DD (17yo) has a few days she can spend in Germany with a train pass. Will be coming and returning from Denmark so southern Germany/Bavaria is too far to go. Thought she might do Frankfurt-Rhine-Cologne, then overnight in Hamburg on return. If she were to stay couple of days in one of those cities, which would you recommend? She likes Art museums, cathedrals.
Alternatively, she could spend 3 days or so in Berlin.
Will be traveling alone 
Forget Frankfurt, it is not worth it. Cologne is nice - but I would really recommend Berlin. If been there seven times and still haven’t seen everything. Berlin has it all, museums, cathedrals, lots of history, great for shopping.
Any of those cities would be worthwhile, but I have a special fondness for Berlin. I spent a few days there with my daughter when she was about the age of your own daughter, and she was blown away. It really brought home to her so much of the history of the mid-20th century. Years later, she continues to say what a significant and moving experience it was for her.
This spring, I spent 11 days, 10 nights in Berlin - alone, though I’m not 17. Still didn’t see it all. Five world class, unique museums on Museum Island. Bernliner Dom, right next to Museum Island, is Protestant - Lutheran, but stunning - great views from the top. Other churches - Kaiser Wilhem Memorial, Marienkirche, St Hedwig’s. In the same location as Museum Island - the DDR Museum of life in the old East Berlin. I enjoyed although a bit touristy. Changing locations slightly, another of the great art museums - Gemaldegalerie. WWII sites and memorials, Reichstag, day trip to Postdam to see the Frederick the Great palaces or stay in Berlin and visit Charlottenburg Palace. Jewish Museum is also architecturally stunning and, at least for me, moving. Many other smaller museums and art galleries that I visited - this was my reason for going to Berlin and nothing disappointed. Berlin city transport is incredibly easy and convenient - bus, tram, elevated train, subway - many options. And, if one branch strikes, as happened when I was there, other modes of transport were still operating. Taxis also easily available. English commonly spoken. I wanted to use my German, and kept getting English in response.
Frankfurt-Rhine-Cologne is beautiful. If she can find a Rhine boat tour, it would be a different experience than a city and its museums. Many years ago, train passes could be used for these - but that may well be ancient history…
Hamburg is on my list - lots to see there although I’ve only planned that visit - not done it yet!
Will she stay in a hostel or student-type accommodation? Maybe too staid for the preferences of a 17 year old, but I stayed at the Radisson Blu which was next to right Museum Island, taxi stand in front, down the street from great bus lines and train lines, walkable to many WWII sites, Reichstag, etc, etc.
Good luck to her!
Berlin it is.
Frankfurt-Rhine-Cologne looks like will be too complicated for her first solo trip. I think I’d rather have her stay put in one place rather than changing venue almost every day.
May have her overnight in Hamburg on way back. For whatever reason, the train to Berlin is much simpler than the return trip from Berlin.
Thank you! I feel better.
@momofadult, we’ve been in a lot of Radisson Blus so that might just do the trick. Something bit more stable and I think I’d prefer to keep her out of hostels for first solo travel.
We recently stayed in Munich and loved it. Berlin is “on our list” too.
Berlin is fantastic. We also stayed in the Radisson Blu this last April–centrally located and a real value.
We did Berlin, Munich, Salzburg, (Austria), and Frankfurt this past Christmas. Berlin is awesome.
Berlin is awesome. Cologne is really not worth it. All there is is the cathedral, and you will be shocked at what a horrible location it is (literally at the train station - well, obviously the cathedral predated it) and how filthy it is. The cathedral is so tall that all the beautiful stained glass (or what is underneath all the filth) is so far away from the eye that you can’t even see it. I loooove European cathedrals but I would not call Cologne worth it. There is very little in the town.
Berlin is terrific. You could spend days there.
Good choice! Koln and Frankfurt are pretty unremarkable cities.
I’ll add my vote for Berlin. Awesome city with a lot to explore.
I loved Berlin when my son and I visited there in 2011 for about eight days. So did my son, who was then 21, and stayed there another month after I left (he had a grant for the summer),. I know a number of people who’ve been to Frankfurt on business, and they’ve all told me that it’s not a very interesting city unless you like to look at office buildings.
DĂĽsseldorf is somewhat interesting if you like modern architecture. But really Berlin is fascinating. I would easily go back.
Thanks to y’alls assurances, she is now booked for Berlin 3 days and a quick overnight in Hamburg on her way back.
I did visit Berlin way back in late 80’s not long before The Wall came down. We went into East Berlin which was so very depressed and oppressive. The focus back in those days was on The Wall, The Wall, and The Wall. We really didn’t pay much attention to anything else. Sounds like Berlin has now come back to life these 30+ years. I’m thinking I need to return.
For a traveler pressed for time the best thing about Cologne is that the famous cathedral is steps away from the train station. So off the train, see the amazingly stunning church, get on the next train.
Or visit GMT’s Museum next door. Fwiw, the next town on the train might have a better choice in the cathedral genre. Try Aachen!
Or just look up and realize that there are absolutely beautiful stained glass windows that are so far away from you (so high up) that you won’t be able to appreciate their beauty!
ihs76, I think she will have a fine time. Berlin is an easy city to explore.
I think you would be stunned at the transformation of East Berlin - at least I was. New hotels and complexes like the Radisson Blu and Potsdamer Platz. Few traces of the Wall and those in memorial parks. Friendly, helpful citizens and officials at all turns - no more intimidation. I know the “German Miracle” refers to the WWII recovery of West Germany, but I felt as if I was walking through it live in former East Berlin. By the way, there is a lot of construction on-going on Unter den Linden that did take away some of the beauty. I think that will still be in process in the fall.
I was interested to learn that because of Berlin’s sandy soil allowing for easy entrapment, there are still many unexploded WWII era bombs hidden below the city. Estimates are in the thousands. They uncover some each year in the course of construction projects and there have been deaths from these undetected bombs. This may be common knowledge and I guess isn’t surprising, but it was news to me. It gave me an added appreciation for the accomplishments.
Regardless of whether you are Jewish or not, the Jewish and Holocaust-related memorials and museums in Berlin are outstanding.
a good thing to get when you visit Berlin is the “welcome Berlin card”. It cost about 20 euro for 3 days. With that card you can ride the busses, tram, sbahn and ubahn for free and you get lots of coupons for Museums, sightseeing tours and things like that. She wouldn’t have to worry about figuring out prices to ride subways etc. I think you can get that card at almost every hotel