Trip to Germany and Italy mid June.... Any suggestions or advice?

[YELLAHEEP]

My wife works for a German company and is being sent to Ulm, Germany where their HQ is for 3 days of business related meetings. Her bosses are Germans and have insisted that I go along - on their dime! How can I say no?

So, with that said, I'll have 3 days of things to do on my own, then probably another 2-3 days with my wife in Germany. We'd then like to head down to Italy for 3-5 days and depart for home from there.

Anyone got any suggestions or advice on places to go, ways to get there, places to eat, whatever......? Both for Germany and Italy.

I'll have a rental car, but am curious to know if it's better to take public transportation when going out of Ulm to see other places, cities, etc?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Original_MudButt]

 

[tbburg]

Where are you staying?
If you're near Berlin, stop by Checkpoint Charlie and the remains of the Berlin Wall. Also the Brandenburg Gate.

Neuschwanstein Castle Link (Southern Bavaria) is always a good show. It's the real castle that Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disney land was based on.

Hercules Monument Link(Northern Hesse) is a good waste of a half day. If you're not in good shape, maybe skip this. The stairs leading to it are like 1000 steps.

Berchtesgaden and the ruins of the Eagle's Nest (South, near the Austrian border) Beautiful scenery, and WW-II history if you're into that.

In the north, there's Nurburg castle and the Nurburgring link if you're into old buildings, hot cars, or both.

 

[8Mud]

I'm not a people person so most of my interest is in the scenery. The drive through the Alps is a once in a lifetime experience. I'd avoid the fastest or most direct route.

The Italian side of the Alps is a whole other critter. The Italians are nuts, especially in the mountain passes. Between the kamikaze trucks, the wanna be race car drivers, the horns and flashing high beams, it can be kind of nerve racking. You have to have your driving game in good order and nerves of steel. If you rent a car, bigger is better (SUV), except when it comes time to park. Extra insurance recommended.

University cities like Ulm are pretty laid back. I'd go where the students go. Generally a friendly lot and eager to try out their English. In groups it can be a blast, I shy away from over friendly singles. I stay in tourist or University districts.

I usually buy a car trip (autoreise) book from the ADAC (German automobile club, English spoken) for the planned route or area. They have more places to see than a person can visit.

I'm big on Museums, especially the Natural History Museums. Castle tours generally require a fresh set of legs, a lot of stairs and long walks.

Everything is expensive, you can guesstimate on a dollar amount, then double it and come close.

 

[Lurch]

Munich and Berlin are both great cities to visit, recommend taking a bike tour for seeing the highlights and stopping at the main bier gardens.

For Italy, Florence is a must. I was meh about Venice and Milan, but I guess Venice is a must see because of the uniqueness and the fact that it's sinking. Check out the Cinque Terra too if you want to get off the beaten path a bit. End in Rome and fly direct back to the States from there if possible.

I took trains through the whole region, worked great. I'd love to cruise the autobahn though.

 

[GSequoia]

How many European MJs are you going to buy?

 

[YELLAHEEP]

How many European MJs are you going to buy?

Shaddup G. :moon:

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Thanks for the input so far..... more please!

Yeah, we're re-thinking the rental car. Not sure it'd be of much benefit given the availablity of public transportation. We didn't need a rental car when we visited D.C. and were very impressed with the transit system there.

I'm just at a loss as to what I should go do/see when I'm in Ulm, Germany. I know there's not much in Ulm, but where to go outside of there....... places to see. I've been looking into the automotive museums out there....

For getting to Italy, we will very likely do the train. Maybe do a day or two in Florence, then onto Naples and end up in Rome. Suggestions?

Also...... any advice for surviving the long flights? I'm not afraid to fly, but I have a big problem being cramped up in those little seats for so long..... What kinds of things do you guys that frequently fly do to pass time, occupy your brains? I'm going nuts thinking about going nuts on the plane.......

 

[8Mud]

When I get down in that area, the thought always crosses my mind that a Neanderthal, Homo Heidelbergensis and stone age Homo Sapiens likely stood in the same spot. Maybe your most remote ancestors also stood in the same spot?
One of the cradles of modern man. In the Museum there (Ulm) they have artifacts from nearby caves 30-40,000 years old. Way before Australia, the Americas and the Pacific Islands ever saw a human. The river valleys in that area have been settled for a long time. The ebb and flow of the Glaciers from the last ice age left a habitable area near Ulm that was largely untouched by Glaciation, well watered and had a somewhat milder climate. A little farther south and things got pretty dry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danubian_culture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_domestic_dog

One of my interests, that is why I recommended the museum.

The trains are great. City mass transit can be interesting, trying to figure out the schedules is an art form. I'm old as dirt and walking all day (two days in a row) isn't something I want to do. I usually rent a car to sight see. International drivers licenses aren't hard to get. Check and see if your Credit Cards are international, If not they can re-issue you an international one (some are some aren't).

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Do I need an international driver's license as a tourist?

Good tip about the credit cards. I'll have to look into that.

 

[Lurch]

Also...... any advice for surviving the long flights? I'm not afraid to fly, but I have a big problem being cramped up in those little seats for so long..... What kinds of things do you guys that frequently fly do to pass time, occupy your brains? I'm going nuts thinking about going nuts on the plane.......

