woodstock
Final Approach
Käthe Wohlfahrt. They sell Xmas-y things like decorations - but not the cool things like handmade items and etc you can get at the Xmas markets. Plus, no gluhwein!
International trip help
- Thread starter Tristar
- Start date
Käthe Wohlfahrt. They sell Xmas-y things like decorations - but not the cool things like handmade items and etc you can get at the Xmas markets. Plus, no gluhwein!
Armageddon Aviator
Cleared for Takeoff
The only thing I would add to the list of "things to see" in Paris is the Air & Space Museum in Le Bourget ( near Paris).
http://www.museeairespace.fr/
Don't forget to buy some "eclairs, macarons, saint honore, croissants and petits pains au chocolat" early in the morning ( when they're fresh ) in a good Patisserie....
I also recommend the following foods ( in any decent supermarket ) :
I also recommend the excellent Cidre Brut from Normandy ( Seedre ) - totally inexpensive, around 6% alcohol, 100% naturally fermented apple juice (naturally sparkling)...served chilled...it really quenches your thirst and helps you fall asleep...
A little Rose wine ( Rosay ) - like the Cotes de Provence...served very cold ( don't buy the cheapo brands...) is also a nice treat...
Enjoy...
http://www.museeairespace.fr/
Don't forget to buy some "eclairs, macarons, saint honore, croissants and petits pains au chocolat" early in the morning ( when they're fresh ) in a good Patisserie....
I also recommend the following foods ( in any decent supermarket ) :
- Comte ( pronounced Contey ) cheese
- Jambon de Porc cuit ( Pork Ham )
- Brie ( Bree ) cheese
- Boursin Cheese ( the one with garlic and pepper ) on some fresh baguette of course...
- Pate de campagne ( Patey de Camp-ayn )
I also recommend the excellent Cidre Brut from Normandy ( Seedre ) - totally inexpensive, around 6% alcohol, 100% naturally fermented apple juice (naturally sparkling)...served chilled...it really quenches your thirst and helps you fall asleep...
A little Rose wine ( Rosay ) - like the Cotes de Provence...served very cold ( don't buy the cheapo brands...) is also a nice treat...
Enjoy...
woodstock
Final Approach
I haven't even gotten to the list of foods yet and restaurants yet! I'd need to know where you are staying first. Try to stay central if you can on a first trip.
Have foie gras as many times as you can. Harder to find on restaurant menus in the US. Not impossible by a long shot, just isn't all that common. I have it at least once a day in France. MMMMMM.
Have foie gras as many times as you can. Harder to find on restaurant menus in the US. Not impossible by a long shot, just isn't all that common. I have it at least once a day in France. MMMMMM.
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
I don't have the current rates, but Germany has often had a lower departure tax than France. Even if it's a wash on airfare to do an open jaw, you'll save on the train fare back to Paris and maybe departure tax.
When I compare, I look at the all-in airfare for each option (with taxes and baggage fees), and add the one-way or round trip train fares.
One other trick: if you choose to fly from Munich to Paris and/or vice versa, it's sometimes cheaper to buy a RT fare and throw away the return ticket.
Personally, with the time you have, I'd be looking at open-jaw ticket and not waste the time going back to Paris unless the fare difference is HUGE.
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Tristar
Pattern Altitude
Okay, what does open jaw mean?
I dont know where I'm staying or eating yet, haven't gotten that far, lol! I would like to try some of the traditional food in both Paris and Germany (probably Munich).
Papers were sent in today for passport. Woohoo!
I dont know where I'm staying or eating yet, haven't gotten that far, lol! I would like to try some of the traditional food in both Paris and Germany (probably Munich).
Papers were sent in today for passport. Woohoo!
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wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
Open jaw means you arrive at one city and leave from another. For example you fly DEN-CDG on your outbound, and you return MUC-DEN. Plot it on a map, and it looks like an open jaw (if you have an imagination).
You'll have fun.... I still remember my first international trip all those years ago...
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Ghery
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True enough. That's the place. My wife loved it. You take what's available when you're there. We were there during the summer.
Hi! I lived in Germany for a number of years with my German husband, and spend time there every year. I haven't been to France in a few years, so I'll leave that to others, but I'll comment on Germany.
First, if you are two or more people, I think renting a car is cheaper than trains if you are going any kind of distance. I also haven't taken trains in years because we always get a car. I've driven all over Europe, and it's fine. The only place I don't like driving is eastern Europe, because local police zero in on foreign plates and stop those cars for made-up fines for some supposed transgression. But Germans wont do that! They are too law-abiding. Watch for Einbahnstrasse, one-way streets. And right of way has meaning there.
