The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the Kurfurstendamm area of Berlin
Berlin
Your self-catering apartment is located in the central area of Berlin. Actually, there is no city of "Berlin." It doesn't exist. What Berlin is, is a conglomeration of different districts and previous independent towns. "Mitte" is what most people think of when they think of Berlin. It is in "Mitte" that you find the famous Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, the TV tower and the Reichstag or Parliament building among other landmarks. You are staying in "Mitte."
Arrival at Berlin Tegel Airport September 24
While you could undoubtedly save money by taking public transportation to your lodging, this would be a hassle and confusing on your first day in Germany. I recommend a taxi to your front door. Taxis in Berlin are reliable and honest. Only use the official yellow cabs with the "Taxi" sign on their roofs. Do not use a driver who approaches you and offers you a ride to wherever. These are common rip-off schemes in the large cities of Europe.
For your day of arrival I recommend (after a nap, you will need it) a wander around your neighborhood. My top recommendation is:
The Haekeshen Hofe, or Haeckischer Courts.
These are beautiful examples of what much of Berlin looked like before WWII. You can wander in an out of these courtyards, many of which are filled with interesting little boutiques and places to eat and drink. I can think of not better way to enjoy your first late afternoon and evening in Berlin.
September 25
Start the day with a walk over to the nearby Berliner Dom, the largest church in Berlin. It's quite a sight, even if you just walk around and admire the outside.
In the vicinity is the Pergamon Museum. This is a highlight for any visit to Berlin and definitely worth seeing. Read more about this museum here:
https://www.berlin.de/en/museums/3108456-3104050-pergamonmuseum.en.html
Want to see all of the sights of Berlin in a fun-filled three hours? I recommend you let the folks at Segtour-Berlin fill the rest of your day. The three-hour tour covers the entire city center via Segway, including a brief instruction period on how to ride these fun little machines. The cost for the tour varies but is usually between 75 Euro per person, gratuity not expected but appreciated.
The tour starts at 1500 and lasts until 1800. You get there about 15 minutes early for the orientation. It would be about a 15-20 minute walk from the Pergamon Museum to the office of Segtour-Berlin.
In the vicinity is the Pergamon Museum. This is a highlight for any visit to Berlin and definitely worth seeing. Read more about this museum here:
https://www.berlin.de/en/museums/3108456-3104050-pergamonmuseum.en.html
Want to see all of the sights of Berlin in a fun-filled three hours? I recommend you let the folks at Segtour-Berlin fill the rest of your day. The three-hour tour covers the entire city center via Segway, including a brief instruction period on how to ride these fun little machines. The cost for the tour varies but is usually between 75 Euro per person, gratuity not expected but appreciated.
The tour starts at 1500 and lasts until 1800. You get there about 15 minutes early for the orientation. It would be about a 15-20 minute walk from the Pergamon Museum to the office of Segtour-Berlin.
September 26
Reminder for this afternoon before 1700
Reserve your tickets for Neuschwanstein Castle, which you will want to visit the morning of September 29. See the link below under September 29.
Your Segway tour the day before will have given you a broad introduction to all of the landmarks of Berlin. Today you can go back and delve deeper into the areas which were of most interest. For example, you may want to walk down Unter den Linden to people watch at the Brandenburg Gate. You can also ascend the glass dome of the Reichstag. Advance booking is required and it is easy and free via this link: https://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits/kuppel
You may also choose to cruise on the River Spree with one of the several departures near your lodging. One of the most convenient is just on the other side of the bridge which runs past the Berlin Dome. (Big Church)
Other highlights of Berlin to explore include:
Prenzlauer Berg
This very pretty neighborhood rivals the area where you are staying in beauty and architectural interest. This was in the former East Berlin and when the wall came down, this entire district was one color - gray! Now the apartment buildings have been lovingly restored to their former late 19th and early 20th century glory. This is a great area to just stroll around, check out boutiques and relax in one of the many small restaurants or bistros.
German Technical Museum
I can easily spend the entire day here:
http://www.sdtb.de/Visitor-information-at-a-glance.1236.0.html
September 27
Marathon
September 28
Early Departure from Berlin Tegel to Munich (MUC)
On arrival at MUC you just follow the signs for Rental Car (Also as "Mietwagen" in German)
You will want to double check at the counter that you have a built-in navigation system. Ensure you know how to operate it with assistance in the garage before you depart, as the tips from here on out rely on your knowing how to use your navi. Also ensure that the car has a "Parkuhr" or parking clock in the car. This is a neat system which allows you to park for free in certain areas of towns and villages. It is a blue card with a 'clock.' Just ask the attendant to show it to you.
