Either drop some of the content or add a day or two. Going to Bergen Belsen was very moving. You'll also time-trip through the medieval charms of Rothenburg, walk in the revolutionary footsteps of Luther, reflect on the tumultuous events of World War II, and marvel at the modernity of 21st-century Berlin. David leads Rick Steves tours in Italy and offers Italian culture classes, Italian language lessons, and live Zoom concerts with his acoustic guitar trio, Bartender. It's a breeze to reach Berlin's airports by shuttle, S-bahn train, bus, or taxi. But I also enjoyed Wartburg Castle, Nurnberg's Nazi Documentation Center, and the roof-top tour of Berlin's Reichstag.". As an 18-year-old, Rick began traveling on … The visit to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp was deeply moving.". We even heard 2 being played! "I enjoyed hearing Catalina's family experience with growing up in Germany and how the holocaust affected her interest in history". We'll also learn about the town's historic Jewish population. Your afternoon is free for wandering through the picturesque pedestrian zone and market square. Learning about Martin Luther and following his foot steps provided great insight into my faith. Loved seeing Dresden and Rothberg (walking the wall even in the rain was great). I also really enjoyed the walking tour with our local guide, Micheal, in Munich. There were not as many 'natural beauty' WOW moments on this trip as on our Ireland and Italy tours, but we loved everything we saw.". "I don't know if there is one favorite "wow" as there were so many. It was a good lesson in realiziing how little I know about the world and especially, Europe.". "We had so many "Wow" moments! The tour was planned out perfectly. Each stop along the way delivered a unique slice from the emigrant experience in Hamburg, to medieval times along the Rhine, to WWII in East Germany. I would not have gone there on my own. "I don't have a specific "wow" moment. It was amazing. So fascinating, and all the consequences...". Should Dachau replace Bergen-Belsen on the itinerary? Boat: 1 hour. From our wonderful/talented/funny/thoughtful tour guide Ms. Caroline to the hotels, food, itinerary, special tours and of course our bus drivers; Big John and Handsome Henry. Our local tour guide was very engaging. All the included meals were excellent. A big contrast to other European venues, eg France.". Turning a wish list into a day-by-day itinerary for your European vacation isn’t just smart, it’s fun. As always, a well organized, interesting, and informative tour. She's a photographer and offers trip-planning services. The words she quoted prompted me to compare the past to modern events and gave me chills.". Had a wide variety of sites to see. St. Michael's Church Renaissance church housing Baroque decor and a crypt of 40 Wittelsbachs. Our guide was well prepared, knowledgeable, polite, and protective..meaning he made sure all of our group was accounted for before leaving and area. Rick produces a best-selling guidebook series, a public television series, and a public radio show, and organizes small-group tours that take over 20,000 travelers to Europe annually. Our tour provided exposure to many topics that were a springboard to further research. However, the months of May, June, September, and October are best for offering generally good weather, lighter crowds, and the full range of tourist fun. I found Berlin alive, young, yet steeped in history. Discounting that, I think it would be walking the entire perimeter of Rothenburg.". Carolina watched out for me and would call a cab when an uphill climb she felt would be too much for me. We enjoyed the company of the rest of our group when we would meet for group dinners and events. Wow #2: Münden's quiet/slower-paced town life & relaxing river sounds. This was my first Rick Steve's tour and first ever trip abroad. This tour "The Best of Germany" truly lived up to it expectation. This was a great tour, but the itinerary needs some adjustments. "My favorite overall day on the tour was the day spent touring the ruins of Rheinfels Castle, seeing the Rhine River and its castles from a boat tour, learning about Bacharach from our local guide, tasting local Riesling wines, and then, having independent time to hike the remains of some of Bacharach's medieval city walls. History hit me head on. Germany Travel Guide by Rick Steves For coronavirus (COVID-19) travel information, see our FAQ . When we signed up for the tour, I knew I could walk 3 miles...just did not know some of it would be uphill and at 83, my asthma which I had not had in years decided to kick in. Sleep in Erfurt. They were great! Germany Itinerary. SItes were interesting. The third was after our guide booked a special trip to Wartburg Castle. This was our third RS tour and like the other two it was very, very busy. "Hearing our guides families experiences during World War Two. The time spent on the bus, walking, touring was just to my limit. Most tour members arrange to fly into Hamburg (HAM) and out of Berlin (BER) — choose "multicity" on flight-booking websites. We were tired by the end of the trip had a great time. Also, pretty much enjoyed the food there, not as heavy as we thought it would be. I enjoyed this tour since it rounded out our Rick Steves tours of Europe. Hamburg was hot at night! The Best of Germany Tour was similar to taking a Semester Abroad and cramming it into two weeks! Posted on February 7, 2018 February 8, 2018 by Rick Steves Video: Munich’s Oktoberfest If Germany’s on your list, consider timing your trip around one of Europe’s biggest parties: Munich’s Oktoberfest . I could have done with more time in Munich and skip Hamelin. Our Berlin hotel was a former apartment. TOurguide Caroline was