Many places in Germany don't take credit cards, but I think that's slowly changing. Many restaurants only take cash. One way around the foreign transaction fees is a Capital One credit card, and a Capital One money market account ( I think it's called). You put cash into that account, withdraw it in Europe and there is no fee to do so. When you come home, move any cash back into your regular account.
At restaurants, it's customary to round the bill up slightly, but service is already included. Don't overtip. Really. Also, they will charge you for water, so you may as well get mineral water. If you ask for tap water they will look at you like you are insane. Tap water is perfectly fine to drink, but no one does. Don't know why. If there is something you really want to eat, try to know the German name. One friend of mine went all over Bavaria asking for "Black Forest Cake". She came home and told me no one had any! No one knew what she was talking about because the German name is Schwarzwalder Kirsche Torte. Try some different sausages. Hotdogs were copied from German sausages, but the real thing is so much better, they don't even compare. Bakeries are my favorite! German bread is the best, something I sorely miss here.
Some places I like:
Rothenburg was mentioned. It's old and walled. It's just west of Nürnberg, a beautiful city. Try the Nürnberger Lebkuchen (ginger cookies). North of Rothenburg and southeast of Frankfurt is the city of Würzburg, which has a beautiful palace, the Würzburg Residenz. It was nearly destroyed in early 1945 during the war, but recently rebuilt. It has a wall of mirros like Versailles. It's just beautiful. I know they have tours in English. Be sure to visit the chapel next door.
http://www.residenz-wuerzburg.de/englisch/residenz/index.htm
If you go to Berlin, go see Schloss Sans Souci in Potsdam. It was the home of Frederick the Great, who is buried on the property with his dogs. Apparently he loved his dogs more than his family.
http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/sanssouci-potsdam-sights.html
Several people mentioned Dachau. Also in Berlin is Plötzensee Prison, the prison where political prisoners were executed during the war. If you saw the film Valkyrie, there is a scene where political prisoners were strung up on meathooks. That's Plötzensee. You can still see blood stains in the concrete.
South of Berlin you can visit the town of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. He's buried there also. It's worth a visit if you happen to be driving by.
Dresden is beautiful also. The rebuilt Frauenkirche is worth seeing, also the Semper Oper (opera house).
The small town of Weimar was the home of Goethe and Schiller. It was not destroyed during the war, so the architecture is intact.
So much to see. If you have more specific regions in mind, or questions, let me know.
First, if you are two or more people, I think renting a car is cheaper than trains if you are going any kind of distance. I also haven't taken trains in years because we always get a car. I've driven all over Europe, and it's fine. The only place I don't like driving is eastern Europe, because local police zero in on foreign plates and stop those cars for made-up fines for some supposed transgression. But Germans wont do that! They are too law-abiding. Watch for Einbahnstrasse, one-way streets. And right of way has meaning there.
Many places in Germany don't take credit cards, but I think that's slowly changing. Many restaurants only take cash. One way around the foreign transaction fees is a Capital One credit card, and a Capital One money market account ( I think it's called). You put cash into that account, withdraw it in Europe and there is no fee to do so. When you come home, move any cash back into your regular account.
At restaurants, it's customary to round the bill up slightly, but service is already included. Don't overtip. Really. Also, they will charge you for water, so you may as well get mineral water. If you ask for tap water they will look at you like you are insane. Tap water is perfectly fine to drink, but no one does. Don't know why. If there is something you really want to eat, try to know the German name. One friend of mine went all over Bavaria asking for "Black Forest Cake". She came home and told me no one had any! No one knew what she was talking about because the German name is Schwarzwalder Kirsche Torte. Try some different sausages. Hotdogs were copied from German sausages, but the real thing is so much better, they don't even compare. Bakeries are my favorite! German bread is the best, something I sorely miss here.
