessed with spectacular weather-I guess we were on the other side of the drenching storms that caused flooding. The people in our group were fun to hang out with ( I would say the oldest couple were mid 70's, down to early 60's) and an amazing tour guide in Thomas K. He was always helpful, kind, and had a great sense of humor.
Dressing for this tour was a challenge as temps were all over the place. It forced us to perhaps pack more than we could have if temps were more consistent but we had some daytime high's mid 70's, and some daytime highs mid 50's. WE did laundry at our hotel in Murren. Some people used the laundromat there which they found to be finicky and time consuming. My husband and I budgeted for laundry and had the hotel in Murren do it so we didn't waste time in a laundromant on our vacation.
I brought 3 pair of shoes-didn't wear one pair at all. Some people only brought one pair and they wished they had brought a second.
The hotels we stayed in were all good mid-level hotels except for the one in Munich. I assume that due to Oktoberfest the Steves people had to find a hotel that was affordable, so that was the Ibis Hotel. They shut off AC at the end of August so the rooms were extremely hot and sleep was difficult there.
Loved every place we saw except for Lake Hallstatt which was crawling with tourists. The Steves people should rethink that stop.
Baden Baden was a surprising treat; a really lovely place. Wish we could have spent more time there.
There is a lot of bus time so you should bring reading material or audiobooks...Thomas did a great job of narrating along the way what we were seeing out the window.
We did make a day trip to the concentration camp at Mauthausen in Austria. I felt that there should have been a little more warning about what you were going to see. You will seen gas chambers and a crematory. It was very moving and sad but be forewarned.
This was only our 2nd Steves tour, the first being a "My Way" tour. We really liked the group dinners and the camaraderie, and would do a guided tour again.
Posted by
Southeast US
4027 posts
Thanks for the trip report. I always travel independently and wonder what the RS guided tours are like... I guess I will probably be doing those some day when I'm less adventurous. It's good to know what is in my future!
Posted by
5 posts
Hi Buddy! I would only add that there could be time better spent from Cologne to Burg Eliz, it was a great day trip and I enjoyed the Castle but the return trip to Cologne, a 2 hour bus ride and then followed by a 4 hour bus ride the next day back in the same direction. I might suggest a change in cities to reduce the time on the bus for this portion. I enjoyed Hallstatt, I feel we did not have enough time there, I could have done without stopping at the cheese farm on the way in order to get to Hallstatt earlier to enjoy the salt mine and the town more. While I don’t want to sound like a critic, I think in Vienna I could have done without the 3rd Man Museum, the information there and the history is terrific but the guide/owner we had there, well I feel a new guide is needed.
Posted by
Paradise
7015 posts
Looks like the 2025 tour does what you suggest, rickricci... Day 1 in Koblenz, then on Day 2 a shorter drive to Eltz and back, with a stop in Beilstein as well. See itinerary:
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/germany/germany-austria-switzerland-tour
Koblenz itself might be a bit disappointing compared with Cologne. But there are options near Koblenz that are quite good. So it surprises me that on Day 3 the tour bus abruptly leaves this area - which really is the "Best of Germany" IMO - in the proverbial dust - in favor of the spa treatments and gambling tables of Baden-Baden. No Rhine cruise? No Rheinfels Castle, no Bacharach, no Marksburg Castle?
I'm sure there are reasons for skipping almost the entire UNESCO World Heritage site which is the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, for which Koblenz is the northern entry point, but they are beyond my understanding.
I do hope tour participants will arrange to arrive 2-3 days early in this area for a stay in one of the smaller Rhine villages. Many can be reached by direct train in an hour or so from FRA airport, and some are well positioned for train outings... to Cologne, to Remagen's WW II museum, or to Boppard and the chairlift ride to Gedeonseck lookout and the other options previously mentioned. With railways on both riverbanks, ferry crossings in strategic spots, and cruise boat docks as well, this is one very accessible area for those who wish to explore on their own. See map:
http://www.loreley-info.com/eng/rhein-rhine/walking-hiking.php
Posted by
2 posts
Loved our Germany, Austria & Switzerland 14 day tour! Thomas was a fantastic tour guide, we really enjoyed time spent with all of the other tour members, and the weather - fantastic!
In response to lcolangelo (fellow tour members): We loved Hallstatt, even considering the crowds-wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. Ibis Hotel in Munich, while too warm without AC (we had AC the first night), was very conveniently only 1 stop from Oktoberfest. Perhaps they’d consider a request from RS about the AC. We also would have enjoyed another night in Baden-Baden - we enjoyed the hike up to the old castle on our first day, and would have enjoyed the baths on another day.
In response to rickricci: We loved the organic cheese farm in Austria. Appreciated the opportunity to learn of their farming methods, to support them in their efforts, and to meet the locals. Perhaps in Vienna, the 3rd Man Museum should be a suggested tour for the members’ free time - I could have skipped it. I appreciate that it’s an opportunity to learn of the history presented there however.
Additional comments:
Murren, the three peaks, and hiking in the Alps: Unforgettable, Wow! Hotel Jungfrau is a bit “tired”, but not a deal breaker if it’s to keep overall trip costs down. The North Face Trail hike was a highlight - easy to navigate to from Murren, although the trail head was a bit tricky to find. Perhaps a local guide could be made available to help identify and to inform how to navigate to some other more distant hikes in the area, to supplement the guide book-(wouldn’t expect this of the main tour’s guide - he did a great job helping us locate nearby hikes). We found the transportation and scope of the area a bit confusing to learn in a short amount of time.
Oktoberfest in Munich: We really enjoyed the experience of socializing with locals and travellers alike (joined a couple at their table, and with minutes our table was full with 2 other groups joining and all doing our best to chat, with some language challenges), testing a couple of beers and menu items, and strolling around through the crowds of adults and children, taking in the dress and festivities. Our biggest tip: go in the afternoon when it’s still festive but not as crazy as in the evening!
Husband really loved the Leopold Museum in Vienna, but it is specific to his art style so maybe not for everyone.
To reiterate - we LOVED this tour, one of the best trips I’ve ever taken! Hoping these comments are helpful to RS and travellers alike.