This is an offshoot from my original thread - http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1688778-united-frequent-flyer-miles-best-use-for-europe-travel-in-may.html#latest
I was getting some helpful feedback on Munich, so I thought I’d open a dedicated thread. That way it can be easier for other travelers to reference it too.
I think flights there are SO expensive now. I thought they’d be coming down with the huge drop in oil/gas products.
I understand though, that they contract for their fuel months in advance so maybe maybe they will come down soon.
We are hoping for Munich in May or September(to hit the shoulder season) and spend time in Switzerland too.
Last time we were nead Nueschwanstein, we stayed at Frau Ruchti’s house in Fussen. Very clean, reasonable price. Not a grand hotel, but no complaints for a budget traveler.
Yes, flights are expensive! We’ve been saving frequent flier miles for many years (including DH’s business trips to Japan and a United Visa credit card). We’ve tapped into them before but happily had just over 240,000 points … so good for 4 from Boston to Europe RT, as long as we picked the right cities for using “saver” rate.
We just spent Christmas in Munich. I don’t know that I can be that helpful, because Christmas is kind of an “atypical” German experience.
We really liked it though!
I do like these apartments and the nearby tram station. Not crazy being on “the other” direction from the station, further from the old city. Thoughts?
I originally booked the Citadines in Munich and later changed to Motel One. I like that chain (I’ve stayed in Citadines in Paris). This one is almost brand new and probably perfect for your requirements. As far as location—the S Bahn stops right out the door.
When I checked Citidines last week it was $155/night. Today I had a gasp at the Citadines site showing 206euro. Phew… back at Expedia it only went up a blip, to $160/night. It’s a little more than my Hotel Amba Quad (4 singles, $110/night) and the kids will need to alternate on couch/floor… but I’m still tempted. I’ll run it by DH tonight.
Per Munich transportation, there seem to be some good all day deals, especially if you travel as a family.
Most of the German transportation systems have nice family discounts. My D lives in Germany and she pre booked our train tickets. For the three of us on family group travel: for example our trip from Leipzig to Berlin for three people only costs 30 EU ( total.) Without booking ahead train travel in Germany can be expensive.
We stayed at Hotel Essgiesserei (or something to that effect), not far from Citidines. The rooms were tiny - so small that we ended up with 5 rooms for 10 people. There was not enough space to sleep on the floor comfortably. Here in the states we routinely jam 5 people into 1 room.
U-Bahn (subway) was great, and they had a deal where 5 people could ride on 1 ticket for the day. Our favorites were the outdoor beer gardens (of course), the river through the park where you jump in and let the current take you on a tour (downstream from the surfers), possibly the world’s best industrial museum (Deutsches Museum), and the Bavarian National Museum. The wife loved the one with tapestries and purses but, for the life of me, I cannot remember the name.
@colorado, how many days do u plan to be in Germany? Are u going to just see Munich or also do the surrounds?
For the surrounds, there’s the obvious Romance Road to the south of the city (Fussen, Oberammergau, the Austrian border, etc.). Also worth seeing is Dachau concentration camp to the north.
In the city itself, the Deutsches Museum is one of my favorites in the world.
If u are doing the surrounds, rent a car. It’ll provide better convenience & value for 4 people, compared to taking the train or doing a tour. It’s easy to drive in Germany. Great roads, great signage. If you are doing the Romance Road, consider staying in a pension or gasthaus down there. It’ll be cute & gemütlich, and you’ll get better value for the money, as compared to hotels in the city.
GMT - This trip is a family compromise (long story). We will do 4 nights in Rome, 1 night in Venice, 1 night on the train, and 4 nights in Munich. So we will do some day trips from Munich, but it will be our only base camp in Germany. Love the hints - thanks so much!
We stayed 3 nights in Munich last September. We visited Dachau - it took several hours. If you go, time it so you can get the (free) tour. The Residenz, even though reconstructed due to WWII damage,was fascinating. I went back and did the Treasury while H went to the Deutsches Museum.
We ate and drank a lot. There are plenty of great restaurants and beer halls. Reservations were necessary at more places than we expected.
We were there during Oktoberfest so we didn’t get to do as much as we’d wanted - Englisher Garden, more of the Deutsches Museum, Nymphenburg Palace, Andechs monastery. We did a couple of days in Rothenburg and hit the Audi museum before Munich and Neuschwanstein Castle on another trip.
The car was parked while in Munich, with the exception of visiting Dachau. Walking and public transportation were perfect for getting around the city.
I spent a few days in Rome last week. No crowds and not so cold in the sunshine. We had one rainy day that we spent indoors in a museum.
Tips:
DH wanted to go to the “Eagle’s Nest Mountain,” Hitler’s home and HQ for awhile, but it was closed during the winter.
Might be worth a trip.
http://www.eagles-nest-tours.com/EN/eagles-nest-tours/index.php?navid=2
If you enjoy art… my favorite art museum is in Munich:
http://www.lenbachhaus.de/collection/the-blue-rider/introduction/?L=1
it’s the largest collection of Blauer Reiter in the world. A lot of people overlook this stunning museum.
Thanks for the great tips.
zee - Tell me about the Audi museum. That is tops on DH’s wishlist - he’s been driving Audis since 2001 (DD is still driving the 1998). It’s a doable day trip by train (this trip will be all public transportation). But there are other high priority day trips too.
Maybe u could get FC Bayern tix at Allianz Arena. That would be fun.
https://www.allianz-arena.de/en/
I had DD look at Hotel Amba (budget, 4 single beds ) and Citadines apartments. She like Citadines, despite being small disadvantages - further from train station (still easy public transit), sofa bed (kids will alternate sleeping on floor) and possible lack of nearby restaurants. It’s a little more expensive ($160/night vs $110), but I think it would be worth it to have more space and privacy.
If u have convenient access to a Metro line, you’ll be fine.
A useful hotel search website i have used extensively is:
wotif.com
I like how it displays a table showing vacancy by day. I’ve used it for booking hotel rooms in europe & asia, but haven’t had a chance to use it yet to book in Germany.
Just like for airline ticket bookings, i use the third party website to search for good deals, then i book directly w the hotel.