Some places I like:
Rothenburg was mentioned. It's old and walled. It's just west of Nürnberg, a beautiful city. Try the Nürnberger Lebkuchen (ginger cookies). North of Rothenburg and southeast of Frankfurt is the city of Würzburg, which has a beautiful palace, the Würzburg Residenz. It was nearly destroyed in early 1945 during the war, but recently rebuilt. It has a wall of mirros like Versailles. It's just beautiful. I know they have tours in English. Be sure to visit the chapel next door.
http://www.residenz-wuerzburg.de/englisch/residenz/index.htm
If you go to Berlin, go see Schloss Sans Souci in Potsdam. It was the home of Frederick the Great, who is buried on the property with his dogs. Apparently he loved his dogs more than his family.
http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/sanssouci-potsdam-sights.html
Several people mentioned Dachau. Also in Berlin is Plötzensee Prison, the prison where political prisoners were executed during the war. If you saw the film Valkyrie, there is a scene where political prisoners were strung up on meathooks. That's Plötzensee. You can still see blood stains in the concrete.
South of Berlin you can visit the town of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. He's buried there also. It's worth a visit if you happen to be driving by.
Dresden is beautiful also. The rebuilt Frauenkirche is worth seeing, also the Semper Oper (opera house).
The small town of Weimar was the home of Goethe and Schiller. It was not destroyed during the war, so the architecture is intact.
So much to see. If you have more specific regions in mind, or questions, let me know.
vontresc
En-Route
Personally I'd probably skip Neu Schwanstein. It's a bit of a tourist trap.
If you have some time in Munich there is always the Deutsches Museum (sort of the german equivalent of the Smithsonian)
Also I don't know how much of a beer geek you are, but I believe that you can take the S-Bahn out to Andech, and visit Koster Andechs brewery.
If you have some time in Munich there is always the Deutsches Museum (sort of the german equivalent of the Smithsonian)
Also I don't know how much of a beer geek you are, but I believe that you can take the S-Bahn out to Andech, and visit Koster Andechs brewery.
I forgot Rüdesheim, in the German winemaking area. You can take a river cruise down the Rhein to see castles along the river, and stop in Rüdesheim for wine tasting. Or start in Rüdesheim and go on a cruise for an hour and come back. Don't go on a long cruise, it gets boring, and the interesting castles are within an hour of Rüdesheim.
http://www.rudesheim-rhine.info/
http://www.rudesheim-rhine.info/
I love that place, best wines from there. I remember when my cousin was going to school there and we go wine sampling, such good stuff. Now she has a boutique wine shop and even some grapes around there.
Tristar
Pattern Altitude
I'm not quite sure how much I'll be traveling. Since I'm not in the country that long, I'm trying to limit my travel time. Munic/Fussin is probably a destination I'd like to keep. Probably anywhere within a 2 hour train ride would be fine.
Jeanie
Pattern Altitude
And remember Tristan that it's not always when the train departs but when it arrives that makes a difference too. So keep an eye on both ends of the schedule.
I stayed at Hotel St Jacques on 35 Rue des Ecoles years ago and it was a good location. Near the Cluny museum too and within walking distance to many good sites and of course the subway/metro. I have no idea if it's still open or what condition it would be in now. That was 25 yrs ago. Jeepers.
PS: Also, I had one of those small thin passport carriers for keeping my passport and other important items like my return ticket and credit card which I kept around my neck and down under my sweater into the front band of my britches. That way it couldn't be stolen. My "handbag/satchel" I kept slung across my shoulder on one side and under the opposite arm - diagonal-wise. It had my working money for the day, metro map, sunglasses, small umbrella (you will need a small umbrella), the musee pass, etc.
I stayed at Hotel St Jacques on 35 Rue des Ecoles years ago and it was a good location. Near the Cluny museum too and within walking distance to many good sites and of course the subway/metro. I have no idea if it's still open or what condition it would be in now. That was 25 yrs ago. Jeepers.
PS: Also, I had one of those small thin passport carriers for keeping my passport and other important items like my return ticket and credit card which I kept around my neck and down under my sweater into the front band of my britches. That way it couldn't be stolen. My "handbag/satchel" I kept slung across my shoulder on one side and under the opposite arm - diagonal-wise. It had my working money for the day, metro map, sunglasses, small umbrella (you will need a small umbrella), the musee pass, etc.
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I haven't been to Munich in a few years, nor Füssen. But the area is pretty. The Bodensee is nice too, as is Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Rockies are taller and more impressive than the Alps. Austria is not far from Munich, if that interests you.
Ingolstadt is not far from Munich, if you want to buy an Audi.
BTW, in public restrooms you will be expected to leave a small coin for the attendant, something between 20-50 cents. If the attendant is overly pushy then I'm cheap because pushy attendants are annoying. On the positive side, I can't remember ever seeing a dirty public restroom, and that includes gas stations.