knowledgeable & a pleasure. Supplement $675. "These were my "wow" sites: Bacharach, Rothenburg, Neuschwanstein, and Erfurt. This evening we'll tag along on the legendary Night Watchman's tour. The tour was well thought out. We had the right amount of "our time" in each city. Two especially colorful moments were the beauty and charm of Bacharach and Erfurt. I am so glad we spent 5 extra days there as it has so much to offer.". Munster had air conditioning! The tour was well organized, our guide Maisie was great, and we saw a variety of things. The food was excellent and the hotels were so comfortable and welcoming! After orientation and transportation lessons, be able to navigate towns and cities on your own. I enjoyed exploring the Elbphilharmonie and eating fish and chips on the harbor. My Account. Thank you for sharing your family stories.". The Best of Germany tour begins with the sound of seagulls in Hamburg, a city that tickles tourists with its people-friendly harbor and a nearly Nordic vibe. It was a great mixture of large and small towns, of structured and unstructured time, and of differing levels of "tourist"-y feeling activities. "My "WOW" moment was riding on the autobahn and seeing the Alps come into view when we entered Bavaria.". Germany had been at the top of our bucket list for some time. David Tordi: Virtual Classes, Language Lessons, Music. Also really enjoyed the 4 hour walk through Berlin. Try the beer, meander the mighty Rhine, daydream through fairy-tale forests, and have fun storming the castle. I enjoyed the continuous activity and although it was a little scary navigating the larger cities of Hamburg, Munich and Berlin, we surprised ourselves and did do! "There wasn't one or even three favorite "wow" moments: there were many little "wow" moments. Wow! "The old city of Rottenburg was extremely interesting. It is a lovely, walk-able city that has so much to offer.". Until 1871, it was the capital of an independent Bavaria. "Visiting Bacharach and tasting the locally produced Riesling wine and then looking outside to see the castles and lush, green, vineyards on the slopes of the valley while the Rhine river flowed beneath them.". The stain glass windows were beautiful. Without question having been on previous RS tours, Carolina is one of the best guides from the standpoint of looking after the personal needs of the group, knowledgeable about the history of towns/cities visited and able to inject humor, music and personal information to keep the interest high in what we were seeing and doing. The lunch at the restaurant there was delightful. Rick Steves' Europe. Her take on current events, the German political system, and her perspective on how the German people are still dealing with the aftermath of WW2 was insightful. Breakfast is provided, but there are no group activities today. However, the Jewish Memorial in the middle of Berlin was amazing. The night watchman's tour was amazing. Tour was very encompasing, intense and covered a lot of Germany culture and history. We absolutely loved our tour of Germany! Immersion into german life, and language, and learning about the culture throuout the entire trip was my "WOW".". This was my first Rick Steve's tour. "Sorry -- can't possibly come up with just one. A beautiful country with a dramatic history right up to the current day. The guide on the boat tour at Hamburg gave a fantastic tour of the harbor. Perhaps the Schloss Weissenstein at Pommersfelden was a "wow" that stood out - more than the Schloss Neuschwanstein. I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. The hotels on the tour were very comfortable, clean, with good breakfasts, and helpful staff. Any tips, advice, or critique on our itinerary would be greatly appreciated. I did really enjoy Oktoberfest in Munich but that's not always a part of the tour.". "Seeing an actual operating paternoster (continuous elevator) during the walking tour of Hamburg. ", "Dresden was a total wonderful, surprise. Your guides were excellent: extremely knowledgeable and organized. I convinced a friend to come along this time and I believe she really enjoyed her experience. Sleep in Berlin. It all brought so many emotions.". We followed the advertised itinerary and saw some very beautiful and interesting sites. There were many, including castles, cathedrals, vineyards, Luther sights, historical venues, etc. Hello, My wife and I will be visiting Europe for the first time on our one year anniversary. Light walking: 2–4 miles throughout the day on mostly level terrain. Our tour sites were culturally rich. The tour does such a good job of helping you explore the cities on your own and appreciating their uniqueness. "Definitely, the time spent in Munich and at Octoberfest.". I enjoyed the mix of the small towns and big cities as it gave a lot of variety to the tour. It was picture perfect.". I enjoyed each and every minute of it! Maybe just the whole stay in Urfurt.". Then we'll continue on to the Rhine Valley and our charming riverside village, where we'll have dinner together. Their stories brought the war from a historical textbook into real life first hand experiences. Being at Zeppelin Field was overwhelming.". We visited so many interesting place. I started the tour mostly hoping to visit historic places, eat some good food and drink some good beer. I had a great time. No bus. I should have realized that it would mean lots of bus travel to go to all the included cities as the actual time on the bus was the only thing I didn't like. ", n A++ trip from start to end. Learned where Prussia was. Steve’s labor of love is our Rick Steves France guidebook…and I’m honored to be his co-author. It was nice having an Asst director. 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