Watch your speeds! There are radar cameras everywhere, and a ticket will cost you not just the price of the fine but also a hefty service fee applied by the rental agency against your credit card.
Read about driving in Germany here. This is some pretty important stuff to learn, and it can save you a lot of headaches later:
http://www.german-way.com/travel-and-tourism/driving-in-europe/driving/autobahn/driving-on-the-autobahn/
We are skipping the big city of Munich.
Do you want to stop and visit the Dachau Concentation Camp site? You have time, and I recommend this.
As you will be arriving plenty early, I recommend first that you set your navigation for Dachau Center. You can easily find a cafe where you can have breakfast. Dachau old town center is lovely and a nice place to unwind after your flight and your short drive from the airport.
To visit the concentration camp memorial set your destination as:
Alte Römerstraße 75
Parking is indicated. The camp is open from 9-5.
There is an entrance fee and everything is explained well once you enter the property. Allow 90 minutes to two hours.
Next, you are heading for the Alps.
Set your destination as
Schwangau
Frauenbergstrasse 9
Ideally you want to travel via Landsberg am Lech, which helps you avoid the center of Munich. Your navigation should show you a map, and Landsberg should be indicated. See this example:
https://goo.gl/maps/GCcvN
You should arrive in about two hours.
After your arrival if the weather is fine I recommend you check out bikes and explore the broad valley around your inn. The staff of the Helmerhof can give you pointers. You can ride down to the castles and check out the situation before your visit the next morning. There is a nice lake, the Alpsee, and plenty of small lanes and paths to explore via bike.
September 29
Visiting Neuschwanstein
This is one of the most visited sites in all of Germany. You will want to reserve your tickets in advance by going here:
https://www.hohenschwangau.de/856.0.html
You will have (smartly) reserved your tickets in advance for pick up at the ticket center for the castles. This ticket center is a modern stand alone building located just before the parking lot which services the castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. I have attempted to zero in on that parking lot, which has about a 5 Euro daily fee, here:
https://goo.gl/maps/xxltC
Set your navigation for Alpseestrasse 27, it will get you very close to the entrance to the parking lot.
Then you walk back to the ticket center, which you will have driven past on your way to the parking lot. (It will be on your right. There are many parking lots! Use the one that I recommend otherwise my directions won't make sense)
After you pick up your tickets, head for the shuttle bus stop which is just outside the (closed last time I was there) Hotel Lisl.
If you don't see the Hotel Lisl right away, just ask at the ticket center when you pick up your tickets. You want the shuttle bus one way up to the castle.
This bus takes you up to a point which is actually above Neuschwanstein Castle. The normal view from the Marienbruecke (Mary's Bridge) is closed due to repairs to the bridge.
You follow the path down to the castle, there is a nice view of Hohenschwangau and the Alpsee and the Austrian Alps from a wide spot in the path as you walk down.
Follow the path which leads you to the base of the castle. Remember that this castle was built by King Ludwig II as his attempt to capture the chivalry of the bygone era of knights and damsels. You will pass by the exit door, on your right, as you continue to walk along the flank of the castle and then up and to the right, through the gates and into the open courtyard.
You watch the numbers on the digital readouts above the entrance turnstiles. When your number appears (corresponding to the number on your ticket) you can enter the turnstile and get in your line. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and ends with a self-guided tour of the unfinished Roman bath and the kitchens.
Walk back to the parking lot, just follow the road. This is a pleasant and easy walk taking about 20-30 minutes after you leave the castle.
Once back to the parking lot I recommend you go have lunch back at the Helmerhof. I can't think of a better place, and their goulash soup is wonderful!
Next Stop - Wieskirche
Set your navigation for Oberammergau, Dorfstrasse 33
After you leave the village of Steinsfeld, you will see on your right a sign for the Wieskirche.
https://goo.gl/maps/j6lLc
This magnificent church was built out in the middle of a meadow in the 1700s by architects intent on recapturing the lost souls who had left the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation. Naturally there is a miracle attached to this church, you can read more here:
http://www.wieskirche.de/egeschcht.htm
Parking fee obligatory via one of the machines in the parking lot. Just place your ticket in the dash.
Please note that walking around and taking pictures is not allowed during mass times.
After the church, continue to Oberammergau. I always park in a little parking lot near my favorite eating place, the Gasthaus Stern at Dorfstrasse 33. There is a place there where you can park free for a couple of hours by using the special "Parkuhr" or park clock which should be in your rental car.