Ambien, a tablet full of movies/books and noise canceling headphones.

 

[8Mud]

Do I need an international driver's license as a tourist?

Good tip about the credit cards. I'll have to look into that.

Mostly an international drivers license serves as a translation of your U.S. drivers license. You need your U.S. drivers license with the international if you have an international. Most rental car companies recommend them. I've run into some dumb as a rock Cops and/or rabidly nationalistic types and/or just a bored Cop who wants to play games. Anything that is out of the ordinary freaks the low IQ types out.

One state in Germany (right where your headed) just decided not to honor Armed forces drivers licenses anymore and require a valid U.S. State drivers license. Who knows how the Cops are gonna screw that one up trying to enforce it. An international drivers licence might help avoid confusion.

Pretty much the same thing with Master Card, the numbers may or may not ping valid in the card reader, though this has gotten a lot better. More a just in case type thing than something absolutely necessary. Not a bad idea to have a card with low daily withdrawal anyway, just in case.

The mentally challenged have a hard time dealing with anything that is out of the ordinary. I tend to plan to avoid trouble. And even with the best planning the rules are changing all the time.

 

[Kittrell]

Also...... any advice for surviving the long flights?

Business class..........

 

[karstic]

Re: Re: Trip to Germany and Italy mid June.... Any suggestions or advice?

Thanks for the input so far..... more please!

Yeah, we're re-thinking the rental car. Not sure it'd be of much benefit given the availablity of public transportation. We didn't need a rental car when we visited D.C. and were very impressed with the transit system there.

I'm just at a loss as to what I should go do/see when I'm in Ulm, Germany. I know there's not much in Ulm, but where to go outside of there....... places to see. I've been looking into the automotive museums out there....

For getting to Italy, we will very likely do the train. Maybe do a day or two in Florence, then onto Naples and end up in Rome. Suggestions?

Also...... any advice for surviving the long flights? I'm not afraid to fly, but I have a big problem being cramped up in those little seats for so long..... What kinds of things do you guys that frequently fly do to pass time, occupy your brains? I'm going nuts thinking about going nuts on the plane.......

Fly Lufthansa. The Airbus plane has the heads on the lower deck. Good selection of movies/music in the headrest entertainment system.

Definitely Head to Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein.

If you drive in Germany a lot will be done on the landstraße, more scenic but more time consuming. Watch your speed! 80 kmh IIRC. Save money on food by going to the market and buying fresh semmel (bread rolls) cold cuts and cheese, especially if you are out sightseeing. Sitting down at a restaurant eats up a lot of time. If you rent a car in Germany you may not be able to take it into Italy.

What interests you?

 

[Bloose]

Yella,

We were in Italy in October. We were in Rome, Ravello, and Florence. We had a car and I disagree that bigger is better. Out of town big is fine, in the cities any size car is a challenge. Once in the city and parked public trans is fine but we liked the freedom of a car.

In Florence we did a tour to Piza. Piza itself was worth seeing, and we climbed the tower but it isn't with it alone. Doing it as a tour was great. We also did a Vespa tour and I absolutely recommend it. If you want a reference let me know.

Ravello was awesome but expensive would be an understatement.

For Rome there is a ton to see there. If you go to see the Vatican which I recommend, absolutely buy a Private Tour. It is worth whatever it costs!

I have no idea what any of it costs though. I am a kept man you know.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Thanks all for the info.

Looking ahead, we're now thinking of scrapping the trip. Some pretty significant expenses coming up this year. This trip would be an expensive one...... probably save it for later in life now.

 

[karstic]

Skip Italy. Still go to Germany. Bummer cause the $ is a bit stronger against the € right now.

Find a place in Munich through AirBnB. Cheaper than hotels.

 

[8Mud]

You can do it on a budget, just depends on how much comfort you are used to. I traveled all over Europe, spent a couple of days camping, then a night in a Hotel and repeat. Two meals out of the super market, one in a restaurant etc. A whole lot to see that is less expensive than the grand tourist locations.

I hated driving in Italy, I just wasn't used to it. In the north they are all frustrated rally car drivers. I never did figure out how they honked the horn, flashed the headlights and waved their hands in the air all at once. I guess they drove with their knees.

Down south, stopping at traffic lights was optional. If you stopped everybody behind you would go nuts. If you didn't stop, the drivers that had the green light would aim for you.

I'm a pretty good driver, I drive little on the fast side, but I have a lot of experience. It's not like I was holding up traffic or anything, you could be going a hundred and whatever and there would still be some Italian behind you raising heck.

I refuse to drive in France anymore. I rarely get tickets, maybe one small one every ten years or so. I've never made it through France without being stopped and ticketed. I once got a ticket for not leaving my parking brake off so the car behind me could push me forward to make parking easier for him. I tried to explain to the cops that I couldn't get the key out, unless it was in park, they wrote me a ticket anyway. The nut in the Citroen who tried to push my New Yorker forward and destroyed his own front bumper, insisted I pay for his damages. Different strokes for different folks.