Want more of King Ludwig? His so-called "Hunting Lodge" of Linderhof is not far away. You can visit without a ticket reservation. Set your navigation for:
Ettal
Linderhof 12
The castle is the only one of four built by the eccentric king that was actually lived in. It has wonderful gardens, a funny fountain and a grotto which was the first place to receive electricity in Bavaria. Tours are conducted in English on a regular basis.
Return to Schwangau and the Helmerhof for a wonderful relaxing dinner. I recommend the venison served with spaetzle! All of their food is great.
You will want to set your navigation for Reutte, Austria. This will get you pointed in the right direction. By the way, fuel (especially unleaded) is the cheapest in Austria. You will want to tank up before you leave the country.
From Reutte, you next want to set your navigation for Lermoos, Austria. This is a place where you will want to stop and admire the massive bulk of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitz. (2,962 meters) There is a golf course on your right where you can pull off to admire the mountain majesty all around you. (Look for the dome structure, it is the clubhouse)
From Lermoos you want to set your navigation for Mittenwald, Germany. This will take you around the Zugspitz and through Garmisch-Partenkirchen, not really worth stopping.
But Mittenwald is. It is a lovely little town full of painted houses and charm. Stop and have a coffee in one of the many cafes or Gasthauses.
From Mittenwald you next want to set your navigation for Innsbruck, Austria. This will take you over some back roads and then as you get closer to Innsbruck, onto the Austrian Autobahn.
A sticker is required for you to use the autobahn, even if it is (as in the case of today) just for a short time. It costs 7 Euro for a 10-day pass, the minimum you can buy. Stop at a gas station offering the "Vignette" after you leave Mittenwald. Place this on the windshield behind your mirror and you are all set.
For a unique lunch time experience, eat at the Markethalle in the center of Innsbruck. It is not hard to get to: Navigation address is
Herzog-Siegmund-Ufer 1
Parking on site in a garage
http://www.markthalle-innsbruck.at/
From Reutte, you next want to set your navigation for Lermoos, Austria. This is a place where you will want to stop and admire the massive bulk of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitz. (2,962 meters) There is a golf course on your right where you can pull off to admire the mountain majesty all around you. (Look for the dome structure, it is the clubhouse)
From Lermoos you want to set your navigation for Mittenwald, Germany. This will take you around the Zugspitz and through Garmisch-Partenkirchen, not really worth stopping.
But Mittenwald is. It is a lovely little town full of painted houses and charm. Stop and have a coffee in one of the many cafes or Gasthauses.
From Mittenwald you next want to set your navigation for Innsbruck, Austria. This will take you over some back roads and then as you get closer to Innsbruck, onto the Austrian Autobahn.
A sticker is required for you to use the autobahn, even if it is (as in the case of today) just for a short time. It costs 7 Euro for a 10-day pass, the minimum you can buy. Stop at a gas station offering the "Vignette" after you leave Mittenwald. Place this on the windshield behind your mirror and you are all set.
For a unique lunch time experience, eat at the Markethalle in the center of Innsbruck. It is not hard to get to: Navigation address is
Herzog-Siegmund-Ufer 1
Parking on site in a garage
http://www.markthalle-innsbruck.at/
OR, if you prefer a smaller town environment, stop at charming Hall in Tyrol, which is just past Innsbruck. There are many places to choose from in the center of this very old and walkable town.
Continue on the autobahn to your next destination, my recommended hotel in Bad Aibling, Germany.
October 1
To the Airport
You have plenty of time and do not have to be at the airport until three hours prior to your departure, allowing for time within this period to fuel up and return your rental car.
Bad Aibling is a lovely little town and worth a leg stretch and stroll around after your buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Take this road:
https://goo.gl/maps/vVGQX
Which avoids Munich and takes you over the back roads up to the airport, about an hour and 15 minutes.
To find the airport on your navigation, just search for a POI in your area, and enter "Airports" - the name of the airport is Franz Strauss.
The address is Munich, Nordallee 25
Have a wonderful time!
Continue on the autobahn to your next destination, my recommended hotel in Bad Aibling, Germany.
October 1
To the Airport
You have plenty of time and do not have to be at the airport until three hours prior to your departure, allowing for time within this period to fuel up and return your rental car.
Bad Aibling is a lovely little town and worth a leg stretch and stroll around after your buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Take this road:
https://goo.gl/maps/vVGQX
Which avoids Munich and takes you over the back roads up to the airport, about an hour and 15 minutes.
To find the airport on your navigation, just search for a POI in your area, and enter "Airports" - the name of the airport is Franz Strauss.
The address is Munich, Nordallee 25
Have a wonderful time!
